Chapter 118: The Cathedral of Moonlight Town

The impressive strength demonstrated by the Stalker group piqued Li Nanke's interest. According to known intelligence, the Moonlight Town Cathedral likely contained a hidden node, and a hidden node implied extreme difficulty. The Stalkers' prowess would undoubtedly be a significant asset in conquering such a challenge. Li Nanke immediately sought out Sophia to inform her of this.

To Sophia, the idea of exploring and clearing the Cathedral was a pointless endeavor that offered no help toward their ultimate goal of defeating the King of Puppets. Furthermore, given the vast number of powerful corpses infesting the Cathedral area, such an undertaking could lead to unnecessary casualties, thinning the Stalker ranks and weakening their overall strength. She rejected his proposal without a second thought, urging Li Nanke to focus his limited energy and combat power on the King of Puppets instead.

Li Nanke sneered, his attitude firm and unyielding: "Ms. Sophia, I am informing you, not consulting you. I expect your cooperation."

Facing his rigidity, Sophia’s face darkened; she could have easily thrown her coffee in his face. However, she could not afford a falling out with him. Her control over the Stalkers rested solely on financial interests, not the raw power required to suppress these mercenaries. Li Nanke, acting as the anchor with his overwhelming strength, had become the group’s leader, preventing infighting and keeping the "hotel" ship from capsizing. If he walked away, there was no guarantee another "Hyena" wouldn't arise to threaten her—or worse, given Li Nanke's ruthless efficiency, he might prove to be the second Hyena himself.

"Mr. Black Rabbit, give me a reason to convince myself," Sophia said, her tone softening involuntarily.

Seeing the woman was sensible, Li Nanke offered her a way out. "The fight with the Parade Master was a lopsided victory; it held no challenge. But when we head to the City Hall exhibition, the Stalkers will face the King of Puppets and a host of special puppets. They are used to fighting alone—how much synergy can they really muster on the fly?"

"The enemies in the Cathedral area are numerous and strong enough to serve as a simulation for facing the King of Puppets. It is the perfect training ground."

Sophia opened her mouth but found no words to refute him. Li Nanke’s reasoning sounded plausible. Had she not sensed an ulterior motive, she might have truly believed he only wanted to "train the troops." She mused privately that Li Nanke likely wanted to consolidate his position as leader through a series of victories, gradually stripping away her influence and making him the true master of the Stalkers. She knew this, yet she could not stop him; in fact, she had to facilitate it. Only by uniting the Stalkers could they hope to defeat the King of Puppets and survive.

Try as she might, she could not have guessed that Li Nanke was driven by the hidden node, or that he was already prepared to treat the Stalkers as "expendable" and "cannon fodder" if necessary. It had nothing to do with leadership or status.

Soon, Sophia summoned the Stalkers overnight, announcing the mission to explore and clear the Cathedral the following day. Before the Stalkers could raise objections, Li Nanke spoke out against it first: "Ms. Sophia, I believe exploring the Cathedral is useless. The area is crawling with corpses—numerous and powerful. It will likely cause unnecessary casualties."

Sophia: "???"

Hearing their leader's words, White Bear, Gray Donkey, Rooster, and the others nodded in secret. It was true, as Li Nanke said; their goal was to defeat the King of Puppets. They shouldn't waste energy at the Cathedral. Even though Black Rabbit had a partnership with Sophia, he stood with the Stalkers on matters of principle, voicing their inner thoughts.

Sophia was seething. *You’re using all my lines! You make me the villain while you play the hero, is that it?*

Expressionless, she continued, "I have received intelligence that the Cathedral hides a secret related to the puppet riots and the King of Puppets. If we clear it and uncover that secret, it will aid our strategic objectives. It is by no means a waste of energy." She paused, then added with feigned resentment, "Besides, you Stalkers are used to fighting alone. How much power can you really muster when forced to work together? The Cathedral is the best training ground for the fight ahead."

At the first half, the Stalkers were thoughtful, but the second half rankled some. Gray Donkey stepped forward, his tone hostile: "Sophia, if Boss Black Rabbit says we aren't strong enough, I accept it. But what right do you have to say that? Why don't you have Green Snake come out and spar with us?"

Seeing someone challenge her master's authority, Green Snake stood firm, clutching her dagger and shielding Sophia, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

"Gray Donkey, stand down."

Once Li Nanke spoke, Gray Donkey retreated without a word. He didn't fear Sophia or Green Snake, but he had been truly beaten into submission by Li Nanke. If Nanke hadn't held back during their previous fight, Gray Donkey would be buried in the garden square like Hyena.

Sophia didn't waste more breath. She produced a massive reward, signaling that this was the payment for clearing the Cathedral—they wouldn't be working for free. The Stalkers’ eyes flickered; the greed in their gazes was undisguised. They believed in equivalent exchange, and such a generous reward was impossible to ignore.

Li Nanke knew the time was right. He coughed softly and announced, "Ms. Sophia’s point isn't that we lack strength, but that our coordination is lacking. With our current lack of synergy, heading to the City Hall exhibition will likely result in heavier casualties. We need to hone our collective combat. Since the Cathedral holds secrets regarding the King of Puppets, I see no issue with making it our target."

"I have decided: tomorrow, we Stalkers will head to the Moonlight Town Cathedral together."

Li Nanke waved his hand, unilaterally sealing the contract on behalf of the group. With the leader’s approval and such a rich reward, even those who didn't want to go could not refuse. After all, the last person who dared to oppose Li Nanke had been dragged off to be buried in the garden square.

Li Nanke curled his lips. Between him and Sophia, one held the carrot and the other the stick, leaving the Stalkers with no choice at all.

The next day, Li Nanke led the Stalker team to the Cathedral area. Moonlight Town was the site of the Cathedral; before alchemists invented puppets, Krat was nothing more than this poor, destitute fishing village. It wasn't until Geppetto, a genius among the alchemists, invented puppets that the island transformed within twenty years into the world-renowned, opulent Krat. Although the City Hall still flew a flag featuring a "herring," the poor, backward Moonlight Town had long been forgotten and abandoned by the rapidly expanding city.

The houses along the streets were dilapidated, walls covered in moss, windows shattered, and doors hanging askew. The muddy dirt roads were piled with trash and sewage, with thick green viscous liquid visible everywhere. A foul, rotting stench permeated the air.

Three vintage cars drove along the rugged road, the roar of their engines piercing the silence of the town and startling flocks of crows. White Bear, in the lead car, turned back: "Boss Black Rabbit, we must be wary of corpse attacks. As the isolation zone for Petrification Disease patients, the mutation has long spread. Now, there isn't a single living soul left in Moonlight Town besides the corpses."

Aside from Mad Rabbit, who stayed at the hotel to tend to patients, and Green Snake, who remained glued to Sophia’s side, the remaining twelve Stalkers, including Cunning Rabbit, participated in the raid.

Without needing White Bear's reminder, the Stalkers gripped their weapons tight as they entered the eerie town, prepared for battle. As the convoy rounded a corner, they saw numerous figures wandering at the end of the street. In the scorching noon sun, the wandering pile of bodies shimmered with a chilling, eerie green hue.

Poor Moonlight Town had no mechanical puppets—if there had been any, they would have been reduced to scrap long ago under the swarm of corpses. Here, there were only crazed corpses. Their faces were twisted, their bodies covered in green, flaky crystals. Patches of exposed skin were gray and rotting; their eyes were hollow and lifeless, and their mouths were stretched into hideous grins.

When the cars approached, the roar of the engines stirred the quiet town. They turned in unison, unleashing a chorus of roars.

"Prepare for combat!" Li Nanke commanded. He had designed a formation based on each Stalker's unique traits. As the order was given, the Stalkers fanned out, surrounding the convoy in a pre-rehearsed tactical formation.

White Bear, Buffalo, and Lion stood like three mobile fortresses at the front, their hulking figures providing immense security to their comrades behind. Gray Donkey, Goat, Honey Badger, and Rooster followed as the second wave, excelling in close-quarters assault. Cunning Rabbit and Leopard lurked in the shadows like ghosts, waiting for the right moment.

At the very back, atop a car, Reindeer drew his longbow, his arrows glowing with a deep blue light. Porcupine mounted his heavy machine gun—a rare piece of Ergo-powered weaponry he had spent his entire fortune to have commissioned by Yellow Dog Philip years ago. Even the ammunition was specially crafted for superior Ergo conductivity; it was incredibly expensive, and every shot consumed a fortune, but the destructive power was unparalleled.

Pinocchio’s metallic left hand transformed into a flamethrower, the barrel glowing red-hot, the air around it distorting before a single flame was even spat.

As the horde surged forward, the battle erupted!

The "tat-tat-tat" of the heavy machine gun echoed, muzzle flashes lighting up the air as bullets traced blue arcs through the rain of fire. The leading corpses clattered and fell, riddled with lead. Before those not yet fatally wounded could rise, a torrent of scorching flame washed over them, reducing flesh to charred remains.

Yet, the rain of bullets and walls of fire were not enough to halt the tide. These corpses were even stronger than mechanical puppets! Many broke through the barrage, engaging the front line. White Bear, Buffalo, and Lion swung their weapons with ferocious strength, knocking the approaching corpses down one by one. The second wave followed closely, cutting down the fallen foes like enraged beasts.

Meanwhile, Cunning Rabbit and Leopard utilized their speed to pick off stragglers, while Reindeer’s precise arrows hit critical points at key moments. These corpses were harder to deal with than puppets; the green crystals on their bodies provided formidable protection, requiring multiple strikes to kill. But even so, the Stalkers fought with immense power, leveraging their individual specialties.

The commotion was too great, drawing a constant stream of corpses from all directions, including from behind the street. Reindeer and Porcupine were horrified—the enemies approaching from the rear threatened to overrun them first!

As they prepared to turn their weapons, they heard Li Nanke shout: "Keep handling the front! Leave the rear to me!"

Facing the pack of corpses, Li Nanke leapt into the air and dived straight into the fray. To the shock of everyone present, "Killing Jungle" erupted! Countless thick, sharp thorns burst from the ground, skewering the corpses like kebabs. A lush, dense thicket of thorns sealed off the rear of the street, completely blocking the path of the encroaching horde.

Li Nanke released his hammer, leaving the jungle of thorns as an iron wall. He turned to glare at the group, snapping: "Don't lose focus during battle! Do I have to teach you that too?"

The Stalkers were dumbstruck. They had never seen such a brutal, large-scale attack. With just one move, Boss Black Rabbit had killed dozens and blocked the rear entirely. Experienced as they were, they quickly regained their composure and returned to the fight.

As time passed, the number of corpses dwindled, and the Stalkers' coordination shifted from clumsy to fluid and instinctive. Finally, Li Nanke cleaved the last standing corpse in two. He held his re-forged chainsaw sword in his left hand and his bloody warhammer in his right, watching as the thorns turned to ash in the wind.

The street was littered with corpses; limbs and torsos were everywhere, and the green fluid formed small streams. Save for some minor scratches on the front-line trio of White Bear, Buffalo, and Lion, the rest of the Stalkers had only expended some stamina. It was a complete, decisive victory.

Li Nanke leapt onto the roof of a dilapidated house and peered into the distance. From here, he could see the looming silhouette of the great Cathedral. A powerful sense of extreme danger washed over him—a terrifying, formidable enemy surely lurked within.

"Move out. We're going to the Cathedral."