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

Mo Chen felt deeply moved.

Grasping Rapi's shoulders, he solemnly nodded as if making a promise.

"I won't let you down."

Since he had chosen this path, he would not waver.

The story he had fabricated so casually—Rapi believed it without a shred of doubt. It was because of Nikkes like Rapi that Mo Chen was so steadfast in his resolve.

Then, like a sudden change of weather, Mo Chen's serious expression shifted into one of teasing, his eyes narrowing with a playful glint as he stared at her.

"Rapi, was that just now… a confession?"

"…?!"

Rapi froze for a moment.

Recalling her earlier words, her crimson eyes widened in realization.

"!!!!"

Even after a long pause, a faint blush lingered on her cheeks, like a light haze of drunkenness.

Finally, Rapi spoke softly, "Commander, it's best not to tell Anis and Neon about this."

"What?"

Distracted by Rapi's beauty, it took Mo Chen a moment to realize she was referring to his ability to control the Raptures.

"It's not that I don't trust Anis and Neon," Rapi continued, her tone steady, "I just don't want them to get involved."

The ability to control Raptures was far too extraordinary.

Even if the Ark didn't immediately brand him a collaborator, he'd likely end up on a dissection table.

And beyond the Ark, other factions like the rumored Eden, the Heretics, or even smaller fringe groups like Heavenly Ascension would undoubtedly covet such a power.

She would shoulder this burden herself to protect him.

"Alright, let's leave it at that," Mo Chen agreed, understanding Rapi's concerns. He hadn't planned on telling those two troublemakers anyway—the less they knew, the safer they'd be.

With a playful smile, he added, "Let's just keep it our little secret."

After all, the more people who knew, the greater the risk of exposure.

Until his forces were strong enough to protect themselves, caution was his best strategy.

Rapi nodded gently, her fingers brushing the bracelet on her wrist.

A secret between the two of them.

While Mo Chen and Rapi were discussing the meaning of life, two suspicious figures appeared on the surveillance feed, climbing out of the sewer cover at the power plant's drainage outlet and peering around cautiously.

It was Anis and Neon.

They looked like a pair of beggars, covered in grime, clearly having crawled through the sewers.

The bad news was that the sewer they used carried domestic wastewater.

The good news? Human inhabitants of the power plant had died out decades ago, and now the sewers primarily carried waste coolant from the plant.

So, while dirty, it was still much cleaner than some of the more hazardous and contaminated water sources found elsewhere.

Of course, the mental discomfort was another issue entirely.

"Hurry up, stop dawdling! I regret teaming up with you. It's so much better being with the Commander."

Anis grumbled as she pushed Neon forward, regretting her earlier decision with every step. Had she known, she would've fought harder for her spot by Mo Chen's side.

Neon, looking pale from the stench, crawled on with muddy hands.

"This smells horrible."

"Just shut off your olfactory sensors!"

Anis couldn't resist giving Neon a light slap on the rear. "Move it!"

Neon yelped, startled by Anis's cheeky smack.

"I can't! That would ruin the human experience!"

"You're not human—you're a Nikke!"

Anis rolled her eyes dramatically, clearly unimpressed.

"Ah!" Neon suddenly cried out.

"Now what?"

Neon's yelps had become such a constant nuisance that Anis barely flinched.

At first, she had been on high alert, ready for battle. Now? Just another false alarm.

"I think I stepped on something."

Anis sighed deeply.

"Relax. It's probably just a corpse."

"!!!"

Neon froze, her eyes wide with alarm.

Anis continued forward nonchalantly, muttering under her breath.

"A greenhorn Nikke like you, surviving this long… It's a miracle."

"You—you're looking down on me!" Neon protested, a hint of anger in her voice.

Anis feigned surprise. "Oh? How'd you know what I was thinking?"

The pair bickered as they crawled through the labyrinthine sewer system, navigating its twists and turns with the help of a map. According to the map, they were nearing their destination.

Neon suddenly had a thought.

"Hey, Anis, what do you think of the Commander?"

Neon's question caught Anis off guard.

"The Commander?"

"Who else?"

"Oh, right. Hmm… Well, the Commander is… fine, I guess."

"Fine? That's such a lame answer! If you don't want to say, just don't."

"No, really. The Commander's kind, understanding, doesn't throw tantrums and is always nice to Nikkes…"

"Okay, okay, stop! You're overdoing it."

"..." Neon pouted silently.

"You're not into the Commander, are you?"

Anis's sudden question left her stunned.

"No! No, of course not!"

Neon frantically waved her hands in denial, desperate to clear her name.

"Really?" Anis squinted suspiciously at her… well, her butt, as that was all she could see from this angle.

"Really!" Neon insisted. "The Commander isn't my type at all…"

Before she could finish, Anis cut her off sharply.

"Good, because you're not allowed to like the Commander."

"Huh? Why not?"

"No reason. And anyway, you just said you don't like him."

Neon paused, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "But why can't I like the Commander?"

The Commander wasn't her exclusive property, after all.

"You just can't."

Anis's tone brooked no argument, shutting down the topic completely.

If every random Nikke could cozy up to the Commander, what would that make their Counters Squad?

"What about Rapi?" Neon countered.

"Hah! She's just some uptight girl who only dares confess in her sleep," Anis scoffed, lifting her chin confidently like a victorious general dismissing a trivial foe. "Not worth mentioning."

"In her sleep?" Neon blinked in confusion. "Rapi talks in her sleep?"

In her mind, Rapi was the epitome of cool competence—a poised, decisive, breathtakingly beautiful ice queen. The kind of person who could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with legends.

Yet here was Anis, casually revealing that this distant, untouchable goddess was prone to sleep-talking.

"Of course," Anis chuckled mischievously, leaning closer to Neon as if sharing a forbidden secret. "She's said all sorts of things. Once, when we were rooming together, she even mistook me for the Commander in the middle of the night and wouldn't let go…"

What Anis didn't realize was that the scene was being recorded by an ancient surveillance camera in the sewer, its cold lens gleaming faintly in the darkness.