Using the Enemy to Harass the Enemy

As those three desecrated Mechanical Wraiths raised their heads, the crystal lenses in their eyes, flickering with eerie red light, locked firmly onto the two uninvited guests, Lin Jie and William.

A chill, more unsettling than facing a pure UMA, crawled up their spines.

These things were both creations of UMA and vessels for human souls.

They were abominable amalgams of technology and resentment.

"Tick... tick... tick..."

Accompanying their stiff movements, the clockwork parts crammed into their chest cavities began to emit a chaotic, discordant sound.

This noise had no discernible pattern, as if representing their shattered and insane consciousnesses, with every syllable stabbing viciously at the listener's central nervous system.

A look of unprecedented gravity appeared on Sergeant William's face.

His extensive combat experience told him that the danger level of these three things might have already exceeded the "Caution Rank" category.

The abnormal fluctuations radiating from them were far more intense and chaotic than those of ordinary Gremlins.

"Prepare for combat." William's voice was low and powerful as his Colt Revolver pointed steadily at the Wraith in the center. "I'll handle the one in the middle; it looks like the core. You take the one on the left—if you get a chance, smash the clockwork in its chest!"

However, Lin Jie gently pressed down on the gun barrel he was about to raise.

"Wait a moment, Sergeant William." Lin Jie's voice was exceptionally calm, his gaze not lingering on the three Wraiths but instead scanning the surrounding environment rapidly.

He looked at the mechanical "totems" built by the Gremlins that resembled mountains of trash, and the pitch-black passage deeper inside that led to the heart of the nest.

"Their attack patterns are unknown; we cannot fight them head-on here." Lin Jie made a quick judgment. "Besides, our goal is the Gremlin nest, that 'Artisan Leader'. Getting entangled with these modified guards will only waste our precious ammunition and stamina, and might even attract more Gremlins."

William's brows furrowed tightly. Although reluctant, he had to admit that the young man's assessment was correct.

Their mission was not to clean up these pathetic "sacrificial victims"; acting rashly would introduce too many variables.

"Then what is your plan?" William asked in a low voice.

"We need to bypass them. Or rather..." A flash of wisdom crossed Lin Jie's eyes, "...make them clear a path for us."

He had no time for a lengthy explanation.

He quickly retrieved a well-crafted second-hand mechanical pocket watch from the inner pocket of his hunting jacket.

At this moment, this pocket watch, a symbol of order and stability, was about to become the deadliest weapon in his hands.

Lin Jie skillfully twisted the crown, winding the watch to its maximum capacity.

Then, he stepped back a few paces, hiding both himself and William behind a cover made of discarded steam pipes.

"Sergeant William, help me draw their attention." Lin Jie whispered.

Though William did not understand what he intended to do, he trusted him and fired a shot without hesitation at the ground beneath the Mechanical Wraiths' feet.

"Bang!"

The loud gunshot triggered a massive echo in the enclosed sewer.

The three Mechanical Wraiths were thoroughly enraged by this sudden provocation; the sound of the parts rotating within their chests became even more frantic, emitting a piercing, screeching noise before they took stiff steps and charged together in the direction of the gunshot!

The moment they left the "Throne", Lin Jie made his move.

He took that fully wound pocket watch and threw it with all his might toward the passage behind the Throne that led to the depths of the nest!

The brass pocket watch landed with a "clack" at the entrance of the passage, then rolled into the deeper darkness.

Its crisp, steady "ticking" sound seemed completely out of place in this environment filled with chaos and resentment.

To the three Mechanical Wraiths, this sound might have meant nothing.

But to the true masters of this nest—the Gremlins who loved chaos and hated order—this was nothing less than a "blasphemous melody" played openly in their sanctuary!

Sure enough, the moment the ticking of the watch hit the ground, a sudden change occurred!

A high-frequency, electrical "buzzing" erupted from the depths of the pitch-black passage.

Immediately following, several crystal lenses flickering with faint red light surged out from the darkness!

A massive swarm, at least several dozen Gremlins, had been thoroughly enraged by that "blasphemous" pocket watch!

Their target was not Lin Jie or William at all, but that damned little brass trinket emitting such harmonious noise!

"Buzz-buzz-buzz—!"

The crazed swarm of Gremlins ignored the three Mechanical Wraiths blocking the path and surged toward the passage.

The three Mechanical Wraiths seemed stunned by this sudden impact.

They stood stiffly in place, appearing at a loss when faced with the tidal wave unleashed by the very things they were supposed to "guard".

Chaos, absolute chaos.

And this was exactly what Lin Jie wanted to see!

"Now!" Lin Jie commanded in a low voice. "Follow me closely!"

He no longer hid, but instead rushed out from behind the cover, taking advantage of the chaos as the three semi-mechanical bodies and the Gremlin swarm interfered with each other.

He did not charge at the Wraiths, but instead launched a surprise attack along the edge of the passage toward the path "cleared" by the Gremlin swarm!

Sergeant William reacted just as quickly as lightning, following closely behind Lin Jie while the copper pipe he had just picked up pointed continuously at his surroundings, providing the most reliable fire support for their advance.

The three Mechanical Wraiths finally snapped out of their stupor, roaring and swinging their arms, which had been modified into weapons, in an attempt to intercept the two audacious intruders.

However, the surging swarm of Gremlins became their greatest obstacle, as Gremlins constantly collided with them, significantly slowing down their movements.

"Hurry! They're coming!" Lin Jie shouted, feeling the icy killing intent behind him closing in rapidly.

Just as the mechanical hand of one Wraith was about to grab the back of Lin Jie's neck, the two of them finally succeeded in rushing through the chaotic area, diving headlong into the wider passage behind the Throne.

Behind them, the enraged Gremlins were still swarming frantically toward the pocket watch that was about to be completely dismantled into parts.

The three Mechanical Wraiths, having lost their target due to the obstruction, were now pounding the walls in fury.

"Huff... huff..."

Lin Jie and William leaned against the wall, gasping for air.

The heart-stopping "breakthrough" that had just occurred lasted less than thirty seconds, yet it was more mentally exhausting than fighting a one-hour trench war.

William looked at the young man beside him, who, despite being physically drained, still had bright eyes, and a look of genuine admiration appeared on his face.

He had previously thought his assessment of this young man was already high enough; he thought he had witnessed his intelligence, his composure, and his grasp of the big picture.

But it was only at that moment that he truly understood.

The intelligence of this young man was not merely reflected in sand table simulations and logical analysis.

He possessed a more terrifying and even more precious ability—the capacity to utilize every available element on a rapidly changing battlefield, including the characteristics of the enemy, the surrounding environment, and even the enemies of his enemies, to create a "momentum" most favorable to himself.

He had exploited the Gremlins' hatred for "ordered sound" to successfully trigger chaos within the enemy ranks.

He had utilized this chaos to carve out a path of survival for himself through the "absolute defense."