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

What should she do?

Ludmilla maintained a calm expression as she clutched the towel against her chest, but internally, she was panicking. Her toes curled involuntarily.

As a noble, she had been taught from a young age to always maintain elegance and composure. She absolutely could not lose her dignity.

"My Queen, where are you?"

Alice's voice came from outside, growing closer with each step.

Ludmilla's heart skipped a beat as she turned toward the door.

Not good! She had completely forgotten about Alice waiting outside.

If Alice came in and saw this scene…

"My Queen, I've neatly folded your clothes. I'm coming in now, okay?"

Oh no! Alice was already undressing.

Ludmilla panicked, clutching the towel tighter as she quickly called out.

"Alice, don't come in yet!"

Alice's body temperature was unusually high, so she always had to wear cooling gear.

Perhaps because it wasn't very comfortable, she often took it off whenever she had the chance.

And now, there was someone else here.

Mo Chen had also heard the voice, and the awkwardness on his end intensified.

Leave? Stay?

Neither option seemed right.

But wait—Alice?

Mo Chen suddenly recalled that name from the original story.

Could it really be her?

At that moment, snowflakes began to fall from above.

Snow?

Mo Chen paused, looking up in surprise.

It was early summer—how could it possibly snow?

Suddenly, the door burst open with a loud bang.

A petite figure charged in, her eyes lighting up the moment she spotted Ludmilla soaking in the bath.

"My Queen! I found you!"

Not only did Alice see Ludmilla—Mo Chen saw her too.

Completely bare…

Her snow-white skin was as pristine as freshly fallen snow, delicate yet well-developed in all the right places.

The phrase "baby face with a curvy body" immediately popped into Mo Chen's mind.

While Mo Chen was momentarily dazed, Alice, like a small whirlwind, dashed toward the hot spring.

Before Ludmilla could stop her, Alice jumped in with a loud splash, sending water flying everywhere.

The water erupted as if boiling, and steam surged upward.

"Alice!"

The hot spring's temperature spiked. It was like a pot coming to a rolling boil.

In an instant, the spa turned into a sauna.

Boom!

Suddenly, Mo Chen heard a loud rumbling sound from above.

He looked up and saw a massive white mass falling from the sky.

Splash!

The white mass crashed directly into the hot spring.

In the blink of an eye, the steamy bathhouse transformed into a mini snow mountain.

Poof!

An arm burst out from the snow.

Moments later, the upper body emerged.

Mo Chen dug himself out of the snow and looked around at what was now a frozen landscape.

He grabbed a handful of the white substance and rubbed it between his fingers.

Cold.

Snow?

What the hell was snow doing here?

Mo Chen's brain stalled.

Crack!

Another figure burst out of the snow, this time directly across from Mo Chen.

Their eyes met in midair.

It was Alice.

Mo Chen froze as their gazes locked.

Of course, Alice wasn't wearing any clothes and at this close distance, everything was even clearer.

White, full, perky—completely smooth.

Her slender figure, paired with a mature body, delicate curves, and a youthful face with clear, innocent eyes—

The stark contrast between maturity and youth, fragility and fullness, innocence and allure, created a lethal attraction.

Even the bizarre situation of snow appearing inside the hot spring facility was momentarily forgotten by Mo Chen.

She looked like a snow spirit from the mountains or a pink-haired fairy born from ice and snow.

Alice's gaze fell downward.

Her big, beautiful eyes widened in surprise, and her hands immediately shot up to cover her face.

Her delicate cheeks flushed bright red.

However, the gaps between her fingers were wide enough to land an aircraft carrier, and her eyes didn't blink as she continued staring intently.

"Alice!"

The thick layer of snow was suddenly pushed aside, and Ludmilla emerged, hurriedly pulling Alice's hand and wrapping a towel around her.

She dragged Alice away, but her own flushed face was even redder than Alice's, like the colors of a sunset.

Mo Chen awkwardly turned his head to the side, trying to be polite, though the damage was already done—he had seen everything.

It was only now that he remembered he could use the Blacklight Virus to materialize clothing.

Why didn't he think of that earlier?

Mo Chen quickly covered himself.

By now, the commotion in the hot spring had drawn a lot of attention.

Mo Chen glanced outside and noticed someone sneaking around the building.

It was Anis, creeping toward the window and peeking inside while muttering under her breath.

"Hot and cold double impact? Love guidance? What a scam."

"Oh no! What if the commander got buried in there?"

"That snow machine was total junk. Cheap stuff never works properly."

Hearing this, Mo Chen instantly understood who was behind the whole mess.

"Anis!"

Mo Chen's shout made Anis jump in shock.

When she saw him glaring at her, her face paled, and she turned tail and bolted.

"It wasn't me!"

Later, inside the command room, Mo Chen apologized to Ludmilla.

"Sorry about that. It was Anis's prank. As the commander, this is my responsibility."

From questioning Anis, he learned that the snow was created using a snow-making machine she had set up on the roof.

When he asked Anis why she did it—whether she was dissatisfied with him as a commander or if this was her idea of punishment—she stammered for a while before giving up and admitting it outright.

"Because I like you, Commander!"

Neon, who was nearby, chimed in.

"She wants to sleep with you."

Mo Chen clutched his forehead, overwhelmed by these two troublemakers.

He gave up on trying to understand what went through their heads.

Meanwhile, Ludmilla had already regained her usual elegance.

She calmly sipped the tea Mo Chen had served and set the cup down.

"I'm here to request the commander's assistance," she said, addressing the matter with complete professionalism, as though the earlier incident in the hot spring had never happened.

"Help?"

Mo Chen raised an eyebrow, both surprised and curious.

Ludmilla was a member of the Unlimited Squad—

A special forces unit tasked with exploring and defending the extreme cold regions.

They often operated in the northern regions.

Because Ludmila had fallen out with the Ark, she hadn't returned there for a long time. Even supplies and equipment were obtained through intermediary hubs.

Logically speaking, the Unlimited Squad was independent of other units and shouldn't need any assistance.