Hiding a Distribution Center in the Apocalypse - Part 2
(The Apocalypse of a Nuclear Family (2))
“Hah… hah…”
Gasping for breath, I looked back.
Beyond the portal, the orc still searching for me was visible.
The bastard had tried to walk in several times, but,
[An external entity is attempting entry.]
[Entity does not meet the requirements.]
Crackle!
It was blocked by a transparent wall.
Thud! Pound!
It hammered at the wall in frustration, but nothing changed.
The thing didn’t attempt entry anymore.
It just stared at me, licking its lips.
“I survived…”
The moment I tried to let out a sigh of relief.
A message popped up.
[You have entered the subspace for the first time.]
[Tutorial usage reward granted.]
[Reward: 1 Magic Stone]
Was this the so-called magic stone?
In my hand was an unidentified blue gem.
It was a message I’d been able to see ever since my Awakening, but this time, something was different.
A familiar voice had been added to the message window.
I called out to the owner of the voice.
“Pax…?”
[Welcome, Jeonggyeom-nim. How may I help you?]
My only friend at work.
The AI Pax was reading the status window message aloud.
“What on earth…”
I looked around.
It was the place I’d been just moments ago.
The interior of the distribution center was clearly visible, but the scenery outside the windows was starkly empty, like a blank white sheet of paper.
As if it had been dropped alone into the void beyond the universe, or into a spacetime that didn’t exist.
I asked.
“Where is this…? What are you?”
AI Pax’s answer was swift.
[This is the Pax Fulfillment Center located in Gunpo City, Gyeonggi Province. The Pax Fulfillment Center is equipped with a five-story above-ground facility with a total floor area of ten thousand pyeong, holding all the goods in the world necessary for our customers’ lives. Approximately 150 AGVs are deployed…]
[I am Pax, the mascot of the fulfillment center who assists Kim Jeonggyeom-nim with your duties.]
Damn. I thought it was my first day on the job.
It was the same distribution center view as always, but there was one difference.
All the lights were off, and the AGV robots moving shelves as well as the conveyor belts were frozen still.
Pax said,
[Facility power supply has been severed. Power must be restored as quickly as possible. The longer the delay, the more serious the problems in maintaining product quality may become.]
Was it just my imagination?
For an AI, the voice sounded somehow urgent.
“What kind of serious problems?”
[The most serious issue is the Fresh Center. The refrigerators and freezers have stopped operating, and the automatic shipping system is also halted.]
The refrigerators had stopped?
That was troublesome.
The scenery outside right now resembled a warzone.
I might have to endure here inside this subspace for a long time.
I had to prevent any problems with food, the most important resource.
“How do we supply power? Isn’t this a subspace?”
Surprisingly, the method was simple.
[Magic stones may be used as a resource. Each one allows for 24 hours of operation.]
The magic stone I’d received immediately upon entering the subspace.
Pax wanted it.
Without a word, I handed over the magic stone.
“Here. Take it.”
I too wanted the items here to remain safe.
When I lifted the magic stone into the air,
[Received 1 Magic Stone.]
It melted away, disappearing as if dispersing.
And soon,
Click!
Whiiiiine—
The distribution center lights came on, and the AGV robots began moving again.
With the whirring sounds, the ventilation system kicked in as well, which was a relief.
“…Bought a day.”
[That is correct.]
“How do I get magic stones?”
[The Magic Stone granted by the Awakening System is a one-time reward only.]
[You may harvest Magic Stones from otherworldly entities.]
“If by otherworldly entities…”
I whipped my head around, and the handsome green orc still guarding the portal came into view.
“…You mean like that thing?”
[That is correct.]
In short, it meant I had to catch that orc to get a magic stone.
The goal was set, but the method of killing it was uncertain.
How was I supposed to catch that monstrous bastard?
The tools I could utilize were the transparent wall blocking it.
And…
this fulfillment center.
I asked,
“Is it possible to search for items like before?”
[It is possible. What product are you looking for?]
“There wouldn’t be weapons, right? Like spears or longswords.”
[We do not carry weapons, but we do carry several types of decorative swords and camping daggers.]
If they were decorative swords, they were ornamental blades, not real ones.
A dagger wasn’t bad, but it seemed difficult to kill that orc with one.
“What about axes?”
[We have hand axes. Shelf location is G-76. The top four rows are all stocked with axe-related tools.]
I entered the automated shelf area and searched for the G row.
Looking for numbers amid the endlessly continuing dividers, I felt like I’d entered a giant library.
I finally found shelf G-76, and among dozens of types of hand axes, I found a usable one.
It was hard to see as something meant for killing, but among them, it was relatively heavy with a blade that looked sharp.
[Pascas Axe (Small), price is 72,500 won.]
Approximately 70,000 won.
But there was no need to pay.
Because from now on, the owner of every item here was none other than me.
The moment I picked up the axe.
“What?”
The axe in my hand.
It was the sole item left on the shelf.
But the moment I took it out, the shelf was eerily restocked with the item.
Even when I took it out repeatedly, it was the same.
[The items here are materialized information. Because they can be duplicated, they may be damaged or altered, but they will not be depleted.]
In other words…
“The items copy? That’s a cheat.”
[That is correct.]
An infinite inventory distribution center.
The fulfillment center brought into the subspace had become a truly monstrous space.
“…Whatever, then.”
With that, I took the axe and left the shelf area.
The orc remained motionless, still staring at me beyond the portal.
It was a persistent bastard.
“You dug your own grave.”
Hiding the axe behind my back, I slowly approached it.
There was only one chance.
If it felt threatened, the bastard might flee.
Once I was close enough.
I slowly caught my breath.
The bastard was massive, large enough to fill most of the portal’s area.
At this distance, I was confident I wouldn’t miss.
Its ‘head.’
Perhaps sensing something ominous, the creature’s eyes grew cautious.
But…
“It’s too late.”
Whick!
Putting all the strength in my shoulder into it, I swung the axe.
Spinning through the air, the axe soon…
Thunk!
Struck the bastard’s head.
Shhhhhhriek!
Green blood gushed from its head like a fountain, and
Thud!
It toppled backward.
The bastard’s corpse convulsed a few times, then soon grew cold and stiff.
“Whew…”
The grudge I’d held for the past three days was cleanly settled.
* * *
Trudge, trudge.
After killing the orc, there was a place I went first.
Thanks to the power being back, not only the facility lights but also the computers processing orders were online.
Arriving at the picking station, I quickly typed information into the keyboard beneath the monitor.
Taptaptap.
This picking station was a kind of “collection point,” a structure where AGV robots brought ordered items here.
With the power restored, I could conveniently use the facility.
“Let me place an order.”
Tap tap!
Each time I typed an item into the keyboard, Pax added in a clear voice.
[Lightweight Combat Walker, price is 52,500 won.]
[Military Tactical Vest, price is 58,000 won.]
[Aluminum Canteen, price is 11,800 won.]
[Jeju Samdasu, 2L, 24 bottles, price is 25,920 won.]
[Large-Capacity Military Backpack 80L, price is 29,900 won.]
[Emergency Rations 2-Meal Set Spicy Pork Bibimbap 10 packs 110g, price is 22,500 won.]
“So all of this is free, right?”
Backpack, combat boots, military vest, canteen filled with water, and emergency rations.
Shopping was quite enjoyable.
But as I stuffed the received items into the bag one by one, an indescribable déjà vu swept over me.
“…Damn it. This is packing combat gear.”
How long had it been since my discharge? The situation was truly cruel.
Roughly finishing preparations, I ordered two more items.
[Book, Seoul Metropolitan Area Precision Map, price is 31,500 won.]
[Monami Oil-Based Ballpoint Pen, blue, 12-pack, price is 4,480 won.]
Thud.
An AGV robot brought a book and a box of ballpoint pens, tossing them over.
“There really is nothing missing here.”
This fulfillment center even had books.
What I ordered was a 200-page map book containing the entire capital region in full detail.
I could have used my smartphone, but perhaps because the internet was cut off, no matter what I did, the map app wouldn’t launch.
Flip.
I opened the first page showing the entire capital area.
And I began marking a few places with the pen.
“Older sister working in Gangnam, younger sister in Euljiro, eldest brother and his wife who started their newlywed life in Dobong-gu…”
Finally, my parents and grandfather who would be in Uijeongbu.
I marked the scattered Kim clan without omission, just like Dragon Balls.
It was truly no different from nuclear fission.
“Why did everyone have to scatter so pointlessly…”
If there was one saving grace, it was that everyone was in the north.
I just needed to find them in order of proximity.
For now, I was thinking of starting with my younger sister in Gangnam.
“Everyone better be safe.”
My current location was Gunpo City.
It could be called the metropolitan area, but even so, the distance to Seoul was by no means close.
It was quite far… but if I was armed with familial love, couldn’t I somehow make it?
Moreover, this fulfillment center was truly great, to the point where I could even pull out a suitable beloved steed.
Nnngh, nnngh.
An AGV robot strained as it brought my item.
Its brilliant headlights flashing.
Pax announced.
[Tualton Kodiak Sports Electric Bicycle 16.5Ah, black color, price is 1,890,000 won.]
Click!
Receiving the bicycle, I adjusted the saddle height.
“Before working here… I had no idea there were even items like this.”
It wasn’t a car or motorcycle, but it would help for now.
According to the product page description, this thing could run up to 100km on a single charge.
For now, I didn’t even envy Tesla.
Sitting astride the saddle, I looked outside the portal.
The orc corpse with an axe buried in its head was sprawled out, and behind it, overturned, destroyed, and burned trucks and buildings were strewn about in heaps.
It wasn’t a world that looked very happy, but…
“Shall we go?”
Whiiing—
I started the electric bicycle’s motor.
Behind me, the fulfillment center packed with product shelves boasted its majesty.
From things to drink and things to eat, to even things for entertainment.
Literally, there was probably everything except what didn’t exist.
Compared to out there, perhaps this could be called heaven without issue.
But…
“Because my damn family isn’t here, right?”
Ding!
[‘My Damn Family’ is not a registered product.]
Pax chimed in.
And so, I stepped out of the portal.
With the Pax Fulfillment Center, spanning a total floor area of ten thousand pyeong, at my back.