ALL NOVEL Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Caught in the Act
Suddenly, Mo Chen remembered the stash of cash he had discovered earlier.
He instructed the Nikke vanguard team to transport the bills over and distribute them among the Raptures.
They would serve as "wages."
As expected, once the Raptures received their "pay," they became docile, clutching the bills in their metallic appendages. Through their bulbous, glowing eyes, Mo Chen could almost discern traces of joy.
Watching this, Mo Chen couldn't help but sigh.
Raptures are so easy to deceive: some people toil their entire lives for worthless scraps of paper. Others, doing absolutely nothing, reap benefits without lifting a finger.
Among the recipients of this improvised salary was the drill—ahem, Grave Digger.
After extensive repairs, Grave Digger was restored to its original state. Not only were its weapon systems fully operational again, but its two massive "pincers" were also fixed.
However, what surprised Mo Chen the most was a discovery about its construction.
The external circular saw, the digging arms on either side, and even the hard metallic outer shell weren't its true body.
These were merely external weaponized armor.
The actual core of Grave Digger lay hidden inside—a Rapture slightly larger than average, shielded by the thick outer casing.
Its shape leaned more toward humanoid design.
What's more, perhaps due to the effects of the Punishing Virus, Grave Digger appeared to have developed some semblance of intelligence.
It could now understand Mo Chen's commands!
However as he tried to instill purpose into Grave Digger, it became clear that its understanding was... skewed.
Mo Chen had assigned it to dig tunnels, but instead, it nearly tore apart the vegetable greenhouse.
It had intelligence, but not much.
Frustrated, Mo Chen gave it two swift kicks.
However, something else surprised him.
After receiving its "wages," Grave Digger became Mo Chen's most loyal follower, voluntarily taking on the role of a taskmaster and any Rapture that dared to slack off faced a solid beating!
Mo Chen was dumbfounded.
How could it shift so quickly from a revolutionary fighter resisting oppression to a brutal enforcer aiding exploitation?
He wasn't sure if he should feel impressed or disturbed.
Suddenly, the factory's alarm blared, cutting through the air.
An unidentified entity had breached the perimeter!
Almost immediately, the sound of gunfire erupted outside like popcorn popping, punctuated by the occasional boom of explosions.
The commotion drew closer, fast.
Mo Chen froze in shock. An enemy? Here?
But what shocked him even more was the realization that someone had managed to penetrate his defenses!
Mo Chen had taken every precaution to secure the power plant and ensure his own safety.
The perimeter was heavily guarded by Raptures, strategically placed to provide overlapping fields of fire. Any intruder would be caught in a deadly crossfire the moment they entered the plant's boundaries.
Within the factory itself, Nikke vanguard teams stood ready to dispatch any intruding threats.
And in the innermost section was Rose, the deadliest of them all—an undeniable force of destruction.
For someone to breach all these layers of security…
Could it be a Heretic?
Mo Chen's expression darkened.
If that's the case, this could get messy.
"Boom!"
The outer wall of the power plant exploded, leaving a gaping hole. The Rapture guards stationed there were blown away by the blast, fragments of debris scattering everywhere.
Mo Chen's eyes sharpened, his gaze locking onto the newly created breach.
Through the swirling dust and debris, a figure emerged like a ghostly shadow. With precise movements, the intruder raised their weapon and fired.
"Rat-tat-tat!"
A series of crisp shots rang out, taking down the surrounding Rapture guards with clean, efficient precision.
Flawless execution.
The guards couldn't even slow her down.
Mo Chen's muscles tensed, his body coiled like a predator ready to strike. He wasn't defenseless after all.
Though human, his enhanced reflexes and combat chips gave him a fighting chance. His array of offensive tools meant he wasn't overly worried.
Fear of combat was for cowards.
But then something unexpected happened.
Long flowing hair, a small black cap, eyes the color of red wine burning with resolve, and a form-fitting combat suit hugging a perfectly sculpted figure—
That silhouette was unmistakable.
Mo Chen froze, his mind racing.
It's… Rapi?! Why is she here?!
Mo Chen was stunned.
Suddenly, he understood why the power plant's defenses had failed to stop the intruder.
The vanguard unit recognized Rapi and wouldn't attack her. Rose, bound by Mo Chen's prior orders, also wouldn't engage.
As for the Raptures guarding the plant? They were basic grunts, nowhere near powerful enough to stop someone like her.
Rapi, meanwhile, immediately spotted Mo Chen. Her eyes lit up with joy as she ignored the Raptures nearby and charged toward him at full speed.
"Commander!"
But after just a few steps, she froze.
"Comman-!"
Her joyful expression stiffened as she came to a halt.
The sight before her was… incomprehensible.
Mo Chen sat in the center of the scene, holding a sleeping Marian in his arms.
Around him, Raptures formed a protective circle, standing guard over their "Commander."
Raptures and humans were natural enemies.
Yet here, Raptures were defending a human?!
Even more shocking, the Nikke by Mo Chen's side were unmistakably members of the vanguard unit that had gone missing.
As Rapi stood in a daze, she failed to notice the Raptures aiming their weapons at her.
"Stand down," Mo Chen commanded in a low voice.
The Raptures hesitated but eventually withdrew, leaving Mo Chen inwardly panicked.
His secret—no, his "innocence"—had been exposed!
And why, of all people, did it have to be Rapi?
There was no time to dwell on these questions.
Rapi remained frozen, her gaze vacant, as if she hadn't yet processed the scene.
Mo Chen stepped down from the platform, desperately brainstorming an explanation.
Clearing his throat, he casually greeted her.
"Oh, Rapi… you're here."
His tone was deliberately light, as if they were having a casual chat.
Rapi snapped out of her daze, but her eyes shifted between Mo Chen, the surrounding Raptures, and the sleeping Marian in his arms.
Her expression betrayed her confusion and disbelief.
"Commander… what is this?"
Though the Raptures had lowered their weapons, they still surrounded Rapi, their cannons trained on her. At a single command, they could turn her into Swiss cheese.
Mo Chen waved his hand, signaling the Raptures to retreat.
They obediently stepped back, like well-trained dogs.
Rapi's eyes widened in disbelief, then narrowed as realization began to dawn.
Her pupils contracted slightly as her expression transitioned from shock to hurt.
"Uh… well… it's like this…" Mo Chen stammered, trying to find the right words.
Rapi's sudden appearance had caught him completely off guard, leaving him unprepared to explain.
But to Rapi, Mo Chen's hesitation only confirmed her suspicions.
"Commander…"
Her voice trembled with a mixture of disbelief, disappointment, and sorrow.
It was the kind of tone one might hear from someone discovering their most trusted companion had been hiding something—or worse, betraying them.
Mo Chen winced as he saw her expression.
She thinks I'm hiding a secret affair, doesn't she?
"This… this is a misunderstanding. It's not what you think…"
The moment the words left his mouth, Mo Chen wanted to slap himself.
Those are the exact words guilty men say when they're caught cheating!
Desperate to salvage the situation, he added, "What you see isn't necessarily the truth. What you think might not be what it is…"
The more he spoke, the more nonsensical his explanation became.
Predictably, Rapi's gaze grew more complicated.
At that moment, Marian let out a soft, sleepy murmur.
Still half-asleep, she clung to Mo Chen's neck, her curvaceous figure pressing even closer to him as she practically draped herself over his body.
Whatever credibility Mo Chen's words might have carried evaporated instantly.
Rapi's gun lowered slightly.
Her eyes, once bright and sharp, became hollow and lifeless, as if all light had drained from them.
Mo Chen's heart sank.
This… this feels eerily familiar…
It was like a classic scene from a drama—where the male lead is caught red-handed, and the betrayed heroine experiences a soul-crushing moment of despair.
Wait a minute… I didn't cheat!