Naga froze.
Shotgun shells rained down like a storm of metal pellets, but when they hit Tail Bone's armor, they only left faint dents and scattered sparks. Even the outer layer of the active defense system remained intact.
"Click, click, click—!"
She pulled the trigger again, only to hear the empty sound of the magazine.
"Damn it—!"
Naga hadn't expected her luck to be this terrible. Even on the surface, Master-class Raptures were rare, yet here she was, face-to-face with one.
At that moment, the Rapture's cannon locked onto her.
It's over. There's no time to escape.
Naga's eyes widened, the cold metallic barrel reflected in her clear pupils. Her shotgun hung limply by her side.
It seemed this was her end.
Strangely, a sense of calm washed over her. No fear. No panic. She simply waited for the inevitable.
"Boom—!"
A deafening explosion erupted, sending a violent gust of wind tearing through the area.
The force whipped Naga's hair wildly, lifted her skirt, and nearly blew her off her feet. Struggling to stay upright, she squinted through the chaos, trying to see what had happened.
A young man descended from the sky, like a god descending to the mortal realm. His movements were lightning-fast as he darted past Tail Bone. In the same instant, he fired multiple shots, each bullet finding its mark on the Rapture's core.
By the time he moved past Tail Bone, the Master-class Rapture erupted in flames, exploding into pieces.
It had all happened in just a few seconds.
Naga, still dazed, tried to get another look at him, but the figure was already hundreds of meters away. Along his path, the surrounding Raptures hadn't even had the chance to react before they were hit, bursting into fiery explosions one after another like a string of firecrackers.
She stood there, dumbfounded.
He came like the wind and disappeared just as quickly. These Raptures, which they had regarded as terrifying monsters, were so easily annihilated.
And it seemed... he was human?
Even someone as brilliant as Naga, the top student of her class, found herself unable to process what she had just witnessed.
Next to her, Tia seemed to understand. She grabbed Naga's hand, her voice filled with joy. "It's the Commander! The Star Commander!"
The Star Commander?
A name flashed through Naga's mind. She spun around to look in the direction he had disappeared, her heart pounding.
Could it really be him?
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield...
A film crew was stationed atop a high-rise building, capturing the scene.
"Quick, quick! Did you get it? Did you get it on camera?" The director yelled frantically, ignoring the danger posed by the Raptures nearby.
The cameraman kept the lens focused tightly on the young man as he moved through the swarm of Raptures, following his every move.
Originally, they were filming a music video for Noise's new album. When the Ark's alarms blared, they had planned to retreat. But after witnessing this extraordinary scene, the director made the bold decision to stay and record.
"This is incredible, absolutely incredible!"
The director could barely contain his excitement: this footage was gold!
For decades, the narrative of Nikke protecting humanity had dominated public consciousness. But over time, people had grown weary of it. Through deliberate manipulation by the Ark's leadership, public opinion had gradually turned against the Nikkes.
And now, this young man had shattered the image of humanity's weakness.
The director had a gut feeling: this footage would cause a massive sensation!
Noise, shocked by the director's recklessness, couldn't fathom what could drive someone to such lengths, risking life and limb.
Unable to contain their curiosity, she ignored the staff's attempts to stop them, grabbed a pair of binoculars, and looked toward the area being filmed. Through the lens, a familiar figure came into view.
Noise's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.
It's him?!
As the focal point of attention, Mo Chen remained oblivious to the hidden cameras documenting his actions. He continued advancing rapidly toward Royal Road, with countless Raptures inexplicably drawn to his presence, converging from all directions.
But Mo Chen wasn't fazed.
The more Raptures came, the more he killed.
By now, his boltgun had fired so many rounds that the barrel had turned red-hot. Yet, instead of its power diminishing, it only seemed to intensify.
"System Notification: The machine spirit is exhilarated! Armor penetration increased by 200%, explosive power by 300%!"
Could this be some kind of killstreak bonus?
The longer he wielded it, the more he appreciated its capabilities, unable to part with it.
While Mo Chen reveled in his slaughter, the trembling figure of Syuen clung tightly to his clothes. Her small, pale face was devoid of color, practically blending into the ashen environment, as if she might faint at any moment.
This guy is insane! He's completely lost his mind!
Charging directly into the densest clusters of Raptures? Who does that?
Syuen, never having encountered such chaos and carnage, was on the brink of losing her grip on reality. Her shrieks became louder with each passing second. And then it happened.
Mo Chen leaped—straight off a high-rise building.
It was a freefall, as if he were bungee jumping without a cord.
"Boom!"
With a single shot, he obliterated a self-destructing Rapture fly darting toward him mid-air. His sharp eyes locked onto the ground below, where a squad of Nikke soldiers was trapped, surrounded by Raptures. Among them was a familiar face.
Ingrid, the CEO of Elysion.
Syuen noticed Mo Chen's subtle shift in movement and felt a premonition of doom well up in her chest. Her hunch proved correct.
Mo Chen dove like a missile, his trajectory fixed on Ingrid's location.
"No! No! Noooo!"
Syuen's terrified screams echoed as Mo Chen plummeted like a supersonic projectile, his descent culminating in an explosive impact.
"Boom!"
Landing directly amidst the Rapture swarm, he created a devastating shockwave that sent the ground cracking apart.
Rocks flew, debris scattered everywhere!
Under the immense force of impact, the Raptures were torn apart, their bodies ripped into fragments, leaving the surrounding area completely cleared in an instant.
Mo Chen waved his hand, summoning a gust of wind that swept away the dust and debris.
The Nikkes around him stared at him in shock, their expressions akin to seeing a ghost.
Without paying them any mind, he walked straight toward Ingrid, stopping directly in front of her.
"Take care of this for me."
In his arms, Syuen had passed out. Thankfully, Mo Chen's Blacklight Virus provided a biological field, cushioning her from the impact. Otherwise, Syuen wouldn't just be unconscious—she'd be reduced to the same pulverized state as the Raptures around them.
Ingrid, ever the seasoned veteran accustomed to chaos, quickly suppressed her astonishment. But the moment she noticed Syuen in Mo Chen's arms, she froze.
Syuen was clad in nothing but an oversized men's shirt, its loose fabric revealing more than it covered. Her body was marred with bruises, especially in sensitive areas, and the bloodstains on her legs were particularly... suspicious.
Mo Chen noticed Ingrid's gaze and fell silent for a moment.
"She slipped while bathing," he said, his tone entirely unconvincing.
Ingrid felt her intelligence was being insulted.
Mo Chen coughed awkwardly, then lowered his voice. "Uh, let's not talk about this, okay?"
Even with Ingrid's level-headed demeanor and maturity, his blatant attempt to explain himself and the situation itself left her thoroughly stunned.
Her gaze toward Mo Chen subtly changed.
Still, this was clearly not the time to dwell on such matters.
She took the unconscious Syuen into her arms, then looked at him and solemnly said, "I'm counting on you."
Mo Chen merely smiled, said nothing further, and turned to sprint toward Royal Road.