Hiding A Logistics Center In The Apocalypse Chapter 21

Hiding a Logistics Center in the Apocalypse – Part 21

(Into the Darkness (1))

Inside the shattered armor.

I picked up the faintly shining reinforcing stone.

—-

[Reinforcement Stone (D)]

Attribute: Electric

Options: [Penetration], [Electrification]

—-

This time, a simple, unmatched explanation.

The only difference was that its attribute was electric and it had the option of [Electrify] instead of [Ignition].

Unlike the skeleton knight Gwaine we met earlier, he died instantly after being hit by a few bowling balls.

The same 16-pound bowling ball.

The shipping speed also did not change.

If that's the difference…

'···All I did was strengthen it.'

Come to think of it, there was one option that I couldn't identify.

[Penetration]

It literally means to pierce.

It's not a difficult word, but unlike [Ignition] or [Electrification], I didn't really understand what exactly it did.

But if···

'What if this is a means of breaking through their defenses?'

The word [penetration] was not just for decoration.

If that were true, it was clear that the reinforcement stone would become the most essential means of dealing with superior entities that were impervious to modern firearms.

'Let's just wait and see.'

The effects could be confirmed gradually.

I just happened to have the second reinforcement stone in my hands.

Of course, what I gained wasn't just a reinforcement stone.

Two large mana stones, each worth 100.

It turned out that an additional 200 magic stones had entered my pocket.

I shook off the dust.

"then···"

Somehow I managed to defeat the skeleton knight.

Now it was time to get out of here… but that wasn't easy either.

Kim Sol, who had suffered hardships within the castle walls over the past few days, testified.

“I tried to get out several times. But… there’s no exit here in the first place.”

A castle with a medieval feel.

It's likely that you'll picture a heavy door hanging on chains.

But no matter how much I looked at this place, I couldn't see anything like a huge main gate.

There is only a small entrance into the inner castle that is adjacent to the castle wall.

It was more of an entrance to another place than an exit.

Of course, it was an unnecessary worry for us.

There was a helicopter that was brought into the subspace.

[UH-60, Black Hawk, price not set.]

CLANG!

A helicopter emerged from the portal.

As soon as she used her powers, Kim Sol had a truly dejected expression on her face.

“Now I’m summoning a helicopter···”

It was good to escape, but I was secretly resentful.

Because Kim Sol has never been pushed by me in a game in her entire life.

Doo doo doo-!

Whether or not it knew her feelings, the helicopter simply rotated its wings indifferently and violently.

Feeling the wind sweeping through my hair, I first put my little sister into the portal.

Kim Sol, whose only weapon is her fists, won't be doing much in the air.

Above, all you can see is a blue sky surrounded by dull castle walls.

It was a crossroads we had to overcome.

but···

Doo doo doo doo doo-!

Just minutes after the helicopter took to the skies, something unusual happened.

“······?”

It was clearly a hollow sky.

Kugugugugu···

As if a giant pot lid was being placed over us, pitch-black darkness quickly descended upon us.

Kuuung······

At the sound of the huge door closing, the helicopter became helpless like a fly in poison.

and···

Kagagagagak!

The bats we had encountered when we came over the wall came rushing at us again.

It was a repetition of the same situation.

It wasn't easy to shake them off, though…

'···I can't go out.'

Even if they weren't there, escape wasn't possible.

Because the vast sky that had been pierced by a gigantic roof of unknown identity suddenly disappeared.

Pada dadadak!

Bats fill the helicopter windows with pitch black.

Kwaaang!

Boom!

I tried shooting the reinforced bowling ball and hitting the ceiling and the walls repeatedly, but…

The huge citadel was untouched.

I didn't worry about it anymore.

I exchanged glances with Lee Yong-soo and nodded silently.

Then he immediately thrust himself into the subspace portal.

Sway.

A scene of an empty cockpit and a shaking helicopter.

It was the second Black Hawk Down.

.

.

.

The outside scenery seen from within the subspace was literally a black canvas.

This is because the sky is covered and light from outside is completely blocked.

In a city where even the power was completely cut off, there was nothing to be found except darkness where you couldn't see even an inch ahead.

The situation outside was as clear as day.

This time, the Black Hawk was shot down again without fail.

There would be skeletons and zombie dogs wandering around the area.

Now we have a swarm of crazy bats swarming us.

This allowed me to confirm two things.

One is the self-evident fact that we are trapped here.

And the second one···

Kim Sol was on the verge of exhaustion.

“······”

My little sister, who I thought was so energetic, was fast asleep.

A mattress thrown haphazardly on one side of the logistics center.

This is where the commander of the communications battalion, Han Kyung-ho, was cared for.

As soon as he decided that this subspace was safe, he seemed to have let go of his tension and fallen asleep.

It was an unfamiliar sight.

I grew up seeing only Kim Sol's strong side my whole life.

Even for her, the ruined world was burdensome and heavy.

“For now···”

I decided to take a breather.

Beyond the portal,

The city, greeted by an early night, shimmered like waves.

***

As the short break came to an end.

-!

I woke up to a rustling sound.

When I came to, Kim Sol, who had been moved to the bed in the break room, was gone without a trace.

“···Where did you go?”

Kim Sol was discovered right away.

As soon as she arrived at the picking station, she was seen hugging a box without even wiping her eyes.

A large box that fills your arms.

Pax belatedly checked the order list.

[PlayStation 5 Disc Edition, CFI-1218A01, price is 618,090 won.]

My little sister looked at me and said.

“Kim Jeong-gyeom, I love you.”

“······”

This diehard gamer was chasing dopamine even in this apocalyptic situation.

I asked.

“You’re not saying you’re going to do it now···?”

“···That’s why I’m depressed.”

She was clicking her nails, but she couldn't actually open the box.

Although it is not known when they became close, Lee Yong-soo's daughter, Yoo-jeong, approached Kim Sol in a friendly manner.

Kim Sol said while caressing Yu Jeong.

“Yujeong-ah, there is a world inside this box.”

I took Yoo-jeong away and left her in the care of Lee Yong-su, who was wandering around.

There has never been such rudeness on a first meeting.

I was so tired of all the noise that I couldn't sleep.

“Hey! Are you awake?”

My older sister called us from the stairs.

We followed her to the second floor, and sure enough, Lee Yong-soo's wife Oh Ji-soo was waiting for us in the staff cafeteria.

It seemed like my older sister was helping out with the work.

Separately, Ojisu filed a complaint with me.

“···Why don’t you guys eat properly? You cook so much, but it gets cold and you throw it away… There’s so much food that’s been put in the freezer.”

"ah···"

Because I've been so focused on outside work, I've rarely had a proper meal.

When I think about how we used to fill our hunger with processed foods instead of the fresh food at the Fresh Center… maybe we were pretending to live in an apocalypse.

I said.

“···Shall I register it as a product without damaging it?”

“I’m not saying that without any feelings···”

My heart ached at the words, “There is no truth.”

In the end, her point was simple.

“Eat well and go out. Then you will gain strength and find the rest of your family.”

Behind her, a colorful table of food was set up, steam rising from it.

The power of a strong mind is also the power of a strong heart.

We all succumbed to that powerful force and took up our spoons in combat.

like that,

The chopsticks flew into the sky like a fighter jet.

but···

'···What should I eat first?'

The location of the airstrike could not be determined at all.

Grilled eel covered in a thick, sweet sauce.

Homemade pumpkin pancake and meat pancake.

From juicy braised short ribs to spicy doraji seasoned with a spicy red pepper paste and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

It was a splendid lineup, but…

Still, the starting point was the same for all of them.

Auk Doenjang Guk with a savory taste.

The round auk covered my tongue like a cotton quilt, and the savory broth flowed out between the fibers.

It feels like drinking energy itself.

It feels like the fatigue itself is being washed away.

There was no other way to explain that affection.

***

A city shrouded in darkness.

The only way, the sky, was blocked.

'I have to get out somehow···'

At first, I even thought about putting the castle itself into a subspace.

After all, I had already reached level 3.

Whatever this strange castle was, it would be easy to get out of it.

but···

'The risk is too great.'

A castle that grows on its own.

Why is it growing, why is the lid suddenly closed?

I knew nothing about this castle.

If we had put it in rashly, it could have affected the logistics center.

'···It's a shame to waste my abilities.'

This is a subspace ability that can only be accepted once per level.

If it is an unavoidable situation, it would be better to put in as much space as possible to help.

Not this huge monster.

After organizing my thoughts, no, in the end there was only one path left.

Kim Sol said.

“You have to go into the castle. Since it’s connected to the castle walls, if you go inside, you’ll eventually find a way out.”

But the problem is···

Lee Yong-soo said.

“Will I be able to get to the exit safely? Because of the bats···”

When the helicopter reached the shadow of the wall, and just like before, it was completely dark.

They rushed at us without mercy.

From what I could guess, it seemed like their habit was to stay in dark places.

You could probably catch them by shooting them with a rifle, but…

“They are small in size and there are too many of them.”

It was nearly impossible to catch all the guys who approached.

The same goes for <simultaneous shipments> and <tracked delivery> using unlit bowling balls or daggers.

They were so numerous and densely packed that even if they fired four rounds per second, there would be gaps.

The older sister gave her opinion.

“How about shooting the lights they sell at the logistics center here? The strongest ones.”

It was a good idea for a light attribute healer.

but···

“I guess I’ll have to carry around lights and batteries…”

There was something ambiguous about it.

Not only are your hands tied by the equipment, but there is also the possibility of creating blind spots whenever you move.

After thinking about it for a moment, I called Pax.

Something occurred to me that I'd like to try.

.

.

.

[Cost 250]

◈ Subspace Lab (New!)

– Establish a research lab that can combine, classify, and add/subtract products registered in the subspace.

There are many types of products registered in the subspace.

All kinds of miscellaneous goods from the Pax Fulfillment Center, as well as communication equipment, firearms, ammunition, and vehicles from the National Telecommunications Agency.

It wasn't immediately clear what exactly it meant to be able to combine and transform them.

Pax elaborated briefly.

[First, using combinations allows you to add two or more objects together, ignoring physical conditions.]

[For example, you can make a snowman shape by stacking two bowling balls that you used before.]

Previously, tricks such as putting bullets in a magazine and registering it as a product, or registering a grenade without the safety pin or clip, were available.

But this time, it felt like it went beyond such simple manipulations and completely added the object into the desired form.

Next was ‘Classification and Addition and Subtraction’.

[Using classification and subtraction, you can separate out desired parts of registered items, or increase or decrease the quantity for shipment.]

[For example, by removing the PET material from a 2L bottle of water, it becomes possible to ship only 50L of water.]

After hearing the explanation, I kind of understood it.

If you use 'Combination', you can design outrageous weapons by combining axes and swords, and if you use 'Classification and Addition/Subtraction', you can pour out dozens of liters of oil at once.

I quickly paid the fee, as I thought it would definitely help the current situation.

[Received 250 magic stones.]

[There are 37 magic stones remaining.]

Pax answered.

***

Me, Lee Yong-soo, and my two older sisters.

A total of four people were loaded onto the military Korando Sports.

The outside scenery painted black.

As soon as Lee Yong-soo stepped on the accelerator, the silver Korando would sink into the darkness.

It was a car no different from any other, but there was one thing different.

“It must be very sturdy.”

Lee Yong-soo said in an excited voice.

At first glance, it resembled an armored vehicle.

In the lab, we used 'sort and subtract' to remove the handle from the frying pan.

The round frying pan, which only had the iron plate left, was then attached to the weak parts of the vehicle, including the glass surface.

Although the body has become a bit heavier, it should be enough to block minor attacks from bats.

Woohoo.

Dozens of frying pans that became the thick back shell of Korando.

Perhaps because it had become one object, the vehicle's shaking did not even produce the usual rattling sound.

Boooow!

We came out of the portal like that.

Queek!

Squeak!

As usual, bats flew in, but…

Now things were not as usual.

Click!

When I turned on the switch hanging from the ceiling on the passenger seat, a bright light radiated from the car's headlights in all directions.

Because it wasn't just the frying pan that was fused with the car.

The camping power bank battery loaded in the trunk provided power.

The vehicle's header was covered in huge square lights that looked like the ones you'd see in a photo studio, 360 degrees in all directions.

The light, which took the shape of a sphere, perfectly imitated the sun in the sky, not allowing even the slightest shadow.

and···

The light shot in that way did not stop at just chasing away bats.

“···Is it just going to burn out?”

Gaaaaaah!

The bats that had been harassing us so much were swallowed up by the fire.

and···

Bam.

Thud.

Beneath those who disappeared without a trace, magic stones began to pour down like rain.

Knock knock knock.

Doo doo doo doo!

Unexpected weather changes.

The magic stones that fell like hail hit the frying pan and rang out the sound of victory.

It goes without saying that the banquet was completely absorbed through <Product Recovery>.

A castle shrouded in darkness.

We slowly started to look for the exit.

Become just one firefly.