NIKKE: Max Bonded but System Gone

Neon: "What? The coupons have already been distributed?"

Anis: "I didn't get one."

Anis: "I didn't get one..."

Anis: "I didn't get one!!"

Privaty: "If you didn't get one, then you didn't get one. Why are you shouting so loudly?"

Anis: "Heh, seriously, I feel like there's something fishy going on."

Anis: "I'm an old member of the counterattack team, the commander's most capable subordinate. Surely, I should have gotten one, right?!"

Anis: "But the problem is, I didn't receive the commander's general coupon!"

Anis: "Don't you all think that's suspicious?"

Mighty Tools (Liter): "Anis, this is all because you're always throwing socks around and not cleaning up."

Liter: "Good luck will never favor a messy person!"

Anis: "Ugh, the old hag is lecturing again."

Anis: "And please~. I just got back from the surface. Can you stop nagging me to be a clean buddy?"

Liter: "Not happening!"

Anis: "By the way, how come you're in this group?"

Liter: "I just wanted to understand the preferences of the younger Nikke!"

Anis: "Really?"

Mighty Tools 2 (Centi): "Yes. The last time I saw the Boss (Green) take Liter-senpai shopping and bought a new outfit! Liter-senpai came back and rambled on to me for half an hour about it!"

Liter: "Centi, what are you talking about?!"

Liter: "I was just dragged to the store by the little ones!"

Neon: "(adjusts glasses) I saw it too. Master really got Liter-senpai a cute little yellow dress. When paired with Liter-senpai's looks, it looked like children's clothing~"

Anis: "…"

Anis: "Seriously, if it were someone else, I'd let it go, but I really can't imagine the Commander holding hands with Liter. So, what's this? An old cow eating young grass?"

Neon: "Who's the old cow?"

Anis: "Definitely not the commander, right?"

Liter: "Hey, you little brats! Show some respect for your seniors!"

Liter: "I've told you all before: once a Nikke's appearance is set, it can't be changed!"

Anis: "Ah, right, right!"

Anis: "I'm heading back to my dorm to watch the Tetra channel. It's a rare break, I don't want to waste it arguing."

Liter: "After you go back, remember to clean up properly."

Anis: "Cleaning up is so annoying! Why don't you make a cleaning robot or something?"

Liter: "How many times do I have to tell you? The cleaning robot is a Missilis's patent! Anyone who tries to sell the same product privately will be sued by the court!"

Just as Green was reading this with amusement, a sudden beep interrupted his afternoon break.

—————— Talentum Squad ——————

Dolla: "Got a moment, Client?"

Dolla: "Wanna come to the shopping center?"

Green: "What's up?"

Dolla: "The crowdfunding this afternoon should've raised quite a bit, right? Do you need anything recently?"

Green: "As expected of the top investor of the Talentum Squad, your sense of smell is sharp."

Green: "I'll be right there."

Dolla: "I've reserved a private room. The location has been sent to your phone."

Dolla: "Client, time is money. Don't be late."

"Well then. Let's get going."

Green donned his commander's uniform and walked out of the command center.

There, he was met with the sunny Outpost. Although it was somewhat worse off compared to the Ark, and acquiring some Ark specialties was a bit troublesome, this was precisely why the Outpost had so few humans. Most of the customers and those leisurely spending time here were Nikke.

This was also the primary reason Green had mentioned the Outpost's financial struggles. However, compared to the initial hardships, the Outpost was now thriving. Actually, it was thanks to the three members of the Talentum Squad: Rupee, Yang, and Dolla.

The shopping center they co-founded had become one of the main sources of income for the Outpost, with countless Nikke visiting daily to shop and indulge in consumerism.

Green still remembered the last time he took Privaty to shop here, and that silly girl ended up spending all her salary for the next three months.

Aside from its terrifying ability to attract money, what Green valued most was Talentum Squad's channels.

Merchants usually have their own suppliers, and although purchasing from them was a bit more expensive than from the central government, the good part was there was no purchase limit. As long as you had money, the Talentum Squad could get you anything.

Arriving at the shopping center.

Green walked into the automatic doors, where a skilled female sales associate greeted him, "Commander, please come in. Miss Dolla is already waiting for you in the private room."

Green nodded. "Alright."

Green took a moment to size up the sales associate, noticing she didn't have any company insignia, so he asked, "Are you human?"

The sales associate nodded. "Yes."

Green asked, "How do you feel about this job?"

The sales associate replied, "Actually, I just started working here recently. If I had to say, I do feel a little nervous."

Green, "Why is that?"

The sales associate replied, "I used to work in a dessert shop on the Ark. However, because of the shop owner's instructions, I rarely dealt with Nikke. In fact, I even thought they were a little scary."

"Scary?" Green rubbed his chin.

"Because that's how everyone thinks, isn't it? After all, Nikkes are monsters. There have been incidents, like suddenly going wild in the streets, shouting for human rights, and launching terrorist attacks on innocent passersby."

"As a commander, you should understand this better than we ordinary people, right?"

The sales associate looked into Green's eyes, seemingly hoping to get a satisfactory answer from him but Green shook his head. After all, he had an entirely different point of view for the Nikkes.

"Miss Sales Associate, you're mistaken. I don't find Nikke scary. If you've been to the surface and clashed with Lecher, you'd realize that they're not monsters, but heroes protecting the Ark. The reason the Ark can safely stay underground is that Nikkes are fighting Raptures on the surface."

Green then raised his finger, "Think about it. If it weren't for Nikke risking their lives to scavenge resources on the surface, most people on the Ark would have starved or died of thirst by now. It's because of their countless sacrifices that you have a peaceful life now. So, what gives you the right to discriminate against Nikke?"

The sales associate's face turned red, and after holding it in for a long time, she finally squeezed out a sentence through clenched teeth, "I'm sorry, Commander. I just thought, as a human, you would be scared of Nikke too..."

Green shook his head. "I'm undeniably human, but at the same time, don't forget, I am also their commander."