After passing through the massive chaos triggered by the pocket watch, Lin Jie and William finally stepped into the core area of the Gremlin nest.
The space here suddenly opened up, revealing an underground cavity formed from a combination of natural limestone caves and artificially modified pipelines.
The thick scent of engine oil and metal in the air had nearly condensed into something tangible, while the clanging noises from colliding and grinding parts gathered here into a chaotic symphony full of industrial aesthetics.
Before their eyes stood a breathtaking marvel.
A "mechanical shrine" towering dozens of meters high, completely haphazardly constructed from scrap copper and iron, clock gears, steam pipes, and various industrial waste materials, occupied the center of the entire cave.
Gremlins tirelessly climbed up and down this "shrine," embedding the "sacred relics" they had stolen from the surface world one by one onto this massive creation.
They weren't building anything useful, but rather conducting a pure "sacrificial ritual" dedicated to industry and machinery.
At the summit of the shrine sat a Gremlin nearly twice the size of its kin.
Its fur displayed a deeper, more profound hue, and unlike its counterparts who carried parts, it held a small hammer composed of gears and connecting rods, rhythmically tapping a brass plate as if conducting this grand construction.
"The numbers are overwhelming," Sergeant William's voice carried grave concern.
He estimated at least thirty Gremlins actively working on this shrine.
If discovered and surrounded by them, even an elite hunter like himself would be torn to shreds in moments.
"So we can't attack that chieftain directly," Lin Jie's gaze calmly swept across the entire cave, rapidly analyzing the terrain and enemy distribution. "A direct assault would only make us the primary target for every Gremlin. We need to trim its wings first, create greater chaos."
He pointed toward an area to the left of the shrine.
Several Gremlins there appeared to be part of a "material processing" team, gathered around disassembled alarm clocks, gleefully extracting springs and mainsprings from them.
"Sergeant William, see them? Those enemies are relatively isolated, farthest from the shrine's core area, and their attention is completely focused on those 'toys.' We can start with them."
A completely new "lure and hunt" tactic rapidly formed in Lin Jie's mind.
"My plan is this," Lin Jie lowered his voice, speaking quickly to William. "I'll use their aversion to order characteristics to lure them again. But this time, my target isn't all the Gremlins—just that specific team."
"I'll separate them from the main force, lure them into the narrow passage we came through. And there, we'll need your marksmanship."
William immediately understood Lin Jie's intention.
This was an extremely high-risk plan with equally massive rewards.
It required precise calculation from the lure and absolute confidence and shooting skills from the sniper.
Any mistake in either link, and they could face the entire swarm's assault.
"Confident?" William looked at Lin Jie, his eyes showing not doubt, but a partner's final confirmation.
Lin Jie smiled, retrieving another "small gadget" from his coat—a delicate silver music box, a bonus from his earlier purchases.
"Let's hope the 'lullaby' that unfortunate Mister Billy discovered from his grandfather proves effective here once more."
The plan commenced immediately.
Lin Jie wound the music box's mainspring, and a crisp, melodious tune of "Greensleeves" began to play softly.
Instead of revealing himself immediately, he gently tossed the playing music box toward the side rear of the "material processing" team, into an inconspicuous branching path.
Though the music wasn't loud, in this environment of chaotic noise, its unique "harmony" pierced into the Gremlins' perception like a needle.
Sure enough, the Gremlins that had been dismantling the alarm clocks simultaneously halted their actions.
The crystal lenses on their faces snapped toward the direction of the music, emitting intensely irritated buzzing sounds.
After a moment's hesitation, seemingly unable to endure this corrupting, decadent sound defiling their sacred work, they actually abandoned their "toys," forming a combat team and aggressively advancing toward the branching path to surround it!
They had successfully been separated from the main force!
"They took the bait!" Lin Jie whispered urgently, then immediately retreated with William into another pre-selected passage that could establish crossfire with that branching path.
This location was sufficiently distant to effectively reduce the Mechanical Curse's influence—a hunting ground specially prepared for that Gremlin team.
The white-stained Gremlins charged angrily into the branching path, quickly discovering the small silver box emitting the detestable sound.
Just as they prepared to swarm and dismantle this "heresy" into fragments, a deadly tongue of fire suddenly flashed from the darkness on their flank!
Sergeant William finally revealed his true, fearsome capabilities as a legendary veteran, a master marksman.
He didn't use the Colt revolver, but instead retrieved a Winchester M1873 lever-action rifle from his back.
This weapon, renowned for its high rate of fire and reliability, was hailed as "the gun that won the West."
In William's hands, it became a precise scythe harvesting lives.
William's shooting stance was as steady as a mountain.
He showed no visible aiming motions; every lever action to eject spent cartridges, chamber a new round, and pull the trigger flowed together seamlessly.
This was no longer mere shooting technique—it was a killing instinct deeply ingrained in his blood and bones.
"Bang!"
The first bullet precisely pierced through a Gremlin's crystal lens on its head.
The small creature fell stiffly without even time to utter a cry.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Immediately followed by rhythmically continuous, uninterrupted shots!
William's rifle muzzle seemed enchanted; every fired bullet accurately sought out those rapidly moving white figures in the narrow passage.
He wasted not a single shot; every gunshot inevitably accompanied a Gremlin falling.
Lin Jie, beside him, had one responsibility—to keep the carbide lamp's beam firmly fixed on that area, creating a clear, bright field of view for William.
This was tacit understanding.
One responsible for luring and support, drawing enemies into the trap.
One responsible for output and hunting, eliminating threats with the most reliable firepower.
In less than ten seconds, the entire Gremlin combat team was cleanly and efficiently annihilated by Sergeant William alone using a single lever-action rifle!
As the final Gremlin fell, the entire underground cavity plunged into a moment of silence.
The distant Gremlin main force also detected the anomaly here; countless crystal lenses turned toward this direction, emitting alert buzzing sounds.
But before they could organize an effective counterattack, Lin Jie and William had already silently retreated into deeper darkness after delivering the fatal blow, leaving no traces behind.
They had succeeded.
Achieved a perfect "tactical victory" at minimal cost.
After confirming safety, William slowly lowered the lever-action rifle still emitting faint smoke from its barrel.
He turned his head, looking at the young man panting beside him.
A smile appeared on his face.
"Kid, you were born for this line of work."