Reborn as a Mechanist with a God-Tier System-Chapter 213: Psychological Warfare [4]

Day 3 since Leon’s Trial began.

March 23rd, Year 583 A.G.

By now, Leon already realized that this was not going to be a straightforward Trial like his first E Rank Trial.

This was not going to be completed in 3 days, this was likely going to take more than a week and if nothing changed, this was likely going to take a month or even a year!

Leon was under pressure. ’I can’t afford to spend a year inside a Trial’.

He didn’t know if there was a time dilation in his Trial this time, but basing this Trial on the foundation of his first Trial, Leon was inclined to believe that there was no time difference between inside the Trial and outside.

This meant if he spent a year stuck in the Trial, there was a high chance that his body would also spend a year outside stuck in his shelter.

An E Rank Mechanist didn’t have enough extensive biological enhancements to enable him survive a year without food.

Leon was sure that if he couldn’t complete this Trial on time, the starvation alone would kill him before anything else.

He was under immense pressure.

’F*ck! Why do I have to encounter such an impossible Trial?’ He was losing it one thread of sanity at a time.

During this time, the Federation Army and the rebel army fought more intermittent skirmishes and then on the afternoon of the 23rd, both armies fought another major battle that resulted in heavy casualties again.

By now, the frequency and the amount of reinforcements coming to Iron Reef already reduced significantly by almost 90% due to the road assaults by the Federation Army.

Both armies were holding nothing back in this war.

During the battle on the 23rd, General Sylvari Charr entered the battle again and this time, the General came with a more solid battle plan targeted at exploiting Iron Reef’s Purgatory.

During this battle, the C Rank NetRunner dealt a big blow to the rebel army as one of Ren Nora’s Lieutenants, one of the 2 Cyber Gladiators was heavily injured by the General though he was saved on time.

Despite the fact that he survived, this was a big blow to the rebel army even as Ren Nora tried to diminish the impact on the army’s morale with another passionate speech saying that they were not scared.

Ren Nora sounded confident but having been observing him for 3 days, Leon noticed something different this time.

The speech didn’t hit with the same energy as before, Ren Nora looked and sounded confident but Leon noticed cracks in his demeanor and the way he carried himself.

He noticed the slight twitch of his eyes that was not there before, he noticed the subtle muscle contractions in his face, and he realized that just like him, the pressure was getting to Ren Nora.

Leon stayed in the dark and downloaded all the information and clues, using them to work at night.

In the confines of his room every night, he turned into Sherlock Holmes, analyzing, plotting, and planning like a detective.

That night, Leon added a new line to his digital board.

’I need to find a way to seek an audience with Ren Nora!’

That same night, he received his daily pay from the rebel army as a mercenary fighting for them.

BEEP!

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...

Day 4.

March 24th, Year 583 A.G.

Clearly buoyed by yesterday’s battle results though they were forced to retreat in the end, the Federation Army was undeterred as early in the morning on 24th, Iron Reef woke up to General Sylvari Charr personally leading another major assault against the city!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

This time, the battle was more intense than ever before as the General went all out, showing the horrifying power of a C Rank Ascended again.

Purgatory made sure that the rebel army were able to put up a fierce challenge and fight, but unlike the first day, the casualty list was no longer as lopsided in the favor of the rebel army.

Over 15,000 Federation soldiers died that morning, but in comparison, over 10,000 soldiers died among the rebel army!

The Federation army still recorded more deaths but to the rebel army, losing so many soldiers was a big psychological blow.

Ren Nora was slowly and gradually losing the plot.

After the battle, a bloody and exhausted Ren Nora faced his soldiers again as somehow, he still found the energy to give another passionate speech.

And somehow, he remained confident enough to talk in the face of the cameras in another live video.

The cracks were there, Leon keenly noticed them but Ren Nora was stubborn.

The rebel leader had a somber look on his face as he faced his soldiers like a stubborn statue that refused to be bent or broken.

"Free folk," he rasped and forced a smile. "Look at me".

"I will not stand here and dress this day in lies". He exhaled and admitted in a somber tone. "We did not win today".

"But still, we struck them hard, harder than anyone ever thought possible".

He grinned, revealing his bloodied teeth. "We shattered their battalions, we burned their armor columns and their warships, and again we sent tens of thousands of Federation soldiers screaming back to their masters".

"We made them bleed".

"Their blood is in the dust because they came to crush us and we refused to break".

"But look around," he took a deep breath. "You can feel it, you can hear the silence where voices should be".

His voice took a more somber tone. "Today, we lost tens of thousands of our own".

He paused and let that sink in, then he continued. "They were our friends, siblings, fighters who answered the call knowing they might never see another sunrise... yet they stepped forward anyway".

Ren Nora looked at his downcast players and exhaled. "This ground remembers their names even if the Federation never will".

"So I will say this clearly, with my hands still shaking and my armor still wet with blood," he looked up at the sky. "This hurts". He said, making the grand square turn silent as his soldiers quietly stared at him.

He took another breath. "It hurts because we are not machines".

"It hurts because every loss is a person, not a statistic".

"It hurts because we dared to believe momentum alone could carry us through steel and fire". He forced a smile.

"If you are exhausted, good".

"If you are grieving, good". 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"If part of you is wondering whether this path is worth the cost, good. That does not make you weak, that makes you a scion of humanity".

He revealed an exhausted smile. "It makes you human".

"The Federation wants this moment," he scoffed. "They built their empire around it. They believe that if they can make the price high enough, freedom will look unaffordable".

"They believe that fear will creep back into our bones and whisper that submission is safer".

"Look at me," he gestured at himself. "I am bleeding, I am already tired beyond anything I have ever known," he grinned. "But I am still here".

"I am still here because despite everything they threw at us today, we are still standing. Our signal is still live, our lines still hold".

"And the Federation, listen carefully, the Federation had to fight us for it".

He grinned. "Do you understand what that means?"

"That means they didn’t erase us!" He said loudly as his emerald eyes became vibrant again, sweeping across the soldiers looking at him.

"They didn’t sweep us aside, they didn’t end this rebellion today".

He smirked. "An empire that claims inevitability does not bleed this much unless it is afraid".

"This battle was not a triumph, it was a test. A brutal one, and it taught us truths we cannot ignore: that we are not invincible, but neither are they!"

He exhaled. "Believe me when I say this, freedom is not won in clean arcs or heroic montages. Freedom is dragged forward by people who keep moving even when their legs are failing".

"To those we lost, you were not wasted". He said with conviction.

"You broke their advance, you bought us time, you carved doubt into the Federation’s command structure with your lives!"

"Now that is what I call superheroes!" he grinned. "The future will exist because you stood here".

"And to those still breathing, still shaking, still wondering how you’re supposed to go on..."

"You go on together".

"Rest today, mourn openly and hold each other".

"We will bury our dead with honor, not silence. Then we will adapt, we will learn and rise again- smarter, harder to kill, and harder to lie about".

He grinned again. "This war is not over because one morning broke our hearts".

"It continues because they still rule what they have no right to own".

"I am not asking you to be fearless, I am asking you to be unbroken".

"The Federation counts bodies, but we count belief and as long as even one free soul stands and says ’no’, this fight is not lost".

"Not today".

"Not ever".

His eyes lit up with conviction again. "And whether they like it or not, I will become the first C Rank Ascended to emerge from the free folk!

He clenched his right hand into a fist and raised it high. "Long live the Freegrid Collective!"

"LONG LIVE THE FREEGRID COLLECTIVE!" The grieving but passionate army responded loudly.

Late that morning, as Ren Nora and his entourage returned to base, Leon secretly followed them.

...

[Special Appreciation to D4rkV1II14n, Yametekudastop, and Shadesworn for the Golden Tickets. Thanks for the support guys, I truly appreciate it.]