Seeing that her forceful attempts failed, Anis switched tactics, turning to a softer approach.
"Commander~~!" she drawled, elongating her tone while shaking Mo Chen's arm and pouting playfully.
"Let's swap places, okay? Look at this massive room—you can't possibly use all this space on your own!"
"No, I absolutely can."
"How can you bear to let your Nikkes live in such cramped, damp and miserable conditions while you have this luxurious space to yourself?"
"Sorry, I'm not part of the Animal Welfare Association."
"Come on, Commander! How about just a little swap?"
"No."
"Living in excessive luxury can lead to corruption. You don't want to risk divine retribution, do you, Commander?"
"…"
As they continued their playful squabble, the door suddenly opened. Rapi entered, her expression unusually serious.
"Commander, the situation at the outpost base may be worse than we initially thought."
Ten minutes later.
Mo Chen sat silently, frowning as he reviewed the report.
This was indeed a tricky situation.
Within the outpost base, the majority of Nikkes had unknowingly been influenced by Sin, losing their mental stability. With their minds compromised, they had lost the ability to fight, rendering them unfit for deployment.
The already sparse human presence at the base had dwindled further after the Sin incident, with most fleeing the area.
As for commanders?
Mo Chen was the only one left in the entire outpost.
Under normal circumstances, these challenges wouldn't be insurmountable.
With enough time, the defenses of the outpost could be reorganized and rebuilt.
However, as the saying goes, there's always no paper when you're in the bathroom.
Radar scans had detected movement 20 kilometers northwest of the outpost base.
"Raptures?"
Mo Chen's heart sank.
This timing couldn't be worse.
"Yes, Commander," Rapi said, summarizing the gathered intel and projecting it onto the large screen. "A large swarm, estimated between several thousand and up to ten thousand Raptures, is approaching from the northwest.
"They're expected to reach the outpost in about an hour."
An hour?
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
Even setting aside rallying personnel, there wasn't enough time to repair the damage Sin's attack had caused to the facilities.
"You've got to be kidding me. Tell me this is a joke?"
Anis slumped onto the couch, utterly deflated.
Coming to this desolate outpost with no decent food, water, or shelter had been bad enough.
But now, before even catching a break, they had to face off against an overwhelming horde of Raptures?
Thousands, if not tens of thousands of enemies.
Mo Chen's mind raced, frantically considering countermeasures.
Relying on the outpost's mass-produced Nikke forces for a defensive battle was out of the question—the resources would be drained in no time.
When he first arrived, he'd noticed signs of a recent major battle here.
By the usual patterns, Rapture attacks came in waves, often with months or even half a year between major incursions.
At most, small skirmishes with scattered Raptures occurred occasionally.
But now, mere days after the last assault had been quelled, another wave was already on its way.
The previous large-scale battle had taken place just a week ago, according to the logs.
And now, the numbers had more than tripled.
Considering the casualties and wounded from the last battle, plus the Nikkes who had been compromised by Sin, there were very few remaining fighters, most of them low-combat-capability mass-produced models.
Counting on them to hold off tens of thousands of Raptures?
It would be like trying to take off in an airplane inside a bathroom—doomed to fail spectacularly.
Anis, suddenly struck by an idea, leapt off the couch and sidled up to Mo Chen with an overly sweet smile.
"Commander, why don't we, uh, retreat? You know, strategically?"
Mo Chen: "…"
"Anis!"
Rapi's face darkened.
"Desertion—"
Before she could finish, Anis cut her off.
"Desertion is punishable by execution, yeah, yeah, I know."
Slumping back into defeat, Anis leaned against Mo Chen's chair, her face etched with despair.
"Commander, I don't think I'm going to make it this time."
Mo Chen tried to reassure her.
"Don't talk like that. You've made it through so many battles before, haven't you?"
But Anis remained despondent.
"Before it happens… could you grant me just one request?"
Her hopeful eyes locked onto Mo Chen, filled with quiet yearning.
"What's your request?"
"Listen carefully."
"I'm listening."
"My one and only wish—before I die—is to move into the Commander's quarters… Ow! Why'd you hit me?!"
"To wake you up."
A deep, resonating alarm echoed through the base, shattering their conversation.
The alert about the incoming Rapture swarm quickly spread throughout the outpost.
The base moved to Level One combat readiness.
Sirens blared.
Nikke squads assembled swiftly, ammunition was distributed, turrets, drones, and missile systems were prepped for action.
The wind howled, whipping up yellow sand into a choking haze.
From the horizon, a swirling wall of dust emerged, growing denser and darker, climbing higher into the sky.
Scarlet eyes pierced through the storm of dust.
A tide of movement followed, countless and overwhelming.
It was a massive Rapture swarm.
"Raptures spotted on the western front!"
"Raptures also approaching from the north!"
Shifty's voice relayed updates through the comms.
Due to the last battle, the outpost's power grid and radar systems had been severely damaged. The limited functionality of the radar made it reliant on Ark's data scans.
The operations room fell silent as everyone stared at the screen, crowded with countless red blips. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe.
"This… this is way too many!"
Anis gaped in shock.
The numbers far exceeded initial estimates.
"Hold the front lines and reinforce defensive positions! Particle cannons and high-explosive rounds on standby! Nikke squads to defensive structures on the western and northern fronts, awaiting further orders."
Mo Chen's calm, measured commands broke through the tension.
Electromagnetic cannons, missiles, and defensive towers stood ready.
"Warning! Alva particle concentration is rising significantly!"
Shifty's voice carried an edge of alarm through the comms.
"Concentration at 37.3%… now 47.7%… escalating to 64.4%…"
"Exceeded maximum safety thresholds!"
"Communications signal… experiencing… interference… Commander… Raptures on the wes—"
"Shhhrrkkk…"
The signal cut out abruptly.
Everyone froze.
Not only was communication disrupted, but radar functionality dropped by 90% due to Alva particle interference.
The outpost was effectively blind!
The situation turned dire.
"Commander."
Rapi's calm voice came from behind.
Mo Chen nodded slightly, understanding that relying on radar was futile. Waiting passively wasn't an option either.
"First and second squads, hold the western and northern fronts. Fourth and fifth squads, stay back as reserves. Seventh and eighth squads, remain mobile and prepared to respond."
"Yes, sir!"
"Open fire when the Raptures reach the five kilometer radius!"
"Understood!"
Mo Chen also deployed a small Nikke squad for reconnaissance to confirm the Rapture's advance.
Mass-produced Nikkes quickly mobilized, seamlessly executing their orders and positioning themselves in the preconstructed defensive structures.
They were battle-hardened veterans, their movements efficient and disciplined.
Mo Chen reviewed the situation report Rapi handed him, calculating their odds.
The outpost had eight Nikke squads, each with 100 mass-produced units—800 in total.
Each Nikke could eliminate an average of three Raptures under optimal conditions.
Against tens of thousands of Raptures, the numbers were crushingly disproportionate.
Even with the support of the outpost's artillery, it was nowhere near enough.
A heavy silence hung over the room.
Even Anis, usually full of quips and antics, was tight-lipped, her expression grim.
The coming battle was guaranteed to be brutal.
"Commander, what about us?"
Anis finally broke the silence, unable to contain herself.
"Not yet," Mo Chen said, waving her off. "Wait for the right moment."
Though confused, Anis trusted his judgment and backed down.
Time dragged on, each second stretching painfully as the tension in the operations room grew heavier. The quiet was deafening, broken only by the ticking of the clock.
Finally.
The Rapture swarm reached the five-kilometer mark.
The natural bottleneck between the mountains came into view—an ideal spot for the first clash.