The Decaying Dream of America: I Assemble Corpses and Confront Madness

The modified all-terrain vehicle drove away from the mine entrance, once again rolling over the dilapidated asphalt road, making a screeching sound.

Jeremy gripped the steering wheel tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. In the dim light, the highway stretched endlessly to the horizon like a broken scar.

The wind of the wilderness howled in through the cracks in the car window, bringing with it a pungent smell of damp humus mixed with animal carcasses, assaulting Lin Zheng's sense of smell. The smell was like the aura of death, lingering and making his stomach feel uncomfortable.

The sky was a deep leaden gray, and the thick clouds, like a giant lid, shrouded the entire Ochre Maze in eternal twilight, completely swallowing up the light and leaving only oppressive gloom.

Evelyn carefully reinforced Arthur's makeshift stretcher. Every bump from the modified all-terrain vehicle made Arthur groan softly. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes filled with worry, and the burning sensation on every inch of his skin made her feel helpless. She wished she could get him to safety immediately.

She closely monitored his weak breathing, ready to wipe his body to cool him down at any time, but she knew that these were just a drop in the ocean, and Arthur's life force was slowly slipping away.

Lina held the modified gun, its muzzle steadily aimed at the outside of the car window, her fingertips lightly tracing the cold metal, maintaining a high level of vigilance.

The withered bushes and twisted distant mountains presented eerie silhouettes in the dim light, as if every place concealed unseen eyes, and every whisper of the wind was like a signal from a lurking intruder.

Her muscles were tense, her breathing steady, and she felt like a predator waiting to pounce. Her intuition told her that they were not truly out of danger.

She distrusted the wilderness, and even more so the unknown things hidden within it; the feeling was like a cold, venomous snake crawling down her spine.

Lin Zheng's mental exhaustion had not yet fully recovered, but as he moved further away from the pollution deep within the mine, his hypersensitive senses became active again against the backdrop of the wilderness, and a strange buzzing sound echoed in his ears.

With his eyes closed, he felt a greater, more primal malice surging from the distant depths of the earth—a pure and ancient hatred that reached the very core of his soul.

It wasn't the technological probes from the company's pursuers, nor was it a specific biological threat in the mine. Rather, it was something pervasive in the air, seeping into every corner, like an all-pervasive poisonous fog, trying to erode his sanity.

This malice has no physical form, yet it is all the more oppressive. An invisible net is silently closing in on them, as if the whole world is their accomplice, dragging them into the abyss.

His mind felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, each breath heavy as lead, and each heartbeat a harbinger of impending doom.

He knew that the "will" of this wasteland had never truly gone away; it had only temporarily subsided when they entered the mine, and now it was awakening with unprecedented hunger and savagery.

Now, it was awakened once more by their presence, and even more furious. Its roar, though silent, reverberated deep within Lin Zheng's soul.

The threat Lin Zheng felt was more despairing than any tangible monster, because it was omnipresent, inescapable, and even the air was filled with decay and murderous intent.

The colorful structural lines deep within his mind began to stir again, twisting and tangling, foreshadowing the approaching end.

It doesn't point to the road, but to the danger itself, to the forming vortex of death.

The distant whispers came from the depths of the earth, a primal and powerful malice approaching them, foreshadowing an even greater crisis that awaited them, and an impending bloody baptism.

The blood-red sunset on the horizon slowly sank into the unsettling darkness, as if the whole world was holding a grand finale for their impending doom, leaving only a bloody and gloomy omen.

The modified all-terrain vehicle bumped along the dilapidated road without slowing down, as Jeremy tried to break through the encroaching shadows with speed.

The roar of the engine tore through the desolate wilderness, but it couldn't drown out the creaking sounds coming from under the vehicle and the mournful strain of the metal body.

Lin Zheng's heart pounded faster with each violent sway of the vehicle. He knew that escaping the mine did not mean safety, but rather a wider predicament, throwing them from one prison into another, an even bigger trap.

"Watch out!" Lina's voice suddenly rang out, her gun barrel pointing sharply forward, her voice filled with unprecedented vigilance.

Immediately afterwards, a loud bang came from under the car, making Lin Zheng's eardrums ache. Accompanied by a violent metallic scraping sound, the car shook violently, as if it had crashed into a solid trap.

The modified all-terrain vehicle suddenly lurched, losing its balance. Jeremy gripped the steering wheel tightly, his arm muscles bulging as he struggled to control the vehicle and prevent it from overturning. His face was deathly pale in the rearview mirror, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

"What's going on?!" Jeremy roared, his voice filled with fear and anger, almost a scream, as he felt the steering wheel slip out of his control.

A piercing alarm blared through the air, and the red indicator light on the dial flashed like the eyes of hell, announcing the impending disaster.

Lin Zheng was thrown into a state of mental confusion by the sudden shock, and the world before his eyes swayed, but he still forcibly activated 'Real Deconstruction' in an attempt to capture a glimmer of hope in the collapsing reality.

Countless twisted structural lines flashed before his eyes, the world became fragmented, those structural lines burst from the cracks of reality, distorting his vision, he saw a bloody, indescribable chaotic scene, and more beings that did not belong to the normal world were revealed.

On the edge of his blurred vision, he glimpsed primal and ferocious shouts of killing erupting from the abandoned buildings and withered bushes around him, and the ground seemed to tremble.

A large number of tribal warriors wielding crude weapons rushed out like ghosts from the yellow sand, instantly surrounding the modified all-terrain vehicle. Their numbers exceeded everyone's expectations, as if they had emerged from underground.

Their skin is rough. Strange totems were carved on their bodies, their eyes were fanatical, like hungry beasts, and each of them exuded bloodthirsty malice.

Some tribal warriors held clay pots burning with bright yellow flames—improvised incendiary bombs. The mouths of the pots emitted a pungent smell of tar. Without hesitation, they threw them at the vehicles, and the flames tore through the dim sky.

Others unleashed thorny vine nets, the spikes gleaming coldly in the setting sun, whistling as they precisely wrapped around the wheels and chassis.

The modified all-terrain vehicle barely managed to stay afloat under the heavy impact. Its wheels became entangled in the vine netting, emitting a teeth-grinding screeching sound. The vehicle shook violently and completely lost any possibility of moving forward.

The sirens blared and pierced. Outside the car window, the faces of countless tribal warriors appeared in the twilight, ferocious and twisted, like demons from hell.

A primal, fervent fire burned in everyone's eyes; they were wild and filled with a thirst for prey, seeing the caravan as theirs for the taking.

An improvised incendiary bomb, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, accurately struck the engine compartment of the modified all-terrain vehicle, accompanied by a deafening explosion.

The roar was deafening, and flames instantly engulfed the engine. The smell of burning gasoline and the acrid smoke from the burning gasoline immediately flooded the passenger compartment, and everything in front of us was shrouded in a blood-red and gray-black haze.

The vehicle lost power, accompanied by a piercing scream from the instrument panel short-circuiting. All the indicator lights went out completely, and the carriage fell into a chaotic state of half-light and half-darkness, with only the reflection of the raging fire still flickering on the windows.

Lena attempted to make emergency repairs to the main engine amidst the shaking. Her thick fingers deftly explored the burnt circuit boards, flames licking her fingertips and the scorching heat searing her skin.

Sweat streamed down her face with anxiety. She quickly concluded that the damage was too severe to be repaired in a short time, and despair washed over her like a cold tide.

"The engine is burned out! It can't be fixed!" Lina shouted, her voice filled with despair and anger. She slammed her fist on the control panel next to the car window, the metallic clang drowned out by the noise outside.

She picked up her modified firearm, looked warily out the car window, and her eyes flashed with the determination of a warrior.

Vines wrapped around the modified all-terrain vehicle, the tires made a teeth-grinding screeching sound, the dragging sensation caused the vehicle to tilt to one side, and the internal frame of the vehicle made a creaking sound as it could not bear the weight.

Thick smoke billowed inside the carriage, choking everyone and causing them to cough violently. The air became thin and scorching, and every breath felt like inhaling burning ashes.

Evelyn held tightly to the semi-conscious Arthur, whose face was pale and whose mouth was oozing fresh blood. He was curled up weakly as he coughed violently, each breath filled with tearing pain. She used all her strength to support him, fearing that he would stop breathing at any moment.

She looked at Arthur's weak face with concern, her eyes filled with helplessness and sorrow. All she could do was offer futile comfort.

Outside the modified all-terrain vehicle, tribal warriors brandished axes and rudimentary shields, unleashing deafening battle cries as they violently pounded on the windows and body of the vehicle, attempting to break in. Each of their impacts carried a brutal and resolute force.

They used stones, blunt objects, and even their bare hands to strike the vehicle. Each impact caused the car body to tremble, the metal to emit a twisted, mournful sound, and the internal parts of the car body to begin to loosen and fall off.

"These sons of bitches are insane!" Jeremy roared, his face covered in cigarette ash and sweat, his eyes fierce and bloodshot.

Without hesitation, he quickly grabbed a spare tire wrench that had fallen into the car, his muscles tensing like a cheetah poised to pounce, ready for a life-or-death struggle.

The moment the car door was pried open, a foul stench, mixed with a primal roar, rushed into the carriage, accompanied by the smells of mud and blood—the prelude to death.

Jeremy parried and countered the charging tribal warriors with astonishing close-quarters combat skills; his movements were swift and deadly, without the slightest hesitation.

The wrench danced in his hand, each swing creating a whistling sound as it precisely struck the enemy's joints or head, each blow accompanied by the dull thud of bones shattering.

His body was slashed in many places by knives and axes, and sweat and blood mixed together, flowing down his arms, yet he still held the car door, buying time for Lina and Evelyn. His will was stronger than steel.

Lin Zheng tried to restart 'Real Deconstruction', but the intense mental exhaustion left him with only blurry light and shadow. He felt a needle-like pain deep in his mind, and each attempt felt like his soul was being torn apart.

He could only perceive the battlefield through hearing and touch. Every impact and every painful groan was like a sharp needle piercing his mind, almost making him lose consciousness.

A figure shoved Jeremy aside and rushed into the modified all-terrain vehicle. It was a burly tribal warrior with a bare upper body covered in twisted tattoos and a fierce look in his eyes. He brandished a homemade flail and charged straight at Evelyn and Arthur. The spikes on the flail gleamed coldly in the dim light.

Lin Zheng subconsciously raised his foot and kicked the man's shin with all his might. Although his body was exhausted, his survival instinct still drove him to act.

With a muffled groan, the flail's attack was slightly deflected, striking the roof of the carriage and sending up sparks and debris, but this only delayed, not stopped, the attack.

The tribal warrior turned fiercely towards Lin Zheng, his flail whistling through the air, his face filled with anger and contempt, as if he wanted to tear Lin Zheng to pieces.

Lin Zheng nimbly leaned back to dodge the attack, but his back slammed hard against the seat, causing a dull pain and his internal organs to feel as if they were being shaken.

He felt his reason rapidly slipping away at that moment. Deep within his consciousness, a cold darkness surged once more, and the side effects of 'Real Deconstruction' began to backfire. A low murmur echoed in his ears, as if the wasteland was calling out.

Outside the car door, a monster made of yellow sand and twisted metal fragments slowly approached. It had no facial features, only empty eye sockets that flickered with a red glow. Sand and gravel kept peeling off and reassembling from its body, emanating a whisper and eerie aggression, and every step it took brought intense mental pressure.

Its every step made a fine rustling sound on the ground, as if the entire desert was breathing, and each breath was filled with an ominous premonition.

Jeremy saw the monster, and his expression changed. It was no ordinary tribal warrior, but he was still tightly entangled by the swarming tribal warriors and unable to break free. He could only watch helplessly as the monster approached.

Lina aimed her gun at the monster and fired several shots in quick succession. The bullets struck its twisted, sandy body with dull thuds, only scattering some gravel but causing no real damage, as if they had hit nothing at all.

The monster seemed enraged, its whispers becoming sharper and more piercing, the entire carriage seemed to tremble, and the air pressure inside became suffocating.

"It's a Gobi Raider!" Lina exclaimed, her voice filled with unprecedented fear. She recognized this nightmare creation from the depths of the wasteland, which represented an unparalleled power.

The interior of the modified all-terrain vehicle was a mess. The thick smoke made Lin Zheng's throat itch. He could smell the mixture of his own blood and sweat, along with the acrid smell of burning gasoline, which was nauseating.

He looked at Jeremy, the man who fought to the death for them. His face was covered in wounds, his arms were trembling, but he still refused to take a single step back. The determination in his eyes was his last line of defense.

The loss of power in the modified all-terrain vehicles meant they had lost their only shield and escape tool. Now, the core conflict had devolved into a desperate struggle for survival, with the enemy surrounding them and no way out.

Amidst the firelight and shouts, Jeremy watched helplessly as another tribal warrior outside the carriage door lifted a heavy wooden stake, covered in animal hides and sharp teeth, and slammed it against the carriage with a whooshing sound, like the tolling of a death knell.

This time, a sickening twisting sound came from the car door. Steel was torn apart and rivets were blown off. He knew that the car door would definitely break, and their last line of defense was about to be breached.

As the wooden stake slammed into the car again, the door groaned violently. The twisted metal could no longer withstand the impact and collapsed with a deafening tearing sound, sending countless fragments flying and revealing their desperate situation.

The tribal warriors' fanatical howls grew even more piercing as they swarmed forward, wielding crude yet deadly weapons, their eyes filled with a savage desire for victory.

And they will eventually be exposed to these madmen and monsters, making their final struggle in this cursed wasteland...