Chapter 19 - 6 Natural Disaster Descends
Stone Ridge Mountain lies about a few dozen kilometers east of Night City, its rising hills resembling the backbone of this desolate wasteland.
Yet this backbone has long been stripped bare by the relentless wars of humanity, beaten into a fragmented wasteland. Frequent nuclear warfare, rampant dumping of pollutants and biochemical weapons have contaminated every inch of land and water in this world. Rainforests have been wiped out en masse, ecosystems collapsed, and the outskirts of California, even North America, all bear the same scars.
An endless expanse of bleak wasteland devoid of greenery, only the dry yellow representing desolation. Piles of garbage emitting overwhelming stench, where only resilient species like cacti and weeds barely cling to existence. But even they lack the vibrant life plants should possess, crumbling at the slightest touch.
Just after sunrise, three cargo trucks burst from the steel jungle’s maw, speeding toward the mountains. Their tires kicked up clouds of dust on the yellow soil, leaving behind clear trails in its wake.
There are people surviving in the Evil Land too; tribes of wanderers, the Chaotic Blade Association... In this seemingly civilization-exiled wasteland, there remains evidence of numerous wanderers living here, like Lin Miao’s destination today.
A dead town on Stone Ridge Mountain, situated on a gentle slope at the mountainside.
Upon the convoy’s arrival, Lin Miao felt the merchant’s words were too romantic.
Dozens of prefab structures or mobile homes formed this area, perfectly matching the image of a western U.S. town buried in yellow sand. Many houses were already falling apart, their broken doors swaying in the wind or by something else, vehicles stripped to mere shells scattered everywhere. Only larger structures like the town’s central tavern and gas station remained intact, resembling hollowed-out corpses.