Kapitel 23: Chapter 23: What’s the Difference Between Silence and Getting Banned?

"They want to destroy us, right?" Anis muttered. "Send us up to the surface to quietly get rid of us?"

She looked more somber than ever.

"Destroy you?" Mo Chen was surprised. "Why would they do that?"

"Who knows," Anis exhaled sharply, stretching nonchalantly. "Mission failure, covering up secrets, silencing us because we're 'inconvenient'… maybe we upset someone by saying something they didn't want to hear. It happens all the time."

"After all, we're just tools. Not people. Who cares what happens to a tool?"

Her tone was casual, but her words made Mo Chen frown.

"You won't die."

He had known before that Nikkes had no rights, but hearing about arbitrary "disposals" made him grasp just how precarious their situation was.

Anis stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Haha, Commander, you're really good at reassuring people! What, trying to get us so grateful we'll throw ourselves at you? You're so sneaky."

"Uh… no need for that," Mo Chen replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Just then, Shifty's voice suddenly sounded over the comms.

Anis jumped up in alarm, nearly leaping out of her seat. "Hey, don't just start talking out of nowhere! You trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry, sorry," Shifty laughed, clearly amused. "I'm here as support for your new mission, so I thought I'd drop in."

"Also," she added, "if they wanted to destroy you, they could've done it here. No need to go through all the trouble of sending you to the surface, right?"

Anis: "…"

Rapi: "…"

Mo Chen: "…"

"You're really comforting, Shifty," Mo Chen said dryly.

Shifty's antics, though unexpected, lifted the gloomy mood.

Mo Chen could understand why Anis would feel the way she did.

Nikkes simply had no security.

If they were marked for disposal, that was the end of it. It was as if they weren't even considered people.

That was the root of the issue.

Mo Chen sighed.

No wonder Ark had so many "rebels." With a society like this, it was inevitable.

It became clear that the Ark wasn't a viable place for him to establish a base.

After all, Ark was the government's stronghold, and anything he planned would be subject to their influence.

And if he was serious about liberating the Nikkes, it would place him in direct opposition to them.

Still, he didn't regret it, because this was the path he was determined to follow.

If survival meant giving up his ideals, Mo Chen felt it would be no different from death.

It's like having an account—if you're too afraid of a ban to post anything, isn't it the same as already being banned?

The elevator wasn't just a path between the surface and the Ark; it was the central hub linking different regions. Built like a fortress, it was reinforced with steel and concrete, with internal steel structures supporting mounted turrets and high-energy weapons. In the event of a Rapture attack, the Ark's defensive grid would immediately activate.

But for now, Mo Chen and his team were just passengers.

Anis and Rapi chatted behind him as he skimmed his system notifications.

"Congratulations! For completing the rescue mission perfectly, you've been awarded 10,000 points, along with 10 random loot boxes."

"System Notification: Rescue mission complete."

"System Notification: New stage starting soon."

"Year XXXX. Military forces worldwide suffered heavy casualties. Defensive lines collapsed one after another under the Raptures' onslaught. Despite deploying every possible weapon, including mass-destruction devices, humanity could not stem the tide."

"With relentless Rapture attacks, the armies retreated; cities fell one by one, the battle lines disintegrating beyond repair."

"Humanity suffered unprecedented devastation from the Rapture onslaught."

"In this life-or-death crisis, you'll need a reliable shelter to survive the harsh winter ahead."

"Mission: Find a safe haven."

Entering a new stage, huh?

Mo Chen rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

For him, the system's timeline events were practically ancient history. Still, the mention of "random loot boxes" intrigued him.

What could be inside?

With a mix of curiosity and anticipation, Mo Chen opened the first box.

"Slightly sprouting potato (contains solanine; consumption can cause diarrhea, gastritis, and, in severe cases, death. Not recommended for use)."

Mo Chen: "..."

What the heck?

They could've at least given him an edible potato so he could roast it or something.

Unwilling to give up, he opened another one.

"W54 nuclear warhead."

Whoa!

Mo Chen was stunned.

Wasn't this that infamous "genius design" with a blast radius larger than its effective range?

Four-kilometer range, five-kilometer blast radius.

Most nukes are single-use, but this one practically ensures the operator is too!

He tossed it into his system backpack... better not accidentally blow himself up!

"Rose. A carefully cultivated flower known as a symbol of love. Ideal for romantic confessions."

A normal rose?

Trash.

To Mo Chen, roses didn't even look as nice as peonies.

"Unripe small melon."

Trash.

Not a fan.

"A pack of premium cola soda. Ultimate refreshment."

Trash.

It causes cavities.

The rest only got weirder—an endless bottle of liquor, a pack of spicy beef noodles…

Mo Chen sighed, feeling let down.

Was there no quality control for these loot boxes?

Losing hope, he opened another one.

"A slap."

What…?

Mo Chen blinked.

Did he read that right?

Opening a loot box and ending up with a slap?

Mo Chen, somewhat baffled, looked down at the description.

"Unrestricted range and defense-penetrating slap that deals psychological damage to the target. Can be used up to ten times, with a cooldown of one hour."

Mo Chen was stunned.

Unbelievable!

On the one hand, it's impressive that it bypasses any defense and distance. On the other hand, how much psychological damage could a slap even cause? It's not like a slap could kill, especially when facing Raptures.

With only one loot box left, he didn't have high hopes. He clicked on it casually.

"Weak Point Piercer: Ignores the target's defense, shields, and energy barriers, directly penetrating its weak point."

Mo Chen perked up. Now that was useful!

Raptures are mechanical constructs known for their tough armor as well as their firepower. Standard Raptures are relatively easy to handle with armor-piercing rounds. But against boss-level Raptures, which have thicker armor and strong defenses, you need heavy firepower to make a dent.

For tyrant-class Raptures, not only do they have high defense, but they're also shielded by energy barriers that must be broken before dealing damage.

Yet this Weak Point Piercer bypassed all that.