Kapitel 61: Chapter 61: The Best Hunters Often Appear as Prey
Perhaps thinking that Mo Chen, as a human, posed no real threat—or simply not wanting anyone to interrupt their match—Eunhwa tacitly approved of Mo Chen locking the door.
Mo Chen put on the VR headset, connected to the Ark's network, and entered the simulation room.
The simulation room, a creation of the Ark's AI, Enikk, had originally been designed by Nikke engineers for training purposes. Enikk, finding it intriguing, improved and further refined it into its current state.
In the game version of this world, the simulation room was a routine activity for every player—Mo Chen included.
But here, the simulation room was entirely different from its in-game counterpart.
In the game, it was simply an FPS shooting mini-game.
In this world, however, the simulation room resembled a real-time strategy (RTS) game where troops were deployed and managed.
The battles involved commanding identical Nikke units to face off against identical Rapture forces.
Scoring was based on several factors: the number of Raptures eliminated, the time taken, and the casualty count of the Nikke units.
Faster completion, higher enemy kill counts, and minimal Nikke losses yielded better scores.
This version of the simulation room aligned much better with the storyline's original concept. After all, simulations wouldn't just have commanders crouching behind cover, aiming and shooting, would they?
As Mo Chen connected to the simulation room:
"Simulation will begin shortly. Please confirm."
Before Mo Chen could say anything to Eunhwa, she decisively pressed the start button.
Meanwhile, outside the commander's office...
Anis and Neon lurked near the door, whispering as they peeked around suspiciously.
"What do you think the commander and Eunhwa are doing in there?"
"It's been hours now."
"They're acting all secretive."
"Exactly. They're not even telling us anything."
"Do you think...something's going on between them?"
"No way! Eunhwa is like an ice block—cold and stiff. Who could stand that?"
"True."
"Wait, but what if the commander's tastes have changed?"
"That's impossible. The commander has better taste than that."
"You never know. Besides, it was Eunhwa who called him in. What if she's one of those people who seem cold on the outside but is actually...really good at pretending?"
"Hmm, can't say for sure."
"The best hunters often appear as prey."
"That doesn't make sense. Eunhwa doesn't look like prey at all."
"I meant the commander."
"...?"
"I can't take it anymore!"
Anis, unable to hold back her curiosity any longer, decided to force—uh, "knock" on the door.
The door suddenly opened by itself.
Anis and Neon, who had been sneaking towards it, froze in their tracks.
Out of it stepped a pale, disheveled girl, her face devoid of life and her eyes hollow. She shuffled forward with unsteady steps, her hair hanging down like a ghostly veil, giving the eerie impression of a specter drifting aimlessly.
Anis yelped in fright.
It was Eunhwa.
Usually sharp, composed, and impeccably styled, Eunhwa now looked utterly undone, as if she had just undergone a soul-crushing ordeal.
Following her came Mo Chen, scratching his head in resignation.
"I told you, didn't I? You shouldn't have insisted on playing against me."
Eunhwa had skill, no doubt about it—her mastery of troop coordination, tactical planning, and overall execution was impressive. It was evident she had practiced countless times and was likely one of the top graduates in her class at the academy.
Unfortunately for her, she was up against Mo Chen.
Mo Chen had been playing RTS games since childhood, starting with classics like Red Alert, progressing to Age of Empires and StarCraft. His skills were honed to perfection, earning him the rank of Grandmaster on global leaderboards at one point.
Beyond that, he loved studying real-world military strategy, from the guerrilla tactics of the Anti-Japanese War to the maneuvers of the Chinese Civil War. Participating in online forums and discussions only deepened his understanding of battlefield dynamics.
And let's not even get started on his familiarity with the Nikke game's simulation system—he could practically clear it blindfolded.
Facing Eunhwa was a classic case of a lion against a cub.
In their first match, she lost, chalking it up to a mistake. Determined to redeem herself, she started a rematch, doubling down on caution and precision. But she lost again.
Eunhwa was dumbfounded.
It was as though Mo Chen could see through her every move. No matter what strategy she deployed—be it flanking, baiting, or a two-pronged assault—his units would inexplicably appear behind hers, dismantling her plans with devastating precision.
Grinding her teeth, she cursed his "outrageous luck" and tried once more. This time, she scouted ahead, set traps, and launched daring ambushes, even deploying air raids.
Yet, the result was the same—defeat.
Mo Chen's counterattacks came at blinding speed, striking her weak points like clockwork.
"This can't be real!" Eunhwa muttered, frustration bubbling over.
Her missteps increased as her anxiety grew. Over the course of ten matches, her performances spiraled downward, culminating in some rounds where she was defeated in less than ten minutes.
By the tenth loss, she was so furious she nearly smashed her VR headset.
Mo Chen noticed her frustration and thought, You can't let a guest walk away like this. That would be bad hospitality.
To make things fair—or at least to soften the blow—he decided to let her win a match. After all, what's a game without a little give-and-take?
But Eunhwa wasn't fooled. She saw through his mercy instantly and erupted in rage, interpreting his gesture as condescending pity.
"Don't patronize me!!!" she roared, her voice practically shaking the walls.
The sheer volume left Mo Chen's ears ringing. Resigned, he toned down his strategies even more.
But the gap between their skill levels was as vast as a canyon. Even with him holding back, she struggled to keep up. Thirty consecutive losses later, Eunhwa finally snapped.
"I've had enough! Let's settle this with a PVP duel!" she declared, her tone brimming with indignation.
In a PVP match, both players commanded identical squads of Nikke units with mirrored stats, abilities, and equipment.
"Seriously?" Mo Chen raised a brow. "Isn't it about time we called it a day? Look, it's late. Let's go grab dinner. My treat."
"What's wrong? Afraid of losing?" Eunhwa sneered, her chin tilted upward in disdain.
Her confidence was almost tangible, as if she'd already won.
"Miss, please." Mo Chen sighed. "Trash talk won't work on me. You've just lost—what? Nearly thirty games in a row—"
"SHUT UP!" Eunhwa cut him off, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. "That was pure luck. Let's see how smug you are in a real duel!"
Amused by her fiery determination, Mo Chen chuckled inwardly.
She's certainly not giving up without a fight.
"Fine," he relented. "But don't cry when you lose. Again."
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SenatusTheta
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