Hiding a Logistics Center in the Apocalypse - Episode 19
(Fire Ball (1))
“Thank you… thank you so much!”
The Awakened poured out of the transport truck and greeted me.
A Skeleton Knight immune to attacks.
It had been an unexpected variable, but I’d somehow resolved it by unleashing a barrage of brute-force strikes.
‘…Why was it so strong?’
There was no doubt about it.
If there had been even one more like it, the rescue operation would have ended in failure.
Fortunately, not only was the mission a success, but I’d also finished off the Skeleton Knight that had left the headquarters commander trembling.
By the time we arrived at the Joint Command Headquarters, night had already fallen pitch-black.
“…You’ve arrived!”
The Operations Commander, who’d rushed down to the parking lot, sported an unusually bright gleam in his eyes.
It was a gaze brimming with ulterior motives.
“This simply won’t do. Mr. Jeonggyeom, please join us—”
“I’m sorry.”
“Come on, don’t be like that…”
The face of the adjutant who’d spent my final years in service trying to promote me to sergeant first class overlapped with his.
A season of hardship I never wanted to experience again.
Shoving aside thoughts of the past, I asked.
“Is the helicopter ready?”
“…Follow me. I’ve had it prepared.”
He took the lead, and Yongsu and I followed behind.
As we ascended the stairs and elevator, the Operations Commander relayed several pieces of information about that bizarre wall located in central Seoul.
“The military dispatched units to ascertain the identity of the castle. They are currently out of contact. Since then, we’ve only been able to scout the interior of the wall intermittently from the air, but fortunately, human activity has been confirmed inside.”
Traces of people.
That alone was good news.
It meant there was a high chance my little sister was safe.
But there was other news as well.
“And one peculiar point is… the upper portion of the grown wall is gradually closing in, as if forming a roof. Since it sprouted from the ground in the first place, there are inevitably aspects that defy common sense… Perhaps because of that, the interior is fairly dark even during the day.”
Monsters appearing out of nowhere, Awakened abilities, walls sprouting from the ground, even talking skeletons.
Phenomena utterly impossible to understand through existing common sense were flooding forth.
“We’re here.”
Clack!
The Operations Commander opened the rooftop door.
At the helipad we’d finally reached sat a helicopter painted in military colors.
Its front glass was roundish, giving it a cute appearance like a dragonfly.
‘It’s a bit small, but…’
A helicopter was a helicopter.
The Operations Commander had definitely kept his promise.
The moment I tried to stride toward the helicopter, he blocked my path.
“It’s not that one.”
“…?”
He suddenly changed direction.
It was the second helipad connected in the opposite direction from the rooftop entrance.
And there…
A much more imposing transport helicopter was positioned.
To me, looking puzzled, the Operations Commander spoke.
“I was originally going to lend you the 500MD you saw first… but I thought it proper to show my sincere gratitude to Mr. Jeonggyeom, who returned after defeating the Skeleton Knight.”
Thump!
The clearly engraved Army mark.
He placed his hand on the helicopter’s fuselage.
“It’s a UH-60 Black Hawk. Normally, you wouldn’t get to ride one even with three stars. It can easily carry twenty people in the back. I wish we could have mounted at least a machine gun if not missiles… but there could be internal backlash over that, so we attached auxiliary fuel tanks instead.”
I hadn’t expected him to go this far.
To me, this was such a significant event that my favorability toward the Republic of Korea Army rose by 0.1 percent.
‘It’s slightly regrettable that there are no weapons…’
But it wasn’t a major problem.
Not only did I not know the proper way to use them, but most modern firearms were useless against ones like the ‘Skeleton Knight’ I’d seen moments ago.
Against ordinary wyverns, I’d be able to use
I replied in a voice thick with emotion.
“…Thank you. I’ll use it well and return it for certain.”
Unfortunately, the helicopter wasn’t a registered product in the subspace.
Not only could it not be stored in the subspace, but there was no way to repair it if it broke or got damaged.
Since it was a rental, not a transfer, I had no choice but to use it carefully and return it.
Just as things were roughly settled, the Operations Commander received a small box from his aide and returned.
Then he presented the box to me.
“Mr. Jeonggyeom, we consider you a definite ally. Please remember that.”
“…What is this?”
“Two hundred magic stones. I hounded the Military Support Headquarters commander for them.”
“…!”
A whopping two hundred.
It was part of the military’s strong appeal saying they ‘wanted me,’ but… regardless, I was grateful.
“Well, this is… I’ll gratefully put them to good use.”
“That aside, do you have a pilot? We could dispatch our dedicated pilot.”
“Ah, he’ll be taking care of that.”
I pointed to Yongsu standing beside me.
The Operations Commander spoke up worriedly.
“Will you be fine? The devices are quite different from civilian helicopters you might see outside.”
This time, Yongsu answered.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve never driven anything like a helicopter before, but…”
“…?”
“The system says I just need to level up.”
The ability
Just as I could store new objects in my subspace each time I leveled up, he too could learn how to operate new vehicles each time he leveled up.
To the level of a complete expert.
The amount of magic stones needed to level up was…
“It says fifty.”
I immediately called Pax and took out fifty magic stones.
Fundamentally, it was to rescue my little sister, but giving fifty magic stones to Yongsu was nothing.
Moreover, my wallet was quite full after clearing out skeletons during this operation.
We exchanged final greetings with the Operations Commander.
“Then, I wish you good fortune.”
Snap.
He saluted us.
It felt like just yesterday I’d practiced saluting for hours because a division commander was arriving, yet ironically, it was the three-star Operations Commander who’d rolled up his sleeves first.
Smack.
I returned the salute.
While Yongsu inspected the helicopter, I opened a portal and entered the subspace.
.
.
.
“Pax, how many magic stones do I have now?”
[You currently possess 1,393 magic stones.]
The number of skeletons I’d bashed with bowling balls had been far too many.
I’d swept up over five hundred magic stones from the rescue operation alone, and received two hundred from the Operations Commander.
And…
[Large magic stones have been valued at 100 each.]
Including the two large magic stones obtained from the Skeleton Knight.
With the fifty given to Yongsu subtracted, the remaining total was 1,393.
Without asking or checking, I immediately moved to the next step.
“I’ll pay one thousand. Raise me to Level 3.”
It was the final preparation.
Because monsters like the Skeleton Knight could pop out at any time.
For me, it was an all-out war.
Pax asked me.
[Are you sure?]
[At Subspace Level 3, the power maintenance cost is adjusted to 10 magic stones per 24 hours.]
[The combined water/gas cost is the same.]
Now twenty magic stones per day.
A suffocating amount.
Just in case, I tried to pull a trick, but…
“Could I have prepaid at Level 2 and carried it over?”
[Impossible. Previously paid maintenance costs do not carry over to Level 3, and the remaining period already paid for will be automatically refunded through daily calculation.]
“Figures…”
There was no wiggle room.
Moreover, if that was the case, there was no reason to delay any longer.
“Then raise the level immediately. And prepay three days of maintenance costs.”
[Understood.]
[Refunding 59 magic stones for the remaining period.]
[Received 1,060 magic stones required for level-up and 3 days of maintenance.]
[Remaining magic stones: 392.]
[Leveling up in progress…]
Doong—
As before, a red wave covered the space.
On the white background where only the logistics center had sat alone, a military-colored army base now had its place as well.
Pax returned after completing all processes.
[Level-up complete.]
[At Level 3, you can unlock new abilities related to the subspace, as well as additional strengthening for the Shipping skill.]
“New abilities?”
I’d thought the Shipping skill would just be strengthened, but it seemed there was more.
[Displaying list.]
----[Unlockable Items]----
[Cost: 250]
◈ Subspace Laboratory (New!)
-Installs a laboratory where registered products in the subspace can be combined, classified, and modified.
◈ Subspace Life Support System (New!)
-Natural decay, deterioration, and aging within the subspace are extremely delayed.
-A weak healing effect is applied within the subspace.
◈ Category Product Registration (New!)
-External objects matching the category can be registered in the subspace.
(However, separate registration costs are consumed based on the object’s value/size/weight.)
-------------------------
“…That’s absurdly expensive?”
[Indeed.]
Two hundred fifty magic stones.
Compared to Level 2, it had jumped by a whopping five times.
My wallet was battered from pouring in a thousand for the level-up, but… I still examined the list slowly.
Then, my gaze stopped on the last item,
“Wait… you said I can register objects?”
It was my subspace’s greatest weakness.
That while it could hold anything, it could only hold a single target.
To compensate for this weakness, I’d only brought in non-standard targets like a logistics center or military base.
Pax answered.
[Yes.]
[However, you can only register items matching the two current categories: ‘Logistics Center’ and ‘Military Base’.]
[Additionally, separate registration costs are consumed.]
As expected, there were restrictions.
Only specific items could be stored, and even then registration costs were needed.
“…Then could I perhaps…”
I immediately opened a portal heading outside.
.
.
.
First, I tried being greedy.
“Could I register this Joint Command Headquarters here?”
[It falls under the ‘Military Base’ category, so it is possible.]
[Calculating registration cost…]
Ding!
[Registration cost: 11,780,331 magic stones.]
“No, I was wrong.”
A mind-boggling amount.
Of course, I had a real target in mind.
As I approached the UH-60 Black Hawk, Yongsu, who’d been checking the tail rotor, came over.
“You’re here. The inspection is almost done. We leave at dawn, correct?”
“Just a moment, before that…”
I asked Pax.
“Can I register this too?”
[It falls under the ‘Military Base’ category, so it is possible.]
[Calculating registration cost…]
Ding!
[Registration cost: 107 magic stones.]
“Perfect.”
Finally, a human number.
I unlocked the ability and immediately registered the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter…
“Wha—?!”
Startled, Yongsu let out a cry.
Because the large helicopter before his eyes had vanished completely.
And…
‘Shipping.’
I pulled the helicopter out again.
The helicopter that had disappeared and returned in an instant.
To Yongsu, who was looking back and forth between me and the Black Hawk with a bewildered expression, I said.
“Please tell them we’re returning the helicopter. And that I used it gratefully.”
“Huh? Then how are you getting into the castle?”
“We…”
Will pull out a new one to use.
Since this Black Hawk can now be produced infinitely.
***
Thwump-thwump-thwump-thwump-thwump…
From early dawn, the propeller roared loudly.
Yongsu flew the helicopter like a veteran pilot, and I sat in the co-pilot seat reflecting on past events.
What I’d newly obtained wasn’t just the helicopter.
The medicine and simple medical tools my older sister had brought from the hospital.
Perhaps because there was a medical unit within the military base, they were surprisingly acceptable under the
Various other applications came to mind.
Armored vehicles, tanks, various military weapons could probably be accepted as well.
But…
There was a separate, real problem.
‘I have no way to catch them.’
The Skeleton Knight I’d finally caught, Gwein.
Modern weapons like guns and bombs didn’t work on him.
I’d caught him half-‘forcibly’ using bowling balls and grenades.
Such luck couldn’t last forever.
Then, I remembered something I’d forgotten.
The red magic stone I’d obtained after catching him was exactly that.
I called Pax.
He’d gone beyond being the logistics center’s AI and fused with my Awakening system itself.
Since he’d informed me about the uses of magic stones from the beginning, I figured he would know the identity of this red magic stone as well.
And…
My expectation was correct.
Ding!
Surprisingly, the red magic stone was an item whose information could be checked through the Awakening system window.
----
[Enhancement Stone (D)]
Attribute: Fire
Options: [Penetration], [Ignition]
----
A breathtakingly simple explanation.
Pax added.
[Enhancement stones share the same origin as normal magic stones but have separate properties bestowed upon them.]
[When using the Awakening system, you can consume enhancement stones to bestow specific properties onto objects.]
[The stone you possess has the ‘Fire’ property.]
“Fire, huh…”
Now I understood.
The flames the Skeleton Knight Gwein had possessed originated from this enhancement stone.
The blade that had sliced through bowling balls with a crunch came to mind.
Even the black scorch marks left on the cross-section.
The overwhelming cutting power he’d displayed was very likely an effect of this enhancement stone.
The text [Penetration] and [Ignition] caught my eye.
Since it was an attack method used by them, perhaps it could work on those immune to rifles as well.
After pondering briefly, I asked Pax.
“I just use it on an object, right?”
.
.
.
After entering the portal, I ordered one item from the Picking Station.
Namely…
[STORM ULTIMATE PHAZE bowling ball, 16 pounds, priced at 239,000 won.]
The bowling ball I’d used to good effect earlier.
Soon, after placing the bowling ball on the desolate military base parade ground, I asked Pax.
“Use the enhancement stone on this.”
[Understood.]
[Received one enhancement stone.]
[Applying enhancement…]
[Enhancement complete.]
Hwooooooosh!
Rough flames erupted from the bowling ball.
It wasn’t a material that should catch fire.
Nevertheless, flames that seemed ready to swallow everything blazed across its surface.
The red marbling on the outside was no longer just decoration.
Then, the system window appeared again.
Ding!
----
[STORM ULTIMATE PHAZE Bowling Ball, 16 pounds +1]
Grade: [Rare]
Description: [Failed to load information. You may enter a description directly.]
Attribute: [Fire]
Options: [Penetration], [Ignition]
----
Along with the fussy +1 mark, the options from the enhancement stone were transferred entirely to the bowling ball.
As if this bowling ball had been a game item from the very beginning.
“…Th-this is good?”
Naturally, what I had to do next was already decided.
“Register this as a product.”
I hadn’t known.
That I would truly become a ‘fire bowler.’