Chapter 179: Are Their Coordinates Overlapping?

Syuen collapsed to the ground, clutching her foot tightly as her body curled in pain. Her face turned pale, and agonizing whimpers escaped her lips.

Mo Chen couldn't help but let out a wry smile, unsure of what expression to put on.

"Is this what they call shooting yourself in the foot?"

Judging by the sheer weight of the weapon—practically a chunk of iron—that must've hurt like hell.

He quickly stepped forward, crouching beside her to check on the injury.

"Let me see."

Syuen was in so much pain she couldn't even speak. She wanted to resist, but the overwhelming ache left her powerless.

Mo Chen gently pried her delicate hands away.

Her petite white foot was marred by a large, swollen bruise—angry and purple—bulging painfully.

Clearly fractured.

Damn, that's gotta hurt.

Mo Chen frowned, carefully cradling her foot in his hands. From his system inventory, he retrieved a recovery spray.

The spray contained nanobots, designed to repair both mechanical structures like Nikkes and biological tissues—same principle, different application.

Syuen's emotions were all over the place: fear, frustration, humiliation. The moment Mo Chen moved to treat her, tears welled up uncontrollably.

He sprayed the mist over her foot.

The sudden cold sensation startled Syuen. Reflexively, she kicked—right into Mo Chen's face.

Whack.

His face twisted under the force of her foot. Annoyed, he grabbed her ankle, pried her foot off, and with one swift tug, dragged her closer.

"Seriously? I'm trying to help you here, and this is how you repay me?"

Syuen struggled to kick him again, but with her ankle firmly in his grasp, she couldn't break free.

Then she froze.

Wait… the pain's gone?

She glanced down. Her foot was flawless again—smooth and unblemished, no sign of swelling or bruising. Like nothing had ever happened.

Before she could process it, he released her ankle, stood up, and extended a hand to help her up.

But Syuen jumped up on her own, staggering back with a defensive glare, her tear-streaked face flushed with both embarrassment and lingering fear.

She looked like a fragile flower drenched in rain—delicate, vulnerable, and somehow even more tempting to bully.

But Mo Chen knew this wasn't the time for idle talk.

"I'll contact you in a few days. It's about the neutralizer."

With that, he turned around and left the lab.

As he stepped outside, he immediately noticed Elegg and Trony lurking by the door, clearly eavesdropping. Elegg awkwardly stepped aside when she saw him, her long bangs doing little to hide the embarrassment on her face.

Trony, on the other hand, trembled behind Elegg, shaking like a leaf.

If even Syuen's afraid of him, he must be a terrifying monster, Trony thought, her face pale with fear.

Mo Chen found the situation slightly awkward but gave them a polite nod before leaving.

Back at the hotel, he approached the front desk where several mass-produced Nikke attendants stood. As he casually nodded to them, a familiar silhouette caught his eye.

The stalker from before!

In a flash, Mo Chen was right in front of the figure. His hand shot out like lightning, grabbing the person's wrist.

"Who are you?!"

The Nikke didn't respond.

Upon closer inspection—she was unconscious.

Before he could react, another mass-produced Nikke behind him suddenly moved. She pulled out a large axe from her back, her previously dull eyes now glowing crimson.

Meanwhile, in the operations command center, Doban was seething with rage.

"Where the hell is the Perilous Siege Squad?! Where did they go?!"

A subordinate nervously stammered, "We… we've lost contact with them."

"Lost contact?!" Doban's eyes bulged with fury, his roar shaking the room. "It's been months! What the hell have you all been doing?! Useless! Absolutely useless!"

Everyone in the room kept their heads down, terrified of becoming his next target. The last person who crossed him had been reassigned to the frontlines—only to be found with three bullets in the back of his head, labeled as a "suicide."

"Find them, no matter where they are! Dig the whole Ark up if you have to!" Doban's voice was ice-cold, his anger barely contained. "Order them to abort the mission—immediately! If they make a single reckless move, I'll have them charged with treason against humanity!"

The subordinates exchanged uneasy glances.

It was Doban who had sent the Perilous Siege Squad to assassinate Mo Chen. Now, he was the one frantically trying to call them off.

But thinking about it carefully, it made sense.

Mo Chen was now the Ark's great hero—a celebrated figure whose reputation and influence were skyrocketing. Continuing with an assassination plot would be sheer lunacy.

Doban was gripped by a mix of fear and regret.

He never imagined Mo Chen would be this capable—defeating a Tyrant-class Rapture almost single-handedly.

That kind of achievement was unprecedented in human history.

Worse yet, Mo Chen had caught the attention of the Ark's upper echelons. Rumors swirled that influential leaders were already extending olive branches, eager to win him over.

Even the Ark's AI, Enikk, had formally recognized Mo Chen's achievements, rapidly promoting him through the military ranks.

He was set to become the youngest major general in Ark's history.

Though this news hadn't been made public, it was spreading like wildfire internally—practically confirmed.

Doban wasn't just regretful—he was terrified.

If Mo Chen discovered that Doban had ordered his assassination, it wouldn't just be Mo Chen's notorious vengeful streak he'd have to worry about. The Ark's leadership itself might not let him off the hook.

Now, he was even relieved that the Perilous Siege Squad hadn't made a move.

If they had acted against Mo Chen, everything would've been over.

That damned fat bastard, Burningum!

No wonder he hadn't made a single move—he must've caught wind of something.

Doban gritted his teeth in fury.

Just then, a subordinate suddenly exclaimed with excitement, "We've located the Perilous Siege Squad's signal!"

Doban froze for a moment, then his face lit up with joy. Taking a few large strides toward the subordinate, he still tried to maintain his dignified image and said in a low voice, "Order them to cancel the operation immediately and return at once."

"Yes, sir!"

The subordinate quickly got to work.

But after a while, the subordinate's expression grew puzzled as he hesitated, "Signal interference… I can't get through. Also, their current location…"

Doban's brow furrowed, his face darkening.

"What about their location?"

The subordinate hesitated for a moment before stammering, "Their current location seems to be… the hotel where Mo Chen is staying."

Doban froze, his eyes widening in shock, his face turning pale.

Those idiots—of all times to make a move, why now?!

Panic and fury surged through him. No longer caring about appearances, he rushed to the command console, slamming his hand on the table and shouting, "Deploy the Triangle Squad immediately to protect the Commander—no, the Major General's safety! Move, now!"

At that moment, the trembling subordinate stammered, "Th-their coordinates… they've overlapped."

Overlapped?

Doban stood there, stunned, his mouth agape, frozen for several seconds.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.