A Journey of American Comics Starting from the Zombie Universe

Bai Ye led the soldiers, with heavy but firm steps, each step seemed to be under invisible pressure, and they passed through the twisted road paved with strange insect corpses. The air was filled with an indescribable stench and smell of corruption, mixed with some unknown metallic taste, which made people's stomachs churn involuntarily. But none of the soldiers retreated, and their eyes were filled with only exploration of the unknown and absolute obedience to orders.

As the last insect corpse was left far behind, a seemingly ancient and heavy stone door slowly appeared before everyone's eyes. The door was engraved with complex totems, and each symbol seemed to contain ancient power and secrets, which made people involuntarily feel awe. Bai Ye raised his hand and gently touched the cold stone surface. A weak electric current seemed to flow along his fingertips, but his expression did not change. He just waved his hand lightly, and the stone door made a dull sound and slowly opened to both sides, revealing a passage leading to the depths of darkness.

The soldiers followed closely behind Bai Ye, the beams of their flashlights flickering in the darkness, barely illuminating a few meters ahead. The chill in the air seemed even worse than outside, and even breathing became a little difficult. They stepped carefully into this unknown secret room, taking every step with extreme caution, fearing to disturb the ancient souls sleeping here.

The walls of the secret room were covered with all kinds of paintings, each revealing a sense of weirdness and foreboding. These paintings were not made by human hands, with twisted lines and mottled colors, as if they were drawn with the blood of some unknown creature. In some pictures, huge eyes stared into the void, their eyes were filled with endless desire and despair; in others, there were distorted human forms that were incompatible with any creature on earth. They were either floating in the air or crawling on the ground, with different postures, but all of them revealed pain and struggle.

Bai Ye walked slowly in front, his eyes wandering among the paintings, trying to decipher some clues from them. But the more he stared, the more he felt an indescribable sense of oppression enveloping his heart, as if these paintings were not just paintings, but some kind of curse, quietly corroding the soul of everyone who stepped into this place.

"Everyone be careful," Bai Ye's deep voice echoed in the secret room, "Everything here is weird, stay alert."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers tightened their weapons and looked around vigilantly. But there was no other sound in the secret room except for their heavy breathing and the occasional rustling of the flashlight across the wall. This dead silence made people even more uneasy.

Suddenly, a slight noise broke the silence. The soldiers immediately became alert, and the beams of their flashlights swept around, trying to find the source of the sound. However, the sound seemed to come from all directions at the same time, and it seemed to be just an illusion caused by their excessive nervousness. At this moment, the eyes on a painting suddenly lit up with a faint green light, and then the eyes on other paintings also lit up one by one, and the whole secret room seemed to be shrouded in a layer of strange green light.

"Oh no, these paintings..." Before Bai Ye finished speaking, the images on the paintings began to distort, as if something was trying to break free from the paintings. The soldiers retreated in fear, but their retreat was blocked by the rapidly approaching darkness.

For a moment, the secret room was filled with screams and chaos. The creatures that emerged from the paintings were of various shapes, some were like giant tentacles, waving in the air, while others were translucent ghosts, silently shuttling among the crowd. They had no physical form, but could touch people, bringing a bone-chilling chill and endless fear.

Bai Ye knew that only by staying calm could he find a way out. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his inner panic, and loudly ordered the soldiers: "Keep the formation, don't disperse! Use your weapons, but remember, these may not be ordinary enemies!"

The soldiers managed to calm down and, following Bai Ye's instructions, began to organize and resist the attacks from the unknown realm. But their weapons did not seem to have much effect on these creatures. Every attack seemed to hit the air, only causing waves of nothingness.

The battle gradually reached a stalemate, and the air in the secret room became heavier and heavier, as if even breathing had become difficult. The soldiers' physical strength and will were being worn away bit by bit, while the creatures pouring out of the painting seemed endless, their numbers were constantly increasing, and their attacks were becoming more and more fierce.

Bai Ye knew that if this continued, all of them would die here. He had to find the key to cracking all of this. His eyes swept across the paintings again, and suddenly, he noticed a painting that was different from the others - it was a blank canvas that didn't fit in with the other paintings full of horror elements.

A thought flashed through his mind: Perhaps, the source of all this is hidden behind this blank canvas. He rushed to the painting without hesitation and used all his strength to tear it off the wall. As the canvas fell off, a dazzling light shot out from behind the wall, instantly illuminating the entire secret room. Under the illumination of the light, the creatures that were originally rampant screamed miserably, and then turned into dots of light and dissipated into nothingness.

The terrifying scene in the secret room finally disappeared, and the soldiers collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, their faces full of relief for surviving the disaster. Bai Ye stood in front of the blank canvas, staring at a secret passage behind the wall. He knew that this was just another difficult hurdle in their journey, but no matter how many unknowns and dangers were waiting for them ahead, they had to keep moving forward, because their mission was far from over.

As the light faded, the air in the secret room seemed to become much fresher. The soldiers slowly stood up, supporting each other, their eyes showing both fear of what they had just experienced and determination to explore the unknown. Bai Ye said nothing more, but just waved his hand lightly, signaling everyone to continue forward. They passed through the secret passage and soon came to the entrance of the next secret room.

This secret room was completely different from the previous ones. There were no frightening paintings, no strange sounds or smells. It was spacious and bright, and the walls were made of smooth marble, reflecting the faint light, making the whole space look mysterious and peaceful. The footsteps of the soldiers echoed in the empty secret room, and it was particularly clear.

Bai Ye walked in front, his eyes swept through every corner of the secret room, trying to find any possible clues or dangers. But to everyone's surprise, the secret room seemed empty, except for a small display case placed in the center.

This small display case is made of fine metal, with a light luster on the surface, and it seems to remain in perfect condition despite the passage of time. The glass door of the display case is closed, and inside it lies a seemingly ordinary lighter model. This lighter model is not big, and is silver-white with fine patterns carved on it. Although it is only a static display, it seems that you can still feel its former warmth and power.

The soldiers gathered around and looked at this unexpected "treasure" with curiosity. Some of them couldn't help but whisper and speculate about the origin and purpose of this lighter model. But Bai Ye remained silent, his eyes were deep, as if he had seen through the secret behind this lighter.

"Everyone, don't let your guard down," Bai Ye finally spoke in a deep and powerful voice, "Everything here may hide unpredictable dangers. This lighter model may be the key to our next mission."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers immediately put away their curiosity and ease on their faces and resumed their vigilance. They knew that Bai Ye's words were never groundless, and every reminder could be the key to life and death.

Bai Ye slowly walked to the display case, stretched out his hand, and gently touched the glass door. With a slight mechanical sound, the glass door slowly opened, revealing the silver-white lighter model inside. Bai Ye did not hesitate, and took it out of the display case directly, holding it in his hand and examining it carefully.

Although this lighter model looks ordinary, it feels very heavy in the hand, as if some unknown metal is hidden inside. Bai Ye gently pressed the button on the lighter, but no flame came out, only a faint sound of electricity echoed in the air. He frowned slightly, as if he was not satisfied with the result.

"It seems that this lighter is not used for lighting fires." Bai Ye muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the lighter model back and forth, trying to find more clues. Suddenly, his eyes fixed on a tiny groove at the bottom of the lighter. The shape of this groove was strange and very similar to a symbol they had seen elsewhere before.

"Could it be..." Bai Ye's mind moved, and he immediately took out a map from his pocket, which was the only guide they brought with them on this trip. He carefully compared the symbols on the map with the grooves at the bottom of the lighter and found that they matched perfectly.

"Found it!" Bai Ye exclaimed, a long-lost smile on his face. He quickly pointed the lighter model at a specific location on the map and turned it slightly. Suddenly, a faint light appeared in a certain area on the map, and then a hidden mechanism slowly appeared.

"It seems that this lighter model is a key." Bai Ye explained, with a hint of excitement in his voice, "It unlocks the route we are going to take next."

The soldiers gathered around and looked at the new route on the map, their eyes flashing with anticipation and curiosity. They knew that the discovery of this lighter model meant that they were one step closer to uncovering the secrets of this mysterious underground world.

Bai Ye didn't waste time. He quickly put away the lighter model and continued to move forward with the soldiers along the newly revealed route. They passed through one secret room after another, facing challenges and tests one after another, but their hearts were filled with unprecedented determination and faith. Because they knew that as long as they were united, nothing could stop them from moving forward. And the seemingly ordinary lighter model would play an increasingly important role in their journey, leading them step by step to the truth hidden in the depths of darkness.

Bai Ye stood in front of the door unlocked by the lighter model, his eyes deep, as if he could penetrate the thick stone wall and see the secrets hidden behind the door. He waved his hand lightly, signaling the soldiers to prepare to enter. As the mechanism slowly opened, a cold and damp breath came to his face, mixed with the smell of soil and water vapor, foreshadowing that the journey ahead would be an unusual one.

Behind the door was a winding underground river. The water was dark and deep, as if it could swallow up all light. The water was rushing, and from time to time it made a low roar, echoing in the empty cave, adding a bit of terror and uneasiness. Bai Ye did not hesitate. He knew the purpose and importance of this trip. Even in the face of unknown dangers, he had to move forward bravely.

The soldiers responded quickly to Bai Ye's instructions, and they quickly took out the inflatable boats and necessary equipment from their backpacks. These inflatable boats looked particularly pale and weak in the dim light, but the soldiers knew that they would be their only reliance in the future. They quickly assembled the boats and checked every detail to ensure that everything was foolproof.

As the last inflatable boat was ready, the soldiers boarded the boats one after another. They sat in the boats, keeping a certain distance from each other to maintain the balance of the boats. Bai Ye stood on the front boat, holding the tiller tightly, his eyes sharp, ready to lead everyone through this unknown underground river.

"Are you ready?" Bai Ye's voice was low and powerful, penetrating the surrounding noise and reaching the ears of every soldier.

The soldiers nodded one after another, indicating that they were ready. They knew that this river would not only test their courage and perseverance, but also their tacit understanding and cooperation.

Bai Ye said no more. He pushed the tiller hard, and the inflatable boat rushed into the turbulent water like an arrow. The force of the water instantly lifted the boat up, and the soldiers held on to the side of the boat tightly, fearing that they would be thrown into the river if they were not careful. Their faces were full of fear and anxiety, but more of curiosity and desire to explore the unknown world.

As the boat went deeper, the scene of the underground river gradually appeared before everyone's eyes. The cave walls were covered with mosses and vines, and occasionally some strange creatures could be seen swimming in the water. Most of these creatures were large in size and in various shapes. Some had sharp fangs, and some had transparent bodies, as if they could hide in the water. They were full of hostility towards the intruders, and from time to time they roared, trying to scare the soldiers away.

However, the soldiers were not intimidated. They held their weapons tightly, vigilantly observed the situation around them, and were ready to deal with possible dangers at any time. Bai Ye, with his extraordinary wisdom and courage, led the ship to flexibly shuttle between the water and the reefs, avoiding crises again and again.

But the good times didn't last long. As they went deeper into the river, they encountered greater challenges. A huge waterfall lay in front of them, with water pouring down from a height, forming a white curtain of water. The roar of the waterfall was deafening, as if it was going to swallow up all living things. Looking at the surging water, the soldiers couldn't help but feel a sense of despair in their hearts.

"What should we do? We can't get through!" a soldier shouted in horror.

Bai Ye did not answer. His eyes were fixed on the top of the waterfall. There, he vaguely saw a faint light. Although the light was weak, it gave him endless hope and courage. He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and then said loudly to the soldiers: "Don't panic! I see hope! We will definitely find a way to pass the waterfall!"