Chapter 7: This is Not Psionics
"Where are the psionics?!" Qin Mo searched the area but could not locate the enemy psionics, so he turned to the soldiers on the first floor, who were momentarily dazed.
These soldiers had been engaged in combat with the rebels within the building, yet up to this point, they had only seen one psionic: Qin Mo himself.
"Don't just stand outside!" an officer rushed down from the second floor to remind Qin Mo. "We must defend this building together."
Despite this admonition, Qin Mo remained undeterred, standing steadfast amid a hail of gunfire while surveying each member of the planetary defense forces on the first floor.
The faces of these soldiers were marked by shock and terror; the relentless assaults from the rebels had left them both weary and frightened.
Realizing he needed to bolster their spirits, Qin Mo glanced toward Gray.
Gray silently nodded, looking at the four remaining soldiers of the 44th Regiment, then stepped behind Qin Mo, maintaining a three-meter distance between them to prevent the overlapping effects of the gravity shield.
"The best defense is a good offense," Qin Mo declared, turning to face the advancing enemy forces, striding forward.
Gray and his comrades moved in tandem, firing as they advanced, displaying bravado, though tinged with anxiety.
Although the gravity shield allowed them to traverse the battlefield as if strolling through a park, they were acutely aware that if any of the rebels wielded laser rifles…
In the midst of this concern, Gray spotted a considerable number of rebels wielding laser rifles gathering in the distance. He immediately turned to warn Qin Mo, but Qin Mo had already preemptively countered.
Within a radius of five hundred meters, the laws of physics were selectively distorted, rendering any attempts at hitting their target futile under these fixed conditions.
All laser beams aimed at Qin Mo were deflected harmlessly to the ground.
He continued his advance for ten steps before raising his staff and striking it forcefully against the ground.
A fan-shaped plume of fire erupted from the earth, surging forward and incinerating everything in its path—metal melted, and flesh turned to ash.
Those sheltered within the building witnessed the vast expanse of rebels obliterated by this single assault.
Once again, Qin Mo raised his staff and pressed the button on his chainsaw sword, its serrated teeth whirring ominously as he proclaimed, "For the Emperor."
His towering figure stood resolute amidst the barrage of bullets and shells, impervious to harm.
The golden double-headed eagle at the apex of his staff gleamed brilliantly in the firelight, symbolizing the Empire.
Every soldier who witnessed this scene felt a surge of adrenaline; they sensed that the sovereign of humanity, seated upon his golden throne, had cast his gaze upon this battlefield, awaiting his subjects to exhibit valor.
"For the Emperor!"
The soldiers roared as they surged from the building, fearless in their charge against the rebels.
Leading the way, Qin Mo deactivated his gravity shield, wielding his chainsaw sword to cleave through every foe in his path, his valiant stance invigorating the allied soldiers, each feeling honored to charge forward.
Yet, beneath this façade of strength, Qin Mo was not as formidable as he appeared; he was, in fact, utterly fatigued and numb, his body heavy as though filled with lead, and his eyelids felt weighted down, rendering him incapable of fully opening his eyes without exerting every ounce of strength just to turn his head.
This state was a consequence of the earlier distortion of physical laws in response to the laser rifles, as the capability had been pushed to its utmost limits, draining him of much of his energy.
It was under this weakened condition that Qin Mo encountered his most dreaded adversary.
This enemy was not a hulking abomination from the gene-stealer breed, but rather a diminutive, grotesque purple creature resembling Gollum from the "Lord of the Rings."
It was known as a Brainworm Familiar.
These creatures possessed the most threatening ability for psionics—psychic interference.
"Cackling… cackling…" the Brainworm Familiar crawled onto a rebel soldier, gazing at Qin Mo from a hundred meters away, its tiny eyes shimmering with a purple glow.
It was evidently employing its psychic interference ability.
Initially, Qin Mo intended to retreat, but he soon discovered that this creature's interference had no effect on him.
The two opponents exchanged glances for a moment.
The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.
"…" said the Brainworm Familiar.
"…" replied Qin Mo.
As a look of confusion crossed the Brainworm Familiar's face, Qin Mo raised his staff and unleashed a bolt of lightning, incinerating everything within a thirty-meter radius of the creature into charred remains.
Having neutralized the threat, Qin Mo scanned his surroundings.
In the wake of their fearless counterattack, the rebels—having long lost their commander—began to falter, those at the rear starting to break ranks, though the majority continued to fight.
Determined to shatter the rebels' morale completely, Qin Mo levitated into the air, gathering strength for his most ferocious attack.
Soon, the rebels noticed that within a circular area of fifty meters around Qin Mo, all physical phenomena had become bizarrely distorted.
The metal ground beneath their feet occasionally softened to sponge-like consistency and at other times roiled like seawater, causing those who stepped upon it to "drown."
Their ballistic armor underwent multiple transformations within mere seconds, sometimes flowing along their bodies and at other times seeping into their veins.
Bullets fired from the planetary defense forces whizzed past, striking the shooters in the back of the head.
The bayonets they had thrust forth pierced their own abdomens, creating gaping wounds.
These anomalous physical phenomena resulted in the demise of every rebel within the area of effect and drove those who witnessed these events into psychological despair, fleeing in a panic.
Even the members of the planetary defense forces fighting alongside Qin Mo felt a sense of dread in the face of his otherworldly power.
As Qin Mo descended, everyone nearby, save for Gray and the remaining soldiers of the 44th Regiment, instinctively retreated, maintaining a safe distance from him.
"This… this is not psionics," Qin Mo murmured weakly.
Yet, those around him could not comprehend, nor did they understand why he would utter such words.
Only Qin Mo himself was aware that when the Brainworm Familiar's interference failed to affect him, he had definitively confirmed that his power was not psionics.
Yet, what it truly was remained a mystery.
"…" The soldiers and officers looked at Qin Mo in fear.
"He just saved your lives!" Gray shouted at the others in anger. "You would have been torn apart by the rebels, just like everyone else in the 44th Infantry Regiment besides us!"
At this admonition, the others lowered their heads in shame.
Their shame was genuine, their gratitude sincere, yet their fear remained palpable.
"I need to rest," Qin Mo said as he walked toward the building. After taking a single step, he nearly stumbled, relying heavily on his staff to continue moving forward.
The battle had thoroughly drained his stamina, and he was now merely holding on by sheer willpower, unwilling to crawl in front of so many people.
Gray immediately stepped forward to take the chainsaw sword from him, removing Qin Mo's backpack and carrying it himself.
"This guy is right; he saved us," a burly soldier approached, wanting to carry Qin Mo, but he simply handed his staff to the soldier and leaned on another member of the 44th Regiment as they walked.
The surviving medics approached to examine Qin Mo's condition, while the others either moved toward the building together or hurried ahead to clear out a resting area within.