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

Papillon was completely stunned by Mo Chen's insane plan.

"What—what about us? Won't we be caught in the blast radius?"

Mo Chen reassured her casually, "Don't worry. You'll be fine. Just focus on the mission."

What a blatant brush-off!

He was treating them like cannon fodder! Who the hell would believe that?!

"Yes, Commander!"

To Papillon's shock, the Nikkes in her unit responded in unison, firmly agreeing without hesitation.

She stood there, dumbfounded and unable to process what had just happened.

It took her a while to snap out of it, and when she did, disbelief washed over her.

Had Mo Chen brainwashed them or something?

How could they not see this was a blatant death sentence?

"We will complete the mission!"

The Nikkes saluted Mo Chen and shouted with conviction.

He patted one of the Nikkes on the shoulder and handed out the GANTZ suits.

"You've all done well so far, but I need you to push even harder. Don't worry—every effort you make will be rewarded. And in the near future, you'll thank yourselves for the decisions you made today…"

Of course, these weren't the same high-end suits as Alice's.

They were low-end versions with only about double the performance boost.

Still, even with lower specs, the sight of the suits was enough to boost morale.

The Nikkes were so moved by Mo Chen's words that some of them teared up.

No commander had ever spoken to them this way before.

For the first time, they felt warmth—like their lives actually had meaning.

Papillon: "?!"

They had definitely been brainwashed!

All it took was a few minor favors, and they were completely sold.

He was just feeding them lies dressed up as inspiring speeches. And now, his true colors were finally showing.

Mo Chen turned his gaze to her.

Seeing that she hadn't taken a suit, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong? Don't want it?"

Papillon feigned an innocent and nervous expression, speaking timidly, "Commander, I—I'm just a clerk. I've never been in combat before. If I go, I'll just drag everyone down."

"No worries."

Mo Chen laughed and waved it off.

"Everyone feels fear of the unknown. We all have a first time. Once you get through this, it won't be as scary anymore."

He leaned in slightly, smiling in a way that sent shivers down Papillon's spine.

"And who knows? You might even start to enjoy it."

Papillon, realizing her excuse didn't work, quickly tried another approach.

"But I'm really not ready yet! How about I stay back to provide support? I can watch how everyone fights and prepare myself for the next battle."

Mo Chen patted her shoulder, his smile not fading.

"You're not thinking of deserting, are you?"

Papillon's heart sank.

She had underestimated Mo Chen's ambition.

She never expected him to push her into a suicide mission so quickly.

What a hypocrite—pretending to be compassionate while being ruthless underneath.

"Of course not! Never!"

Papillon forced an awkward smile as her eyes darted around, trying to come up with an escape plan.

She wasn't here to die. Her mission was to gather intel, not walk into a death trap.

"Ludmila," Mo Chen called out. "What's the penalty for disobeying a commander's orders on the battlefield?"

Ludmila gave him a curious look but decided to go along with it, trusting his judgment.

"According to Ark law, any Nikke who disobeys orders during combat may be executed on the spot."

Executed on the spot?!

Papillon's face paled.

Even the most incompetent commanders she had encountered weren't this ruthless.

As if that wasn't enough, the whispers from the other Nikkes in her unit reached Papillon's ears.

"Who does she think she is? So cowardly."

"She's embarrassing us. I regret being in the same unit as her. What if people find out?"

"Exactly. She's ignoring the commander's orders after he saved her life? Ungrateful."

"She still has the nerve to eat the commander's food. If she's so scared, maybe she should stop eating too."

"Stay away from her. I don't want people to think we're friends."

"She's disgraceful. Doesn't she have any shame?"

"It's because of people like her that Nikkes are looked down upon."

Papillon was fuming.

A bunch of idiots! Couldn't they see they were being used as cannon fodder?! And yet they were still defending this bastard?

Were they blind?!

"Have you made up your mind?" Mo Chen asked with a friendly smile, pretending to be magnanimous.

"If you really don't want to go, I won't force you. Normally, disobeying orders means execution, but if you don't want to participate, you can leave."

Mo Chen's words immediately sparked reactions from the Nikkes.

"Commander is too kind."

"No way! She can't be let off so easily. This is a disgrace to all Nikkes."

"Exactly! What will others think of us?"

"If you had even a shred of shame, you'd just kill yourself."

Mo Chen almost shivered hearing their words.

The brainwashing effects of NIMPH were terrifying.

Their obedience to commanders was downright unsettling.

This only strengthened his resolve to find the cure and free the Nikkes from this conditioning.

Meanwhile, Papillon's face turned pale.

Faced with such overwhelming hostility, she had no choice but to give in.

"Commander, I was wrong."

Her heart boiled with rage, but there was nothing she could do.

They were thousands of kilometers away from the Ark, and the Rapture density around them was staggering.

Trying to make it back alone was nothing short of suicide.

"Admitting your mistake means you're learning."

Mo Chen reached into his bag and pulled out a nuclear bomb, handing it to Papillon with an almost fatherly smile.

"This nuclear bomb is for you."

Papillon's face went ghostly white.

A… nuclear bomb?!

Seeing her pale face and trembling legs, Mo Chen struggled to keep himself from laughing.

That's what you get for spying.

Daring to mess with me—this is your punishment.

But before she could even process what was happening, a piercing "buzz" suddenly echoed from the distance.

Raptures in the snow turned toward them.

They had been spotted!

Mo Chen's expression hardened as he shouted, "Prepare for combat!"

"Watch out—!"

A massive beam of crimson energy shot through the air, heading straight for their position!

Papillon stood frozen in its path.

The searing red light reflected in her eyes, growing larger and larger…