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

"They're just a bunch of worthless Nikkes who can't even complete a simple task. What's the point of keeping such trash around? Hmph, if they pose any threat to the Ark, they should all be wiped out!"

Doban's eyes widened with fury, veins bulging on his forehead as he roared like a lion.

"Ridiculous! A pile of garbage cobbled together from spare parts dares to think of rebelling? Talking about freedom and equality—utter blasphemy!"

"This laughable appeasement policy has emboldened these pieces of junk to step out of line."

"And that so-called Commander—don't those idiots realize what he represents for the Ark?!"

"A human body possessing power surpassing that of a Nikke!"

"That is humanity's future, the hope of reclaiming the surface!"

"By any means necessary—kidnapping, coercion, poisoning, assassination—whatever it takes to bring him here. Even if the truth is exposed, his abilities alone could advance the Ark's technology by fifty years!"

Doban's tirade continued, his chest heaving and his face ashen, his bloodshot eyes filled with the ferocity of a beast ready to devour its prey.

"Send out the Perilous Siege forces! Cancel all their current missions and deploy them immediately to the Outpost Base. Within one month, no matter what it takes, I want Mo Chen captured!"

No one understood better than Doban the significance of a human with such extraordinary capabilities to the Ark.

Even if he were dead, they needed his body.

"Beep beep—"

At that moment, the communicator buzzed.

A video recording had arrived from the frontlines.

Doban suppressed his fury slightly and slammed the device to open the footage.

The video wasn't long, and the quality was poor.

Yet, Doban's expression instantly darkened as he watched, his mood plummeting like a stone into the abyss.

While political turmoil brewed within the Ark, on the other side, Mo Chen was dealing with an entirely different headache.

The good news was that the hundreds of rescued Nikkes had been safely sent away.

The bad news was that Snow White had fallen ill. 

Her condition was strangely similar to Alice's. However, unlike her, Snow White wasn't suffering from a persistent fever. On the contrary, her body was unnaturally cold—down to negative temperatures.

She was even beginning to freeze.

Oddly, despite her condition, Snow White didn't feel cold; instead, she complained of being hot, even trying to take off her clothes until Mo Chen stopped her.

These symptoms were indicative of severe frostbite.

In fact, she had begun to show signs of illness during the battle against the Land Eater, but her sheer willpower had kept her going.

After examining her, Mo Chen realized her condition bore striking similarities to Alice's.

But there was a problem: Alice's symptoms were caused by a flaw in her design. Snow White, on the other hand, was a fairy-tale model and shouldn't have similar issues.

Wait.

Mo Chen suddenly remembered.

Alice had also been initially designed as a fairy tale model. Could this mean the symptoms were a common defect in fairy tale-type units?

The resemblance was too close to ignore, and he couldn't help but suspect it.

But Snow White's suffering was undeniably real.

The group found an abandoned human settlement. Though it was long deserted, many of the rooms were still intact.

Snow White lay on a bed, her body radiating cold air. A thick layer of frost coated the room, despite the fact that it was early summer and the grass outside had grown over a meter tall.

Ludmilla placed the fuel canisters they'd scavenged in the room and lit a makeshift grill. The fire roared fiercely, but it was merely a drop in the ocean, unable to disperse the chilling aura emanating from Snow White.

"It's been several days now."

Ludmilla spoke with concern.

She had just lightly touched Snow White's hand, and a layer of frost had instantly formed.

Mo Chen was equally worried.

He had never encountered a situation like this before, not even the original game had anything like this.

Besides, in the original story, she was incredibly resistant to the cold—running around the entire northern tundra with just a heating blanket and shorts.

So why was she acting like a sickly old woman now that she was with him?

The day gradually turned to dusk.

As evening approached, he realized they hadn't eaten yet. He took out some meat, placed it on the grill, and prepared to cook it.

After all, since the fire was already lit, he might as well make the most of it.

"Sigh, who knows when she'll wake up."

"Food."

"Don't rush; it'll be ready soon. Hmm…?"

Mo Chen paused mid-reply, sensing something was off. He turned around and was met with Snow White's gaze.

She was awake.

"Meat…"

Her face was pale, devoid of any color, and she looked frail—but she wanted meat.

Mo Chen was speechless.

Thank goodness she's so greedy.

If she hadn't been, who knows how much longer she would have been unconscious?

However, it seemed to be a fleeting moment of clarity. Soon after, Snow White closed her eyes again.

Mo Chen realized the severity of the situation: Snow White's condition was so dire that even meat couldn't keep her awake!

At that moment, Snow White weakly spoke, as if summoning the last ounce of her strength to struggle out the words.

"Don't... eat it all behind my back… leave me… some."

Mo Chen: "…"

What should have been a heartbreaking moment left him at a loss for how to react.

This couldn't go on.

Mo Chen could feel that Snow White's condition was worsening.

Without delay, he retrieved a healing spray from his system inventory and moved quickly, pulling open her clothing.

Her mottled and damaged skin was immediately exposed.

Bullet holes, cuts, and impact marks riddled her body, along with numerous patched areas. The sight was shocking.

These were all scars left from fighting the Raptures.

For decades, Snow White had never received proper maintenance or repairs, surviving solely with her severely damaged body.

That level of tenacity even made him feel inadequate in comparison.

Time was of the essence.

Mo Chen began spraying the healing mist over Snow White's body.

In moments, the nanobots began their repair work.

The bullet holes slowly closed up, the scratches smoothed out, and the rusted, tarnished surface gradually returned to its original pristine white.

The Rapture components embedded in her body began to shed, as if undergoing a rejection process, revealing her tender, unblemished skin beneath.

Arms, legs, chest, and even more private areas.

Previously, Snow White's battered and incomplete form had left Mo Chen entirely unfazed. But now, as her body seemed reborn, her slender, adolescent figure unfolded like a masterpiece of art.

Even with Mo Chen's heart as firm as iron, he couldn't help but feel a momentary stir.

She was still just a young girl.

Even by today's standards, she would barely be considered a teenager.

Suddenly, he felt Ludmilla's gaze upon him. He quickly turned his head, coughing lightly.

"Uh… I don't think it's appropriate for me. You take over."

Ludmilla, worried about Snow White's safety, grew irritated at Mo Chen's hesitation and retorted sharply.

"At a time like this, you're worried about that?"