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

Rapi immediately sensed Mo Chen's gaze and quickly turned away, her ears burning red. Deep inside, she regretted listening to Anis—who had told her that this kind of lingerie was more likely to make someone's heart race.

Thinking back to Mo Chen's expression just now...

The Commander... probably liked it, right?

"Hmph—!"

Just then, Mo Chen heard a cold snort. He turned his head and saw Eunhwa standing there with a stern expression. Just as he was about to greet her, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving only the back of her head for him to see.

Mo Chen was speechless.

What was with her? He hadn't done anything to provoke her this time, had he?

Regardless, he had decided—it was time to head to Eden. No matter what, he had to see for himself.

He knew that Dorothy didn't come looking for him just to say thank you. There had to be another reason.

That said, he had already planned to go to Eden in search of clues about the cure. Now, the opportunity had presented itself.

But before that, he had another matter to take care of.

Dealing with Indivilia.

Mo Chen neither killed her nor imprisoned her. Instead…

"You're letting me go?"

In a dimly lit room, Indivilia sat curled up in the corner, barefoot, her face slightly pale. When she heard Mo Chen's decision, she couldn't believe her ears.

From her perspective, even if he didn't send her to the Ark for dissection and research, he would at least imprison her—turn her into nothing more than a breeding machine, condemned to live forever in some dark, sunless dungeon or hidden corner of the world.

Even if he had chosen to simply kill her, she wouldn't have been surprised.

"Yeah. You're free to go."

Mo Chen gestured toward the door, making a polite "please" motion.

The room was heavy with a putrid, lingering stench—like the scent of death, decay, and something rotten.

"Why? What's your scheme?"

She didn't immediately flee. She didn't even stand up. Instead, she cautiously moved her legs backward, putting more distance between them while keeping a wary eye on Mo Chen.

From the memories she had absorbed from the Nikkes, she knew that humans had no shortage of psychopaths. Some found pleasure in tormenting their victims—letting them think they were free, only to kill them at the moment they turned their backs, savoring the shift from hope to despair.

Aside from that, she couldn't think of any other reason for his actions.

Suddenly, Indivilia stood up abruptly, took a few steps forward, and a thought flashed through her mind.

"Your real target… is the Queen, isn't it?"

That had to be it.

Her mind raced.

By using her body, Mo Chen could get close to the Rapture Queen. Then, the virus in her body would activate at just the right moment, infecting the Queen and potentially turning her into another victim of the Punishing Virus.

Indivilia's seductive face turned cold in an instant. Her crimson eyes locked onto Mo Chen.

"If you think you can use such cheap tricks against the Rapture Queen, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I've never even seen the Queen before. I don't know what she looks like, and I've never even heard her voice."

Hearing this, Mo Chen realized she had misunderstood him entirely.

He couldn't help but chuckle: she was overthinking it.

He simply wanted her to bear his child.

There was no other motive.

However, hearing her say that stirred something in Mo Chen's mind.

If this really was a viable way to defeat the Rapture Queen—or even just to locate her—it would be an incredible breakthrough for him.

After all, as long as he could find her, everything else would fall into place.

Additionally, another thought surfaced in Mo Chen's mind.

If he remembered correctly, in the original storyline, Chatterbox had seen the Rapture Queen before. Not only that, but he had been saved by her. Unfortunately, Chatterbox was now nothing more than a severed head, and worse still, it had been taken by Crown. His fate remained unknown.

There was also one more person who knew the Rapture Queen—Flame Dragon, Nihilister.

Although Nihilister was one of the Queen's high-ranking legion generals, she was constantly scheming to overthrow her and take her place. Judging by the plot, she must have met the Queen before.

However, Nihilister's whereabouts were always unpredictable, and she had yet to make an appearance.

In the original story, her first recorded appearance had been near Eden, where she fought against its forces.

Mo Chen made a mental note—when he had the chance, he needed to ask Dorothy.

There was a good chance she might have some information on Nihilister.

Meanwhile, seeing Mo Chen deep in thought, Indivilia assumed she had guessed correctly. She turned around and retreated further into the darkened room, her posture as proud and regal as if she weren't a prisoner, but a noblewoman standing high above others.

Mo Chen snapped out of his thoughts and saw Indivilia returning to her corner.

"What are you doing?" he asked, puzzled.

Indivilia walked over to the crude straw bed, sat down, and adopted the posture of someone facing their execution.

"Do whatever you want," she said indifferently.

At first, she had considered making a desperate attempt to fight Mo Chen or escape.

But ever since he had shot something into her stomach, she had been feeling increasingly fatigued, her body weak and powerless. At times, she would even experience bouts of nausea, as if something was draining her energy away.

At this point, forget about fighting Mo Chen—she couldn't even take on a mere Lord-class Rapture.

Running away was an impossible dream. She had already resigned herself to her fate.

It was clear from her demeanor that she didn't believe a single word of Mo Chen's so-called mercy.

Mo Chen knew that no matter what he said, Indivilia wouldn't believe him. So, he couldn't be bothered to explain further. Waving his hand dismissively, he turned and left without looking back.

"Suit yourself. Leave if you want. If not, just stay here."

Truthfully, Mo Chen was serious about letting her go this time.

Yet, his good intentions were being taken for granted.

Of course, the more important reason was that if Indivilia stayed here in this desolate wasteland—where not even birds would pass through, let alone Raptures—then without absorbing any external energy, how was the baby inside her supposed to grow?

Naturally, he wasn't going to tell her that.

At the same time, Mo Chen wasn't going to let Indivilia run amok. He had placed restrictions on her body, preventing her from attacking Nikkes or absorbing their energy, ensuring she couldn't pose a threat.

Indivilia froze for a moment.

What did he mean by this? Was he really letting her go?!

Just as Indivilia was caught in doubt, Anis and Neon sneaked into the room, moving cautiously. The moment they realized Mo Chen wasn't there, they immediately puffed up with confidence and pointed at Indivilia.

"Hey, what did the Commander want from you? Who the hell are you?"

Being pointed at in such an arrogant manner made Indivilia frown with displeasure.

When had she ever fallen to the level of being questioned by a mere Nikke?

At any other time, she might have already made a move.

But she suppressed her anger.

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Of course, it has everything to do with me!" Anis placed her hands on her hips, a smug smile curling at the corners of her lips—like a crescent moon delicately drawn by an artist.

"I'm the Commander's girlfriend. He's already taken."

Neon immediately looked disgruntled.

"Hey, Anis! When did the Commander become your boyfriend?"

So, this was an interrogation, huh?

Indivilia's luscious lips curled into an amused smirk. Her eyes flickered with mischief as an idea formed in her mind.

"I am the Commander's wife. If anything, you two should be the ones leaving."

"Liar!"

Anis didn't believe a word Indivilia said. She pointed at her in defiance.

"There are plenty of people claiming to be the Commander's wife. Don't think you can just waltz in and take over like D did, like a cuckoo laying eggs in another bird's nest!"

Neon whispered beside her, "You used that idiom wrong."

"Does it matter? Don't interrupt."

"And anyway, if there's a girlfriend, it should be me."

"Says who?"

"Says the fact that I'm Master's disciple."

"Teacher-student relationships are outdated."

As the two of them bickered back and forth, Indivilia's lips curled into a cold smile. She then gently placed her hands over her stomach, and the smirk disappeared.

In its place was a serene, motherly glow—a softness tinged with happiness and shyness.

"I already have the Commander's child."

"WHAT?!"