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

What was once a mighty fortress now lay in ruins. The bricks on the city walls had been blasted apart by artillery fire, leaving a web of deep cracks—like scars on a battle-worn warrior. 

Some sections had collapsed entirely, with rubble strewn everywhere, exposing the castle's frailty and powerlessness.

The towering spires had suffered heavy damage in the war: one had broken in half, tilting precariously as if it might collapse at any moment. 

The stone carvings and stained-glass windows had long been shattered, leaving only scattered fragments that gleamed dully in the setting sun.

Atop the castle, hidden within the shadows, stood two figures—Chatterbox and Material H. Or rather, she should now be called Indivilia.

She stood with an air of arrogance, her face devoid of youthful innocence or shyness. Instead, it carried a stern and unyielding coldness. 

Her pale skin, though flawless, appeared almost deathly, exuding an icy detachment. A faint smirk graced her lips—part cruel, part mocking—as if she cared little for the world around her.

"A delicious dish is finally about to be served. I've waited so long… I can't wait to savor it. I wonder… what will he taste like? Will he be similar to those Nikkes?"

Indivilia ran her black-polished nails across her lips, her throat letting out a suppressed hum, as though barely restraining her overwhelming impulses. Her snake-like, scarlet eyes gleamed with greed and desire.

"Indivilia, you're getting overconfident."

Chatterbox's voice behind her was low and hoarse, as if his vocal cords had been scraped raw by sandpaper. It was a sound that grated uncomfortably against the ears.

Indivilia turned around. Her posture exuded supreme confidence, like a queen looking down on her subjects. Behind her, a sharp scorpion-like tail blade curled upward.

"Chatterbox, I'm not the same as before. Ah… this body—its magnificence is beyond anything you could ever comprehend. When you experience it for yourself, you'll understand."

This body was the result of her consuming countless Raptures and Nikkes, molding herself into perfection.

At this moment, she felt she had absolute power.

Everything before her was as insignificant as grains of sand—easily crushed with a flick of her fingers.

"Never underestimate your opponent. Looking down on your enemy is the first step toward making a fatal mistake… and falling into an abyss from which there's no return."

Chatterbox doused her arrogance with cold reality.

"You should know very well who you're dealing with. He is not like the others. He is not the same as anyone you've faced before."

"Different?"

Indivilia scoffed, clearly unconcerned by his warning. She glanced at him with faint disdain, the corners of her lips curving slightly in mockery.

"No matter how 'different' he may be, he's still just a weak human who spends all his time hiding under Nikkes. Ah… my blade hasn't tasted blood in far too long. But don't worry—everything has been prepared.

I've personally prepared a grand feast for him."

Chatterbox's voice rumbled in his throat. "Even the Nikkes in this broken castle aren't enough to satisfy your cravings?"

Indivilia let out a soft, cold laugh, her enchanting gaze flickering with amusement.

"Broken? Chatterbox, you really should refine your sense of aesthetics.

After all, you will soon become the most beautiful thing of all."

"Enough nonsense!"

Chatterbox seemed genuinely irritated. The barbs on his back bristled, and the razor-sharp stinger of his tail rose menacingly.

Indivilia gazed at Chatterbox as if admiring a work of art.

"Have you not noticed? Ever since you absorbed and evolved by consuming Raptures, you've become more beautiful. Your strength has increased severalfold, and even your form is beginning to change."

"I'm quite eager to see… what will happen if you continue hunting your own kind."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the ruins—

"You're saying… Raptures are eating each other?"

Anis looked utterly stunned, as if she had just heard something completely absurd.

"Based on the current situation, that seems to be the case."

Mo Chen scanned the area, carefully examining the remains of the Raptures. Aside from those that had been completely drained by the fungal mat, there were also corpses that bore clear bite marks—marks that were neither from Nikkes nor wild beasts.

Neon's eyes lit up as she considered a possibility.

"That means… they're cannibalizing each other?"

"Yeah." Mo Chen kicked aside a pile of wreckage. "But don't celebrate just yet. If Raptures are devouring their own, there's more to it than just sustaining themselves."

Beside him, Rapi quickly caught on. Her expression shifted slightly.

"You're saying… evolution?"

"Exactly."

Mo Chen's gaze swept across the landscape. The ruins ahead were shrouded in a crimson mist.

He wasn't sure what exactly was happening here.

Was this the result of Material H? If it was, then they had to deal with her immediately.

Otherwise, many Nikkes would end up being corrupted.

And if that happened, even with his resilience, he wouldn't be able to withstand the consequences.

Unbeknownst to them, the nature of this operation had already quietly shifted.

For the sake of ensuring he wouldn't be drained dry by the Nikkes, Mo Chen decided to strike first.

Of course, that didn't mean draining Nikkes—it meant hunting down Material H, Indivilia, and eliminating her first.

"Shifty, are you there?"

Mo Chen called out through his communicator.

"Commander, I'm here!"

Shifty's sweet and pleasant voice came through the transmission.

Ever since their last operation, Shifty had become Mo Chen's exclusive communications officer, responsible for coordinating inter-squad communications, resource allocation, weapons and ammo supply, as well as tactical mapping.

Mo Chen asked, "Has the Infinity Rail Squad arrived yet?"

"Almost… ah, wait, looks like there's a problem."

"A large number of Raptures are approaching!"

At that moment, Rapi suddenly raised an alert. A swarm of red dots appeared on the scanned map, an astonishing number.

They were emerging from underground nests: these were the tunnels dug out earlier by Material H's tendrils!

Everyone was taken aback and immediately began preparing for battle.

In the distance, a dark, seething mass surged forward like a raging tide of Raptures, swarming toward them.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from afar.

Everyone turned to look.

The sound was like a primal beast awakening, shaking the silence of the night. Steel wheels rumbled across the barren ground—despite the lack of tracks—sending powerful, rhythmic tremors through the earth, like the very pulse of the land itself. The deep, resonant industrial hum carried the sheer weight of an era long past.

As the train drew closer, the roaring intensified, surging like a massive tidal wave that drowned out all other noise.

It wasn't just a sound—it was a presence. A force so overwhelming it defied description.

And then—

The colossal train plowed straight through the swarm of Raptures, crushing them into oblivion!

Against this unstoppable juggernaut, the Raptures were no different from ants.

This was... The Infinity Rail Train!