ALL NOVEL Chapter 20: Chapter 20: The Cost of Survival
"Yes, I am a bit surprised," Mo Chen nodded.
Even with a limited number of Sovereigns, it shouldn't be entirely deserted.
And judging by the high-end villas nearby, the occupancy rate seemed low—barely a tenth filled, if that.
"What's the fun of living only with other Sovereigns?" Anis commented, lounging on a bench, stretching and flaunting her striking figure. "I'm rich, you're rich, and so is everyone else. Where's the difference?"
Mo Chen nodded in understanding. "Status."
"Exactly," Anis replied, clapping her hands and extending a delicate finger. "If there's no contrast, how are they supposed to feel 'superior'?"
"So, the Sovereigns went back to their old neighborhoods, and the place gradually emptied out."
Mo Chen asked, "How much would it cost to buy a property here?"
His memory from before graduating the military academy was hazy, and he didn't recall having a residence.
He planned to secure a home base—a place large enough to store equipment, possibly even aircraft carriers or Gundams.
Rose and Marian would need rooms too, though they couldn't be stationed in the Ark for now.
As a traveler from another world, Mo Chen preferred to keep his secrets, so a low-traffic area was ideal.
This district seemed perfect.
"Wait, what?" Anis sat up, eyes wide, looking at Mo Chen in amazement. "You don't think just because it's empty the property value's dropped, do you? Even the down payment alone would take a regular person ten lifetimes to save up."
"Just curious," Mo Chen replied with a faint smile, glancing toward the upscale neighborhood.
If chips could fetch billions, then the cost of living here would be astronomical.
However, since he had the thought, he had a plan.
His system-provided items were the answer.
Items like his combat spray, effective on Nikkes, were invaluable on the battlefield. Even other weapons and equipment, with their superior performance, could likely fetch a high price.
Now, he just needed a channel for transactions.
"By the way, do you know how to get in touch with the darknet?"
"Darknet?" Anis eyed Mo Chen suspiciously. "Why would you ask that? Private transactions of contraband are illegal, you know. Wait—don't tell me you're thinking of selling organs on the black market to buy a house?"
"Sell organs?" Mo Chen was speechless.
How does her brain work? Can't she think of something better?
"Relax. Even if I sold you, I wouldn't do it for organs."
"As if you could!"
As they walked, Mo Chen considered his points and what items he could redeem.
Right now, personal safety was the top priority.
Although he had Nikkes by his side for protection, the inherent vulnerability of the human body was still leagues behind the mechanical structures of Nikkes and Raptures.
Minor injuries could easily escalate into major issues like hemorrhaging, infection, or poisoning.
Forget about fighting elite or boss-level Raptures—even an encounter with a basic one would be a serious struggle for Mo Chen.
His own attack capabilities were also limited. The weapons used by Nikkes were far too heavy for human stamina to manage, and lighter weapons weren't effective enough against Raptures.
Most commanders carried only a handgun, which was generally reserved as a last resort—for themselves.
Then his gaze fell upon the Auto-Dodge Chip.
"Auto-Dodge Chip: Automatically dodges incoming attacks."
This was exactly what he needed!
Mo Chen felt a surge of excitement.
Human reaction speed has its limits. Even with his bullet-dodging chip, he could only avoid ranged attacks; it still wouldn't save him from fast, close-range Raptures. The auto-dodge function filled that gap.
And because it was fully automated, it would even react to sneak attacks.
But the price… 20,000 points!
Mo Chen was stunned.
And that's with the first-time buyer discount on auto-chips.
Altogether, he had just over 20,000 points, meaning this purchase would wipe him out.
Buy it.
He gritted his teeth.
Nothing was more valuable than his own life. After all, dead points are useless points.
Anis looked back and asked curiously, "Commander, you okay? Toothache?"
Mo Chen: "…"
Too nosy!
After buying the Auto-Dodge Chip, he was left with fewer than 1,000 points.
But Mo Chen had no regrets.
Anyone who's played NieR: Automata knows the auto-chips are the strongest. With them, you could practically breeze through the game.
He then checked out the other auto-series chips available.
Auto-Attack, Auto-Shoot, Auto-Programming…
These were even better.
With them, he practically wouldn't have to lift a finger.
But the price—100,000 points—was steep.
He closed the system menu.
I'll think about it when I have enough points.
At that moment, a Nikke staff member hurried over.
"Hello, are you Commander Mo Chen?"
Mo Chen nodded.
"Yes. And you are?"
"Thank goodness," the person said with a sigh of relief and a bright smile. "We've been waiting for you. Deputy chief Andersen from the Central Government wants to meet with you."
"Summoned by the Chief?"
Rapi and the others looked surprised, but Mo Chen had a feeling he knew what this was about.
The staff member then turned to Rapi and Anis.
"And both of you as well, please come along."
"Wait, we're going too?" Anis seemed to realize something. "Hmm… is it that thing?"
Rapi gave her a puzzled look.
"What thing?"
Anis smiled brightly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"A low-ranking squad, with nowhere near the combat capability of an elite unit, and a handful of no-name rookies… defeating the notorious Tyrant-class Rapture, the Black Smith. Pretty impressive, huh?"
She flashed a toothy grin at Mo Chen.
"So, maybe now we should all work hard to become Central Government's loyal lapdogs? Is that what this is about?"
Mo Chen: "…"
This girl's tongue is sharp.
The staff member laughed awkwardly. "You're misunderstanding; that's not the reason at all."
Rapi considered this for a moment.
"Indeed, this has never happened before."
Central Command always treated Nikkes as disposable tools, never caring about their survival. Even when they won battles, it was taken for granted; it was rare for them to inquire personally.