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

Syuen felt like she was about to explode with rage.

Not long ago, she had successfully developed a device capable of resisting the Rapture virus, which had made her a sensation within the Ark. To some extent, her invention had prevented the worsening of the war.

She had planned to capitalize on this momentum by deploying her elite Nikke unit to the front lines. 

Her goal was to crush Material H in one decisive move, which would not only catapult Missilis Industry to new heights but also significantly boost its stock value, bringing in a massive influx of funds.

But to her dismay, the three members of the Matis squad had completely disregarded her orders and rushed headlong to the front lines.

The result was predictable—they screwed up.

The entire Matis squad had gone missing!

Syuen was both anxious and furious.

If any mishap occurred or if they embarrassed themselves in battle, not only would Missilis's stock fail to rise, but it could plummet drastically. It might even result in irreversible damage to the company—a scenario Syuen absolutely could not allow.

"Damn it!"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She grabbed a cup from her desk and hurled it furiously at the door.

Just then, the door opened.

A hand caught the flying cup.

"Miss Syuen, is this how you welcome me? That's not very polite."

A familiar voice rang out, sending chills down Syuen's spine. Her neck stiffened as if it were rusted, and she slowly turned toward the door. Standing there was the man who had kept her awake at night, tossing and turning with unease.

He was smiling at her.

It was—Mo Chen!

Syuen staggered backward in fright.

With a loud crash, the cups, books, papers, and decorative trinkets on her desk toppled to the floor.

"Y-you… how did you get in here?"

She was utterly stunned.

She had clearly instructed her security team that if they ever saw Mo Chen, they were to never let him through under any circumstances.

Just say she's not in. And make sure to notify me first!

Damn it!

"How could they not inform me at all? What are they even doing?"

Meanwhile, at the reception desk of the corporate building, the security Nikke and reception Nikke were chattering away excitedly. A small crowd had gathered around them, drawn by their unusual enthusiasm and curious about what had them so animated.

"Wow! It's the Commander's autograph!"

"No way, the Commander came here?!"

"Yeah! How else would I have gotten his autograph?"

"His handwriting is so neat. So cool."

"Hey, hey, does he look as handsome as in the pictures?"

"Even more handsome than in the photos!"

"I'll pay a thousand credit points for that autograph. Deal?"

"Keep dreaming!"

The Nikke staff had completely thrown their boss's orders out the window and inadvertently sold her out.

Inside the office.

Syuen had no energy left to think about punishing those disobedient Nikkes. She was now facing an unprecedented crisis.

Mo Chen, unfazed, casually walked around the CEO's desk and sat down in her chair.

"I heard you developed some kind of interference device?"

No wonder this chair belongs to the CEO—it's ridiculously comfortable.

Much better than his own. He made a mental note to get himself one of these.

"Uh, no… I mean, yes, yes."

Syuen instinctively wanted to lie, but as soon as she met Mo Chen's gaze, panic washed over her, and she swallowed her words.

"Not bad. You're quite capable, aren't you?"

Mo Chen's eyes roamed over the items on her desk—mostly research-related materials, especially a variety of books.

In some ways, Syuen really was a genius.

"N-no, not really," Syuen stammered, her voice trembling.

That was absolutely sarcasm!

The moment he mentioned the interference device, she knew her secret had been exposed.

After being infected by Mo Chen's virus, Syuen had fled back to the Ark and immediately delved into research on the virus.

She didn't want to die.

For months, she had been researching tirelessly, only to despair at her lack of progress. She couldn't even decipher the basic structure of the unknown virus, let alone find a solution.

Even the Rapture virus hadn't left her so utterly stumped.

When she recently heard that Mo Chen had returned to the outpost, she had panicked. If he had returned to the base, it was only a matter of time before he came to the Ark—and then she'd be in serious trouble.

So, Syuen pushed herself into overdrive, working day and night.

Whether it was out of desperation or sheer determination, she finally made a breakthrough. She discovered a subtle link between the unknown virus and the Rapture virus, and using this connection, she developed the interference device to combat the Rapture virus.

Although she couldn't yet clear the virus from infected Nikkes, the device significantly improved their immunity.

Buoyed by her success, Syuen had been brimming with confidence, ready to throw herself into further research.

Then Mo Chen showed up.

And, as fate would have it, her Matis squad was conveniently absent.

"Stop researching this from now on," Mo Chen said, gazing at the girl in front of him, who now looked as docile as the girl-next-door. "Unless, of course, you're eager to die."

A blatant threat!

Syuen's face turned pale.

He had figured it out!

"N-no, I won't research it anymore! Never again!" Syuen quickly raised her hand, hurriedly swearing, "I promise!"

"Good. It's good to know you can admit your mistakes and change," Mo Chen said with an approving nod.

Syuen let out a small breath of relief.

At least she wasn't getting beaten.

However, just as she started to relax, Mo Chen stood up from the chair and said, "But to make sure you learn your lesson, I'm going to have to give you a beating."

Researching the Punishing Virus was an extremely dangerous endeavor.

Others might not realize this, but he knew all too well—if the Punishing Virus were to spiral out of control, it wouldn't just be the Ark at risk. The entire Earth would be doomed.

Syuen's eyes widened in fear as she watched Mo Chen rise from the chair and step toward her.

Without a moment's hesitation, she turned and bolted.

With a casual flick of his finger, Mo Chen manipulated the air into a sharp gust. A loud "bang" echoed as the door slammed shut behind her.

"Click."

Locked.

She desperately yanked on the door, the handle rattling noisily, but it didn't budge. She turned back, panic-stricken, only to see Mo Chen approaching. Her face turned as pale as a sheet.

"D-don't come any closer!"

Mo Chen's expression was calm, his smile almost harmless, yet he kept advancing step by step. Syuen stumbled backward in a flurry of panic, resembling a frightened little rabbit cornered by a cunning wolf.

Suddenly, he laughed heartily and lunged at her.

Startled, she screamed and ducked just in time to avoid him. Her quick evasion sent her barreling into the doorframe, narrowly dodging Mo Chen's grasp. With a loud crash, the light fixture by the door shattered to the ground.

Seeing no other option, she darted toward another door on the opposite side of the room, the small one leading to her private lab.

But Mo Chen blocked her path in an instant. In a fit of panic, she pivoted and dashed toward another corner of the room.

"Thud!"

Her forehead smacked against the wall with a loud sound. "Ow!" she cried, the impact making her eyes water from the pain. Yet she didn't dare pause, immediately scrambling to escape.

The office wasn't that large. Despite Syuen's small and nimble frame, there was no way out. Mo Chen chased her relentlessly, the two of them causing chaos as they dashed around the room. Syuen, utterly cornered, resembled a trapped bird fluttering in vain, completely outmatched.