Hiding A Logistics Center In The Apocalypse Chapter 148

Hiding the Logistics Center in the Apocalypse Episode 148

Item Auction (1)

Episode 148. Item Auction (1)

A week has passed in the blink of an eye.

A conference room isolated from the outside world.

Even though there was a subspace portal, we stayed inside the conference room the whole time.

The moment you leave the conference room, you are considered to have given up on participating in the exhibition.

“It was a bit boring, but······.”

It was a mysterious space.

Inside the conference room, I felt no appetite, no desire to sleep, and even no desire to excrete.

As if time had stopped.

Phalang.

All week I spent looking over the rules of the 'Item Auction'.

And as a result, we were able to draw some conclusions.

First, anyone can submit an item at any time.

Second, the ownership of an item changes immediately upon winning the auction, and magic stones are automatically paid out through the dimensional account.

Unlimited autonomy, reminiscent of the stock market.

That was the characteristic of this 'item auction'······.

'······He's no different from a conman.'

In the end, it was nothing more than a facade.

The Awakened are all now trapped in the conference room.

Even though they are underwater, they are equipment that we carry around like precious water lilies.

There's no way there's anything that would be up for auction, right?

In the end, the only choice left for the Awakened was to buy and live.

Unyang said to me.

“Mr. Jeong-gyeom, what you are saying is······.”

“Yes, that doesn’t apply to me.”

Although we couldn't go outside, we could still ship out any number of items in the subspace.

So, I was planning to make full use of this ability and put my items up for auction.

one side······.

“It’s a new product!”

“Oh······ Is it an axe this time? I think it would suit Brendan well?”

The representatives of the Earth cheered.

What they are looking at is none other than the item auction catalog.

Because in that mysterious booklet, the items up for auction were updated in real time.

And that wasn't all.

“So, next time, I have to upgrade the Whirlwind Strike. If you look at the linked skills here······.”

“Rather, it seems like the method of focusing on skills is to increase power. Defense can be supplemented somehow with items.”

On one side of the table, a book titled <Awakened Skill Tree Consulting> stimulated the Awakened’s desire to grow······.

“Sagittarius is said to be compatible with potions that enhance concentration. This is an item that is not normally distributed externally, but in this auction······.”

“Even if you’re a tank, you should have at least one healing necklace, right? Look here! Especially in cases where your defense is proportional to your health, it keeps your health at a certain level······.”

On the other hand, booklets such as <Find Your Own Item Compatibility> stimulated the desires of the Awakened.

The elaborate design of the Chamber of Commerce leads to a ‘desire to buy.’

The Awakened were each devoted to nurturing and developing themselves.

Kwaaaaang!

Dazzling skills burst out from the fingertips of the Awakened.

Because of the lightning flashes, it seemed as if fireworks were going off right before my eyes.

The sea we checked earlier.

Nothing was destroyed in the conference room, no one was hurt,

The Awakened took advantage of the nature of these conference halls to stage mock battles in preparation for a 'ranking brawl' that lasted 24 hours.

“Haaap!”

“Huh!”

Phew!

Kwaaaaang-!

As the Awakened Ones moved with restraint, flames burst out here and there like computer special effects······.

The Awakened ones who were matching the numbers smiled brightly and clenched their fists.

“Oh! That combination was great just now!”

“Let’s keep this momentum going into the match!”

“Now, all I have to do is control the long-range attacks here. If I can just secure the ‘Half-Circle Spear’ from the auction······.”

The Awakened continue to engage in imaginary battles, imagining items that do not exist in their minds.

The fight unfolded in the void, where no one was hurt, no one was destroyed, and no entity existed.

Walking on the billowing clouds.

Ironically, their unity reached its peak on a dream that was like a castle in the air.

“Let’s try a little harder!”

“You can do it! Fighting!”

That was the last sound.

I decided to turn my attention to other awakened people.

***

“Wow!”

The opening day of the Dimension Expo.

The streets were filled with cheers and noise.

It was as the Chamber of Commerce had predicted.

Exactly one week later, a gate was created in the conference room leading to the exhibition hall.

As we passed through, a medieval white road made of layer upon layer of white bricks appeared before our eyes.

“It’s more magnificent than I imagined······.”

Unyang was looking around the colorful tents that filled the area around the street.

He asked me.

“By the way······ What is all this?”

“Isn’t it some kind of booth? The name itself says ‘exhibition’······.”

An exhibition, a venue for exchange that showcases the development of industry and civilization.

As expected, the tent had a nameplate of the corresponding dimension hanging on it, and a chart clearly displayed detailed information such as the composition of the races, the hierarchy ratio of their members, special products and resource reserves, cultural tendencies, investment status, and debt repayment rates.

“There really are a lot······.”

Promotional booths of each dimension are lined up on both sides of the street.

I walked as slowly as I could, taking my time looking at the multi-dimensional information displayed in the booth.

As a result, I was able to roughly understand the distinction between the words upper class, lower class, and rural class that the invaders used to use.

I added quietly to Yunyang and Kimsol.

“First of all, it seems like there is no higher dimension.”

“Higher dimensions?”

“I think the distinction is roughly like this.”

If the lower dimensions were the early pioneer dimensions that were just being beaten like Earth, then the middle dimensions were the dimensions that had escaped that stage and were reborn as full-fledged invaders.

And from the lieutenant level onwards······.

“From then on, it seems that the level of the dimensions is determined by the hierarchy of the members. A dimension with many 5-tiers is considered a higher level dimension than a dimension with many 6-tiers. Even if it is only 3-tier or 4-tier, it seems to be classified as a higher level dimension.”

“Then the dimensions gathered here······.”

“When I look closely, most of them are in the 6th or 7th tier… at most, they’re mid-level tiers with 5th tiers mixed in. They’re probably trying to attract investment from higher tiers by setting up these promotional booths… and it looks like lower tiers like us don’t even have the qualifications to set up booths.”

A cosmic hierarchical ladder divided into levels and ranks.

This is the multidimensional ecosystem that the Chamber of Commerce defines.

In other words, it was a world of survival of the fittest centered around economic power.

So, after passing by the booths of the small lieutenants for a while······.

“Huh?”

Coincidentally, I found some familiar faces.

Ames and Sabros.

Because the two invaders who had attacked Seoul and Incheon respectively were occupying positions side by side.

But unlike the booths in the Ames dimension that were decorated here and there, Sabros's booth was completely empty, as if it had been swept away by the wind.

Yunyang stroked his chin.

“It looks like we can’t afford to hold an exhibition here?”

“Well, that makes sense. I’m really busy right now······.”

Sabros, whose entire colony was taken away.

Perhaps they too were preparing their forces in anticipation of an all-out war with the Retelians.

Looking at the empty Sabros booth, I felt a strange emotion as if I had discovered the results of the fight······.

'······It's still far away.'

I was able to check out their information at the booth.

A typical lower-middle class with a ruling class of at most 5 levels.

Ames or Sabros was just one of many mid-level dimensions.

Now the units had to change.

Beyond the stage of arguing with mere invaders, to a level where we can immediately surpass them.

.

.

.

Finally, we reached the entrance to the auction house.

As if someone had been waiting, he appeared in front of me.

"you are······."

By connecting neurons and constantly searching the long-term memory in the frontal lobe, I was finally able to remember the bastard's name.

“Liam Johnson.”

“······This is Liam Parker.”

Liam Johnson, who coldly corrects my name.

The guy had his arms crossed with a pouty expression, as if he was dissatisfied with something.

“You seem to be a total idiot when it comes to hierarchical brawls… I guess you’re thinking of participating in auctions.”

I thought I was being quiet, but it looks like he was paying attention to me.

After all, it was impossible to hide one's existence among a mere 11 people.

He didn't even say a word, let alone introduce himself.

He never participated in the mock battles that were like child's play, so he never revealed his awakening ability.

To Liam and the other awakened people of Earth, I would be a complete unknown.

At the same time, he was also a shameless criminal who did not participate in the hierarchy brawl to protect the Earth.

chuck!

Liam reached out his hand to me.

“It’s not too late. Let’s share our awakening abilities and devise strategies together. We’re all Earthlings. If we can successfully end the melee… I’ll join you on the Olympus side. Not those idiots, but the real higher dimension!”

Liam, who was known as the evangelist of Olympus, was soon acting as the evangelist of Olympus.

I wasn't interested in Olympus or Olympia, but······.

Still, he gave him some final advice, saying that his arms were bent inward, as he was also a fellow Earthling.

“It’s not my concern how you spend your money, but······. At the very least, it would be better if you didn’t receive any investments. Seriously.”

It was an unexpected reaction.

Liam nodded slowly, as if he knew what she was worried about.

Then he whispered to me and told me what he thought.

“I know full well that it’s not free. If you think about it even a little bit… There’s no way the higher-level ones would do business at a loss. They’ll try to recover the investment money somehow, even if it means squeezing us. But… Even so, I’m trying to increase Olympus’s investment.”

“Why would you do such a stupid thing······?!”

“······.”

Liam, who had been clearing his throat for a moment, continued speaking.

“No matter how much they moved for profit… they can’t just leave Earth, where their investments are concentrated. They can’t just leave Earth to be eaten by other invaders. In order to recover their investments… Olympus will have no choice but to help Earth.”

In the end, Liam's conclusion is······.

“The Earth is weak. Therefore, it must be protected by other higher dimensions. If only the Earth dimension could be brought under the control of Olympus… The Earth would be safe again. Peace would be restored.”

To summarize, this is what it meant.

Rather than being harassed by other invading powers, they would rather offer up Earth to the relatively gentlemanly Olympus.

To gratefully accept its status as a peaceful colony.

Now that I look at it, it is no different from the logic of pro-Japanese collaborators 100 years ago.

“We’ll meet again as soon as the auction is over. You’d better think it over. For the sake of the Earth.”

With those words, Liam disappeared into the crowd.

I wanted to hit him in the back of the head······but I decided to hit him as soon as the auction was over.

.

.

.

Groan, groan.

A huge auction house crowded with people.

A semicircular stage was placed at its center, and at least a thousand seats were arranged in tiers, overlooking the stage.

“There is a seat here.”

I sat down along the path.

The item auction is a symbolic event that marks the opening of the fair.

Unlike the main street, which was filled with booths of mid-level dimensions, this auction house had a wide variety of levels of dimensions.

The place we sat was a 'block' seat with no rank indication.

However, the areas of the upper, middle, and lower dimensions were each separate, and among them, beings of higher rank could be assigned higher positions.

It was a democratic item auction in which anyone could participate······.

As I mentioned earlier, there were only a few dimensions where items could be put up for auction.

As wealthy as that, or······.

'Having ridiculous abilities or······.'

Thud thud.

The auctioneer walked up to the center of the stage.

He was wearing a clean suit and pure white gloves.

Clap clap clap!

Thunderous applause followed.

The auctioneer, bowing exaggeratedly, strode over and, like a fearless bullfighter, boldly pushed away the red carpet covering the table.

Swish!

A helmet carved from sodalite luminous stone was revealed, and the audience roared in admiration.

One of the items that the Earth's Awakened were clamoring to win.

The auctioneer, as if he would not disappoint expectations, held up three fingers and shouted the starting price in a clear voice.

30 thousand.

40 thousand.

45 thousand.

As the auctioneer's voice grew louder, the sodalite helmet also rose into the sky.

Between the fluttering signs of the bidders, Liam and the other Awakened ones appeared.

They were staring at the stage with bloodshot eyes.

As if trying to somehow hold on to the weight that was so light it seemed to soar into the sky.

That's right.

The auction has begun.