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

A tide of Raptures surged forward, overwhelming in their numbers, encircling Mo Chen in an impenetrable wave.

"Did I say you could leave?"

Behind Chatterbox, an icy voice cut through the chaos—a voice laden with an oppressive aura of death, as though it had emerged from the abyss of hell itself.

Chatterbox froze mid-step, its massive frame rigid with terror. It then spun around, its pupils constricting sharply.

Unknowingly, Mo Chen had appeared behind it like a phantom, standing not far away. Surrounding him were a host of Raptures, yet they didn't attack. Instead, they bowed in subservience, trembling in reverence like enslaved followers.

Even the Lord-class Raptures summoned by Chatterbox were ensnared in crimson veins that coiled around them. Struggling was futile; lower-tier Raptures swarmed over and tore them apart in an instant.

What was meant to be an overwhelming offensive against Mo Chen had taken an unexpected turn. The Raptures halted their attack, turning on Chatterbox in a tidal wave of malice, rushing toward it instead.

Chatterbox froze in horror.

The human could control Raptures?!

If Mo Chen's strength had already seemed unfathomable before, this ability to command Raptures pushed him into the realm of the impossible.

And yet… he was human.

It was unnatural! Terrifyingly so.

Chatterbox felt an instinctual dread. Danger. Extreme danger!

It turned and bolted, abandoning any thoughts of resistance. Survival became its sole priority.

Its massive form sprinted at full tilt without hesitation. Yet after several strides, it stumbled, nearly falling. No matter how hard it pulled, something was holding it back.

Looking down, it saw slender, red tendrils wrapped around its legs—like pulsing blood vessels rooted into the ground. The earth itself had transformed, now a pulsating sea of crimson that expanded toward it like a living organism.

Blacklight Virus.

From the moment Mo Chen had stepped onto the battlefield, he had seeded the virus into the environment. Within mere minutes, it had propagated across a ten-kilometer radius.

The Blacklight Virus was a monstrous entity. It could infect not only organic lifeforms but inorganic material as well—metal, soil, anything within reach. Its corrosive capabilities were unparalleled.

Though it might not reach the multidimensional devastation of the Punishing Virus, it far surpassed the Rapture Virus in its capacity for destruction. After all, the Blacklight Virus was engineered as a weapon.

Chatterbox thrashed violently, but the more it struggled, the tighter the tendrils wrapped around it. Its brute strength couldn't match the rapid growth of the viral strands.

Its only hope lay in high-energy particle cannons, capable of breaking the tendrils with extreme heat. But there wasn't enough time.

Amid the encircling Raptures, Mo Chen calmly approached Chatterbox. He raised a hand, and crimson threads snaked forward, climbing onto the struggling behemoth.

Infection.

The Blacklight Virus wasn't working alone—Mo Chen had also unleashed the Punishing Virus. Like its counterpart, it could infiltrate, consume, and mutate biological and mechanical components alike. Even if it couldn't entirely overtake Chatterbox, it could transform its inorganic body into a puppet, bending it to Mo Chen's will.

"Wait! Wait! Don't kill me! We can work together! I have what you need!" Chatterbox shrieked in desperation. Its roars, once filled with ferocity, were now laced with pure terror. It writhed futilely against the tendrils that coiled tighter, encasing it fully.

Mo Chen wasn't swayed. Chatterbox's pleas were nothing more than deceitful noise.

Gradually, its struggling ceased.

Had it given up?

No.

Mo Chen's eyes narrowed. Something was wrong.

Suddenly, Chatterbox's body erupted in a violent explosion. Flesh and machinery splattered everywhere, scattering fragments of Blacklight Virus-infected tissue.

Within the blazing flames, Chatterbox's missile turrets on its back launched several rockets, streaking through the air with fiery tails aimed straight at Mo Chen.

The missiles were incredibly fast, and Mo Chen, being so close, had no room to fully evade without being caught in the ensuing explosions.

Chatterbox was desperate. Even if it meant death, it intended to drag Mo Chen down with it.

However, what Chatterbox didn't know was that Blacklight Virus, in its advanced stages, rendered its host immune even to nuclear strikes.

At the same time, five kilometers away from the outpost base, a silent observer stood watching the battle.

It was Harran.

A pilgrim, Harran belonged to the Inherit Squad, a group of Nikkes fighting Raptures on the surface.

Pilgrims represented humanity's hope to reclaim the surface, yet paradoxically, they were also humanity's greatest threat.

"What… is that?"

Harran's voice trembled with disbelief.

Minutes earlier, she had detected a massive gathering of Raptures and decided to follow them to investigate the situation. What she found was a clash between two unknown entities.

The reason she referred to them as "entities" was simple—one of them defied all categorization.

While it looked human, it wielded abilities strikingly similar to those of Heretics. On top of that, its combat capabilities were terrifying.

Strength unmatched, speed unparalleled, and defenses seemingly impenetrable. To make matters worse, it could control Raptures.

Chatterbox, an infamous Tyrant-class with overwhelming power, was struggling and retreating like a ragdoll in the face of this overwhelming opponent.

"Could it be… a newly emerged Heretic?"

A chill ran down Harran's spine.

Heretics were the elite forces of the Rapture Queen's army, created from Nikkes who had betrayed humanity. Yet, this being was unmistakably male.

The more Harran watched, the deeper her shock grew.

The opponent's strength had surpassed even that of Tyrant-class Raptures. Chatterbox, a foe she would struggle to contend with herself, was being pummeled mercilessly.

The combat techniques this person employed were unlike anything she had ever seen before.

For now, she couldn't determine if the individual was friend or foe.

But her instincts screamed at her.

This figure, if left unchecked, could very well become the most dangerous enemy not only to Eden but to all humanity.

She had to act.

Reporting this back to Eden was out of the question—the distance was too great, and time was of the essence.

At that moment, Harran noticed the man summoning an even greater horde of Raptures than Chatterbox had. This clearly indicated a connection between him and the Raptures.

From his actions, it was apparent he intended to absorb Chatterbox.

Heretics often consumed their kin, an act that frequently resulted in significant power increases.

Dangerous. Extremely dangerous.

Harran tightened her grip on her sniper rifle, steadied her breathing, and aimed the weapon directly at Mo Chen's head.

This was the moment when he was most vulnerable—engrossed in absorbing Chatterbox. For Harran, it was the perfect opportunity.

Her finger lightly brushed against the trigger.

For the safety of Eden and humanity, all threats had to be eliminated before they could fully manifest.

NOTE: Tomorrow, there will be just one chapter released!