Chapter Sixty-Eight: Flames and Sandworms

Zhao Qiang was struck with terror. The anti-aircraft machine gun was mounted at the very front of the vehicle, and there was simply no way to turn it around in time. The driver had the accelerator pressed to the floor, as did the other locomotive sections; the armored train was picking up speed across the surface, but the distance between it and the sand worm was shrinking rapidly.

“Find a way to turn around!” Zhao Qiang pounded desperately on the roof of the carriage. With the sand worm closing in and the gun useless, all he could do was fret helplessly.

Meng Longwei, too, was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. He had believed that reaching the surface would allow them to escape the terrifying sand worm, but he had not anticipated that the creature, now mad with rage, cared little for whether it was underground or above, and pursued them relentlessly, roaring as it gave chase.

The driver displayed his best skills as the armored train weaved through a cityscape dense with skyscrapers. The long carriages swayed left and right with each abrupt turn, always on the verge of overturning.

The sand worm, a mutated earthworm, was nocturnal by nature, hiding during the day. But after suffering a great defeat in the tunnel, it was so enraged that it ignored its aversion to light, pursuing its prey regardless. The city was filled with tall buildings and abandoned cars, obstacles strewn everywhere. While the armored train could snake its way across the ground, the sand worm, blind as it was, could only rely on its sense of touch to locate its quarry.

There were few good cars on the streets of Changsha; most car owners favored sleek models from Japan and Korea—Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, you name it. Ordinarily, the difference from European and American vehicles was subtle, but when faced with the gigantic sand worm, the disparity immediately became apparent. The sand worm, possessing little intelligence, simply followed its target, crushing smaller cars beneath its bulk and smashing through buildings without hesitation, leaving chaos in its wake. European and American cars retained some semblance of their former shape, but the Japanese and Korean ones were reduced to flat disks, their wheels scattered who knew where.

The armored train darted left and right, squeezing through every gap it found. Its speed reached a perilous level. Time and again, they thought they’d lost their pursuer, only to see the sand worm burst through a building behind them. After a short distance, the train suddenly slowed.

“What’s going on?” Meng Longwei asked.

The driver, drenched in sweat, replied as white smoke billowed from the engine, “The radiator’s blown. The train won’t move!”

The sightseeing train at Orange Isle had long been overburdened, running day in, day out with countless tourists. Maintenance was neglected; it managed fine at slow speeds within the scenic area, but today, chased by a sand worm and pushed to its limits, it was a miracle the train hadn’t fallen apart. The radiators of several old engines burst in succession, and the armored train rolled forward a few dozen meters before coming to a stop.

Who can say if misfortune is not a blessing in disguise? With the train stopped, everyone inside was silent, too frightened to move or speak. Death seemed certain, yet unexpectedly, the sand worm also halted.

The sand worm, blind and tracking prey purely by vibrations in the ground, lost its quarry when the train anchored and fell silent in the middle of the road. After crashing through a building, the furious creature had to stop and search for its next target.

Zhao Qiang fixed his gaze on the sand worm nearby, while everyone in the carriage held their breath, fearing to disturb the beast.

In the distance, attracted by the commotion, a horde of zombies approached—the zombie dogs, crushers, and ordinary zombies all surged toward the armored train. The sand worm sensed fresh vibrations from the ground, stronger this time than from the train, but in its rage, it made no distinction, roaring as it lunged at the zombie army.

“Fix the train, now!” Zhao Qiang ordered. As the sand worm charged into the zombies, the soldiers rushed out, grabbing tools and frantically repairing the vehicles.

Quickly, the street became a maelstrom of sand and debris, flesh and blood flying everywhere. Countless zombies were crushed to pulp in an instant. The zombie dogs, using their agility, dodged and seized moments to bite the sand worm’s massive body. The crushers, stubborn and single-minded, faced the sand worm’s onslaught without flinching, mustering all their strength to punch at its gaping maw. Their powerful blows knocked out swathes of teeth, but their bodies were swallowed whole by the sand worm, leaving not a trace.

The armored train clanged and rattled as repairs continued; the soldiers didn’t care if they might attract the sand worm, knowing that if they didn’t fix the train soon, the hundred-odd people here would meet their end. Zhao Qiang said, “Fix the train quickly. If I’m not back when it’s ready, you go on without me.” He picked up the anti-aircraft machine gun and rushed toward a nearby high-rise.

Zou Lin, seeing Zhao Qiang leave, grabbed his backpack and chased after him. Meng Longwei, busy repairing the train, paid little attention; by the time he noticed, Zou Lin was already gone.

Zhao Qiang glanced back, and Zou Lin was right behind him with the bag. “Nonsense!” Zhao Qiang stopped, and Zou Lin, out of breath, collided into his arms and halted.

“Go back. I’ll come find you later,” Zhao Qiang said, uncertain if he would survive, unwilling to let Zou Lin join him in danger.

“I won’t!” Zou Lin straightened her back, insisting, “Wherever you go, I go. I’ll never leave you.”

Zhao Qiang shook his head in resignation. He knew Zou Lin’s stubbornness well; once she made up her mind, she never gave up easily. With the situation urgent, Zhao Qiang glanced behind her and said, “Old Meng, you’re here. Quick, help me get her back.”

Zou Lin, startled, feared Meng Longwei would drag her away. She turned to look, and Zhao Qiang seized the moment to pinch her neck, causing her to collapse once more into his arms. Zhao Qiang called Meng Longwei over, settled Zou Lin, and then turned to dash toward the high-rise.

Countless zombies pressed forward relentlessly. The sand worm now bore ten or so zombie dogs clinging to its body, their sharp teeth piercing its skin, but even with their utmost effort, they could not tear through its tough muscles, hanging like parasites instead. The fierce battle spilled gasoline from abandoned vehicles all over the ground, and the strong fumes sent the sand worm, with its heightened sensitivity, into a frenzy.

Its body soaked in gasoline, the sand worm grew even more violent, its nerves overstimulated. The surrounding buildings could not withstand the impact of its massive bulk; steel and concrete flew in all directions. At last, amid the flying debris, a spark ignited the gasoline on the ground.

The fuel caught fire instantly, pale blue flames leaping high. The blaze quickly spread to the sand worm, sending it into an even greater rage. The flames on its body could not be extinguished, and the surrounding zombies suffered heavy casualties. The zombie dogs still clinging to the worm were soon engulfed in fire, fleeing in agony in all directions.