Hiding A Logistics Center In The Apocalypse Chapter 167

Hiding the Logistics Center in the Apocalypse Episode 167

Railroad (2)

Episode 167. Railroad (2)

“······.”

The elder of Barnaul, Lupin, was forced to lie half-ill.

A situation where all one's strength is put into throwing a 'last move' at the Earth.

In the midst of all that, we got hit by an asteroid out of nowhere.

“······The timing is terrible.”

My hands were shaking.

What if I had heard the news a little earlier?

If we had known in advance, wouldn't we have been able to save our energy and intercept the asteroid beforehand?

But now it was a meaningless question.

The incident happened, and the dimensional entry point was blown away.

The rich would surely be pounding away at the idea, saying, “Barnaul, the world’s best, has been hit by an asteroid.”

Elder Lupin, with his body worn out, just waits for their laughter.

But then······.

“Jang, Elder?”

The warlocks who returned after completing their investigation came to find him.

Lupin was shocked by the unexpected news they gave him and couldn't help but ask back.

“······It wasn’t an asteroid?”

“Yes, after analyzing the scattered debris······ it was not a natural asteroid, but a man-made object.”

“Artifact? Who on earth······.”

It was just amazing.

Barnaul, one of the highest dimensions in the multiverse.

Because it meant that someone had no fear and directly attacked Barnaul.

but······.

“I found traces of black magic. I assume that Marquez… they came in.”

“Marquez······?”

The identity was even more surprising.

Another dimension of black magic with a long history of ill-fated relations.

They were certainly a difficult opponent, but it was hard to believe that they, who had lost their homeland and were living like vagabonds, would dare to attack Barnaul.

Along with Lupin's complicated thoughts, the warlock's report continued.

“The collision exposed a passage leading to the underground facility. The traces also lead underground.”

“If it’s underground······ I see, you’re aiming for the dimensional core.”

It was a natural calculation.

Because Marquez was no match for Barnaul in a head-on fight.

If there was only one way, it was to target none other than the dimensional core of Barnaul.

“······It’s Aurel. He’s good at manipulating circuits. He’s planning on overturning the black magic circuits that are attached to the dimensional core.”

“This is a big deal. Aren’t all of the Lichs’ life vessels connected to the core?”

The Dimensional Core could be said to be the culmination of Barnaul's power.

Not only the lives of the Liches, but also the black magic of the Warlocks is stored in the core.

If the spirits were the blood that supplied energy, then the dimensional core was nothing more than the heart that pumped that blood.

but······.

“Don't worry.”

Lupin's reaction was relaxed.

The dimensional core, which is both the core and weakness of Barnaul.

But there was a special effect attached to it.

“The living can never approach the heart of Barnaul. Unless Aurel has become a lich… As you know, the black magicians of Marques do not have such talents.”

Lupin chuckled.

At the same time, the left side of his face melted away, revealing a pale, bone-like appearance.

Because Lupin's ability was to be able to go between human and lich, life and death.

“Those who are caught in the wheel of destiny will never reach the center. They will just spin around and around forever. They will never reach the core.”

Flutter.

Lupin rose, his robes fluttering.

“Welcome, Aurel. Don’t leave now. Never again······.”

Looking forward to reuniting with old friends.

***

Phew.

Phew.

A huge square filled with vengeful spirits.

A huge number of vengeful spirits created a huge flow like waves.

"then······."

At first, the path was simple.

All I had to do was follow the straight path.

But from the moment we passed the square, the route started to get a little more complicated.

“Not yet?”

“I’m sorry. Here, so······.”

This is because forks in the road appear one after another.

A situation where Aurel must detect dark magic and provide guidance.

But since even the spirits moved in different directions, he also had difficulty searching.

“It looks like some kind of exhibition hall······.”

The passage we passed through was like a show window blocked by a glass wall.

On the other hand, now it felt like I was in an endless, boring exhibition hall.

As if to prove this, unidentified antiques were floating around here and there.

“······What is that?”

“They are all items meant to evoke thoughts. For the spirits… a kind of totem, you could say.”

It was Barnaul's specialty.

Binding a spirit to an object.

Weren't the knights also held captive in Camelot for a long time?

“The spirits are already dead. But because of the totem, they cling to their past lives. That is… how Barnaul gathers thoughts.”

Dozens of vengeful spirits flocked to each item.

Then, as if reminiscing about the past, he recreated his life as it was.

The appearances of the ghosts and the shapes of the items were all different, but they were all the same in that they tragically pursued past memories.

After passing by the shadows of various items and spirits several times······.

"······river?"

A huge river blocked our path.

The spirits floated across the river without stopping.

But for us, who had two good legs, we had no choice but to stand still.

Then, Aurel, who was looking around, said with a startled expression.

“I’m sorry, Jeonggyeom. I was wronged. That was······.”

His gaze remained on the riverbank.

A shabby tent, set up simply.

This was also a type of item, and spirits were flocking to the surrounding area.

“······It’s Marquez’s relic. They lured me.”

Aurel was tracking the black magic emitted by the dimensional core.

But what drew him was not the core of Barnaul, but the smell of his lost hometown.

The hundreds of ghosts that had flocked to the tent were also the inhabitants of the old Marquesses who had been killed by Barnaul.

And then, it happened.

Phew!

All around us, black smoke settled everywhere.

The smoke soon swirled away, and in its place appeared the black robed warlocks of Barnaul.

Aureol added in a complicated voice.

“Lupin······.”

“It’s been a while, Aureol.”

A man who exchanged greetings with Aureol.

He had a strange face.

It was half human, half skeleton in appearance.

“I’m sorry, Jeonggyeom. I should have been more careful······.”

“······Okay. What kind of guy is he?”

“I am Lupen, the elder of Barnaul. This is a big problem. It will not be easy to handle.”

As the knights confronted the warlocks of Barnaul, Aurel explained to me:

The moment he abandons his life, the warlock becomes a lich and can remain in eternal death.

However, the price for this was that he could no longer grow as a warlock.

but······.

“Lupen murdered a young warlock. Then he grafted his body onto himself. And that was······.”

“······.”

“······It was my younger brother, Arka.”

That was Lupin's secret.

As you become a Lich, you will continue to develop your talents and growth in the dark arts.

Coincidentally, the sacrificial lamb was Aureol's blood relative, Arka.

The long-standing feud between Barnaul and Marquez.

That tenacious relationship continued to be a source of resentment between Lupin and Aurel.

“······.”

In the end, half of Lupin's face belonged to Aureol's younger sister, Arca.

The bastard opened his mouth, his face half peeling off.

“I knew you were heading towards the core. Well, it’s not impossible… It’ll be hard to do it alive, though.”

The spirits were crossing the river in droves, but it was not a path that was permitted for us.

Because Aureol's explanation was that only the dead could cross.

He added to me with a serious expression.

“······This is the effect of the dimensional core that Barnaul possesses. I didn’t think it would have developed to this extent······.”

The dimensional core was just beyond that······.

However, it was not something that could be paid with one's life as a toll.

Perhaps unaware of this, Barnaul's elder Lupen also had a rather relaxed expression.

“Aurel. Come back home. Isn’t your brother here too?”

Lupin's body was covered with skin again.

The face that had been completed was that of Aureol's younger brother, Arka.

And then, disgustingly, he started to shed tears.

“······Lupin.”

“You’re a warlock, so you know that. If you become a vengeful spirit, you can dream forever. I’ll help you live forever in your wonderful hometown with your family.”

Lupin pointed to the tent.

A shabby tent that was said to be a relic of Marquez.

What he proposed was to become a vengeful spirit and wander the underground of Barnaul forever.

Here, not only his hometown but even his younger brother's ghost was alive and moving.

Aureol was silent for a long time.

But I finally mustered up my strength and answered him with a forced voice.

“······Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet my younger brother, Lupin.”

Aurelia expresses her gratitude.

But his gaze did not linger on the face occupied by Lupin.

“I’m ready, Jeonggyeom.”

"okay."

Shushu shuk!

Shush!

Subspace portals opened in all directions.

They shipped dozens, if not hundreds, of objects, all of which were quickly delivered to the spirits of Marques who were hovering around the tent.

Because the situation was so sudden, even the black magicians of Barnaul were only hastily assessing the situation.

Elder, Lupin also······.

"······box?"

He just kept repeating it with a puzzled expression.

The object turned out to be an ordinary delivery box.

but······.

“Do you like Yabawi?”

At least one of them was out of the ordinary.

Because it contains a subspace portal.

It was the only portal that could assign coordinates to objects.

and······.

“······The ghosts······?”

As if they had been waiting, Marquez's ghosts also accepted the delivery boxes all at once.

They circled around the tent and then scattered in all directions as if their knots had come undone, causing hundreds of delivery boxes to float into the air.

“Aurel, you little punk······.”

Lupin gritted his teeth.

Because Aureol has been freeing the spirits from their bonds all along.

Although it was temporary, the spirits were free from the thoughts that Barnaul had given them and were moving freely.

Aureol answered.

“Lupen, I’ll give you a hint. My brother Arka is holding the portal. I don’t know if you can find it, but······.”

Shuhwaaaaaaaah!

Hundreds of vengeful spirits carrying delivery boxes rose up like a whirlwind.

Lupin just waved his arms helplessly towards the sky, his gaze filled with confusion.

“This is profit······!”

Phew!

Pfft! Pfft!

I threw a trap made of black magic and caught the spirits one by one······.

“That’s Remedios. Oh, and that’s Fernanda······.”

It was impossible to distinguish hundreds of spirits individually.

Unlike Aureol, who remembers each and every spirit clearly.

Aurel exchanged glances with Arka, the spirit of his younger brother who was somewhere among them, and simply enjoyed the reunion between brothers that Lupin had arranged for them.

Swish!

Swish!

The ghosts of Marquez crossed the river in succession.

The river of death that the living cannot cross.

but······.

“It is a mountainous region, but······.”

Delivery was an exception.