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

The piercing alarm reverberated across the skies of the Ark, shattering nearly a century of peace and disrupting the quiet lives people had grown accustomed to.

Raptures had appeared in multiple locations within the Ark.

What was even more alarming was their presence in densely populated residential areas.

When the massive forms began emerging in the neighborhoods, flying units swarming above the skyscrapers, explosions roaring in the distance, and the anguished screams echoing through the air, humanity was forcefully reminded of the fear that Raptures once instilled in them.

"It's... it's a Rapture!"

A middle-aged man standing on the street trembled as he pointed at the colossal monster in the air. His eyes widened in terror, his legs giving out as he collapsed onto the ground with a thud.

"Ra-Rapture!"

"It's a Rapture!"

The people on the street finally snapped out of their dazed shock, realizing the horrifying reality before them.

A terrified scream ripped through the crowd like a detonating bomb.

Chaos erupted as people fled in panic, scattering in every direction. Their desperation left no time to retrieve dropped belongings; survival was all that mattered.

Fear spread like a plague.

"Raptures! How can those monsters be here?!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Damn it, what are those Nikkes doing? They can't even stop the Raptures!"

"Those useless Nikkes are living off our hard-earned taxes every year! They should just throw them all into the junkyard!"

"Nikkes, hurry up and get over here!"

"Isn't their purpose to die for humans? What are they waiting for?!"

"Useless, absolutely useless!"

"Save me! Someone save me!"

The terrified crowd hurled insults and abuse at the Nikkes without restraint, ignoring the fact that many of them had already rushed to the frontlines, regardless of whether they were combat-oriented or not.

To the humans, Nikkes were nothing more than tools meant to protect their peace—a duty they believed was rightfully theirs to fulfill.

Among the jeering crowd, a middle-aged woman's voice was particularly harsh.

Suddenly, screams erupted ahead, accompanied by the heavy sound of approaching footsteps. A Rapture emerged from behind the buildings.

The previously brazen woman turned pale, stumbling backward a few steps before immediately spinning around and running away.

"Rat-tat-tat-tat—!"

Gunfire erupted, bullets tearing into the fleeing crowd.

"Ahhhhhh—!"

Amidst the blood-curdling screams, blood sprayed through the air like a grim fountain.

The once-vicious middle-aged woman was now panting heavily as she fled. Rounding a corner, she crashed into something metallic with a loud clang, falling flat on her back. Blood dripped from her mouth, and a tooth had been knocked loose.

"Who the hell put this thing here?!"

Clutching her mouth, she roared in anger.

When she looked up, her blood drained from her face, leaving her features twisted in terror.

Before her stood a massive, pitch-black monstrosity equipped with an enormous cannon and thick, menacing gun barrels. At its core was a pulsating, flesh-like crimson mass radiating an ominous aura.

It was a Rapture.

The Rapture slowly turned toward her, its cannon locking onto her trembling form.

"Ahhhh—!"

The woman's face went white as she shuddered uncontrollably. She let out a blood-curdling scream, wet herself, and tried to scramble away.

A laser beam shot from behind her.

The next moment, she exploded like an overfilled balloon, her blood and flesh splattering across the ground in a grotesque mess.

"Ahhhhhh—!"

Under the relentless bombardment of the Raptures, humanity was reduced to nothing more than scattered sheep being driven to slaughter. People fled in every direction, shot down indiscriminately, their blood splattering and flesh torn apart. Shoppers on the streets fell in rows, their bodies left in horrifying states.

Nikke squads, upon receiving the emergency report, quickly arrived on the scene and engaged the Raptures in battle.

However, due to the Ark's plans to counterattack the Raptures, its elite Nikke forces had been dispatched to the surface, leaving the defensive zones severely understaffed. The remaining forces were largely composed of functional Nikkes and central police units assigned to maintain order.

Most of them had never been to the surface, let alone fought against Raptures. Many were equipped only with small-caliber firearms and stun batons meant for subduing criminals.

Against the heavily armored Raptures, these weapons were utterly useless—they couldn't even penetrate their defenses.

Black vortexes began to appear all over the Ark, continuously spewing out Raptures. The once-peaceful haven was now engulfed in smoke and fire, its serenity shattered by the chaos of war.

Worried about Anis and the others, Mo Chen immediately attempted to contact them. Fortunately, the communication systems were still functional, and he quickly got through.

"Where are you?" he asked.

"We're on Royal Road!" Rapi's anxious voice came through the communicator. "Commander, where are you? We'll come find you!"

Relieved to hear that they were safe, Mo Chen let out a small sigh. "Stay where you are! I'll come to you."

Before Rapi could respond, he had already ended the call.

It was then that he noticed he was still holding Syuen in his arms.

Her slender hands clung tightly to his jacket, her face pale and tense. Whether it was from fear or blood loss, he couldn't tell. She was now wearing only a small jacket, hastily thrown over her by him, but it was torn and barely covered her body.

Without a second thought, Mo Chen retrieved a GANTZ battle suit from his system inventory. Ignoring Syuen's protests, he forcibly put it on her.

The GANTZ battle suit provided a significant boost to physical capabilities, even for someone as physically weak as Syuen. Additionally, it offered bulletproof protection, making it nearly impervious to conventional gunfire.

Although Syuen's antics often made Mo Chen's teeth grind in frustration, she didn't deserve to die.

Besides, she was now considered his personal property. If anyone was going to bully her, it would be him—not anyone else.

"Behave!" Mo Chen barked as Syuen continued to struggle. His face darkened, and he gave her a firm pat on her ass.

Syuen flinched, her body stiffening as pain from her injuries surged through her. Her face turned even paler, and the horrifying memories of what she had just endured surfaced again. She immediately stopped struggling.

Seeing that she had calmed down, Mo Chen didn't say another word. Holding her securely, he began sprinting toward Royal Road.

Along the way, he saw numerous Nikkes locked in combat with the Raptures.

It was clear that the Nikkes were at a disadvantage.

With one arm holding Syuen, Mo Chen wielded the explosive boltgun in his other hand. Without hesitation, he fired at any Rapture that crossed his path. If one shot wasn't enough, he fired two.

Thanks to the automatic targeting feature, the weapon's full potential was unleashed.

Large-caliber rounds, deep penetration, devastating power.

Even Master-class Raptures couldn't withstand more than a few hits, and lower-tier Servant-class and Husk-class Raptures fell with a single shot each.

The explosive bolt-action gun seemed to resonate with Mo Chen's determination. Each shot unleashed terrifying destructive force.

"System notification: The machine spirit rejoices. Boltgun's damage increased by 200%, magazine capacity set to ∞. Duration: 30 minutes."

The system notification made Mo Chen pause for a moment.

The boltgun could trigger such a state?

Damage increased, sure—but infinite ammo? That meant unlimited bullets!

Mo Chen couldn't suppress his joy: he grew increasingly fond of the explosive boltgun in his hands.

With this weapon, he was like a tiger with wings. Close-quarters combat was no longer necessary. Who would fight barehanded when they had such a devastating weapon?

Especially since he still had Syuen in his arms, which made melee combat impractical.

And so, Mo Chen's rampage began.

On his way to Royal Road, he moved like a blur, his speed unmatched. His movements were ghost-like, weaving in and out with impossible precision. His marksmanship was deadly, every shot finding its target without fail. 

Along the way, he also helped liberate Nikkes who were trapped by the Raptures.

Most Raptures didn't even get the chance to see Mo Chen's figure before their bodies were obliterated by the explosive bolts that reached them first.