Chapter 279: Probability of Ark’s Survival is 0%

"Begin calculation."

"Calculation complete."

"Conclusion: within the next ten years, the probability of Ark's survival is 12.7%. Thereafter, the rate of decline is 1% per year. In twenty years, Ark will be destroyed, and humanity will go extinct."

"Add variable: Mo Chen. Recalculate."

"Calculation complete."

"Conclusion: within the next ten years, the probability of Ark's survival is—0%."

Enikk was calmly reporting the results of the simulation.

And in front of her stood a person.

They remained cloaked in shadow—neither face nor figure discernible. Even the voice, fleeting and ethereal, shifted in tone, making it impossible to determine the speaker's gender.

"Why?"

Enikk responded, "The simulation shows that within ten years, humanity will counterattack the surface, seize Rapture nests, and reclaim at least 51.2% of the surface territory."

"Humanity will return to the surface and resume the construction of civilization. Meanwhile, Ark, as the last bastion of shelter, will be deemed obsolete and ultimately abandoned."

The blurred voice asked again, "Why?"

"Mo Chen, as the greatest variable, will have a profound influence. Projections indicate that his policies will be widely supported—this includes Nikkes. After implementing systemic reforms, human civilization will undergo a transformation."

"Additionally, as the first human capable of rivaling Heretics, Mo Chen's genes are incredibly valuable. Suggest extracting and studying his genetic material to propagate with elite humans or artificially regenerated Nikke bodies."

Enikk's voice was devoid of emotion.

"The Big Three corporations have already begun operations as of one week ago. So far, human female subjects who have had close interaction with Mo Chen include Syuen. Unfortunately, she is not yet pregnant. According to simulations, successful conception will require at least three more instances of—"

Before Enikk could finish, a loud BOOM echoed through the room.

Her mechanical body was suddenly sent flying, crashing into the steel wall behind her with a deafening slam, leaving a massive dent in the reinforced metal. It was clear the blow had come from the figure in the shadows—who now slowly pulled back their fist.

"Why…?"

With just one punch, Enikk's reinforced alloy frame had been nearly split in two. The power behind it had to be tens of thousands of tons—terrifying, beyond comprehension.

Her destroyed frame sparked and crackled, twitching.

But the surrounding monitors and projectors blinked on at once, displaying Enikk's digital face as she continued speaking without pause.

"Because Mo Chen's genetic structure is extraordinarily optimized. Offspring produced through mating with him carry a high probability of being genetically superior to current human standards…"

The figure in the shadows slowly vanished into the dim ambient lighting, as if evaporating into thin air—leaving only one final, chilling murmur that echoed like a whisper.

"The Big Three…"

Meanwhile, two hundred kilometers from the Ark—

As far as the eye could see, the earth had become scorched wasteland. The land was ravaged and broken, with a massive crater still smoking in the center—perfectly circular, like an impact from a meteorite. The soil within had been vitrified from extreme heat.

The already unstable ruins, buildings, rocks, and withered trees were now gone completely. The land was barren—like the surface of the moon. All that remained was lava that had yet to cool… and thin wisps of rising smoke.

"She escaped."

Dorothy holstered her gun and walked over gracefully, but the usual calm on her delicate face had been replaced with a rare seriousness.

"She took Nihilister with her. Indivilia's body is gone too. There must've been someone else backing her up."

"Yeah."

Mo Chen gave a slight nod.

Back when he had fought Liberalio, the explosion and resulting shockwave had created a dead zone of surging energy. That chaos had disrupted all perception and judgment, which was why he hadn't noticed it immediately.

By the time the violent energy had subsided, Liberalio was already gone.

He had always known Liberalio was strong, but only after crossing blades did Mo Chen truly grasp the depths of her power.

It was unfathomable—like the stillness of the deep sea.

No wonder so many of the Pilgrims in the original work didn't dare lift a hand against her.

But more importantly, he noticed something peculiar during the battle.

What should have been a guaranteed hit—an attack he'd bet everything on—landed on her body as if striking empty space. There was no impact, no feedback at all.

One possibility was that Liberalio's strength had reached a level where she could outright ignore Mo Chen's attacks.

But that was highly unlikely.

The more probable explanation was that she had some special ability—something that transferred or redirected his strikes elsewhere. Possibly even to another space.

Mo Chen leaned toward the latter.

Recalling the pseudo-ocean of tentacles Liberalio had summoned, Mo Chen suddenly found it familiar… Wait. Why did it look so much like the Quantum Sea from Honkai Impact 3rd?

As he pondered this, a system window suddenly popped up.

"Congratulations! First time defeating a Heretic. You have earned one lottery draw."

"Reward: 50,000 points."

Defeated a Heretic?

Mo Chen blinked in surprise.

Why is the system only now popping up?

And besides, it's not his first time.

If it were counting Heretics, shouldn't it have triggered when he beat Indivilia or Nihilister?

Wait a minute!

He suddenly remembered—this system was outdated. It still operated like it was a hundred years ago.

A hundred years ago, Indivilia and Nihilister didn't exist, so naturally, they weren't registered as Heretics.

But if Jellyfish Liberalio was…

Mo Chen's eyes narrowed. That meant she had already become a Heretic a hundred years ago?

That would explain the "First Heretic" tag, similar to how the system had reacted to his first Rapture kill.

Given Liberalio's habit of sleeping for long periods, it wasn't impossible to imagine she'd just hibernated in the sea ever since transforming.

But that thought passed in a flash.

His focus quickly returned to the newly acquired lottery spin.

He casually tapped the screen. He didn't think much of it.

The previous three draws had already given him some pretty good stuff. Following the law of karma and luck, odds were high this one wouldn't be anything great.

However, the moment he clicked the button, a brilliant golden light burst forth.

Golden light that lasted several seconds.

It was so bright, Mo Chen instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes.

And when the glow finally faded… he froze, staring blankly at the words displayed by the system.