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

"Boom, boom, boom—!"

Debris flew in all directions.

Ruined structures crumbled as walls burst apart.

Chatterbox's massive body smashed through several layers of debris and crashed into a giant boulder, finally coming to a stop.

A long trench scarred the earth where it had tumbled.

It shook its head, still dizzy and disoriented: the last punch had sent it reeling.

"What the hell…?" It growled, realization dawning.

This human's strength… it surpasses even its own!

"Roar—!"

Chatterbox let out an enraged roar, gripping its severed arm. With a violent yank, it tore off the remaining stump at the shoulder, spraying blackened blood in all directions.

Before the last droplets hit the ground, the gory wound was already knitting itself back together.

Within seconds, a brand-new arm emerged from the tangle of regenerating flesh and machines.

Such was the grotesque regenerative ability of a Rapture.

But Mo Chen wasn't about to let it recover.

Hot on its heels like a relentless predator, he pursued Chatterbox with single-minded focus.

Frustrated by the human's unyielding attacks, Chatterbox bellowed in rage. Its patience had worn thin.

With a thunderous stomp, its massive body rocketed forward like a missile, charging straight at Mo Chen.

Blinded by fury, it ignored all strategy or caution.

"I'll tear you to pieces, human!"

Just as Mo Chen had hoped.

Like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, he shot toward Chatterbox.

In the blink of an eye, the two clashed mid-air.

Chatterbox's hideous maw stretched wide in a triumphant sneer. Flames erupted from its fists as it leapt high into the air, fists blazing like comets.

The ground beneath scorched black.

Abandoned vehicles melted into pools of molten steel under the searing heat.

But Mo Chen wasn't fazed.

His auto-dodge chip activated instantly. Effortlessly, he sidestepped the inferno.

Like a ghost weaving through fire and smoke, he broke past every layer of defense and appeared in front of Chatterbox.

For a brief moment, Chatterbox faltered.

The sight before it was terrifying: Mo Chen's flesh scorched black and charred, skin carbonized in some places—yet he kept coming.

This human was insane!

Before Chatterbox could react, Mo Chen delivered a devastating punch to its midsection.

"Bang—!"

The sheer force of the blow bent Chatterbox's hulking frame into a crescent.

It spat a mouthful of blackened blood.

"Arrgh—!"

Seizing the opportunity, Mo Chen unleashed tendrils from his arm, wrapping around Chatterbox's massive limbs.

With an inhuman roar, he swung the towering beast like a ragdoll, slamming it into the ground with earth-shattering force.

"Boom—!"

The ground split open from the impact.

Mo Chen's right hand shifted into a hammer-like fist, which crashed down on Chatterbox without mercy.

"Thud—!"

More black blood spewed forth.

Chatterbox roared in agony and fury.

It pushed back, breaking free from the ensnaring tendrils with a desperate surge of strength.

Its remaining arm charged with energy, the particle cannon roared to life.

"I'll kill you, human!"

The cannon unleashed a searing blast of energy, but Mo Chen danced around the beams like a shadow, his movements ghostlike and untouchable.

The Blacklight Virus had enhanced not only his strength but his speed to terrifying levels.

Within seconds, Mo Chen was airborne above Chatterbox, his right arm morphing into a razor-sharp blade.

Then, he dove.

A crimson streak cut through the air.

"Slash—!"

Blood erupted like a fountain as the blade carved through Chatterbox's chest.

Its guttural roar of pain echoed across the battlefield.

Tendrils erupted from Mo Chen's arm, embedding themselves deep into Chatterbox's writhing body.

"Perish!" Mo Chen roared.

The tendrils expanded like a network of scarlet spikes, piercing through Chatterbox's body from within.

"Grahhh—!"

The monstrous Rapture's steel-like flesh buckled under the relentless onslaught, riddled with holes from the inside out.

Even as its body convulsed and black blood gushed in torrents, Chatterbox's unparalleled regenerative ability kicked in, its wounds knitting together before Mo Chen's eyes.

It coughed up blood as it reached out its massive hand toward Mo Chen.

The grotesque roar reverberated through the air.

At such a close range, it seemed as though with just a little more effort, it could crush Mo Chen into pulp!

Yet, Mo Chen let out a sharp yell, transforming the blade on his arm back into a fist and unleashing a charged punch.

Weak Point Piercer!

The energy from his fist surged forward, a devastating force akin to a raging flood!

"Boom—!"

The flesh and bone of Chatterbox's colossal frame exploded under the sheer power.

The towering, multi-ton behemoth was launched into the air as if weightless!

Mo Chen leaped after it, appearing high above the airborne Chatterbox. With a swift downward kick, he sent it crashing back down to the earth.

"Boom!"

The impact carved a massive crater into the ground.

At that moment, Mo Chen felt an invincible surge of power coursing through his body. Like a force of nature, unstoppable and overwhelming, he was experiencing a euphoric high unlike anything before.

Reaching the eighth level of the Blacklight Virus upgrade was no trivial feat.

In other worlds, achieving such a level would demand extraordinary effort—thousands, even tens of thousands of lives would need to be absorbed. Such an undertaking would not only defy moral reasoning but also stretch one's capabilities to the limit.

Yet here, amidst the chaos of this world, he had surpassed that boundary.

At level 8, the battle had become one-sided.

The thought of what a fully maxed-out Blacklight Virus might bring sent a chill down even Mo Chen's spine.

Standing atop a crumbling skyscraper, he addressed Chatterbox, whose body was mangled and leaking black blood.

"Was it you who led the attack on the outpost base?"

Chatterbox, coughing up more black blood, sneered back at Mo Chen, though its gaze betrayed fear and disbelief.

Was this even a human?

"Hah… hahahaha… if you mean those Nikkes, then yes. Heh, they tasted far better than humans!"

Mo Chen's expression darkened as he nodded slightly.

Then you're as good as dead.

With that thought, he disappeared, reappearing as a blur of motion charging toward Chatterbox.

Now, there was no reason to let it live.

"Roar—!"

Suddenly, Chatterbox let out an ear-splitting roar, sending shockwaves that kicked up fierce winds.

The airborne Mo Chen momentarily stalled mid-motion.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—!"

A cacophony of buzzing sounds filled the air as countless Raptures emerged from all directions—above ground, underground, and from the skies.

They swarmed toward Mo Chen like a living tidal wave.

Among them were a significant number of Servant-class, Master-class, and even seven or eight Lord-class Raptures.

Looking around, Mo Chen found himself encircled by an unending sea of Raptures.

Clearly, Chatterbox had summoned them!

"Human, you're strong, but next time, you won't be so lucky."

Chatterbox sneered, its sharp-toothed grin dripping with malice and faint fear.

It issued orders to the Rapture army to attack Mo Chen while attempting to sneak away.

This opponent was far too dangerous. Chatterbox's instincts screamed at it to retreat and report this to the Queen.