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

Brutus's iron-clad body slammed open the heavy wooden door of the clinic. The rusted nails on the hinges groaned and whimpered as they rubbed together, like the wails of a vengeful spirit from the depths of the wasteland. The sound echoed in the narrow corridor, lingering for a long time, sending chills down one's spine.

The flickering torchlight outside the door elongated the shadows of the group, and the orange-red light and shadow twisted and danced on the stone wall, like countless twisted limbs struggling in the night wind. Those shadows seemed to come alive, reaching out tentacles to try to grab the ankles of passersby. The howling of wolves from the distant wasteland was mixed in with the wind, adding a touch of eeriness.

Percy had already barely managed to get up from the pool of blood and was now sitting on a makeshift throne of flesh and blood, which was made of layers of animal hides, broken bones, and dried mucus. Each piece of hide bore the scratch marks left before death and emitted a stench of decay and sulfur that assaulted the nostrils and made one's stomach churn.

His tattered clothes barely covered his body, and new scars coiled like eerie tattoos on his pale skin. The lines glowed faintly, as if living things were wriggling beneath the skin. Each pulse was accompanied by a subtle tearing sound, and black viscous fluid occasionally seeped from his skin, dripping onto the throne with a sizzling sound.

The red light in Yi's eyes flickered slightly, and its mechanical rotation swept across Lin Zheng and Evelyn's faces. The red light pierced their pupils like a laser. The lingering smell of blood and sulfur in the air, mixed with the smell of sweat and fear, was nauseating and almost suffocating.

Closer Gray pushed Mia Gray, in her wheelchair, into the examination room. Both were deathly pale. Closer Gray gripped his sword hilt tightly, his knuckles white, sweat trickling down his forehead and soaking his collar. His eyes were fixed on Percy, ready to draw his sword at any moment. Mia, meanwhile, kept her head down, trying to avoid Percy's piercing gaze. Her hands trembled on the armrests of her wheelchair, her nails digging into the wood with a soft scraping sound.

Brutus slammed the door shut, his massive frame blocking Percy's path like a silent guardian. The air in the room instantly grew heavy, each breath carrying a heavy sense of oppression, as if a boulder were pressing down on one's chest. The torch flame flickered violently the moment the door closed, casting an even longer shadow.

Lin Zheng held Samantha Jones's pebble tightly in his palm. The small stone was slightly warm in his hand, as if responding to his inner unease and determination. The warmth was like a ray of sunlight, seeping into his cold fingers, reminding him that there was still a glimmer of hope.

Evelyn took a deep breath, suppressing the fear in her chest, and took out the crumpled diagram from her bosom. The dense vein lines and rune sketches on the paper looked particularly sinister in the firelight. The lines seemed to tremble slightly, and the ink was like fresh blood.

She slowly unfurled the diagram, the lines intertwining like a spider web, pointing to the mysterious network of veins within Percy's body. Each line was so finely detailed that it captured every nuance of the distortion.

"My lord, this is our diagnostic report." Evelyn's voice was barely steady, carrying a hint of professional doctor's composure, but the slight trembling of her fingers betrayed her inner tension, and the sweat on her fingertips caused the paper to curl slightly.

Percy leaned forward, his rough, bark-like fingers gripping the edge of the paper. His prosthetic eye instantly magnified the details on the drawing. A mechanical hum echoed in the quiet room. His breathing gradually became heavy and rapid, his chest heaving violently, and the scars writhed even faster.

Lin Zheng stepped forward and pointed to the veins radiating from the heart in the center of the map. Those lines spread out to the limbs and organs like roots, like a living map, shimmering with a ghostly light in the firelight.

"These are by no means ordinary lesions, but rather the awakening of ancient totems in your blood."

Starting from the heart, these veins radiate to every inch of the body, connecting with ancient runes buried deep in the earth, forming a hidden energy bridge.

The violent power within Percy is drawing endless nourishment from the wasteland through this bridge, transforming it into your unique power. That nourishment carries the vengeful spirits and decay from the depths of the earth, granting you strength beyond that of mortals.

Klose involuntarily swallowed, his hand pressed on the hilt of his sword, his fingertips turning white from the pressure, and beads of sweat sliding down his forehead. Countless scenes of witnessing Percy's brutal killing flashed through his mind, and his heart pounded like a drum.

Mia lowered her head, her hands gripping the armrests of the wheelchair tightly, trying hard not to let her trembling show. Her nails almost dug into her palms. Her brother's whispers echoed in her mind, and fear surged like a tide.

Evelyn quickly took over the conversation, pointing to the magnified sketch of cells on the diagram. The microstructures were twisted like nebulae, and strange fragments of runes were hidden in the lines.

"From a medical perspective, this is a manifestation of a bioenergy resonance field."

Your cellular structure is undergoing profound optimization; latent gene sequences are gradually being activated and fused. External aberrations are merely a violent reaction to the fact that the forces are not yet fully balanced. Every cell is dancing on the edge of rebirth and destruction.

Percy let out a low laugh, a sound like gravel scraping against a metal plate, carrying a cruel pleasure that echoed eerily in the examination room. The laughter was mixed with metallic echoes, as if the prosthetic eye was resonating.

"Go on. Where exactly does this power originate?" His voice was deep and oppressive, his prosthetic eye fixed on Lin Zheng, the red light burning like flames into Lin Zheng's soul.

Lin Zheng nodded, his gaze fixed firmly on the gleaming prosthetic eye, not daring to back down in the slightest. Sweat streamed down his back, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"The source lies in the ancient sacrificial site, in the heart of that Ochre Maze state."

The runic markings that Uma mentioned are hidden there; the stone pillar on the east side is engraved with a three-fold crescent moon pattern, and those patterns are like living things that respond to the call of blood.

Ancient tribes once irrigated the barren land beneath the throat of the red earth with the blood of living people, awakening dormant secondary beings and providing a continuous source of sacrificial nourishment. That blood seeped into the earth's veins, circulating endlessly to this day.

Your blood resonates powerfully with it, transforming pain into pure power that surges into your body like a torrent.

Percy slammed his fist into the throne, the bones cracking with a crisp sound. The animal hide on the throne trembled, dust and debris flew everywhere, and the air was filled with the smell of bone meal.

"Keep talking, don't stop." His tone was a mixture of anger and expectation. The skin on his fist cracked, black blood seeped out, but it healed quickly.

Evelyn took the opportunity to add what she had gathered locally, her voice steady but with a hint of urgency, as the horrifying photos in the medical records flashed through her mind.

"Deep in the mines of the Rusty Gospel Land, otherworldly ores are often unearthed. The veins and patterns of those ores are strikingly similar to the scars on your skin, and those who touch them often undergo immediate deformities."

The miners in Aohaitun barely managed to keep working with opioids, but unknowingly accelerated the process of mutation in their bodies. Many of them woke up with tentacles or metal bone spurs.

Deeper within the sacrificial site lie forbidden objects far beyond imagination, perhaps the very origin of everything. Ancient whispers echo there, luring every who approaches.

Brutus suddenly coughed, a sound like sandpaper scraping in his throat, reminding everyone of his presence. There was a hint of blood in his cough as he suppressed his mutated symptoms.

Percy waved his hand impatiently to stop Brutus from interrupting, his prosthetic eye continuing to lock onto the diagram, the red light scanning every detail.

Lin Zheng seized the opportunity to further advance their argument, injecting a hint of confidence into his voice to mask his inner fear.

"Only by controlling the source can you truly dominate this power, make it work for you, and become the king of the wasteland."

If left unchecked, the distortion will intensify like a flood, eventually devouring your will and flesh, turning you into a walking corpse.

The prosthetic eye slowly rotated, scrutinizing the tiny scar on Lin Zheng's fingertip, as if assessing his sincerity and value, its scrutiny as precise as a scalpel.

Percy suddenly grabbed the map, crumpled it up roughly, and threw it back to Evelyn. The paper drew an arc in the air and scattered upon landing like a shattered prophecy.

"This diagnosis is valid. From now on, you two will be my paranormal pathology consultants."

Go immediately to the sacrificial site, find the source, and take control of it. If you succeed, you will receive eternal glory.

If I fail, you will all become works of art on my throne, for all to see forever, and those works of art will sing hymns from your own flesh and blood.

Kross let out a long sigh, his tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he removed his hand from the hilt of the sword, his fingertips still throbbing slightly.

Mia wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, her face still deathly pale. Her heartbeat gradually calmed down, but a lingering shadow remained.

Uma was escorted inside by two guards. She knelt at Parsi's feet, her body still bearing traces of blood from the interrogation. The fresh wounds gleamed in the firelight. Her body trembled slightly, but her eyes remained resolute.

She glanced at Lin Zheng, her lips moved slightly, and she whispered a key clue, her voice weak yet clear as if carved by a knife.

"The runes are like three crescent moons, and they are on the stone pillar on the east side of the sacrificial site. Remember, the key is hidden there."

Enraged, Pasi kicked Uma away. Her body rolled like a rag doll towards the corner with a dull thud. Blood splattered as she hit the stone wall, leaving a bright red mark.

"Take her away. We'll set off early tomorrow morning to explore the sacrificial site. Bring the tools, and don't let me down."

Brutus stepped forward, grabbed Uma by the collar, and dragged her out the door. Her feet left two bloody trails on the ground. The door slammed shut, the echo reverberating through the walls.

Percy slowly stood up, the lines on his skin faintly glowing with an eerie blue light. An unnatural lump suddenly swelled up on his chest, as if something was wriggling inside. His skin stretched to its limit, and it barely subsided after a few seconds, leaving behind a puddle of mucus.

Lin Zheng knew perfectly well that the fusion process was accelerating, and Percy's body was like a time bomb, ready to explode into a bloody storm at any moment.

Evelyn quickly retrieved the diagrams, her fingers trembling slightly with tension. The ink on the paper seemed to still retain Percy's body heat, a heat that burned like a curse.

Percy waved them away, his voice weary but firm: "Get out of here. Prepare your tools and leave before sunrise tomorrow."

The night wind howled outside the door, extinguishing several torches. Darkness instantly engulfed the corridor, leaving only scattered lights flickering like will-o'-the-wisps.

Lin Zheng and Evelyn were escorted to the prisoner's quarters by Cross, while Mia's wheelchair creaked and rolled behind them, each step feeling like walking on broken glass.

Cold water droplets seeped from the stone walls of the corridor, the dripping sound echoing in the air like a countdown clock, each drop striking their nerves.

The iron gate to the accommodation finally opened, revealing an extremely rudimentary interior: two hard cots covered in mold, a rickety wooden table, and a chair with a missing leg. The air was thick with the smell of mildew and the metallic rust of old bloodstains.

Brutus tossed in a bulging food package and several water sacs. Inside the package were dry, hard bread, cured meat, a few moldy carrots, and a small bottle of cheap liquor that smelled pungent and sour.

"Blessings, lord. Get some rest. You'll be busy tomorrow, so don't try anything funny." His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of barely perceptible pity, and his eyes flashed with sympathy for their plight.

The door clicked shut and locked again, leaving the two alone. The footsteps outside faded into the distance, echoing at the end of the corridor.

Evelyn slumped on the edge of the bed, wearily opening her medical kit. Inside, gauze, syringes, scalpels, hemostats, and messy medical records came into view, each item stained with past bloodstains. She took out a scalpel and carefully wiped the blade in the dim light from the window, the metal making a soft scraping sound against the fabric.

Lin Zheng sat opposite him, his palm outstretched. The engravings on the surface of the Samantha Jones pebble were exceptionally clear tonight, pulsating with warmth like a heartbeat, dispelling some of the chill. The engravings seemed like runes, faintly glowing and guiding the way.

"The key clue to Uma: the crescent moon triple rune on the east side of the sacrificial site. That may be our only breakthrough. If we ignore it, we will be stuck in a quagmire forever." Lin Zheng murmured, his gaze solemn, her whispers echoing in his mind.

Evelyn nodded, a weary determination flashing in her eyes. Her fingers traced the syringe as she recalled the horrors of countless surgeries.

"In the cornfields of the Red Soil Throat Farm District, there is an ancient altar hidden deep in the cornfields. Local custom dictates that a blood sacrifice must be performed before each harvest, using fresh blood to irrigate the soil to ensure the crops thrive. The crops have a shiny surface, but their roots are covered with white bones."

The blood wasn't just water; it seeped into the earth, awakening the so-called "earth spirits," a secondary entity that thirstily devoured all life.

Lin Zheng's fingers repeatedly touched the pebbles, feeling the strange warmth, as if Samantha's voice was echoing in his ears.

"Percy's illness is an extreme manifestation of the law of sacrifice and conservation. The desperate flesh and blood of the lower-class workers are continuously transformed into nutrients for the upper class, like a meat grinder that never stops."

In the rust-ridden central region, vengeful spirits roam the abandoned factories, assembling deformed machines that tell the same tragedy: each machine fueled by human lives.

Evelyn analyzed as she packed her medical kit, her voice gradually calming down and the trembling in her fingertips slowly subsiding.

"The flesh-and-blood capital alliance has firmly monopolized the entire supply chain. The rusty transport lines carry parts to the port area. We low-level assemblers have no idea of ​​the source of this filth, or that the parts contain the seeds of mutation."

Every rail was soaked in blood, and every carriage echoed with cries of agony.

Brutus's footsteps faded into the distance outside the door, their echoes dissipating in the corridor, leaving behind a deathly silence.

Lin Zheng closed his eyes and recalled Uma's words. Those blurry fragments floated in his mind like runes, weaving into a net.

"Ancient blood, the source of the slumber, Pasi has become a living sacrificial vessel, connecting all of this, and every breath he takes accelerates the sacrifice."

Suddenly, the pebble heated up, and a faint ray of light seeped through the gaps between the fingers, illuminating the palm. The light was gentle yet firm, like a lighthouse shining in a storm.

Evelyn immediately leaned closer, her eyes filled with astonishment, and gently touched the pebble with her fingers, feeling its warmth.

"This pebble is extraordinary. It senses inhuman fluctuations. Perhaps it truly is a guide left by Samantha, pointing to our unknown destiny."

Lin Zheng clenched his fist, put the pebble away, and felt the warmth seep into his skin, reaching his heart and dispelling his fatigue.

"Tomorrow we'll venture deeper into the sacrificial grounds. We need to extract more information from Brutus. He mentioned the mutated creatures in the ochre mines—monsters pieced together from scrap metal and flesh—that are threatening the warlords' territories. They roam the mist, their sense of smell as keen as a hunting dog."

Evelyn closed the lid of the box with a crisp click that sounded particularly loud in the silence.

"I will check the local medical records again. Those strange diseases are prevalent in the mining community. Opioid abuse has accelerated the pollution process. Many people have become unrecognizable, turning into half-flesh, half-machine monsters, wandering in the darkness."

The key turned again outside the door, and Brutus pushed the door open and threw in two thick blankets, sending dust flying and making the two cough.

"The lord added: You have limited freedom, but don't even think about running away. The sacrificial grounds are no joke; nightmare creatures roam there and devour souls."

He glanced at the pebble in Lin Zheng's hand, his eyes changing slightly as if he recognized something. He hesitated for a moment but quickly regained his composure and turned to leave.

"The sacrificial site is fraught with danger, haunted by nightmare creatures. Many who go in never come out. Those creatures feed on fear. Good luck, or your bones will become decorations." The door locked again, the click sounding like a judgment.

Lin Zheng wrapped himself in a blanket, leaned against the cold wall, and closed his eyes. The afterimages of runes in his mind flickered constantly, like a nightmare, foreshadowing the impending terror.

Evelyn curled up on her cot, her breathing gradually becoming even as she drifted into a light sleep, but her brow remained furrowed, the sound of a scalpel cutting echoing in her dreams.

As night deepened, the howling of wolves echoed across the desolate wilderness outside the dwelling, and the wind and sand lashed against the narrow window like wild beasts, leaving the glass cracked. The warmth of the pebbles lingered stubbornly in the darkness, like the last flame of hope.

Lin Zheng suddenly opened his eyes, staring into the endless darkness. Percy's command was like an invisible shackle, binding him tightly. A new round of survival journey had begun, with every step filled with unknown dangers.

What secrets does the sacrificial site hold? Where will this pebble lead them? Exhausted in body and mind, the two know that the road ahead is long and the abyss is already opening its bloody maw, waiting to devour everything. Their will is like a candle flame in the wind, flickering but not extinguished.

The embers of the torches in the room gradually died out, leaving only the faint light of the pebbles, which reflected the weariness and determination on the faces of the two men. In this cage of flesh and blood wasteland, the clues, like sparks, lit up a faint hope, but also revealed a deeper despair, a despair that spread like ink, staining their souls.