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

The Absolute Squad Nikkes did not opt for a reckless pursuit but instead formed a triangular three-three formation, gradually tightening the encirclement to compress the enemy's space for maneuvering. A hasty chase would only give the enemy an opportunity to strike back.

At the same time, Eunhwa planned to split them up and take them down one by one.

But to divide them, someone had to be the bait.

"Aaaaaahhhhhh—!"

Amidst the chaotic battlefield, Vesti ran for her life, covering her head as continuous explosions and bullets rained down behind her.

She was on the verge of tears.

Why did I have to be the bait?!

Regardless of the cost, Vesti was the cost.

As expected, Matis Squad's attention locked onto her, and they relentlessly pursued, unleashing a fierce assault.

All Vesti could do was dodge, weave, and run for dear life while avoiding the relentless bombardment.

Despite her petite and delicate appearance, her speed and agility far exceeded that of most Nikkes. In the blink of an eye, she had already sprinted dozens of meters away, her speed far surpassing that of an Olympic sprinter.

And she didn't just run. She fired back.

Every so often, she would casually launch a few shells behind her—but every single one of them landed dead center on Matis Squad's position.

"Boom—!"

One shot, three of them got blasted off their feet.

If this had happened once or twice, it could be chalked up to luck.

But every time she fired, her shots would land right on top of them—which was downright absurd.

Even when Matis Squad dodged at the first sign of incoming artillery, the shells seemed to follow them, detonating right at their feet.

The explosions were relentless.

Had Vesti not been crying hysterically the entire time, one might have thought she was the one chasing them down, not the other way around.

In just a dozen minutes, Matis Squad had been hit by more than a dozen shells.

Had they not been equipped with cutting-edge defensive armor, they would have suffered casualties by now.

But Vesti's antics had clearly infuriated Matis Squad—they chased after her with a vengeance, hell-bent on tearing her apart.

Yet, Vesti seemed to be blessed by the Goddess of Luck.

No matter how precise their shots were, she always managed to dodge at the last moment.

They say bullets don't have eyes, but these bullets seemed to have grown eyes—just crossed ones.

Finally, she led the three right into the designated location.

This was a pre-planned trap, an area rigged with high-yield explosives.

"BOOM—!"

A massive explosion shook the battlefield.

The three Matis Squad members were blown sky-high.

But Eunhwa didn't feel any particular joy.

Because—

This was the exact trick Mo Chen had used against her. It was how she had lost to him.

Even now, whenever she recalled that moment, she still gritted her teeth in resentment.

But now… She had made someone else experience the same humiliation!

And it felt strangely satisfying.

So this is what it feels like to humiliate others.

Eunhwa thought to herself.

She felt as if something inside her had awakened.

However, whether it was because Matis Squad's equipment was advanced, or because they were just ridiculously tough, despite being hit by hundreds of kilos of explosives, the three members were still alive.

Although their gear had been blown to pieces, and most of their equipment was completely destroyed in the blast, they had somehow survived.

At that moment, Eunhwa keenly noticed something—beneath the damaged parts of their equipment, the exposed skin revealed crimson patterns, resembling blood vessels.

Their bodies had been enhanced by the virus.

She immediately realized what was happening.

Though the situation had deviated from expectations, she remained calm, steadying her breath. She adjusted the sniper scope, locked onto Matis Squad's Laplace, and pulled the trigger.

"Bang—!"

The sniper rifle let out a deep, resonant gunshot.

The spiraling bullet ripped through the air, heading straight for its target.

"Bang—!"

The round struck Laplace's mask head-on.

The sheer impact sent Laplace's head snapping backward.

However, thanks to the mask's protection, Laplace wasn't killed.

Eunhwa had done this on purpose: her goal was to draw Laplace's attention.

As expected, she was spotted. Laplace immediately abandoned the chase for Vesti and rushed toward her location.

Right after taking the shot, Eunhwa withdrew, carrying her sniper rifle as she made her way toward the designated trap zone. The separation strategy had succeeded, and now all that was left was to take them down one by one.

However—Laplace's speed exceeded her expectations.

Especially with the jetpack on her back, she moved at an incredible velocity.

When chasing Vesti earlier, the winding paths had limited Laplace's movement, preventing her from utilizing the full power of her thrusters.

But now, the distance between her and Eunhwa was a straight line, with very few obstacles.

There was nothing to slow her down.

Laplace shot forward like a meteor, streaking across the sky at breathtaking speed, closing the gap almost instantly.

Eunhwa's expression shifted slightly—she hadn't expected Laplace to be this fast.

In less than a minute, she had already caught up.

"Boom—!"

A thunderous explosion shook the area.

Laplace crashed into the ruins ahead like a falling star, kicking up a violent storm of wind and dust.

Eunhwa raised a hand to shield herself from the gale while immediately drawing her sidearm.

She raised her pistol, took aim, and fired.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three shots, fired in quick succession, predicting Laplace's movement.

"Clang! Clang—!"

Two sparks erupted: she had hit something.

And then—

A dark silhouette burst forth from the dust cloud, rushing toward her at breakneck speed.

While sprinting, Laplace was already firing her pistol.

"Bang! Bang! Bang—!"

Bullets tore through the air.

Eunhwa dodged immediately.

Yet at this moment, her movements were unnaturally sharp and precise.

The very instant Laplace raised her gun, Eunhwa had already started moving—as if she had foreseen the attack.

Six consecutive shots—all missed.

Eunhwa's waist arched gracefully, her body bending far beyond what should be humanly possible. Even a professional dancer would struggle to match such flexibility.

With a fluid and agile movement, she evaded the incoming bullets while simultaneously firing back at Laplace.

"Bang! Bang! Bang—!"

Every shot landed.

The bullets struck Laplace's chest, abdomen, legs, and head—precisely targeting the weakened sections of her battle armor, damaged in the previous explosion.

"Clang! Clang! Clang—!"

Laplace's armor shattered, and her mask was blown off, revealing a face of unmatched elegance and beauty, as well as a pair of crimson eyes, tainted by infection.

But she did not care about her injuries.

Her high-energy particle cannon had been destroyed, her pistol was out of ammo—so she lunged forward.

Engaging Eunhwa in close combat.

As one of Missilis Industry's finest Nikkes, Laplace was hailed as a true hero—her hand-to-hand combat abilities were exceptional.

Having undergone countless combat optimizations, her melee proficiency had reached monstrous levels.

She could seamlessly execute dozens, even hundreds, of different martial arts techniques.

However—

When Laplace charged in and threw a punch, Eunhwa slipped past it with ease.

Even in her infected state, Laplace hesitated for a brief moment.

She immediately followed up with another strike, her fist flashing like lightning, carrying a force as fast as a thunderclap.

It even broke the sound barrier, letting out a piercing sonic boom.