Chapter 5: A Treasure Trove of Points

"Rescued 17 people, earning 17 points."

"Rescued 23 people, earning 23 points."

"Rescued 77 people, earning 77 points."

"Rescued 42 people, earning 42 points."

"Rescued..."

Mo Chen forged ahead relentlessly, heading straight for areas teeming with Raptures or littered with bodies.

It was like hitting the jackpot over and over again—a non-stop winning streak.

The notifications on his interface filled the screen, one after another, like a jackpot being hit repeatedly.

It felt more exhilarating than counting money.

The Mo Chen who once hesitated to buy a recovery spray now could use them like water without a second thought.

Mo Chen was thoroughly pleased. The satisfaction was palpable.

Marian, however, was worried. The route they took was winding and maze-like, hardly the path to the nearest outpost—it felt more like the Battle of Stalingrad.

"Commander, we've deviated from the coordinates. Shouldn't we..."

"Don't worry, just follow my lead," Mo Chen said.

A mere million Raptures couldn't halt his progress.

Although these bodies had decayed and fragmented over the decades or even centuries, leaving only scraps, the system treated them equally, without discrimination.

In that sense, the system was a model of fairness.

Within just a few hours, Mo Chen had amassed over 10,000 points.

It did seem a bit excessive, but considering that this area had once been a densely populated residential district, it made sense.

With most of the district scoured clean and not many points left to collect, Mo Chen decided it was time to move on.

Malls, schools, cinemas, and hospitals—these were all prime locations packed with people in the past, promising significant point rewards.

But in Mo Chen's eyes, the place with the most potential was somewhere few would consider: the area around the Ark.

Also known as the Outpost.

The Ark was humanity's fortress, the last and only refuge.

Entry into the Ark was determined by lottery.

However, the Ark's capacity was limited, and most people didn't win a spot. Those left outside flocked to the Ark, hoping to slip in or secure a backup spot.

The Ark's defenses were regarded as the strongest by the people of the time.

But where humans gathered, Raptures followed.

The result was predictable: defenseless people facing brutal Raptures ended in a massacre.

The perimeter zone was a site of heavy casualties, a sea of corpses and blood.

Without a doubt, it was a goldmine for points.

After thoroughly combing the nearby area and earning more points than he could count, Mo Chen reluctantly left the city ruins for his next destination.

"The nearest outpost is only 100 kilometers away," Marian said, pausing in surprise.

Why were they moving further away?

Mo Chen, on the other hand, remained unfazed. He already had a plan.

The density of Raptures on the surface was immense, and even the elite Ark units couldn't stay out for long. The outposts, established as forward bases by the Ark, were well-fortified, manned by troops, and served as human strongholds.

Compared to their previous path, the route to the outpost was teeming with Raptures, with new waves appearing roughly every half-hour.

Thankfully, with Rose and Marian as escorts, they made it through without major incident.

Marian was puzzled: why were there more Raptures the closer they got to the outpost?

Only Mo Chen understood what was going on.

The direction they were taking was as far off from the outpost as you could get—practically heading in the opposite direction.

Of course, as a well-read fan of the original story, Mo Chen knew it was a trap.

Still, he didn't object.

And no, it wasn't because he wanted to farm points.

The Raptures and human corpses along the way were, in his eyes, like a feast delivered straight to him.

Not to mention there was a challenging "appetizer" waiting up ahead.

Just to be safe, though, Mo Chen began preparing on the way to avoid any unexpected mishaps.

Upon reaching the designated area, he heard the sound of gunfire and explosions coming from behind the ruins of a nearby amusement park. It sounded like someone was fighting.

Could it be another expert?

Intrigued, Mo Chen headed over immediately.

He found two Nikkes battling the Raptures.

One wore a black-and-red combat outfit with a small red cap and wielded an automatic rifle.

The other was clad in orange and black, with a striking figure and a grenade launcher.

They were surrounded by Raptures. Though they weren't defeated yet, they were certainly in grave danger.

"They're the Nikke unit that was supposed to reach the rendezvous point!" Marian immediately recognized them, turning to ask, "Commander!"

"Yes," Mo Chen replied, then turned to give Rose an order.

"Eliminate the Raptures and rescue them."

Without a word, Rose transformed into a blur, shooting toward the battlefield like an arrow from a bow.

Meanwhile, Marian stayed close to the Commander, firing her submachine gun from a distance to provide support.

On the other side of the field:

"Hey, how much longer are we supposed to wait?!" shouted a Nikke named Anis as she blasted a Rapture with her grenade launcher, then turned around impatiently.

The explosion's shockwave kicked up clouds of dust, leaving her covered in grime.

"Ptoo! Ptoo!"

"Rat-a-tat-tat!"

Another Nikke named Rapi fired back at the Raptures, focused on the enemies in front of her. Without turning, she said, "Hold your position."

"Seriously, how long do we have to wait?" Anis dodged incoming fire, her voice raised in frustration. "It's been over an hour, and the Raptures keep coming!"

Rapi remained unfazed, expertly reloading her rifle and calmly taking out each advancing Rapture.

"Orders are to hold the A.2 defense line. We can't retreat without permission."

Anis grew even more exasperated hearing this.

"Are you kidding me? We're supposed to sit here and die? If we keep waiting, we'll end up dead!"

Despite the many Raptures they'd eliminated, the enemy numbers seemed to increase visibly by the minute.

The front barricade had collapsed, and their defense line was buckling under the Rapture assault. Both flanks were thinly guarded; if this continued, they'd likely be surrounded by the Rapture horde.

At that point, retreat would be impossible.

"Click—"

Rapi's rifle clicked empty.

She ducked behind cover, reloading with composure.

The cover around her was riddled with bullet holes, and several parts had already been blasted through.

"Intel shows reinforcements are on the way. Leaving would mean abandoning our comrades," she said.

Anis spat out dirt and dust, visibly irritated with Rapi's stubbornness.

"Reinforcements, huh? Did you not see the transport plane get shot down? If anyone survived that, I'd be shocked!"