NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52: Chapter 52: The Deceptive Nikke
After the three of them left, only Mo Chen and Sin were left on the entire road.
The surroundings were eerily quiet.
There was none of the bustling and vibrancy of the Ark.
What filled the air was the soft, howling wind and the loneliness that seemed to match it.
"Well..."
Sin's face was still flushed, looking like a young girl with a crush. She wanted to say something but hesitated.
Clearly, the story didn't unfold the way she expected.
Mo Chen stopped in his tracks.
"Alright, they've left. No need to keep pretending."
Mo Chen turned around, his gaze burning as he stared at the Nikke in front of him.
"Who exactly are you?"
Those words were like a thunderclap.
"Huh?" Sin froze for a moment, seeming not to understand what Mo Chen was saying. "What do you mean, who am I? I'm the assistant officer here at the forward base. Commander, are you okay? Are you tired? Should I arrange...?"
Click—!
Mo Chen's gun was pointed at her forehead.
"Deceiving the commander, luring superiors—according to the law, you can be executed on the spot!"
The gun was something Rapi had given Mo Chen for self-defense.
Of course, the small-caliber handgun was only effective for defense against people and Nikke, but useless against Raptures.
Now, it seemed, the gun was finally coming in handy.
The wind howled.
It kicked up the dust on the ground.
Dark clouds had appeared in the sky at some point, blocking out the sunlight, and the surroundings immediately darkened.
A cold wind blew, producing a rustling sound.
Sin's surprised expression gradually faded, and her gaze fixed on Mo Chen. Her innocent look disappeared, replaced by an amused smirk, her smile a little more sinister than before.
"Tsk tsk, the new commander actually has a brain," the Nikke said, her expression flipping like a switch as she returned to a sweet smile. "My dear commander, I'm curious, how did you figure me out?"
The sweet smile was as honeyed as it was poisonous.
"You want to take a guess?"
Mo Chen's tone was friendly, as though he were a big brother next door.
If it weren't for the gun in his hand...
At first, everything seemed normal. They were just talking about the difficulties of the forward base, and he hadn't suspected anything.
But later, Sin's words had intentionally or unintentionally started to focus on the commander, stirring up trouble between them, and Mo Chen felt something was off.
The later request made Mo Chen even more suspicious.
She had been leading them step by step.
Looking back, when they first entered the forward base, the stares from the other Nikke had been strange.
Of course, the most important clue was the system notification.
"System Notification: Mind affected by unknown energy."
"Punishing Virus defense automatically activated."
"Immunity achieved."
"Sigh, I really like this kind of type. Why can't you just pretend you don't know and obediently comply?"
Sin sighed, shaking her head, her brows furrowing as if she regretted something.
"I also like your type—always pretending to be innocent, but actually deceiving everyone. But, you know..." Mo Chen bared his teeth, pointing the gun at her, "I don't like being passive, and I certainly don't like being deceived."
"I didn't lie, oh. Those people—they were all willing. If you don't believe me, you can ask them."
"Sorry, I'm a pure love warrior. I don't like sharing."
"Commander, you've really caught my attention. You're handsome, and so dedicated... feels like I've won the jackpot."
"Won the jackpot? You're not even a lottery employee, so you think you'll win? Dear, you're dreaming."
"That may not be the case. Soon enough, you'll be just like the others, willingly..."
Seeing that she had been exposed, Sin dropped the pretense and revealed her fangs.
"You'll be with me!"
Sin's eyes suddenly widened, her pupils seemed swirling with colorful patterns that spun rapidly, like a gravitational vortex!
Those who are drawn to her will have their consciousness fall into an abyss with no bottom!
This moment came too fast!
Almost in the blink of an eye, Mo Chen stood there, motionless.
It was as if he hadn't reacted in time.
It's mine! A surge of joy flooded into Sin's heart.
It felt as if victory was already in her hands, her silver tongue worked yet again!
But the next moment.
"Ah—!"
A shrill scream echoed.
It was Sin who screamed!
Just as she used her skill, a sharp pain exploded in her eyes, as if they were being burned, and she immediately covered her eyes, letting out a miserable cry.
She collapsed to the ground.
Rebound!
The backlash of the Punishing Virus!
As one of the most powerful substances in the world of Punishing Gray Raven, the Punishing Virus had the ability to influence all things mentally.
Even the lowest tier of the Punishing Virus was not something a mere Nikke could resist.
Sin covered her eyes, writhing in agony on the ground.
She screamed repeatedly.
At that moment.
A low, sinister voice echoed in her ears, like a demon from hell whispering.
"What's wrong? Are your eyes hurting? They're so red. Seeing you in such pain, maybe I should just dig them out for you?"
Sin was shocked. She staggered backward, covering her agonizing eyes, barely opening her fingers to peek at the figure right in front of her.
Horrified.
"How could this be?!"
Since her creation, she had always had the ability to brainwash and manipulate others through her words.
With her persuasive speech, she could easily break through an opponent's defenses, causing them to lose their self-awareness and turn into puppets who willingly obeyed her commands.
Whether it was Nikke or humans, her methods had always been effective.
Yet now, her skill failed to work on Mo Chen!
"Don't want my help? You really don't trust me? How disappointing. I'm just a good young man with a heart full of loyalty, love for the party, and dedication, you know."
Mo Chen sighed, genuinely regretful that she didn't believe in him.
Sin gritted her teeth, unsteadily standing up. Her legs felt weak, and her eyes still throbbed with pain, like needles piercing through them. She struggled to open her eyes.
Through the small gap between her fingers, she could only make out a blurry silhouette.
And that nightmarish voice came again.
"The 'Real Kindness' squad, imprisoned in the 'Rehabilitation Center,' a place for heavy criminals."
Sin's pupils constricted slightly.
"Composed of experimental subjects from the Missilis Industry."
Mo Chen spoke slowly, unfazed.
Sin's eyes weren't just hurting; her head was spinning violently, and her body was losing control.
A sense of impending doom, one she had never felt before, began to spread deep within her.
How did he know about this?
"Sin, as a member of the 'True Kindness' squad, helped with 7 murders, 11 cases of arson, 18 instances of assault, 7 cases of smuggling, 38 frauds, and more."
Sin struggled against the pain, lifting her head. The light seeped through her fingers.
She vaguely saw Mo Chen's figure.
"You... how did you know..."
Such detailed personal information could only be found within Missilis Industry!