Hiding A Logistics Center In The Apocalypse Chapter 197

Hiding the Logistics Center in the Apocalypse Episode 197

Counterattack (1)

“Heh heh heh!”

Count Franco burst into laughter.

Not only did he shine brightly in class, he also asked sharp questions.

That too, from the first day I entered the Human Resources Development Center.

The count grabbed Hyeolgyeom's shoulder.

He expressed satisfaction that he was very satisfied with it, but he shook his head when asked if he could go to the lab.

“I have a schedule today, so that might be difficult. But it’s a good attitude. The more you explore the essence of pioneering work and think about better directions, the more important your role will be.”

“Yes, Vice President······.”

Hyeolgyeom's expression turned sour.

The expression on his face was like that of an 11-year-old genius boy who had the social science book he was reading with great enjoyment taken away from him.

Seonggyeom's crazy plotting that made the professors' hearts flutter was shining.

“Don’t be too sad. There’s a better way.”

The count couldn't just pass by those eyes either.

He smiled faintly and this time spoke to all the trainees.

“How about you solve your own curiosity? This isn’t a question with a definite answer. Everyone has probably listened to today’s lecture… So, write a short essay with your own suggestions about the pioneering cases I introduced.”

“······!!”

“There’s another lecture scheduled for the same time tomorrow, so let’s make it until then. It’ll be an interesting discussion. Hehe.”

Buzzing.

The trainees were shocked.

The commoner who suddenly appeared showed off his flamboyant manners and won his favor, and the count, moved by this, smiled like a father and dropped a bombshell on him.

For the students who were absentmindedly listening to the lecture, it must have been a bolt from the blue.

-What the hell is that kid doing?

-A thesis? A suggestion? What does that all mean?

Tingle!

Murderous eyes flew in from all directions.

But Hyeolgyeom just smiled shamelessly as if he knew nothing.

Rather, he just smiles innocently, as if he had received a surprise gift.

The count added at last.

“Let’s give a separate store to Hyeolgyeom. His teaching attitude was good, and he brought up interesting topics that were helpful to everyone. I’ll distribute the store in the next lecture, so everyone, have fun writing your essays, hehe!”

CLANG!

With those words, the count left the classroom.

It was so fast that I don't know where it disappeared to.

Anyway, the start wasn't bad.

The first schedule at the Human Resources Development Center was successfully concluded.

It was a shame that I couldn't gain access to the lab, but for now, it was enough to leave a good impression on the Count.

"······hmm."

At least that was the case for the Count.

The expressions on the faces of the other students looking at Hyeolgyeom were truly vicious.

***

“Oh my······.”

Me, Buendia, the princess, and Count Bereshti.

We looked at Seonggyeom lying blankly on the sofa in wonder.

He was moving his arms and legs one by one, as if he was trying to reconnect to the blood clot.

“I have to write a report.”

"ah······."

“Come to think of it, I also wrote down lecture notes. I would appreciate it if you submitted them together.”

A faint smile appeared.

An expression that clearly shows that you know what the other person likes.

It seemed like he was enjoying it, but······. I decided not to think about it too deeply.

Approaching the Count was a necessary mission.

Since he is the one who hid the Holy Blood, he will likely have the most clues.

“Phew.”

Leaving my brother behind who was controlling the blood sword, I approached the rest of the group.

Everyone was looking at the mirrors nervously, but now they were finally letting their guard down.

But it was time for us to focus on the situation here in Bereshti, in our own way.

I told them the thoughts I had on my mind as I came.

“There’s something that feels a little uneasy.”

The Allied forces were wasting time by repeatedly launching attritional attacks.

If they had time on their side, it was necessary to ascertain what the basis of that confidence was.

Because it meant that there was a number hidden somewhere.

“From the Allied Forces’ perspective, is there anything good to be gained by buying time? Even if we are in a position to defend ourselves······.”

Of course, isolating a castle is one of the main strategies in siege warfare.

However, Bereshti, with Veronica's support, was not particularly isolated, and as long as the magic spring flowed, there was no shortage of resources within.

Although it was incomplete, the essence production facility was also located within this castle.

Fortunately, in the meantime, Count Bereshti seemed to have obtained new information.

“The reconnaissance team came back a little while ago. They brought back footage of the Allied Forces’ main camp. If you look here, you can see······.”

He held out a mirror.

A size that is even larger than the tracking mirror that reflected the blood.

The scenery of the Allied Forces' main camp was clearly visible on the square screen.

Tick tock! Tick tock!

In the video, tin lizards wearing overalls were walking around.

They have thick nails in their mouths and hammers hanging from their vests.

When asked about their identity, the Count answered:

“They are lizards from Rodolfo’s dimension. They are nouveau riche who made a fortune in the multidimensional construction industry. Their fighting power is not that great, but······. Still, they are considered to be from a higher dimension.”

It was accurate to say that it was a production job in the Allied Forces.

It is also these Rodolfo-level lizards who are building the central headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce.

From what I heard, it seems that facilities above the central headquarters are installed exclusively by Rodolfo Chaewon.

The count added.

“It seems like they are waiting for the central headquarters to be completed. The reason they are continuing their attacks…is it because they want to keep us trapped inside this castle?”

“In fact, it’s them who are defending, not us?”

“That’s true. It’s true that they are also vulnerable to defense until the construction of the central headquarters is completed. They might want to catch their breath now.”

Central headquarters.

It was a facility I wanted to get my hands on as soon as it was completed.

However, since I didn't really know much about its functions, I took this opportunity to ask the Count about the functions of the central headquarters.

“What functions does that central headquarters have?”

“Nothing is known about the internal facilities. However, the external effects are certain. It is a large-scale area effect… It is so vast that it cannot even be compared to Faust’s totem. That must be why they set up their headquarters in the middle of this battlefield.”

That wasn't the only problem.

Once the central headquarters is completed, it is extremely difficult to destroy.

This was because it had its own defense system.

“Actually, this is more of a problem. When the central headquarters is completed, it will detect awakening abilities within its radius and automatically launch a preemptive strike. I said it was a strike, but… it’s not a strike launched from the headquarters, but rather a way to cause awakening abilities to go wild.”

Ability detection and preemptive strike.

It wasn't clear exactly what kind of attack a power surge was, but one thing was certain.

'······You're saying that you can't put it in subspace.'

If it was within the central headquarters' sphere of influence, it meant that an attack would come before the central headquarters could be captured.

Of course, that doesn't mean it was completely invincible.

“The only things that the Central Headquarters can detect are attacks or abilities that ‘target the Headquarters.’ Anything within the firing range, such as physical enhancements or attacks against troops, can all be used. For now, before the Central Headquarters is completed, we’ll form a special force and strike. After completion, the situation will be more difficult.”

There was impatience in the count's voice.

Because now that they were building their central headquarters, time was no longer on our side.

If the Holy Blood is recovered in the meantime, that may be another matter, but even if that is the case, it would be right to stop the construction as much as possible.

'······If that's true, then there's nothing I can do.'

The original plan was to swallow up the central headquarters in subspace, but realistically, it was difficult.

If you can't have it, you might as well break it.

I nodded silently towards the Count.

and······.

“But what is that?”

During that time, I was able to discover some strangely shaped machines.

It looked like a means of transportation, as it had wheels, but it was a long structure hanging upwards.

Count Bereshti answered, frowning as if he had almost forgotten.

Judging from his expression, it was clear that he was just as much of a nuisance as the central headquarters.

“Ah······. That’s there too. It’s Rodolfo’s catapult. It looks like they had no intention of sitting still. I don’t know if they’re just buying time or if they’re really going to attack······. This is annoying.”

“A catapult······is that such a threatening object?”

Of course, it is true that siege weapons are tricky from the perspective of a Mercury.

However, since the Bereshti Count Castle was not an ordinary castle, it would be difficult to cause significant damage with just a simple physical impact.

That is also why the Allied Forces advanced, targeting the castle gates.

But what they were after was neither the walls nor the gates.

“It’s to neutralize the electromagnetic cannon. The anti-magic bullets on the catapults… If they explode, the electromagnetic cannons will become obsolete in an instant. I was relieved that the anti-magic bullets weren’t cheap, but it looks like the Chamber of Commerce has poured a lot of money into them….”

'······Is it something like an EMP bomb?'

Electromagnetic cannons were Bereshti's most important Mercury weapon.

If that is neutralized, there will be no more power to hold off the oncoming forces.

Count Bereshti's thoughts seemed to have become somewhat complicated in the face of the Allied forces' new power.

“Not only is the central headquarters not enough, but there’s even a counter-magic bullet······. What should I do······.”

The bloodshed wasn't the problem right away.

Since Princess Veronica's goal was to complete the essence with the Holy Blood and establish an independent force, it would be meaningless if Bereshti, where the production facility was located, fell.

Even if the Holy Blood were to be restored, it would only end up restoring the princess's own power.

and······.

'It's the same for me too.'

If possible, it would be better to have the entire Duchess Veronica's forces on your back.

The princess who regained her holy blood would certainly be a powerful force, but she would not be able to compare to the entire Duke's force who obtained the essence.

I was quietly watching the footage of the Allied Forces when I asked Count Bereshti.

“Which one has a longer range, the catapult or the central headquarters?”

“If it’s between the two… I think the catapults will be slightly ahead. They can aim straight at the castle walls from their main base.”

"oh······."

It was good news.

Central headquarters and anti-magic grenade catapults.

Maybe we can tackle both problems at once?

'······It was some kind of EMP bomb.'

You just have to take the catapult first.

If you strike the central headquarters from outside the firing range, you can neutralize the headquarters with anti-magic bullets.

In that case, not only could we take away their catapults, but we could also take over their central headquarters.

'First, the catapult.'

I looked into the mirror again.

The newly completed catapults were moving around smoothly.

As expected from something made by a higher-dimensional Rodolfo, the finish looks quite good.

“It looks expensive······.”

Tiring!

[There are 79,448 magic stones remaining.]

I immediately searched my pockets, but it wasn't easy.

Even after receiving the wedge bullet, I spent money on various things while fighting.

I didn't know the exact price, but it didn't seem like I could buy a catapult with this amount of magic stones as a <shopaholic>.

'······There's nothing I can do.'

I walked briskly towards the sofa.

Then he shook the shoulder of his brother who was controlling the blood sword.

“······Huh?”

Seonggyeom opens his eyes in a daze.

I immediately reached out to my brother.

“Me, some money.”

“Uh······. Huh?”

My brother had another clone besides Hyeolgyeom.

By now, he and Aurel should be raiding Gradiva's magic stone transport ship.

“Do you have money?”

It was almost time to collect the money.