Chapter 240: Forming a Goddess Squad? And… Red Hood?!

Morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, the first rays of dawn gently tearing apart the night, casting a soft glow over the earth. The air carried the lingering freshness of night and the damp coolness of morning, mixed with the scent of soil and the delicate fragrance of rhododendrons.

Mo Chen sat up from the bed, feeling utterly sore and exhausted. His limbs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead—every movement, whether lifting his legs or raising his arms, required immense effort. His muscles, stretched beyond their limits, had lost their elasticity, leaving him feeling like he had fought a war overnight.

"Mission notification: Form a Goddess Squad."

"The disaster worsens by the day, and humanity stands at the brink of extinction. To protect the remaining survivors and prevent the annihilation of the human race, you must now establish a special combat unit—the Goddess Squad—to resist the impending full-scale counterattack from the Raptures and safeguard humanity's last hope."

"You must recruit members from the newly developed Nikkes—assemble them and make them your strongest allies."

The groggy Mo Chen snapped back to full consciousness at the sound of the system's voice. Holding his head, he glanced at the bed—seeing only a single blanket with two legs sticking out. Stunned for a moment, he quickly scanned the room.

The once-spacious bed was now empty.

Not just the bed—the entire large room was vacant.

The Nikkes who had been in the room last night had vanished without a trace.

Gone from the bed, the sofa, and even the floor—as if they had disappeared into thin air overnight.

But last night…

Mo Chen froze.

The memory of last night's dream suddenly surged back into his mind.

It wasn't a bizarre, fragmented dream—it was just… strange.

He had dreamt of fighting a wild woman—and losing.

The details were already a blur, but he could vaguely recall a woman with messy, fiery red hair, her figure dangerously voluptuous—so exaggeratedly full-figured that it felt almost unfair.

What stood out the most was how she had grabbed his hand and pressed it against her chest.

It left Mo Chen with a strange feeling—almost like he was the one being taken advantage of.

"Goddess Squad Member +1."

Another notification popped up.

A new member?

Mo Chen, now fully awake, focused on the feeling lingering in his body. That sense of familiarity… He finally remembered where he had felt it before.

The red-haired, dangerously curvy woman from last night's dream—who else could she be but Red Hood?

Mo Chen's jaw almost hit the floor.

No way. It was really her?!

Wait.

If that was Red Hood… then where was Rapi?

In the original game, Red Hood's core was stored within Rapi's body, and the two coexisted. Whenever Rapi overused her core's power, Red Hood would emerge, taking over her body's command.

Even her appearance would change.

The realization sent a cold chill down Mo Chen's spine. Forgetting all about putting on clothes, he flipped off the bed with a swift movement and dashed out of the room.

The hall was empty.

Then—he suddenly heard noise coming from the kitchen.

Without hesitation, he bolted toward the sound, pushing the door open with a loud bang.

What he saw made him freeze.

A woman stood there, dressed in a light-colored apron decorated with small floral patterns. The crisp white fabric contrasted beautifully with her silky, dark hair, tied loosely in a simple ponytail. A few stray strands framed her face, swaying gently with her movements—a quiet elegance with a touch of effortless charm.

Her ruby-red eyes gleamed in the soft morning light, focused intently on the ingredients in her hands.

Her fingers were slender and precise, moving gracefully like a pianist composing a melody. Each slice of the knife was measured, deliberate, and precise, as if she were carving an intricate masterpiece.

It was Rapi.

Rapi was startled when Mo Chen barged in half-dressed, immediately dropping the spatula in her hands as she hurried over to him.

"Commander, what's wrong?"

Hearing that familiar voice right beside him, Mo Chen finally snapped back to reality. He let out a breath of relief, saying nothing as he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, and pressed his hands gently against her soft abdomen from behind.

Although Rapi's figure was tall and well-proportioned, she still looked a bit small inside Mo Chen's oversized T-shirt—the loose fabric making her frame seem even more delicate. Her stomach was flat yet soft, a sensation that felt both familiar and reassuring.

Rapi, caught completely off guard by his sudden embrace, was utterly confused. The unexpected intimacy made her cheeks turn a faint shade of red, but with her hands still damp from washing, she couldn't push him away—she could only lift them slightly, looking even more uncertain.

"Commander…"

Then, her ears turned bright red.

Because Mo Chen's hands had moved toward her core.

He carefully examined it, his touch meticulous and deliberate. Only after confirming nothing was out of place did he finally exhale deeply, feeling a weight lift from his heart.

There were no abnormalities.

Rapi's core showed no signs of corruption.

As for the other core inside Rapi, he had found it as well. It was soft—wait, no, it was normal. There were no signs of it going berserk or any unusual energy leaks.

He finally understood what had happened.

Last night—for some unknown reason—perhaps due to some special kind of stimulus, Red Hood had suddenly taken over Rapi's body and ended up fighting him fiercely.

And judging by the system's notification, this wasn't just a hallucination.

As for why he had felt so hazy and unfocused the entire time? Mo Chen wasn't sure yet.

That sensation—it was like being tipsy from drinking, but without alcohol. Could it be because of the high concentration of the virus in the air? Had he somehow gotten "drunk" on it?

The thought alone felt completely ridiculous.

It's not like he was doing drugs—he was a law-abiding citizen.

As for the mission to form the Goddess Squad, Mo Chen thought about it for a moment and quickly pieced things together.

The long-forgotten system had finally reappeared.

And since it was already a hundred years late, it made sense that the mission was also delayed by a hundred years.

The members he was supposed to recruit? Back then, the only successfully developed Nikkes would have been the fairy tale-based units—the ones who made up the original Goddess Squad.

No wonder the mission was called "Form the Goddess Squad."

"Commander, n-not now… The others will wake up soon…"

Just as Mo Chen's thoughts were racing, he suddenly heard Rapi's voice from within his embrace.

Her tone was as soft as a whisper, like the faint hum of a mosquito.

Mo Chen glanced down, and what he saw took him aback—

A faint blush had quietly spread across Rapi's cheeks, like the first light of dawn kissing the snowy peaks of a mountain. The subtle pink hue contrasted beautifully with the paleness of her skin, making the warmth in her expression all the more striking.

Her eyes were lowered, her long lashes trembling slightly—like the delicate flutter of butterfly wings—as if she were caught between shyness and uncertainty.

Her voice had become gentle and quivering, the usual cold indifference melting into a mix of warmth and bashfulness.

Each word she spoke seemed carefully chosen, carrying a subtle vulnerability—as if the weight of the moment made them impossible to say without trembling.