章節 14: Chapter 14: Go Big or Go Home!
"Warning, massive energy detected!" Shifty's urgent warning crackled over the comms.
"It's going to self-destruct!"
A bright red glow enveloped the Black Smith, arcs of electricity crackling and dancing around its body with loud pops.
The explosive cannons at its sides began to emit a blinding light, pulsing like a heartbeat, on the verge of bursting.
A terrifying, invisible force spread out, kicking up a fierce wind.
Marian, Anis, and Rose were all too far from the Black Smith—there wasn't enough time.
It was about to explode.
In that dire moment, a red silhouette burst out from the swarm of Raptures, cutting down several as it sprinted toward the Black Smith.
It was Rapi!
She was the closest to the Black Smith.
Mo Chen quickly realized her plan and immediately ordered the Punishing-infected Raptures to cover her path, shielding her from incoming bullets.
Within seconds, Rapi reached the Black Smith.
She stepped on a Rapture's back, leaping into the air. Grabbing onto the Black Smith's massive cannon arm, she swung herself up with agility, landing on its top.
Rapi raised her gun and opened fire.
"Rat-a-tat-tat—!"
Bullets poured out.
Sparks flew!
The outer shell of the Black Smith shattered.
"Not enough time!"
The Black Smith was seconds away from detonation!
In a last-ditch move, Rapi tossed a bomb onto the glowing core!
"Boom—!"
An earth-shattering explosion erupted!
The Black Smith's head split open, a mushroom cloud rising into the sky.
Shrapnel flew everywhere.
The massive body wobbled, then crashed to the ground.
The self-destruct sequence was halted, and the ominous red glow faded away.
Rapi was thrown back by the blast.
"It worked!" Anis shouted in excitement, tossing her grenade launcher aside in celebration.
Facing a Tyrant-class Rapture and actually winning—this was something Anis had never dared to dream of.
Before the battle, she'd thought they were all goners.
Rapi stood up shakily, clutching her arm. The explosion had thrown her off the Black Smith, causing damage to several joints, fractures, and a malfunction in her power core.
It was finally over.
The team was overjoyed, celebrating their hard-won victory.
Mo Chen also let out a long breath and sat down on the ground.
What a rush.
For a boss from the beginner tutorial, the Black Smith had been surprisingly tough.
But they had done it in the end.
Yet, Mo Chen felt like something was off.
What was it…?
The points!
The system hadn't credited him with any points.
Which could only mean—
Mo Chen's eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet.
The Black Smith wasn't dead!
In the next moment—
Something shocking happened!
The fallen Black Smith suddenly began to shake, slowly rising, its twin cannons lighting up with a crimson glow. Massive energy started gathering—and its target was Rapi!
This sudden change caught everyone off guard.
Even if they could react, it would be too late.
Rapi's body was badly damaged: a bullet had struck her leg joint, rendering her unable to move.
At that moment, a figure dashed toward her.
It was Mo Chen!
"Commander! Don't come over here!"
Rapi was the first to spot Mo Chen rushing toward her, panic filling her voice.
Even a Nikke's body couldn't withstand this attack, let alone a human's.
But she was powerless to stop him.
Was Mo Chen trying to get himself killed? Of course not.
Thirty meters away… Twenty meters…
"Rescued 174 people, gaining 174 points."
"Rescued 156 people, gaining 156 points."
"Rescued 376 people, gaining 376 points…"
Mo Chen reached Rapi, swiftly lifting her up, as a strange thought crossed his mind.
Surprisingly light.
A mechanical body should be heavy, right?
Models like A2 and 2B each weighed over 130 kilos.
But there was no time to think about that.
He was still short on points, and there weren't enough around here!
If he wanted more points, there was only one way…
Mo Chen's mind raced, his gaze settling on the Black Smith looming in the distance!
"Commander, let me go!" Rapi struggled to break free.
But with her joints damaged and circuits scrambled from the explosion's shockwave, she couldn't move.
"You're going to die like this!" she said, panic in her voice.
Mo Chen turned and flashed her a grin.
"Not an option."
He took a deep breath.
"Let's go big."
Instead of fleeing or dodging, Mo Chen, holding Rapi, ran straight toward the Black Smith, much to everyone's disbelief.
Rapi was stunned.
She couldn't understand why Mo Chen was doing this.
A human risking his life to save a Nikke?
Death seemed inevitable.
In this moment, Rapi's mind grew calm.
She didn't try to stop him anymore, knowing he wouldn't listen anyway.
Dying this way didn't seem so bad…
Despite his courage, Mo Chen's nerves were on edge as he faced the massive steel monster up close, its menacing cannons aimed directly at them.
There was no turning back now.
"Rescued 1,380 people, gaining 1,380 points."
"Points received."
Finally, he hit the 15,000-point mark!
A smile spread across Mo Chen's face as he focused on the bullet-dodging chip.
The Black Smith's crimson laser fired!
The blast unleashed a terrifying shockwave, obliterating every Rapture in its path to dust.
Dust-covered, Anis climbed up, frantically assessing the situation. Seeing the long trench carved in the ground, a pit formed in her stomach.
"No… The Commander…"
Anis froze in place.
Through the swirling dust, a figure emerged.
The next second, she saw Mo Chen carrying Rapi, bursting through the clouds of smoke!
They were alive!
Along the way, several meters of Raptures had been scorched black!
While Anis was still in shock, Rose had already darted atop Black Smith, bringing her crimson blade down with a sharp slash that buried it to the hilt, silencing Black Smith completely.
"System notification: Rescued 13,434 people, earning 13,434 points!"
Mo Chen exhaled deeply, feeling the sweat trickling down his back.
Finally, it was over.
The bullet-dodging chip had come through at the critical moment.
Otherwise, he would've been vaporized just now.
"Commander."
A soft, clear voice sounded beside him.
It was quiet.
Mo Chen turned to meet Rapi's gaze.
Her pale skin was tinged with a soft blush and her deep eyes sparkled like a serene lake, captivating and mesmerizing. Her finely crafted features looked almost sculpted.
He realized she was actually quite beautiful.
And quite… prominent.
The warmth he felt in his hands was undeniable.
Mo Chen was stunned.
Who would have thought Rapi was hiding this so well?
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