On their way, many of the Nikkes stationed in the base stopped to watch, their faces filled with astonishment as they looked at Mo Chen.
The outpost base was remote, and most of these Nikkes were mass-production models dispatched here shortly after being created. Their sole purpose was guarding and cleaning up after battles, so naturally, they didn't recognize Syuen.
They were only surprised that their commander seemed to be dragging a little girl.
But still, the commander could not possibly be wrong.
Yes.
If he was doing this, there must be a reason for it.
Syuen felt like she was an exhibit in a zoo, being watched like a monkey on display. Humiliation and anger swelled inside her, and she erupted in fury.
"What are you all looking at?! Just wait! I'll have you all killed—every last one of you!"
She struggled even more violently.
Mo Chen ignored her resistance, dragging her forward without a second thought.
"Is the commander really mad?"
Anis whispered quietly to Rapi beside her. "I've never seen him this aggressive before. And his hand…"
"This matter is to remain confidential to everyone."
Rapi clearly noticed it as well.
"Got it. Don't worry. My mouth is sealed tighter than a vault."
"..."
At the edge of the battlefield.
The area had only recently seen battle. Everywhere, there were remnants of destruction—broken walls, shattered debris, corpses, and scorched land stained with blood. In some areas, large swathes of dead Raptures were still visible, and the air was filled with the acrid stench of smoke and decay. Some of the bodies still seemed to smolder faintly.
Syuen froze as she took in the grim scene before her.
She had spent most of her time sheltered in the Ark's rear, working in research. When had she ever seen so many Raptures all in one place?
Even when she occasionally came to the front lines, she was always fully protected by Nikke squads, never in any danger.
"Oh, right," Mo Chen suddenly said, as if remembering something. He turned to look at Syuen, whose face had gone pale. "You know about how the Rapture virus can infect humans, don't you?"
Syuen shivered violently, her lips parting to hurl a curse.
That bastard!
Of course, she knew that.
Suddenly, she seemed to realize what Mo Chen was planning. She whipped her head around to glare at him, her face turning even whiter, and her eyes were now laced with genuine fear.
Mo Chen patted her head gently, pinched her soft cheeks with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and said:
"And you've heard about the cases of Raptures modifying humans, haven't you? If you're lucky, maybe you'll get to be one of them."
"Congratulations. This way, you'll get to observe the Raptures even more closely."
Observe your %&*%&…
Syuen had been about to let loose a string of curses again, but just then, a crab-like Rapture crawled slowly across their path.
The creature's grotesque body was topped with a human head.
Syuen froze completely.
Syuen's face turned red, then green, and finally pale as a sheet. Her expression crumbled as she let out a horrified scream.
After all the torment, Syuen's mental defenses completely collapsed, and she screamed in terror.
"No! I don't want to become a Rapture!"
Scrambling up from the ground, she fled in a panicked crawl, completely disregarding her dignity.
The thought of turning into one of those grotesque monstrosities made her skin crawl with disgust.
But she didn't even make it two steps before Mo Chen grabbed her by the collar and yanked her back. Syuen let out a short, sharp shriek as she stumbled backward, landing hard on her rear.
Mo Chen didn't forget to mock her further.
"Don't worry. When someone comes to ask, I'll tell them you bravely fell in battle against the Raptures."
This time, Syuen was genuinely afraid. Her wide eyes filled with terror, and she no longer had the strength to stand. She could only crawl away in panic, her voice trembling as she sobbed:
"Ahhh! No, please don't…"
Mo Chen walked forward, grabbed her by the wrist, and hoisted her up like she was weightless. Despite her wild thrashing and struggles, he dragged her toward the battlefield.
The area was littered with the remains of the previous fight—Rapture corpses strewn about like macabre decorations.
The hollow, lifeless eyes of the broken Raptures seemed to stare at Syuen like ghosts.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Syuen was hysterical, desperately trying to fight back. She clawed at Mo Chen's hand, kicked, and even bit him, but his grip was unyielding, like an iron vice.
With a thud, she was thrown onto the ground, landing painfully on her backside. For a moment, her vision went black, and she felt as though her insides had been rattled loose.
The battlefield around her was desolate and scorched, the earth blackened by fire and dotted with craters, debris, and broken Rapture parts.
"Well, good luck," Mo Chen said casually.
"No, no—don't go! If you dare leave me here, I won't let you off!" Syuen shouted, her voice shrill with panic.
"Oh, one more thing."
Mo Chen turned as if he had just remembered something. He pulled a submachine gun out of his system backpack and tossed it on the ground beside her.
"There. This is your gear. Now you can test its reliability firsthand. No one will disturb you—aren't you happy?"
Mo Chen was still merciful enough not to leave her completely unarmed.
After all, he wasn't a monster.
"Wait, wait…"
Syuen scrambled back to her feet, staggering and stumbling as she tried to follow him.
"Hm?"
Mo Chen turned around, watching her with an expression of mockery, as if enjoying the show.
"What's this, Miss Syuen? Are you trying to beg for mercy? Fine. If you kneel down and lick my toes, maybe I'll consider sparing you."
It was the exact same thing Syuen had said to him earlier.
She froze, her expression twitching. The words caught in her throat as anger flared, momentarily overpowering her fear. Her voice trembled with fury as she screamed:
"Me? Beg for mercy? Dream on! Don't think this will kill me! Once the Ark finds out—"
"Yeah, yeah."
Mo Chen cut her off mid-threat. "Don't worry. The Ark won't find out."
Her threats were no more intimidating than a baby waving a lollipop.
Why would he fear the Ark's wrath?
If he was scared, he wouldn't have taken the risk of liberating the Nikkes in the first place.
As he turned and began to walk away, Syuen clenched her teeth, still trying to sound tough. But when the buzzing hum of countless Raptures filled the air, she froze.
Turning back, she was met with a sea of crimson eyes glowing in the darkness.
Her composure shattered completely.
"Don't—don't go…"
But when she turned back around, Mo Chen was already gone, as if he had vanished into thin air.
And then, as if the demons of hell had awakened, countless shadowy forms emerged from the darkness.
Syuen's face turned as pale as a sheet of paper.
Her neck creaked like a rusty robot as she turned it stiffly, and her mouth trembled uncontrollably.
"Ra-Ra-Ra-Raptures!!!"
"Wait, come back here!"
"Ahhhhhhh, I won't let you get away with this!!!!"