Gremlin

The chaos inside the warehouse continued, with over a dozen white-stained mechanical monkeys leaping frantically between the massive cargo shelves.

The high-pitched humming emitted by the crystal lenses was filled with anger and confusion, turning the building into a noisy cage.

The look of admiration on Sergeant William's face made Lin Jie realize that his first major test had yielded results far exceeding expectations.

"Marcus, guard the entrance. Don't let a single one escape. Sergeant William, let's fall back and observe from a distance; now is not the time for harvesting." Lin Jie issued his orders calmly, his mind not clouded by the excellent "shooting range" scenario before him.

His goal was never simple slaughter, but to thoroughly understand this unknown species.

The number of these creatures, their habits, and the greater secrets behind them were far more valuable than merely killing a few small monsters.

He pulled the Free Hunter Manual from his coat; this booklet produced by the I.A.R.C. was far more important than it appeared.

The first half of this manual contained rules and regulations, while the second half was a condensed, portable summary of the Black Book.

It only contained data on all "Caution Rank" UMA confirmed by the Association, as well as the key characteristics of a few common "Town Rank" UMA.

Although far less comprehensive than Karl's diary, for a newcomer, this summary was a precious life-saving guide.

Lin Jie flipped through the manual by the light of the Carbide Lamp.

His fingers brushed over pages of sketches depicting various strange creatures, from the "Forest Spirit" that lured travelers to get lost in European forests, to the "Water Ghost" that dragged fishing boats down in South Asian rivers. He quickly locked onto a target based on the key characteristics of the creatures before him—

"Ape-like physique," "pack behavior," "a special obsession with metal and industrial creations," and "extraordinary climbing and stealth abilities."

One page in the manual featured a fine copperplate engraving of a creature almost identical to the one he saw.

It was squatting on a complex steam engine valve, joyfully unscrewing a bolt with claws made of brass joints.

Below the drawing was a detailed introduction to the creature.

[UMA Number: C-077]

[Official Name: Gremlin / Aliases: Mechanical Gnome, Industrial Thief]

[Threat Level: Caution Rank]

[Species Overview: A type of sprite-like UMA originating from the Black Forest region during the early Industrial Revolution. Gremlins exhibit a religious, fanatical obsession with human mechanical creations, especially devices centered on brass, steel, and steam.

They do not feed on flesh and blood, but survive by absorbing the "aetheric ripples" generated when machinery operates. They are natural artisans and saboteurs, instinctively stealing various industrial parts and raw materials to build massive, chaotic, and utterly useless "Mechanical Shrines" deep underground (usually in abandoned mines or city sewer systems).]

[Behavioral Traits: Typical pack creatures with a strict social structure, led by an "Artisan Leader" with the largest size and highest intelligence. They are agile, possess extremely sensitive hearing and vision (regarding light changes), and are adept at using complex environments for stealth. Individual combat power is low, and the physical damage from their claws is limited, but their primary threat lies in their unique "curse" ability.]

[Special Ability: Mechanical Curse. The mere presence of Gremlins generates a negative "aetheric field" that interferes with surrounding precision mechanical devices.

In areas where they have long been entrenched, the jamming rate of firearms, the failure rate of steam engine valves, and the stoppage rate of clocks increase significantly. When provoked, this curse ability actively intensifies, capable of instantly rendering a gunman's weapon completely useless.]

[Weaknesses and Repulsion Methods: Gremlins have an extreme aversion to "stable" and "harmonious" order. Continuous, rhythmic sounds, such as the "ticking" of a metronome or the steady operation of a music box, cause persistent mental interference, plunging them into agitation and chaos. They also fear pure, intense light, but simple repulsion is rarely enough to completely eradicate their population.]

When Lin Jie finished reading the entire page, all his previous mysteries were solved.

He finally understood why the stolen items were all seemingly low-value industrial raw materials; they were the sacred objects these "Gremlins" needed to build their nests.

He also understood why the Night Watcher had mysteriously disappeared. They had likely stumbled upon the "procurement" operation of these little things, been swarmed by a large number of Gremlins, and dragged into their underground lair—the outcome of which was easy to imagine.

As for why the warehouse doors and windows remained intact, it was because these little things possessed extraordinary stealth and climbing abilities and simply didn't bother with conventional methods of destruction.

More importantly, the entry regarding the "Mechanical Curse" made Lin Jie break out in a cold sweat.

He immediately shouted to William, who was holding his Colt Revolver with interest and seemingly looking for a shooting angle: "Sergeant William, put your gun away! Don't fire yet!"

William froze at the words, looking at him in confusion.

Lin Jie ran to his side, pointed to the section on the "Mechanical Curse" in the manual, and explained as quickly as possible: "When provoked, these creatures can cause firearms to malfunction! If we fire now, it will likely cause our weapons to break down completely. Once they swarm us, it'll be over!"

Hearing this unbelievable intelligence, William's expression turned grave.

As a veteran who entrusted his life to the weapon in his hand, he knew better than anyone what the words "weapon failure" meant on the battlefield.

Though he was skeptical of this unheard-of "curse" ability, his trust in the Association's data led him to slowly lower his gun.

"You mean we just have to watch them run around in here?" Marcus asked impatiently from the side.

"Of course not." A confident smile curled the corners of Lin Jie's mouth as his gaze shifted to the old-fashioned pendulum clock in the warehouse office, still dutifully ticking on the wall.

"The manual says they loathe 'stable' and 'harmonious' order; continuous, rhythmic sounds can cause them mental interference."

A targeted tactic quickly took shape in his mind.

"Sergeant William, Mr. Marcus, what we are going to do next is not hunt, but drive them out." Lin Jie's voice was full of confidence. "We are going to turn this chaos into a migration directed toward the path we want."

He began to detail his plan.

They needed to create various rhythmic, monotonous noises to pressure the Gremlin pack from all sides, leaving only one "quiet exit" leading toward the underground drainage canal, forcing them to flee back to their nest on their own.

This would not only avoid the risk of weapon damage from direct combat but also allow them to follow the trail to their lair, providing an opportunity to capture the crucial "Artisan Leader" and obtain higher-value spoils.

Listening to Lin Jie's plan, the look of admiration in William's eyes could no longer be hidden.

Upon obtaining key intelligence, this young man didn't just think about how to use weaknesses to conduct a reckless hunt like an ordinary newcomer.

He was thinking about how to maximize benefits, minimize risks, and escalate a simple expulsion battle into a more valuable "nest-finding" operation.

This calm, utilitarian, and big-picture tactical thinking had completely transcended the scope of a "newcomer."

Standing to the side, Marcus watched Lin Jie, who was speaking eloquently about the manual and directing a legendary veteran. The expression on his face shifted from initial disdain to confusion, then to shock, and finally settled into a bitter, resigned smile of genuine admiration.

He finally understood why Barton and the Geneva headquarters had given such a high evaluation to this seemingly ordinary young man.

In the cruel hunting game of the Underworld, brute force and power were certainly important.

But the wisdom to see through the game and set the rules was the truly rare and priceless decisive force.