NIKKE, When the Milky Way Blossoms

[Warning: No relevant eye feature information is found in the MMR affiliated high school database]

"Um..."

No corresponding characteristic information? That means this person is definitely not a teacher or student.

After confirming that the girl in the surveillance footage did not belong to MMR Affiliated High School, Ether subconsciously bit the electronic pen in her hand, then moved her foot and dragged her chair to another computer connected to the central database.

"Lieutenant, don't tell me this suspect is Niki from outside the school..."

She muttered to herself, placing her hands on the keyboard but not rushing to type any commands. Instead, she gently stroked the metal keycaps with her fingertips.

“If it’s Niki, you’re in big trouble, Lieutenant.”

After saying that, Aether's ten fingers suddenly spread open, like little people stretching and loosening their muscles.

Ten seconds later,

The sound of keyboards clicking filled the once-silent research room again.

……

……

Night, 12:55 AM, inside Bar No. 5.

Wearing a pure black baseball cap and a navy blue loose sweatshirt, Anise sat idly at the counter drinking beer, using absolute silence to shun wave after wave of men who thought themselves charming and debonair.

Among them are muscular hunks, hip-hop geeks, androgynous beauties, as well as suit-wearing scoundrels.

However, in Anis's eyes, these men with their very different styles were really awkward no matter how she looked at them, possessing a kind of pure, natural temperament with a very smooth cerebral cortex.

To be more specific,

Compared to her battle-hardened, scarred commander, all the men in this bar seemed like three-year-old kids in open-crotch pants, utterly unattractive.

Ding-ling-ling-ling——

At the bar entrance, vintage bells jingled merrily.

The door was slowly pushed open.

A man wearing sunglasses and a loose hoodie and sweatpants stood at the doorway, leaning against the iron gate with one hand, and glanced at the girl at the bar table.

"Honey!"

After eagerly anticipating her arrival for an entire afternoon and evening, Anise finally saw her man.

The girl, as excited as a fawn, skipped and hopped towards the door amidst the envious and jealous gazes of a group of men. In front of all the drinkers, she boldly nestled into the arms of the aloof, sunglasses-wearing man.

Ding-ling-ling-ling——

The door was closed again.

The sound of the bell seemed to gradually change from crisp to shrill, as if mocking every man in the bar who tried to flirt with a girl.

……

……

"I'm in a rush. I have to get back before 6 a.m. After deducting travel time, my actual activity time may not exceed one and a half hours."

Phoenix quickly got into the passenger seat, not even bothering to ask Anise where she got the car, and blurted out:

"I need to go to the outer edge of the region to kill a girl named Klaus Niki, but I definitely can't do it in one trip, so I'll have to trouble you to stay there for now and help me gather information."

By the way, if you find out any information, don't take action yourself yet. Remember to wait for me to come over.

Viper should be in the same unit as that guy. I don't know Viper's stance, so handle this matter as you see fit. Be careful around her; I don't know what that woman is planning.

"What a coincidence! I also think that woman is very cunning!"

Hearing that the Commander was unusually hostile towards the two Nikis, Aniston immediately forgot about their secret alliance and turned her back on her former ally.

"One is Krau, the other is Viper. Alright, alright, I'll keep an eye on them for the Commander."

Upon learning that Phoenix's main purpose for this trip was to commit murder, Anise also abandoned her outing mood, stepped on the gas pedal with a serious expression, and drove straight to a suburb of the Ark, based on her previous memories of smuggling.

……

"Speaking of which, what exactly does that Krau do that makes the Commander risk being discovered during his prison break to kill her?"

While driving, Anise asked about the specific details of the operation.

As newlyweds who had been completely open with each other, the young woman had no reservations about such matters and asked directly because she wanted to know.

In response, Phoenix needs to carefully consider his words.

Since there were many reasons for killing Krau, he didn't need to explain what that antisocial terrorist would do in the future, or what terrible consequences those actions would lead to.

He only needs to explain one thing, and that should be enough.

“There was a girl named Niki Diesel who saved my life on Earth.”

The man spoke calmly, as if narrating a story he had never experienced before.

"The Ark Train bombing was done by this guy named Krau. However, according to my speculation, he was probably not Niki back then, but a member of a gang called 'Entering Paradise' in the outer district."

Diesel and her brother were in the train carriage when the train exploded, but I don't know the specifics.

But as you might have guessed, Diesel's brother died on the spot, while Diesel himself, due to the severity of his injuries, was sent to be transformed into Niki.

Considerately pausing his speech, Phoenix patiently waited for the girl to finish processing what he had said before continuing:

"Those who would take the train were mostly working-class people, which means that the bombing resulted in the deaths of hundreds of ordinary citizens."

Logically, terrorists carry out attacks to pressure the government and express their political demands.

They will use the internet, radio, rumors, and other means to express their demands, incite public panic, and get citizens to join them in putting pressure on the government.

However, the train bombing case was different. From before the explosion to the successful explosion and the end of the explosion, not a single similar threatening statement appeared on the internet.

In other words, the terrorists who caused the explosion were either assassinating a target or taking revenge on society.

Since the passengers on the train were all ordinary citizens, the possibility of assassination was very small.

The other party is most likely indiscriminately retaliating against society; they are less a terrorist and more an inhuman creature.

"Hmm...so it was a beast."

After listening to the commander's clear and logical explanation, the girl tried to force a bitter smile, but was surprised to find that she couldn't even manage a bitter smile.

In the end, she gave up.

"Commander."

"Ok?"

"That girl named Diesel saved the Commander's life, right?"

"Ah."

"Well... if she's willing, I think we can take her with us and let her kill that beast herself to avenge herself and her brother."

In this way, Commander, you've repaid her for saving your life, haven't you?

"...That makes sense."

Chapter 153 Definition of Stealth

Smuggling between the Ark and the outer edge is destined to be different from smuggling by sea.

To get through the 20-30 meter high isolation wall without being registered or recorded, the only option is basically to rely on underground smuggling tunnels.

There are essentially two modes for setting up a smuggling route.

The first method involves digging a 20-meter-deep well underground to bypass the foundation of the isolation wall, and then finding a way to shield against various detection reactions, thus achieving smuggling.

The second method also involves digging a tunnel, but unlike the first method which uses a 20-meter-deep well, this time the tunnel only needs to be dug to a depth of five or six meters. Then, the wall foundation is broken through to complete the tunnel construction.

According to the inside information that Anis learned from Viper, if they could dig a 20-meter-deep well several kilometers underground in the bedrock without being discovered, with that level of secrecy and connections, they wouldn't need to go through all that trouble to dig a well; they could just drill a hole in the wall.

Phoenix believes this assessment.

After all, the only one in the entire Ark that can treat bedrock like tofu and also seems to possess an extradimensional pocket is probably Master Kansi.

If the lieutenant hadn't been in such a hurry, he could have easily commissioned the other party to dig a private passage connecting the Ark to the outer perimeter.

"Commander, our vehicle can only go this far at most."

Since they dare to carry out smuggling in residential areas, it's certain that many residents in the suburbs have been bribed by them, and they will tip off anyone they see who is suspicious.

Driving is too loud; it's safer for us to run over.

In a secluded, abandoned square, Anise stepped out of the car and lowered the brim of her hat. Her pretty face not only regained its usual mischievousness but also faintly revealed an indescribable excitement.

"Now it'll be up to Commander's skill in taking detours!"

After all, I was smuggled in here thanks to a snake, so the intricacies and details... hehe, I don't really understand them."

Is this something to be happy about?

Before Phoenix could figure out what was going on, the girl grabbed his right hand without saying a word, then hugged him to her chest, just like a college girl in the throes of new love taking her boyfriend for a walk.