Chapter 27: Clues to the Lair

Lin Jie's "driving" tactic immediately received Sergeant William's silent approval, with the experienced veteran expressing his support through practical action.They didn't spend much time searching for ready-made metronomes or music boxes, because William, drawing from his rich battlefield experience, pointed out that any sustained and monotonous noise could achieve similar effects.

Thus, an unconventional "noise symphony" unfolded within Warehouse Number Three.

William found two thick iron plates and began striking them together with an extremely steady, rhythmical frequency, producing deep "clang... clang... clang..." sounds reminiscent of funeral bells.

This noise made the frantically scurrying Gremlins even more agitated.

Marcus was assigned a relatively simple task—he used an iron rod to continuously beat an empty oil barrel at fixed intervals, creating penetrating drum-like "thump... thump... thump..." sounds.

As for Lin Jie himself, he utilized several brass pipes of varying lengths to create a simple set of chimes, tirelessly striking a monotonous scale devoid of any musical beauty with a small wooden mallet.

Three types of monotonous noise, all imbued with a sense of order, transformed into three invisible walls of sound waves from different directions within the warehouse, slowly pressing toward the Gremlin swarm.

These little creatures, born with a love for chaos and disorder, completely lost their minds under this acoustic siege that seemed to symbolize "factory discipline" and "military marching."

They no longer scurried about randomly but instead, like a flock of sheep being herded by sheepdogs, instinctively began searching for the "exit" where the noise was weakest.

That direction happened to be the dark opening with bent railings leading to the underground drainage channel—the very path they had come from.

The driving plan proceeded with remarkable smoothness.

Watching those panicked white figures scrambling to escape back along their original path one after another, Lin Jie knew his tactic was working.

But his goal wasn't simply to drive them away.

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

Now was the perfect opportunity.

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

After receiving William's affirmative nod, Lin Jie dropped the brass pipes in his hand and, holding the bright carbide lamp, charged toward a shelf area where the fleeing Gremlin swarm had passed.

His target was a personal item accidentally dropped by the little creatures during their panicked escape—a brass gear.

"Bzzz—!"

Several Gremlins at the rear of the group immediately halted when they saw this uninvited guest charging toward them. They turned around, their crystal lenses flashing with angry red light, assuming attacking postures.

However, what they faced was William's deathly accurate gun muzzle.

This time William had no reservations, because these monkeys were sufficiently distant, already beyond the range where the Mechanical Curse could potentially affect him.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two crisp gunshots.

The crystal lenses on the heads of the two Gremlins charging at the front were precisely shattered.

They emitted brief buzzing sounds before their bodies went limp, completely lifeless.

This clean, efficient elimination greatly intimidated their remaining counterparts. They hissed fearfully, no longer daring to advance, and could only watch helplessly as Lin Jie took away their "sacred 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 that coated the gear.

He tightly gripped the gear in his hand, then said to William and Marcus, "I need some time. I'm going to attempt to 'interpret' the approximate location of their nest from this object."

He said this as if it were completely natural, having fully immersed himself in his "Interpreter" identity.

William and Marcus immediately entered a vigilant state, positioning themselves on his left and right to create an absolutely safe "spellcasting environment" for him.

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

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

His blood, combined with the residual "collective will" of the Gremlin race and their intense "desire to build" on the gear, along with the "metal spirituality" inherent in the gear itself—these elements once again constituted the fuel required for Reverberation Touch.

He consciously guided his peculiar ability.

"Boom—"

The familiar sensation of being assaulted by a torrent of information descended once more, but this time, thanks to mental preparation and previous experiences, Lin Jie wasn't as discomposed as before.

Gritting his teeth against the mental stinging and dizziness, he struggled to search for what he needed amidst this sensory storm filled with chaotic "clanging" noises and various mechanical blueprints.

He felt it.

It was a powerful collective directionality, akin to an ant colony returning to its nest.

It wasn't a clear image, nor was it a definite coordinate, but rather a... "feeling."

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

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

This direction echoed with the gurgling sounds of flowing water and the pleasing noises of countless metal parts colliding and grinding against each other.

This direction contained a "will core" belonging to the entire race, brimming with fanatical building desire!

Lin Jie struggled to maintain his sense of self, preventing assimilation by this massive collective will.

Relying on his formidable mental resilience, he tenaciously anchored the directional sense of where that "will core" was located.

After what felt like an eternity, Lin Jie opened his eyes.

His face was pale as paper, his entire body soaked in cold sweat, but his eyes shone with startling intensity.

"Found it," he said hoarsely, tossing the brass gear to the ground. "Their nest... is right beneath our feet."

"Beneath our feet?" Marcus asked, puzzled.

"Yes," Lin Jie replied between heavy breaths, pointing toward the drainage channel entrance that William had discovered earlier.

"Our earlier inference was correct—that direction, downward. I can determine the approximate depth and distance. Within that intricate sewer system hides a 'mechanical kingdom' built by these little creatures. And our missing Night Watch members are likely there."

He stated the results of his "interpretation" with undeniable certainty. Combined with the dust markers they had left on these Gremlins, they could basically confirm the final destination.

Sergeant William stepped forward and supported the slightly unsteady Lin Jie.

"Well done, Interpreter."

He handed over his canteen. "Now, you need to rest. The path ahead will be dirtier than we imagined."

Lin Jie took the canteen and gulped down several mouthfuls.

The cool liquid flowed down his throat, slightly alleviating his burning mental fatigue.

He looked toward that dark sewer entrance. A more dangerous expedition was about to begin.