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

Thirty percent Rapture components?

Mo Chen couldn't help but marvel at the sheer resilience of a Fairy Tale model.

Even in such a damaged state—with only three or four of her seven weapons still functional—Snow White was still incredibly powerful. It was hard to imagine just how strong she must have been at her peak.

Hearing Snow White's words, a strange idea suddenly crossed Mo Chen's mind.

If her body was so damaged…

Could recovery serums repair Snow White's body?

After all, recovery serums were essentially composed of nanobots.

With repairs at the molecular and atomic level, it shouldn't be impossible.

As for materials, there were Rapture scraps scattered all over the place—more than enough to work with.

If components from Master-class Raptures weren't enough, then Lord-class ones might do. And if even those failed, there were still Tyrant-class options.

In the original storyline, there were cases where two Tyrant-class Raptures were successfully revived.

Thinking about it, Mo Chen was already considering giving Snow White some drugs—wait, no, administering the meds.

Just then, Alice's voice rang out from afar, as if she had discovered something.

"Commander!"

Trouble?

Mo Chen immediately sprinted toward her.

When he arrived, he found four or five Nikkes lying scattered in the snow.

They were partially buried under the snow, unconscious, and their vitals were weak.

It was hard to tell how long they had been there.

Ludmila quickly joined them and began checking their conditions. She found signs of prior combat with Raptures—severe damage to their bodies.

She immediately started emergency treatment.

After an hour of effort, four of the Nikkes were stabilized, but one had already died before they arrived.

Gradually, the others began to regain consciousness.

Mo Chen left the questioning to Ludmila.

Given his reputation, he figured his presence might put them on guard.

"We're from the Arctic special recon unit, tasked with surveying and patrolling the northern polar region. But along the way, we got caught in a blizzard and then an avalanche."

The Nikke who spoke was pale and visibly shaken, still traumatized by the recent events.

"We ran out of power, lost communications, and couldn't get in touch with anyone. It's a miracle we found you."

A reconnaissance mission?

Ludmila frowned.

She hadn't heard of any other units being dispatched here.

The Nikke explained further, "The Ark received intelligence reports of Tyrant-class Raptures appearing in the northern region. So we were sent to survey the terrain and mark coordinates for follow-up units."

Mo Chen's expression shifted slightly.

"Was it Syuen who sent you?"

"W-what…?"

Hearing Syuen's name, the Nikke immediately tensed up, her voice faltering.

"N-no, we're not under Missilis' jurisdiction!"

Mo Chen raised an eyebrow.

So Syuen still hadn't given up: that woman clearly needed to be taught a lesson.

But now wasn't the time to deal with her. That could wait until he returned to the Ark.

As for the newly found Nikkes, their route overlapped with Mo Chen's group.

Even if they wanted to return, they'd still have to climb over mountains and cross treacherous terrain.

So he decided to take them along.

The sky began to darken.

In the far north, daylight was short.

The group set up camp and prepared to rest.

Mo Chen turned to his "portable heater," Alice.

"Hungry?"

Ever since recovering from her strange illness, Alice had started to resemble Marian in one aspect—she often felt sleepy.

He grew worried. Could it be a sign of mental shifts like Marian?

Fortunately, Alice's personality hadn't changed. She was still lively and energetic, aside from sleeping more often.

To prevent her condition from worsening, Mo Chen kept her close, carrying her when she felt drowsy.

For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was raising a daughter.

"Hunger."

The reply however didn't come from Alice…

It was Snow White.

Expressionless, as if she hadn't just blurted that out.

Mo Chen: "…"

"I just gave you food earlier."

"I finished it."

"Three kilos of compressed biscuits?!"

"Yeah."

Mo Chen was stunned, unsure of what expression to make.

One thing was certain—he was going to be eaten into bankruptcy by Snow White sooner or later.

Just then, Alice woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. The moment she heard there was food, her energy returned in an instant.

When he asked her what she wanted to eat, she blurted out without hesitation: "Carrots!"

Mo Chen: "..."

The word "carrot" brought back some unpleasant memories.

"Carrots?! Where?!"

Snow White's eyes immediately lit up.

Mo Chen: "..."

You stay out of this!

When it was time to eat, he cooked the meal himself.

The ingredients and tools were readily available, and in this kind of environment, grilling was the most practical option—grilled meat, roasted vegetables, sprinkled with few spices, and served with flatbread.

Luckily, the items from the system came with a feature that made people unconsciously ignore their origin. Otherwise, pulling out such a large supply of food out of nowhere would raise eyebrows, even among fools.

Everyone got their share.

The recon unit's Nikkes were already used to this, but the Arctic unit's Nikkes were stunned.

They couldn't believe the meals were this good—actual meat and vegetables, completely unlike the nutrient-packed rations they were accustomed to.

"You're really good to these girls."

At some point, Ludmila had walked over and stood beside him. "Need any help?"

"No need," Mo Chen replied while brewing tea. He handed her a freshly poured cup. "Want some tea?"

"There's even tea here?"

Ludmila was surprised.

"Yeah," Mo Chen said with a smile, making up an excuse. "I like drinking oolong tea, so I carry it with me."

Ludmila initially wanted to refuse, but with the cup already extended to her, she had no choice but to accept it.

"Tea, huh…"

It reminded her of the days when she had been a noble and enjoyed sipping tea.

When exactly had she started to forget what that was like?

Suddenly, a flash of blood-red memories surged through her mind. That familiar sense of helplessness and despair came crashing down like waves, threatening to drown her.

"You okay?"

Mo Chen's voice suddenly pulled her back to reality. She turned to see him watching her with concern.

"Ah, I'm fine."

Mo Chen said, "I called you a few times, and you didn't respond. Are you tired? Why don't you rest for a bit?"

Seeing the genuine concern in his eyes, she felt a warmth rise in her chest.

Even the coldness buried deep within her seemed to thaw just a little.

Meanwhile, not far away, the Nikkes sat around the campfire, happily enjoying food they had never tasted before.

Among them, one Nikke lingered in the shadows, staying out of the spotlight.

She seemed to be eating, but her gaze remained fixed on Mo Chen.

The flickering firelight cast shadows across her striking features, making her face appear both mysterious and alluring.