NIKKE: The Apocalypse Arrives, But the System is 100 Years Late

"Hey, hey!"

Papillon slammed the communicator in frustration.

Just when it got to the key part, the signal dropped.

This lousy network.

She had just sent him the intel, but before she could make her demands, the signal was cut off.

Could it be that Burningum bastard's trying to dodge the deal?

However, as she cursed Burningum, she didn't notice the twisted figures creeping up behind her. Staggering steps, outstretched hands—they inched closer, one step at a time.

Blood-stained hands reached out, mere centimeters from her face.

Meanwhile, inside the research base, Mo Chen suddenly looked toward the exit, a mocking glint in his eyes.

Did they really think he was that naive? Did they believe he wouldn't notice their petty schemes?

They underestimated him too much.

Yes, it was Mo Chen's Punishing Virus at work.

In fact, from the moment Papillon joined, Mo Chen had been keeping an eye on her and had subtly implanted the Punishing Virus in her system.

It's always good to stay cautious.

He'd suspected from the start that Papillon was a spy.

Killing her would've been easy for him. But he wasn't planning to kill her just yet.

He wanted to use her as bait to catch a bigger fish.

With Papillon's restless personality, it was only a matter of time before she couldn't resist reporting back to the Ark.

And just as Mo Chen had predicted, she took the bait.

Now, the Punishing Virus inside Papillon was doing its job.

The Punishing Virus wasn't just a physical threat—it could spread and infect through information channels.

Especially after upgrading to the Hetero-Core, its infective capabilities had significantly increased.

The moment Papillon accessed the communication signal, the Punishing Virus traveled along the network to the Ark's command center.

"What are you standing there for? Weren't you going to copy the map?"

Ludmilla turned around to look at Mo Chen, who was following her.

"There's no rush."

Hr snapped out of his thoughts, chuckling. He didn't seem hurried to copy the map.

Moments ago, he had taken a casual glance at it and already memorized the details.

The Blacklight Virus had enhanced not only his physical body but also his memory and cognitive abilities.

Memorizing a map wasn't a challenge for him.

Ludmilla sighed helplessly.

She was beginning to find it hard to understand this man.

Mo Chen approached a space cryo-chamber, gazing at the lifeless body of a Nikke submerged in the solution.

"Did you find all of these?"

"Yeah," Ludmilla walked up beside him, "but unfortunately, they're just empty shells now."

"What about their brains?"

Mo Chen remembered something from the original setting: in these research bases, the brains of the Nikkes were stored elsewhere.

"Where are they hidden?"

Ludmilla shot Mo Chen a sidelong glance, sighing, "Can you not do that? You always make me feel like you've got some kind of foresight. Do you seriously know everything?"

She was almost getting used to it.

Mo Chen realized he'd let something slip, but he didn't care. He had already exposed himself multiple times, so there was no need to hide it anymore.

"I don't know everything. For example, I have no idea where their brains are stored."

Ludmilla stared at Mo Chen. "If it were anyone else saying that, I'd think they had ulterior motives, up to no good."

"Exactly! I do have ulterior motives," Mo Chen laughed. "These are top-tier employees, cheap labor—I'd love to bring them all back to the outpost base. That way, I could lord over everything."

He added with a grin.

"Well, having a harem occasionally doesn't sound bad. Want to join in?"

Ludmilla shot Mo Chen a glare.

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

Naturally, she didn't believe a word of his nonsense.

Their banter lightened the mood significantly.

She turned her gaze back to the Nikkes, her expression distant, as if she were recalling the past.

"They stored their brains in different places, hoping that one day someone would find them. What we're doing is making that hope a reality."

"In the past few years, we've gradually recovered dozens of Nikkes."

"Although some Nikkes experienced desynchronization between their brains and bodies due to the prolonged separation, leading to mental collapse and memory loss, in the end, they survived."

Dozens of Nikkes over several years.

Even without experiencing it firsthand, he could imagine the hardships they must have faced.

"Someone once told me that saving all the Nikkes was impossible, that it was like trying to fill the ocean with a cup of water—futile in the end."

Ludmilla's expression dimmed, and she looked sorrowful.

"Sometimes, I wonder if what we're doing even has any meaning."

Mo Chen said, "Meaning isn't defined by others—it's defined by yourself."

She turned back to him, surprised.

"What," Mo Chen joked, "Her Majesty the Queen is afraid of what others think now?"

Ludmilla was stunned for a moment before breaking into a radiant smile, as beautiful as blooming peach blossoms.

"Thank you for the encouragement."

"No need to thank me."

"But you're really terrible at comforting people."

Mo Chen: "…"

She walked over to the cryo-chamber, her expression becoming somber as she touched the glass exterior.

"But lately, we've hardly found any lost or stranded Nikkes who need rescuing. Even finding their bodies has become rare."

Mo Chen stayed silent, though he already had an answer in his heart.

It was Material H.

Ludmilla, keenly observing his expression, teased, "Rabbity, don't tell me you know what's going on."

"Why are you starting to sound like Alice?" Mo Chen replied with a helpless tone. "But yes, I do know."

"You actually know?"

Ludmilla had been joking, but hearing his response left her stunned.

"Yeah."

Mo Chen nodded slightly. "Although I'm not 100% sure, I'm 99% confident. It's very likely the work of the Raptures."

"Raptures?"

Ludmilla froze for a moment, expecting him to say something more shocking. Then she laughed. "I thought you were going to tell me you'd lured all those Nikkes to your outpost base."

"Not just any Raptures," Mo Chen clarified, seeing that Ludmilla didn't take him seriously. "A Rapture that can absorb Nikkes. A Tyrant-class Rapture. Codename: Material H."

Ludmilla stared at him in a daze, confused by his serious demeanor that didn't seem like a joke.

"How do you know..."

"My Queen! My Queen!"

Alice came rushing in from outside, flustered. "We're out of milk! What should we do?!"

He had nearly forgotten about this: Alice had gone to get milk earlier.

Ludmilla patted Alice's head affectionately.

"...Alice, what's that milk around your mouth?"

"Ah!"