Crazy Evolution from the Wasteland

The gray sky, shrouded in clouds of radiation, allowed only a few rays of sunlight to pierce through, offering the earth the barest glimmer of light. The air was thick with the acrid stench of gunpowder and decay. On the vast, endless wasteland, not a soul could be seen; only the occasional scurrying of a carrion rat or a giant insect lent a trace of life to the land.

Across the ground, choked with pale yellow weeds, streams of dark green, viscous sewage flowed, reeking of putrefaction. In corners where sunlight failed to reach, the sludge sometimes emitted a faint, eerie green glow—beautiful, yet deadly.

If one looked further, traces of humanity still lingered on this desolate plain—scattered car husks, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers, and concrete walls that had yet to collapse. It was not hard to imagine that this place had once been a bustling metropolis.

The rumble of wheels broke the silence of the wasteland. An enclosed carriage, armored with thick iron plates, rolled over the waist-high weeds, making its way from the distance and presenting itself as a strange sight upon the barren land.

Inside the carriage, Zhang Ran opened his eyes in confusion and quickly scanned his surroundings with cautious alertness. Around him sat more than a dozen boys of similar age but varying skin tones, filling the carriage to capacity.

Zhang Ran massaged his temples. If his memory served him right, he should have been napping back at the base. Yet here he was, waking up in a carriage—a surreal and unsettling reality. He lowered his gaze to examine h