Reborn as a Mechanist with a God-Tier System-Chapter 249: A crazy gamble [3]

Step... step...

Leon’s footsteps echoed softly in the pavement as he walked across the damaged road that was now devastated by battle.

In the distance, he could still hear the loud sounds of battle.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Both armies were still engaged in an intense aerial battle to the death.

There were more rebel transports and warships in the sky now as they dominated the Federation Army.

By now, the dominance of the rebel army in the aerial battle for supremacy already snowballed as they drew increasingly closer to victory, but in the grand scheme of things their victory meant nothing.

Their victory meant nothing when General Murphy still walked Iron Reef unopposed.

’I wonder how many soldiers have died today’. Leon thought. ’I wonder how many lives have been lost in the course of this war’.

’Was it worth it?’ The question echoed in his head.

He stayed quiet as he counted his steps.

Walking ahead of the C Rank Quantum Shaper and leading the way to the temporary camp of the rebel army where Ren Nora was attempting the Trial, he could not help it as his thoughts raced.

He felt like he was walking towards his death, and inevitably, countless thoughts flowed through his head.

’Am I doing the right thing?’ Leon felt conflicted.

’Did I make the right decision to prevent Major Kai’s death? Should I have stalled for more time?’

’What if I thought wrong and Ren Nora’s Trial time cap is not 6 hours?’ He wanted to chuckle to ease his anxiety but he couldn’t, he was tense.

’Well, in the end, I can say I did my best, right?’

’I wonder what the C Rank Ascended Trial is like,’ he thought. ’I’ll have to face it too in the future if I truly want to climb to the peak of power in Neo-Tokara’.

He sighed softly. ’I hate Trials man...’

’I wonder what Ren Nora is currently doing in the Trial, is he actually succeeding like we’re all thinking?’

’What if he’s failing?’

’Well, that’s a big possibility. This is the C Rank Ascended Trial we’re talking about’. Leon’s thoughts made his face turn solemn. ’That’ll be quiet the irony, all of us out here making sacrifices and gambling our lives away while Ren Nora is failing in there’.

’But Ren Nora became the ’Glitch’ in the future, that means he completed the Trial right?’

Thinking of that, Leon’s face brightened up slightly. ’That also means I completed the Trial too right?’

His happiness didn’t last though as he thought of his special nature and the ChronoSystem. ’With how special I am and the nature of the ChronoSystem, it’s not set in stone that I completed the Trial the first time’.

’What if I failed the first time and through the ChronoSystem, I was able to challenge the Trial again and again till I was able to complete it?’

Leon grimaced at the mere thought of attempting this Trial again, but he could not help but think. ’What could have changed?’

’What wrong decision did I make that I can improve on?’

’What can I change that would have changed the outcome of tonight in a positive manner?’

Leon thought hard, he cracked his brain and yet he couldn’t find anything to change that would have significantly changed the outcome of tonight’s battle.

His plan to tackle the Trial was as perfect as his imagination could allow.

He grimaced. ’Can this even be improved upon?’

’I feel like I’m already at my limit. Heck, even this Trial should feel so too!’

’As a mere E Rank Mechanist, I’ve clearly over performed my XG’.

’The only reason why the rebel army survived this long in the first place is because of my trap deleting General Sylvari Charr from the battle. Without this, we’ll all be long dead’.

Leon’s eyes gleamed. ’I believe this is the pinnacle and the absolute best that any other Ascended can push this Trial’.

’Heck, I even believe I’m the only E Rank Ascended in the history of Neo-Tokara who can actually attempt this specific Trial and last this long’.

It was a bold take but Leon truly believed it.

Afterall, for another E Rank Ascended to last this long, he had to find a way to trap General Sylvari Charr like he did which was easier said than done.

Without his past knowledge and his ability to think outside the box to create the DDOS trap, the outcome of fighting General Sylvari Charr in Ren Nora’s absence for the Lieutenant squad would have been similar to the outcome of fighting against General Murphy, but even faster.

This was because unlike the C Rank Quantum Shaper, General Sylvari Charr was not one to play with his food.

If General Murphy was a Cat, he was a Crocodile.

He would have annihilated the entire city since.

All these thoughts and conclusions made Leon take a deep breath as his confidence levels rose. ’I’ve already done my best and I believe my best is the best that this Trial can ever be pushed’.

’So if Ren Nora’s Trial will not end in 6 hours, it simply mean that this Trial is not destined to be completed’.

’It’s literally impossible to be completed if so’.

’But since the future says otherwise, I’m willing to bet on it and believe that I’m on the right track and that my gamble is right!’

Leon’s eyes gleamed.

Walking behind him, General Murphy had a look of amusement on his face. "What are you thinking about?" He asked curiously.

Instead of answering the General, Leon looked at the time.

[3:37am]

Just as he opened his mouth and was about to answer, the time changed.

[3:38am]

He smirked and answered. "I’m just thinking of how it feels to win against not 1 but 2 C Rank Ascended in a game of chess".

"Oh..." General Murphy’s eyes lit up as his entire body brimmed with excitement. "Is that you admitting that you’re leading me to a trap?"

"Now you’ve made me impatient, I can’t wait!" He laughed and before Leon could react, the General’s white and gold ADE flared slightly.

Reality Node!

General Murphy didn’t care about the ADE expenditure as he directly activated one of his strongest abilities.

The next step that Leon took pushed him forward 20 meters instantly!

Leon’s eyes constricted. ’This is...?’

His face darkened. ’He used his powers on me!’ He felt like crashing out but in the end, his face only stiffened.

General Murphy just manipulated the reality constant of spacetime.

The moment the General did it, he looked at the Mechanist from behind with an excited expression on his mechanical face, waiting for him to complain and be unruly like the last time so he could teach him a lesson.

He could not wait for it, but it never happened.

Leon didn’t crash out this time because he could sense the energy of the General, and he knew the consequences of pushing his luck a second time.

So instead of complaining, he stayed obedient as instead, his brain whirred, recalculating. ’I’ll arrive within less than 5 seconds at this rate’.

’But Ren Nora is clearly not awake yet, did I gamble wrong?’ He gritted his teeth slightly but he didn’t stop walking.

Behind him, General Murphy clicked his tongue and mocked. "BORING".

’Boring?’ Leon quietly scoffed. ’Do you take me for a fool? Do you expect me to rile you up when I know you’re ready to use me as a scape goat?’

’Nah bro, not boring, smart!’

Step... step...

Leon walked, leading the way as his heartbeat increasingly accelerated.

They finally walked into the temporary camp of the rebel army, making General Murphy raise his eyebrows in amusement. "He’s attempting the Trial here?" He chuckled. "This is exactly why I like him, he’s got balls".

Then suddenly, Leon stopped and turned around, looking the General in the eyes. "Can I take a piss? I’m pressed".

General Murphy’s mechanical lips curled up slightly in a dangerous smile as he looked at the Mechanist. "What do you think?"

Leon smiled and shook his head. "Well, nevermind, I can hold it".

"Good". General Murphy grinned.

Leon turned around and led the way while hurling insults at the General in his mind.

He was confident in his gamble after all his overthinking, but now when the moment of truth was just seconds away, he still felt his anxiety levels skyrocket.

’F*ck! Stop overthinking it!’

’If I die, I die, I’ll just restart the Trial all over again’.

And finally, he arrived in front of the tent.

He unzipped the tent, pushed it open and entered inside. General Murphy followed him in, and then... silence.

BUZZ!

A gentle buzzing sound could be heard inside the tent as the powerful ADE dampeners isolated all the energy of the Trial, converging it inside here.

Inside the tent was now extremely hot like inside a volcano as Leon started sweating immediately he entered.

BADUMP! BADUMP!

His heart beat rapidly like drums of war, this was the moment of truth.

And when he laid his eyes on the third man inside the tent, his heart fell because Ren Nora was still motionless and inert. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

He was still stuck inside the Trial!

’F*CK!’ Leon tightly bit his lips as his brain whirred.

Seeing his reaction, General Murphy chuckled as he also focused on the rebel General. "Good job lad, maybe I’ll make you my personal comedian after this".

And then, he walked towards Ren Nora.

Seeing him walk, Leon’s anxiety exploded. ’What should I do?’

’Should I just watch while he kills Ren Nora?’ He couldn’t bring himself to stay still. ’F*CK! I’ve come too far and done too much just to fail the Trial!’

Before he knew it, General Murphy stood before Ren Nora’s motionless body as with one hand, he grabbed the motionless rebel’s neck and lifted him up till he stared at him face to face.

General Murphy’s lips curled up slightly. "In another universe, I’d love to be your friend but well, Epsilon wishes you dead".

His grip around the NetRunner’s neck tightened as he aimed to crush his neck and brutally separate his head from the rest of his body!

Yet that was when it happened...

Ren Nora’s eyelids fluttered and twitched slightly, then his eyes opened.

The time was 3:40am.