NIKKE: Max Bonded but System Gone

Late at night, the quiet hum of the outpost base surrounded Green as he poured cold coffee down the sink.

He was about to step out to the rooftop to clear his mind when a message from Privaty popped up on his communicator. If it was from that Tsundere and considering the recent chat with the Anis, Green can already predict what kind of thing she would be asking.

Privaty: "Commander, just hypothetically, if you had to choose one Nikke as your girlfriend, would you prefer someone like Anis with a voluptuous figure, or someone with a more normal build?"

Green chuckled softly, shaking his head. "She really cares about her image, doesn't she?"

His lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "Guess I'll tease her a little."

While Green wasn't one for hobbies, ruffling tsundere feathers was a guilty pleasure of his. Watching Privaty put on her "I'm not here for you" act only to blush and falter when he flirted back was priceless. A little fluster, a little distance—just enough to keep her guessing.

It was... entertaining.

He typed back a response:

Green: "I like the Privaty type."

The reply came almost instantly.

Privaty: "R-really?"

Privaty: "Commander, do you truly like my type?"

Privaty: "Though I suppose it's only natural, right? Bigger may have its advantages, but what truly matters is what suits someone best."

Green grinned.

Green: "What are you talking about? Age? Or something else? Privaty seems pretty big too, doesn't she?"

Privaty: "N-nothing! Just think of it as age!"

Privaty: "By the way, Commander, do you have any training plans recently? Honestly, I think your stamina might need some work. If you want to train, feel free to come to me anytime."

Green: "Tomorrow, I'm going to the fireworks festival with Rapi."

Privaty: "W-what?!"

Privaty: "You're really going with Rapi? Not me?"

Green: "Just kidding."

Privaty: (pouting and blushing) "...Commander, stop saying things like that! Moe~!"

Green chuckled aloud. Privaty's flustered reactions never failed to amuse him. He could almost picture her sweat-soaked, exasperated face.

"If only all Nikkes were as easy to deal with as Privaty."

Of the Nikkes Green knew, Privaty was by far the most predictable. Daily consultations with her practically guaranteed +100 affinity points. Anis, on the other hand, was another story—constantly flip-flopping between apathy and bursts of enthusiasm, her thoughts were impossible to pin down.

After exchanging a few more messages, Green pocketed his communicator.

As he climbed the stairs to the rooftop, his mind wandered to the upcoming reunion with Marian. However, the thought weighed heavily. The high-ranking officials of the Ark would undoubtedly make their move soon.

For them, Marian wasn't just an ally but a key asset in their schemes to reclaim the surface and bolster their factions. Green had prepared extensively—acquiring long-term supplies from Dora and fortifying his plans—but the stakes were high. Sheltering a rogue like Marian was a capital offense in Ark law.

Even with the backing of Anderson and Ingrid, Green wasn't confident he could emerge unscathed. There were far too many people in the Ark who would love to see him dead.

"Let's clear my head," he muttered.

The rooftop was quiet, the night air cold and still. The outpost base below resembled a snow-covered winter village, eerily silent under dim streetlights. Shadows of Nikkes moved faintly behind illuminated windows.

Above, Green gazed at the steel cables that stretched skyward. Thousands of elevators ferried commanders and their escorts between the Ark and the surface. The hum of machinery and the sight of small teams ascending to their peril were a grim reminder of the constant sacrifice.

Occasionally, though, there were disruptions.

"I don't want to die!"

"Please, I don't want to fight anymore! Let me go back!"

A young commander, fresh from his first surface mission and miraculously alive, collapsed before an elevator, his cries echoing. His voice trembled with despair.

"My friends—my brothers from the academy—they're all gone! It's just me now! Why does the Central Government keep sending us to die? I'm not a Nikke! If I die, that's it! I'm really gone! And this time, they've assigned me a squad of nameless mass-production Nikkes. They're just sending me to my death!"

On the other hand, the mass-production Nikkes stood stoically, seemingly indifferent to his outburst.

After a pause, their squad leader stepped forward, holding a mission report. The broken commander staggered to his feet, his face twisted in hatred and despair as he stepped into the elevator.

"Heroes saving humanity? Reclaiming the surface? What a load of crap! We're all dead men walking! You scrap heaps included Hahaha... ha..."

The elevator doors slammed shut, silencing his laughter.

Green closed his eyes, a flicker of pity crossing his face. But his sympathy meant little; the man's voice was already fading. Soon, there'd be nothing left.

"Commander, huh? Just glorified cannon fodder."

Sighing, Green pulled out a grape-flavored Poté stick, biting down as he reached for his communicator to play some music.

The sound of the rooftop door creaking open interrupted him.

"Who's there?" Green turned.

"Just a Nikke seeking some advice."

Crow stepped forward, hands in her pockets, her presence as dark and imposing as a raven in the night. "What's this? Has the consultation room closed for the day?"

"Crow," Green smirked. "Or should I call you JhonD?"

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