Clues to the Nest

The "herding" tactic proposed by Lin Jie immediately received the silent approval of Sergeant William, the seasoned veteran expressing his support through decisive action.

They did not spend much time looking for a ready-made metronome or music box, as William pointed out from his extensive battlefield experience that any continuous, monotonous noise could achieve a similar effect.

Thus, a unique "symphony of noise" was staged within Warehouse No. 3.

William found two thick iron plates and struck them against each other with an extremely steady and rhythmic frequency, producing a "clang... clang... clang..." sound like a funeral bell.

This sound made the frantically scurrying Gremlins even more agitated and restless.

Marcus was assigned a relatively simple task; he used an iron rod to continuously strike an empty oil drum at fixed intervals, creating a penetrating, rhythmic "thump... thump... thump..." drumbeat.

As for Lin Jie himself, he used several brass pipes of varying lengths to create a makeshift set of chimes, tirelessly striking a monotonous, aesthetically devoid scale with a small wooden mallet.

Three types of monotonous noise, filled with a sense of order, transformed into three invisible walls of sound waves from three different directions in the warehouse, slowly pressing in on the group of Gremlins.

These little creatures, born with a love for chaos and disorder, fell into a complete frenzy under the siege of sounds that seemed to symbolize "factory discipline" and "military cadence."

They no longer scurried about aimlessly, but like a flock of sheep driven by sheepdogs, they began to instinctively search for the "exit" where the noise was weakest.

And that direction was precisely the dark opening leading to the underground drainage channel, where the bars had been bent by the creatures themselves.

The herding plan proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Watching those panicked white figures scramble one after another to escape back along the path they had come, Lin Jie knew his tactic had worked.

But his goal was not as simple as just driving them away.

He needed a clear direction, a clue leading to their lair.

Now was the perfect moment.

"Sergeant William, cover me!" Lin Jie shouted in a low voice.

After receiving a nod of affirmation from William, Lin Jie dropped the brass pipes in his hands and rushed toward a shelf that the Gremlins had passed during their panicked flight, holding the bright carbide lamp.

His target was a personal item that one of the little creatures had accidentally dropped in its panic: a brass gear.

"Buzz--!"

A few Gremlins at the tail end of the group stopped in their tracks when they saw this uninvited guest rushing toward them. They turned around, the crystal lenses on their faces flashing with angry red light as they assumed an attack stance.

However, they were facing the death-like precision of William's muzzle.

This time, William had no reservations, as these monkeys were far enough away that they were beyond the range where the "Mechanical Curse" could affect him.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two crisp gunshots rang out.

The crystal lenses on the heads of the two Gremlins in the lead were precisely shattered.

They emitted a short buzz, their bodies went limp, and they lost all signs of life.

This clean and efficient sniping greatly deterred the remaining kin; they hissed in fear, no longer daring to approach, and could only watch helplessly as Lin Jie took the "relic."

Lin Jie successfully obtained the brass gear.

He quickly retreated to a safe observation point, not even having time to wipe off the greasy slime left by the Gremlins on the gear.

He gripped the gear tightly in his hand and said to William and Marcus, "I need a moment; I am going to try to 'interpret' the general location of their nest from this item."

He said this as a matter of course, having fully immersed himself in his role as an "Interpreter."

William and Marcus immediately entered a state of alert, guarding him on the left and right to create an absolutely safe "casting environment" for him.

Lin Jie took a deep breath, bit his thumb, and closed his eyes.

He pressed his bleeding left hand firmly onto the brass gear.

His blood, combined with the residual "collective will" of the Gremlin tribe on the gear, that intense "desire to build," and the "metallic spirituality" contained within the gear itself—these elements once again combined to form the fuel required for [Touch of Afterimage].

He consciously guided his peculiar ability.

"Boom--"

The familiar feeling of being struck by a flood of information arrived once again, but this time, because he was mentally prepared and had the experience of the previous few times, Lin Jie was not as disheveled as before.

He endured the mental stinging and dizziness, struggling to find what he needed amidst this sensory storm filled with clanging, chaotic noise and various mechanical blueprints.

He felt it.

It was a strong collective orientation, much like an ant colony returning to its nest.

It was not a clear picture, nor a precise coordinate, but a... "feeling."

A feeling of being pulled by several invisible threads toward a specific direction.

This direction was dark, damp, and filled with the scent of rust and sludge.

This direction echoed with the gurgling of water and the pleasant noise of countless metal parts colliding and grinding against each other.

In this direction, there existed an "essence of will" belonging to the entire tribe, filled with a fanatical desire to build!

Lin Jie struggled to keep himself from being assimilated by this massive collective will.

Relying on his powerful mental resilience, he anchored his sense of direction firmly toward where that "essence of will" resided.

It was unknown how much time had passed when Lin Jie opened his eyes.

His face was as pale as paper and his entire body was soaked in cold sweat, yet his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

"Found it," he said in a hoarse voice, dropping the brass gear in his hand onto the ground. "Their nest... is right beneath our feet."

"Beneath our feet?" Marcus asked, looking puzzled.

"Yes." Lin Jie pointed toward the drainage entrance that William had discovered earlier, gasping for air as he did so.

"The previous deduction was correct: that direction, downward. I can determine the approximate depth and distance. Hidden within that intricate sewer system is a 'Mechanical Kingdom' built by these little things. And the missing Night Watchers are likely right there."

He stated the results he had "interpreted" with an unquestionable tone, and combined with the dust markers they had left for this group of Gremlins, their final destination was essentially confirmed.

Sergeant William stepped forward and steadied the slightly swaying Lin Jie.

He was now fully convinced that the young man beside him truly possessed an extraordinary power capable of communicating with the "past."

And in the perilous UMA hunting operation, the value of such a power was immeasurable.

"Well done, Mr. Interpreter."

He handed over his canteen. "For now, you need to rest. The road ahead will be filthier than we imagine."

Lin Jie took the canteen and took several deep gulps.

The cool liquid flowed down his throat, slightly easing the burning exhaustion of his mind.

He stared at the dark sewer entrance; a much more dangerous expedition was about to begin.