Reincarnated with a Military System in Another World

Chapter 128: Intercepted

128  Intercepted

Inside the command center, chaos erupted as Vincent barked orders into the radio. His soldiers scrambled to their posts, the tension in the air thickening with every passing second. The northern perimeter was their first line of defense, and they had no idea what they were up against. All eyes turned to the Mantis MDS-42 Automated Sentry Gun control station.

The officer at the controls, his fingers twitching with nervous energy, activated the targeting system, and the large monitors lit up, showing a live feed of the northern perimeter. Shadows moved in the distance, too many to count, and the automated turrets locked on.

"Targets identified, sir," the officer announced, his voice steady despite the growing tension. "All systems green. Mantis is ready to engage."

"Open fire," Vincent ordered through the radio.

Without hesitation, the Mantis MDS-42 sprang to life. The dual miniguns spun up with a deafening whirr, and a stream of bullets poured out from the sentry gun, lighting up the night with a rapid-fire blaze. ***

From the other side, Garrick and his men charged through the forest. The plan had been simple: strike hard, strike fast. They had expected resistance, of course, but nothing prepared them for what happened next.

A high-pitched whirring sound cut through the air, and before anyone could react, the first line of men was torn apart by a storm of bullets. Garrick froze mid-step, his eyes widening as he saw his soldiers drop like flies.

"What the hell is that?" Bren shouted from Garrick's left, his voice barely audible over the deafening roar of gunfire.

Garrick's mind raced as he took cover behind a thick tree, watching in horror as more of his men were mowed down. The forest around them erupted with the impact of thousands of bullets, splintering trees and kicking up clouds of dirt. Men screamed as they fell, some barely able to comprehend what was hitting them.

"We're sitting ducks out here!" one of the soldiers cried out, his voice filled with panic.

Garrick's heart pounded in his chest as he scanned the battlefield, trying to pinpoint the source of the relentless fire. Through the chaos, his sharp eyes caught sight of it—two rotating barrels mounted on a platform, spitting out high-speed projectiles.

That machine had already taken out too many of his men, and if they didn't act fast, there wouldn't be anyone left to push forward.

"We can't stay here!" Bren shouted, crouched low beside Garrick, his eyes wide with fear and frustration. "That thing's gonna wipe us all out!"

Garrick knew Bren was right. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out another spellbook—one he had been saving for an extreme situation. The fireball spell. It was volatile, and destructive, and could easily clear a path through the battlefield. This was the only chance they had to disable the turret and continue their advance.

"Bren, get everyone ready!" Garrick commanded, gripping the spellbook tightly. "Once I take out that gun, we're charging in!"

Bren nodded, quickly spreading the word to the remaining men, who were scattered and pinned down behind whatever cover they could find. Garrick flipped open the spellbook, the pages glowing with an ominous red hue as he channeled his Aether into the runes inscribed within. Heat radiated from the book, causing the air around him to shimmer as the fire spell built up in intensity.

The ancient words of the spell whispered in his mind, and Garrick focused on the Mantis turret, now the source of so much destruction. His hands shook slightly from the sheer power contained within the spell, but he steeled himself, knowing that this was their only hope.

"Here goes nothing," Garrick muttered, feeling the last of the Aether flow into the book.

With a final surge of energy, the fireball spell activated. A massive, blazing orb of flame erupted from the book, streaking through the air with a deafening roar. It hurtled toward the Mantis turret, leaving a fiery trail in its wake, illuminating the battlefield with a fierce orange glow.

***

At the command center.

"Sir, something's heading straight for the turret. A glowing ball of… fire?"

"Glowing ball! Fire at it! Take that thing out!."

The officer at the controls didn't hesitate. He quickly re-engaged the Mantis turret, the dual miniguns spinning up again with a deafening whirr. A concentrated stream of bullets tore through the air, racing toward the incoming fireball. The fireball grew closer, but the Mantis wasn't letting up. The bullets connected with the blazing sphere, sending ripples of energy across its surface. For a moment, it seemed like the fireball would plow through, but then—against all odds—the impossible happened. The relentless stream of gunfire pierced through the fiery orb, weakening it bit by bit.

Suddenly, the fireball flickered, the energy destabilizing as it lost momentum. With a loud crack, it imploded in midair, sending a shower of sparks raining down over the battlefield. The explosion lit up the sky for a brief moment before the remnants of the spell fizzled into the night.

***

On the battlefield, Garrick watched in disbelief as his fireball spell was torn apart by the turret's gunfire. The explosion in midair had sent a shockwave through the trees, but it hadn't reached its intended target. "What the… they stopped my fireball?!" Garrick muttered, disbelief and frustration lacing his words as he crouched behind the thick tree, still processing the sight of his most powerful spell being neutralized so easily. He had never encountered anything like it—bullets ripping through the magical fireball, disintegrating its raw power before it could even reach its target.

Bren, still ducking beside Garrick, shot him a look of shock. "What now? That thing's still out there, and we're getting torn to pieces!"

Garrick gritted his teeth, his mind racing. His fireball had been their best shot at disabling the Mantis, but now they were back to square one, and his men were being slaughtered. He could hear their desperate cries, the sharp cracks of gunfire, and the terrifying whirr of the Mantis's rotating barrels. Every second they spent pinned down was another man lost.

"We pull back," Garrick growled, his tone sharp with bitter realization. "We can't beat that thing head-on, not like this. We need to regroup and come up with a new strategy."

Bren's eyes widened in alarm. "Pull back? But the assault—"

"There's no assault if we're all dead!" Garrick snapped, cutting him off. "Fall back to the tree line. We'll figure out another way."

Bren hesitated but eventually nodded. He quickly relayed the retreat order to the remaining men, who were still huddled behind trees, rocks, and any cover they could find, barely surviving the onslaught of bullets.