Chapter 261: Hand-to-Hand Combat with Nihilister

"Two cores?"

Johan immediately thought of a possibility, his expression shifting in shock. "You mean—"

Cecil spoke with a grave tone. "Just as you suspect, she has devoured another Heretic, or perhaps a Tyrant-class Rapture, achieving a certain level of evolution."

Evolution?

Everyone's hearts tensed.

The sheer strength Nihilister had already displayed in battle was terrifying. If she had evolved further…

"The Commander is still on the frontlines, we need to help him—"

Isabel, realizing the danger, grew anxious, wanting to rush to assist.

"Hey, hey, are you out of your mind?" Noah quickly stopped her. "You're badly injured! You don't stand a chance! If you go now, you'll just be throwing your life away."

Compared to the others, Isabel's injuries were the most severe. Her light wings were completely destroyed, her armor shattered, and even her life-support system had sustained damage.

While her remaining weapon systems were still operational, they were overheated and required cooldown.

"But we can't just leave the Commander there alone!"

Isabel was nearly frantic. The thought of Mo Chen facing Nihilister alone sent her into a panic. She pushed past Noah, trying to rush toward the battlefield, but after only a few steps, she stumbled and nearly collapsed.

It was only thanks to Noah's quick reflexes that she didn't fall.

"Give it a rest already. Look at yourself—how are you supposed to fight? You'd just be a burden, forcing the Commander to hold back," Noah reasoned, grumbling under her breath. "I get how you feel—I want to go too. But we have to be realistic."

"No, I don't care what you say, I—"

Before Isabel could finish, a swift hand chop struck the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious.

To everyone's shock, the person who had done it was none other than the ever-elegant Dorothy.

No one expected her to act so decisively.

"Noah is right," Dorothy said, her sharp gaze sweeping over the group. "Even if we tried to support the Commander now, we wouldn't make it in time. Worse, we'd only become a liability, preventing him from fighting at full power."

"Eden is under attack—we cannot sit idly by. That is our home, one we built with immense effort and sacrifice."

"So first, we must ensure Eden's safety. Once we eliminate the Rapture army as quickly as possible, we can return to reinforce the Commander. Given his strength, I believe he can handle himself."

Meanwhile, on the battlefield.

Mo Chen and Nihilister's battle had reached its peak.

The two clashed midair, exchanging blow after blow, neither yielding an inch.

Nihilister had opted to fight in her humanoid form rather than her dragon form, yet even so, her speed and strength were monstrous. Each of her punches could effortlessly destroy a tank—Raptures in her grasp were no more than mere playthings.

For the first time, Mo Chen found himself overpowered in raw strength.

Recalling that a Heretic's true form was the size of a skyscraper, it made sense why Nihilister's sheer power was this overwhelming.

However, Mo Chen had the Blacklight Virus. Using its enhanced body structure, he engaged Nihilister in close combat, relying purely on martial skill: with his Martial Arts Mastery, he held the upper hand in technique. 

While Nihilister had brute force, she fought purely on instinct, making it difficult for her to break through Mo Chen's defenses.

"Boom—!"

"Haha! This is fun! You're the first human to actually make this enjoyable!"

Nihilister burst into wild laughter, gripping Mo Chen's fist tightly. Her crimson eyes locked onto him, filled with excitement. "So, give me more fun. Before you die, I'll grant you a painless death as a reward for entertaining me."

As she spoke, she suddenly swung a powerful punch toward Mo Chen.

The force behind it was immense, accompanied by a crackling boom like thunder.

Mo Chen didn't dodge. Instead, he stepped forward, his arm transforming into a massive war hammer. With a deafening bang, he slammed it against Nihilister's fist, generating a shockwave that shattered the sound barrier.

With her other hand, Nihilister grabbed Mo Chen's arm and flashed a cruel grin. With a sudden twist, she attempted to snap his arm in half.

Crack—!

A crisp, bone-breaking sound rang out.

But it wasn't Mo Chen's!

Nihilister stared blankly at her own broken mechanical arm. She hadn't expected hers to be the one shattered.

Mo Chen's hand instantly morphed into razor-sharp claws. With a sudden thrust forward—

Shlck!

His claws pierced straight through Nihilister's body!

It was the Blacklight Virus' claw ability. Now nearing its complete form, the virus had refined the strength of his claws to surpass even the most durable metals.

Even a tank would be sliced apart like thin sheets of paper.

Nihilister spat out a mouthful of blood, her crimson eyes widening. Clenching her fists, she let out a furious roar as her core erupted with energy—

Boom!

Mo Chen was blasted backward, sent flying over ten meters before skidding to a halt.

As he lifted his gaze back to Nihilister, his brows furrowed slightly.

Before his eyes, the wound he had just inflicted was healing at a visible rate. Within mere two seconds, the injury had completely vanished.

Nihilister wiped the blood from her lips and spat to the side. Her red eyes gleamed with mockery as she looked down on him with condescending amusement.

"Tsk tsk, is that all a human can do? That's not enough."

Mo Chen said nothing. He simply curled a finger, beckoning her to come at him.

Nihilister's expression darkened instantly. The cold gleam in her crimson eyes grew even sharper.

"Praising you a little, and now you're getting cocky?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she spread her wings and shot toward Mo Chen at full speed. A sadistic smirk stretched across her lips.

"I'll tear you apart!"

"Punishing Virus successfully implanted."

The system notification rang in Mo Chen's mind.

A smirk tugged at his lips. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Nihilister was no longer that of an opponent—but that of a predator eyeing prey.

Mo Chen had deliberately chosen close combat not just to evade her ranged weaponry, but also for a crucial reason—to implant the Punishing Virus directly into her body.

Now that the virus had successfully invaded her system, no matter how powerful she was, she was already doomed.

With no need to hold back anymore, Mo Chen dashed forward like a streak of light, his fist rearing back before smashing straight toward Nihilister!

Nihilister sneered and mocked him.

"Punching the air? Did your brain stop working?"

A moment later—

She was slapped right across the face.

Physically.

BANG!