Reborn as a Mechanist with a God-Tier System-Chapter 236: War [4]

BAM!

Even while being tied down by the enemy D Rank NetRunner, Major Goldbridge saw it as his comrade was murdered.

He saw it as the giant Octopus with barbed tentacles engulfed his comrade and squeezed, grinding her like a food blender as her body exploded within the coils of the tentacles in a gory shower of synthetic oil and metallic debris!

Even while still fighting against the D Rank NetRunner of the rebel army, Major Goldbridge could not help but be briefly distracted by the gory sight.

And in that moment, for the second time since this battle suddenly erupted at night, he felt doubt creep up in his mind. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The first time that doubt crept up in him was when General Sylvari Charr was trapped.

Like most of his comrades, he never believed that a C Rank Ascended could be trapped till today.

The events of this night already shattered his world view, overturning them and now once again, his conviction was shaken.

’Can we win this battle?’ He thought, feeling a lingering sense of dread as he stared at the 2 enemy Lieutenants who just murdered his comrade.

’Should I escape?’ The thought crept into his mind like a virus.

That thought, that tiny psychological tendency, it was the main difference between the soldiers of the rebel army and the Federation Army.

The soldiers of the rebel army knew from the beginning that they were the underdogs. They knew that they were fighting against impossible odds in a bid to gain independence against the Omnicore Federation.

They knew that countless factions before them have tried but they all failed.

Apart from the mercenaries that came to fight for Ren Nora and Iron Reef for the money, every single rebel soldier knew that there was a high chance of them dying in the course of this war and yet they still did it willingly.

This was because they knew that this was a fight that was already beyond just them and their lives.

This was not just about them, this was about their future.

This was about building a life that they could not live for their children. This was about building a beautiful future for their children to grow up as free folk without the oppression of the Omnicore Federation.

And for this, they were willing to lay down their lives.

But the same thing could not be said about the Federation Army.

The soldiers of the Federation Army were elite, the best of the best in the world but they saw this war as just a job.

No emotional attachment forced them to put their life on the line.

The lower-ranking soldiers didn’t have much of a choice but to the high-ranking soldiers of the army, if they got a choice between saving their lives and losing the war in Iron Reef, they would gladly lose the war.

Afterall, in the end this was not a war to determine their future.

This was a war to eliminate competition and it had nothing to do with their children or the wellbeing of their lives.

If they could win, fine. And if not, it was still fine.

They would not willingly give their lives for victory.

It was this simple difference that made Major Goldbridge hesitate the moment he saw Major Ceres die.

Unlike her, he had no intention of fighting to the death.

While defending against the attacks of Major Potter, his brain whirred as he analyzed his options.

’The General is trapped... we’re losing the battle ... and now it’s a 4v2 here with us at the disadvantage...’

It was not every day that the Federation Army fought at a disadvantage.

Major Goldbridge wanted to abandon this battle and escape, but he could not help but think. ’Before Ceres died, she already called for reinforcements from headquarters...’

His brain whirred. ’If reinforcement arrive and they see that I abandoned the army, will I be able to keep my job?’

His brows furrowed, but then he got another question. ’Will reinforcement even be able to arrive before we’re annihilated in the General’s absence?’

The thought made him stunned.

And in his hesitation, he lost the best window of opportunity to escape as Major Kai and Major Lawrence set their eyes on him at the same time.

Neural Projection!

The moment he saw the D Rank NetRunner disappear, his eyes constricted in alarm. ’Crap!’

Instantly, Major Goldbridge entered defense mode.

He decided to stand his ground and fight to analyze changes to the situation. If he saw that he was going to die, he would do his all to escape!

BZZZ!

The moment Major Kai appeared, he and Major Potter flanked the enemy Lieutenant from both sides as they assaulted him.

Psionic Assault!

BUZZ!

Major Goldbridge felt like an explosion just detonated inside his head as he cursed. ’Crap! I hate NetRunners!’

In his daze, Major Kai jumped through the Psionic Network again, emerging behind him as the enemy stabbed at his spine with his dagger!

Major Goldbridge recovered from the mind assault just in time as his danger instincts tingled fiercely.

He didn’t need to look back to know what was happening. ’He’s behind me?’

Gold and white ADE erupted around him.

Quantum Touch!

BZZZ!

Unlike F and E Rank Quantum Shapers that needed to make hand gestures to interact with the micro-particles in the air to alter motion and reality, as a D Rank Casality Shaper, he no longer needed hand gestures.

The moment he activated the ability, his attacker felt it.

Major Kai’s dagger was already just a few inches away from digging into the spine of the enemy when he felt a sudden resistance pushing his hand to the side!

He missed the enemy Lieutenant’s spine completely, instead cutting his flesh to give him a surface wound that the Quantum Shaper didn’t even react to.

But Major Kai was not done.

The moment the attack with his right hand was interfered with and affected, the dagger on his left hand also moved with devastating speed to attach.

Data Lash!

He assaulted the Quantum Shaper’s brain again to slow down his reaction.

But with the high WIL of a Quantum Shaper and the fact that this wasn’t Psionic Assault, he recovered immediately, then...

Quantum Trace!

BZZZ!

Major Goldbridge disappeared, leaving an afterimage decoy to deceive his enemy as Major Kai’s dagger slashed harmlessly at the mirage.

Major Goldbridge repositioned but the moment he appeared, another enemy was already on him like a Police Hound.

Neural Projection!

Major Potter timed his ambush to perfection, going for the kill as his dagger slashed at the Quantum Shaper’s neck to separate his head from his body.

Again, Major Goldbridge was caught off guard. ’Crap!’ He cursed but he wasn’t defenseless.

Push!

BZZZ!

Major Potter felt a suddenly violent force of gravity that pushed at his hand, flinging it away from his target!

The attack failed!

But then, Major Lawrence finally closed the distance.

With the 2 NetRunners assaulting the Quantum Shaper and keeping him occupied, Major Lawrence who had been charging towards the Federation Lieutenant since finally closed the distance.

The Giant Shredder Octopus Beastframe couldn’t fly which was why Major Lawrence already used his Genome Shift ability to switch Beastframe forms again.

In the Whinged Rhino form, he charged at the Quantum Shaper, positioning his horn to puncture a deep wound through the paper class Ascended.

He was already at point-blank range.

But then with an annoyed and murderous look on his face, Major Goldbridge turned and suddenly faced the attacking D Rank Gene Augur.

His eyes glowed pure white as he activated 6 abilities at the same time!

Temporal Echo!

Quantum Touch!

Gravity Pulse!

Pull!

Push!

Spatial Rend!

A conflagration of white and golden ADE blinded Major Mendez’s vision.

With Temporal Echo doubling Goldbridge’s perception, his reaction speed was amplified.

With Quantum Touch, the Winged Rhino’s deadly black horn veered slightly off its path, which was quickly followed by Gravity Pulse as the sudden gravity increase pressed on the Winged Rhino heavily, making the horn miss completely.

The Winged Rhino’s head was violently jerked to the side with the combination of both abilities, leaving the neck and the side of the Rhino exposed.

And then...

Pull activated, violently dragging the Winged Rhino towards Goldbridge as the Gene Augur briefly lost control of his flight!

At the same time, Goldbridge’s white and gold ADE violently converged on his right fist that was armed with a brass knuckle as he used Push on his own fist, quadrupling the speed of his fist through gravity!

The air groaned from the speed, breaking the sound barrier!

BOOM!

Then Spatial Rend activated, tearing micro-fissures in reality that negated all the defense of the Gene Augur completely!

And finally, Major Goldbridge’s right fist met its target.

KABOOOOOMMMM!