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

A few days later.

Mo Chen had assumed that Eunhwa wouldn't send any help, and as expected, she didn't come herself.

However, she did send a large transport plane.

The plane's hatch slowly opened.

Emma stepped out.

Mo Chen immediately walked over to greet her, but the first thing Emma said upon seeing him was, "Commander, did you offend Eunhwa?"

"Huh?"

"She was still angry before we left."

"That's impossible. I didn't do anything to provoke her."

"That's exactly why!"

"What?"

Emma leaned closer to Mo Chen, shielding her mouth with her hand, and whispered mysteriously.

"Actually, she has been worried about you all along, even if she doesn't say it. Lately, she's been going to the operations command every other day to check on you."

Mo Chen felt deeply moved.

Eunhwa—who appeared so cold on the surface—actually cared about him more than he had imagined.

"Then I'll have to thank her properly one of these days."

"And how do you plan to thank her?"

"Maybe invite her to a meal?"

Emma sighed, her expression making it clear she expected this response. She looked at Mo Chen with a mix of disappointment and frustration.

"Commander, are you pretending to be clueless, or are you really this dense?"

"Huh?"

"She violated orders to requisition this transport plane. If the Ark investigates, she'll be held accountable and could even face severe punishment."

"Wait, really?"

Mo Chen was startled. He had only thought she arranged the plane and hadn't realized she had done so without proper authorization.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Emma gave him a reproachful look, her tone tinged with exasperation.

"Of course it's serious. Eunhwa was even summoned by the Triangle squad for questioning. If it weren't for CEO Ingrid intervening, it could've turned into a huge mess."

Hearing that she was safe, he finally exhaled a sigh of relief.

If Eunhwa had been punished because of him, he would've felt unbearably guilty.

However, Emma's explanation made him realize that just treating her to a meal would be far too casual—or, rather, downright ungrateful.

But aside from a meal, he wasn't sure how else to thank her.

A gift?

He had no idea what Eunhwa liked.

"Take her on a date."

Emma offered a bold suggestion.

"What?"

Mo Chen, still deep in thought, froze and looked up at her in shock.

A date?

Eunhwa was usually so cold and aloof that it was hard for him to associate her with the concept of dating.

"Wait, a date is supposed to be for couples, right?"

Emma stared directly at Mo Chen, her expression turning unusually serious.

"Commander, do you seriously not know how Eunhwa feels about you?"

He didn't respond. He hadn't expected Emma to be so blunt, tearing down the wall of ambiguity with one sentence.

More than that, he had no idea how to answer her.

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Emma, realizing her words might have been too harsh, softened her tone. However, thinking of Eunhwa, she couldn't help but continue.

"I understand your position, Commander. The forbidden love between humans and Nikkes is frowned upon, and if you're hesitating because of that, it's understandable."

Romantic relationships between humans and Nikkes were strictly prohibited by the Ark. If discovered, the Nikke involved would be destroyed, and the human would face severe punishment.

Most humans viewed Nikkes as nothing more than tools to be used.

Emma spoke earnestly, "If you have feelings for Eunhwa, perhaps you could express them a little. She may appear cold, but she's actually a warm and approachable girl."

"But if you don't feel the same way, I ask that you cut off her hopes now to prevent her from doing something drastic in the future."

Faced with Emma's directness, he realized there was no point in pretending to be clueless. Doing so would only insult both their intelligence. He sighed helplessly.

"I understand."

To say he had no idea at all would've been a lie.

Mo Chen had asked Eunhwa for help so many times, and each time she had responded without hesitation.

On several occasions, she even took considerable risks.

Seeing that Mo Chen was now taking this matter seriously, Emma's attitude softened. Her beautiful face bloomed into a bright smile as she spoke cheerfully.

"If you truly understand, then I can be at ease."

"At ease?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I'm really curious about what the always-cold and aloof Eunhwa would look like when the Commander has her pinned beneath him. Would she still be as icy as before?"

Mo Chen: "…?"

Staring at Emma's delicate, smiling face, her eyes sparkling with teasing mischief like ripples on a spring lake, he froze, questioning if his ears were failing him.

"What did you just say?"

"Eunhwa is a good girl, Commander. You should cherish her."

"No, not that."

"She's easy to win over?"

"Still not that."

"I'll help you, Commander."

Mo Chen: "…"

Judging from Emma's sly smile and the way she covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, he immediately knew she was messing with him on purpose.

He hadn't expected Emma, who seemed as mature and alluring as a ripe peach, to have such a playful and mischievous side.

As if reading his thoughts, she smiled warmly.

"Don't get the wrong idea. Eunhwa and I are on very good terms. She's just not great at expressing her feelings, so I'm simply voicing what she wishes she could say."

Mo Chen didn't know how to respond to that.

At that moment, Ludmilla walked over, smiling faintly.

"Thank you for your timely support. It was quite a journey to get here from such a distance. Would you like to rest for a while?"

She had noticed Mo Chen and Emma talking for a long time and couldn't resist coming over to check on them.

Emma asked curiously, "You must be the queen of the Unlimited Squad, right?"

Ludmilla smiled. "No, that's just a nickname the others playfully call me."

Emma glanced at Ludmilla, then cast a meaningful look at Mo Chen standing nearby.

"I've heard about you."

She felt slightly uncomfortable under Emma's knowing gaze, but she didn't let it show.

"It's getting late, and Raptures are more active at night. Why not stay here for the night to rest and set off tomorrow?"

"There's no need. Time is tight, so we won't linger," Emma politely declined Ludmilla's offer and turned to Mo Chen. "Well, we'll be on our way."

Mo Chen nodded and didn't insist on persuading her to stay.

The Nikkes boarded the transport plane one after another.

Emma walked to the side of the transport plane, waving gently as she said goodbye.

"If you ever return to the Ark, you absolutely must visit us. Vesti's been pestering me nonstop to meet you."

Mo Chen nodded. "Of course, I will."

Just as she was about to board the plane, she seemed to remember something. Pausing mid-step, she turned around and said, "Oh, right, Commander, one more thing."

Mo Chen couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"

Emma smiled sweetly. "If I ever find out that you're toying with Eunhwa's feelings, only using her for your benefit… I'll kill you."

Her smile was as beautiful as a blooming peony, radiating sweetness that could melt anyone's heart. But those amber eyes carried a chill like eternal ice, exuding a deathly aura that pierced to the bone.

Mo Chen froze in place, a shiver running down his spine.

It felt… terrifyingly real!

The transport plane had arrived quickly, and it departed just as swiftly.

Before long, the massive aircraft, carrying hundreds—no, hundreds of Nikkes—disappeared into the horizon, along with the reconnaissance team personnel who were accompanying them.

Given the transport plane's formidable firepower, plus Emma and an elite squad of Nikkes onboard, there was no reason to worry about their safety.

If they didn't go looking for trouble with the Raptures, it was already a blessing. If Raptures showed up, they'd be walking straight into their doom.

Mo Chen finally let out a small sigh of relief.

At that moment, Ludmilla, standing beside him, turned her head and looked at him with surprise in her eyes.

"You've been toying with girls' feelings?"