That afternoon, Ingrid prepared to leave on the transport aircraft.
It was said that Syuen had strongly insisted on leaving.
However, Syuen did not show up in person. She seemed genuinely afraid of Mo Chen and had boarded the transport aircraft early.
As part of the exchange to retrieve Syuen, Mo Chen made several demands from the Ark, including supplies, weapons, and, most importantly, construction engineers.
He didn't want to wake up one day buried under rubble.
Ingrid agreed to everything.
This even made Mo Chen feel a little embarrassed. He had deliberately made unreasonable demands, not expecting her to actually comply.
So, he tried to keep Ingrid around a bit longer, inviting her to join the celebration.
Of course, he was hoping to squeeze out a little more.
Whether Ingrid saw through his intentions or not, she politely declined Mo Chen's offer.
This left Mo Chen slightly disappointed.
"I'm curious," Ingrid suddenly stopped, turned around, and fixed her gaze on Mo Chen. "What exactly did you do to Missilis's Nikkes?"
She was referring to the squad that Syuen had brought with her.
Just earlier, Ingrid had planned to take them back to the Ark, but those Nikkes unanimously refused, choosing instead to stay at the outpost base.
This deeply shocked Ingrid.
At first, she suspected Mo Chen had coerced them.
However, after questioning them, it became clear that the Nikkes had stayed of their own free will, with no signs of being threatened.
This infuriated Syuen. Reports said that she threw a tantrum before leaving, cursing and venting her frustration.
But she ultimately had no choice but to endure it.
Mo Chen smiled lightly.
"Maybe they just wanted a paid vacation."
As workers, slacking off seemed like a perfectly reasonable explanation, right?
Ingrid gave Mo Chen a long, meaningful look and said, "Looks like I'll have to keep a closer eye on my subordinates. I wouldn't want them to be tricked by some shady character."
"Don't worry about it."
Before Ingrid left, Mo Chen had one last question for her.
And it seemed Ingrid already knew what he wanted to ask.
"You're wondering about Syuen's sentence, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"I did it on purpose."
"Huh?"
"The judgment about turning Syuen into a Nikke—it was fake. I lied to her."
Mo Chen froze for a moment. Wasn't that just like Enikk?
He could hardly believe that the dignified and capable Ingrid was capable of such deception.
"Syuen has been acting recklessly and has become completely uncontrollable. If we allowed her to continue, it would have caused irreparable damage to the Ark."
Ingrid's expression turned serious as she continued.
"This was meant as a warning to her."
In truth, Syuen's actions weren't a one-time occurrence. She had been stirring up trouble for a long time, earning the resentment of many.
Ingrid paused briefly before adding another question.
"But what I'm more curious about is—how did you do it? Syuen has never acted this…" Ingrid carefully chose her words. "Unhinged."
"Maybe she just wanted to turn over a new leaf," Mo Chen replied with a laugh, brushing it off with a casual excuse.
Ingrid gave him another long, thoughtful look before leaving him with a parting remark as she boarded the transport aircraft.
"Keep an eye on the Ark."
Watching the aircraft disappear into the horizon, Mo Chen kept mulling over Ingrid's words.
Keep an eye on the Ark?
Mo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
Was someone in the Ark planning to make a move against him?
To celebrate the recent victory in battle and to reward everyone's efforts, he decided to host a celebration.
Anyone who has played games knows that events like banquets are great for raising favorability.
The outpost was decorated with lanterns and festive ornaments, filled with a joyous atmosphere, almost like celebrating the New Year.
The mass-produced Nikkes had been deployed on the frontlines since they were created, knowing nothing but guns and cannons. They were practically pure and innocent.
Seeing their clear eyes, untouched by knowledge, Mo Chen couldn't resist personally stepping in. After all, he had to ensure the New Year's Gala wouldn't turn into a full-blown war assembly.
Since this was the first time hosting such an event, it was natural for things to be a little awkward and uncoordinated at the start.
Mo Chen gave hands-on guidance—explaining methods, discussing techniques, and highlighting key points.
The focus was on practical demonstration and instruction.
The Nikkes blushed, some acting shy and hesitant.
But their enthusiasm didn't wane; they remained eager and proactive.
Before long, Mo Chen didn't even need to step in—they took the lead and organized everything themselves.
This left Mo Chen marveling at their dedication. It was as if the Nikkes had been parched for years, finally receiving nourishment. They had endured so much over the years.
And don't misunderstand—they were simply preparing for the celebration.
They hung lanterns, made dumplings, pasted couplets, boiled sweet rice balls, and even prepared hotpot.
The theme was inclusivity—mixing everything together into one big feast.
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
In the vast wilderness, a group of Nikkes found themselves surrounded by Raptures, their situation growing increasingly dire.
Bang! Bang!
A series of crisp gunshots rang out.
The Raptures lunging at the Nikkes were shot down one by one, collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
The shooters were Ludmilla and Alice.
Ludmilla stepped forward, and the rescued Nikkes quickly gathered around to thank her.
"Thank you so much for saving us."
The Nikkes were in poor condition—their bodies damaged, limbs and torsos showing clear signs of wear and mismatched parts from replacements.
They were battered and weathered, clearly lacking proper maintenance. Even their identification tags had been removed.
Ludmilla holstered her gun and gave them a gentle smile.
"Guiding lost lambs and rescuing those trapped in harsh lands—this is our duty."
The rescued Nikkes were stunned upon hearing her words.
"You are... the Queen of Snow?"
They had heard rumors that in this frigid land, there was a Queen of Snow who rescued Nikkes trapped in desperate situations.
Ludmilla carefully examined the group of Nikkes.
"Why are you here? This is the most dangerous, frozen zone."
The lead Nikke seemed a little embarrassed.
"Actually, we didn't want to come this way either, but if we want to reach Gensokyo, this is the only route."
"Gensokyo?"
Ludmilla looked confused.
It was the first time she had heard this name.
She had been in this area for years, yet she had never heard of a place called Gensokyo.
The lead Nikke let out a small "ah" as if suddenly realizing something.
"Gensokyo is just a name we made up for it. It's actually the outpost."
"The outpost?"
Ludmilla's confusion only deepened.
"Why would you call it that?"
As far as Ludmilla knew, the outpost was situated between the Ark and the surface—a forward base for resisting the Raptures.
After years of war, it had long been reduced to ruins, a desolate wasteland on the brink of collapse.
Why would such a place be called Gensokyo?