Chapter 8: The Cost of Survival

Now with a total of 15,000 points, he could afford to purchase more items.

Tanks, armored vehicles, and sci-fi exoskeletons all looked formidable and had decent firepower and protection, but in reality, they weren't particularly effective against Raptures. Otherwise, humans equipped with modern weaponry wouldn't have been so easily overpowered.

As for things like Transformers and massive space battleships, their point costs were astronomical—way beyond what he could afford.

Then there were items that improved human physical abilities, like the T-virus from Resident Evil, but its limits were too low, and it wouldn't do much against mechanical beings.

After searching for a bit, something caught Mo Chen's eye.

A chip.

Bullet-Dodging Chip.

It automatically activated a two-second "bullet time" whenever bullets approached, freezing everything around him for two seconds.

What a treasure!

Mo Chen's eyes lit up.

This was something from NieR: Automata.

Two seconds might not seem like much, but in this bullet-hell world, two seconds could mean the difference between life and death—and it triggered automatically.

A perfect tool for survival!

Mo Chen looked at the price.

15,000 points.

He frowned slightly.

It wasn't that the price was unreasonable; in fact, it was a great deal.

Nothing was more valuable than staying alive.

The issue was that he'd barely earned those points, and they'd be gone in an instant.

"You know, you're pretty impressive for a new Commander."

Anis was in high spirits after their victory, breaking with her usual attitude to praise Mo Chen.

After all, with just a few people, they had taken down a Rapture force that usually required an elite squad.

Mo Chen's mouth twitched.

"Are you complimenting me or insulting me?"

"Of course, I'm complimenting you!"

Anis walked over, giving him a playful pat on the shoulder, her large, bright eyes arching like crescent moons, making her look even more attractive.

"For someone new here, facing Raptures without being scared stiff puts you ahead of 95% of the other Commanders."

"Alright, alright."

Mo Chen waved her off, unwilling to argue.

But Anis wasn't done, sidling closer with a feigned look of surprise.

"Commander, don't tell me you're still holding a grudge from earlier? Don't be so petty."

She leaned in, her ample figure on full display as she clasped her hands behind her back, showcasing her curves.

Mo Chen was initially ready to give her a stern reprimand.

But… they were just too… distracting.

Marian stepped in between them, blocking Mo Chen's view, and said firmly,

"Please don't disturb the Commander."

"What's the problem? It's not like this has anything to do with you," Anis retorted, annoyed at being blocked.

Marian replied confidently and righteously, "It's a team member's duty to prevent the Commander from being disturbed by irrelevant people."

"Irrelevant? We're also part of his team…"

Anis looked back and forth between Marian and Mo Chen, suddenly understanding, with a glint of mischief in her amber eyes.

"You two seem pretty close."

Rapi interrupted her, speaking seriously.

"Anis."

Along the road, they passed countless ruins.

After a century, most human buildings had been destroyed by the fighting.

Concrete and steel cities had turned into dilapidated walls covered in thick weeds. Trees grew through the floors of abandoned buildings, vines wound around walls, and rusty steel frames were all that was left to suggest the former grandeur of skyscrapers.

The wide roads were desolate, covered in sand, and surrounded by silence, broken only by the whistling of the wind.

A truly desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape.

The further they went, the more the ruins increased. These had once been crowded residential areas decades ago, and many traces of human life still remained.

"Is this the place?"

Anis stood atop the ruins, scanning the surroundings before turning back with a doubtful expression.

"This doesn't feel like the right coordinates."

Raptures target humans, and where there are people, there are usually Raptures. Along the way, they had already encountered several waves of Raptures.

Yet, there were no markers left by the advance team.

Due to frequent electromagnetic interference from the Raptures on the ground that hindered communications, Nikke units typically left markers along their path during missions to aid the following units.

"Coordinates? What coordinates?"

Mo Chen casually brushed off Anis's question.

He didn't have time to respond right now: his points counter was exploding with notifications!

"The mission coordinates!"

Anis protested, annoyed, feeling tempted to knock on Mo Chen's head to see what was inside.

Finally, Mo Chen snapped out of it and, with a nod, replied seriously.

"Yes, this is definitely the place."

It was, of course, a lie!

He wasn't really a Commander, so how could he possibly know the coordinates? He was only here to rack up points.

"Oh, so it's here?"

Anis finally couldn't contain herself and jumped down from the ruins, searching the area for any signs that might be left behind.

Mo Chen couldn't help but marvel.

This was once a bustling metropolis with a population of a million!

For Mo Chen, this was like a pie falling from the sky—complete with chopsticks, a small bowl, and seasonings.

"Hey, hey!"

Mo Chen ignored the calls behind him, basking in the thrill of his point harvest.

As for the coordinates, he wasn't worried at all.

Someone would lead the way.

He glanced at Marian beside him.

Noticing his gaze, Marian turned to him with a gentle smile.

Perhaps no one would ever suspect...

Marian.

If only you could be more vigilant—you've already been infected with the Rapture viral code!

Mo Chen sighed.

He had to plan ahead: it seemed there was only one solution.

His hovering finger moved from the Bullet-Dodging Chip to another item in the store.

The Punishing Virus.

The Punishing Virus is an unknown substance that originated and explosively multiplied in the vacuum chamber of humanity's first Zero-Point Energy Reactor. Possessing characteristics of both a biological virus and a computer virus, it was aptly named. It not only destroys biological cells but also erodes the logic circuits of machines!

The Punishing Virus has incredible evolution and growth potential, capable of developing self-awareness and even intelligent life forms, like the Unidentified Twins.

But for now, it was at a low level, only capable of corrosion and control.

"Punishing Virus, redeemed. 20,000 points consumed."

Even more expensive than the Bullet-Dodging Chip…

Mo Chen muttered to himself.

But among the discounted items in the store, the Punishing Virus was undoubtedly the strongest.

Moreover, the virus had both a decent lower threshold and a high upper potential. It could eventually spawn intelligent beings and even evolve in dimensions, making it an extremely cost-effective choice.

He traced his finger over a Rapture's wreckage.

After he walked away, it suddenly emitted a red glow from its eyes.