Hiding a Logistics Center in the Apocalypse - Episode 31
(The Fence and the Network (2))
Cough! Cough!
The sky was completely filled with black smoke.
Because the surrounding trees were all withered and dry, ironically, the full view of the command headquarters was clearly visible.
"Disgusting…"
Either way, it was a foul stench.
I could guess what they were burning.
A burnt offering (燔祭) through human sacrifice.
They were going against the history humanity had built over thousands of years.
As if dragging in the barbarism that existed only in ancient times.
So what I had to do was send them back to fit their own era.
By bestowing upon them the eternal time known as death.
However, for this 1st Legion conquest, I had decided that only I and the Skeleton Knights would go out.
"This time, that's probably for the best."
My two sisters were certainly great assets.
But unlike me and the knights, they didn't possess repulsive force.
Even though my little sister had the
Beyond about 200 meters, the sentry post of the Legion Command was visible.
Goblins proudly shouldering rifles.
A sense of dissonance welled up at that sight.
They were annoying opponents, but I decided to observe etiquette nonetheless.
Because unlike them, I was a thoroughly civilized person.
First, a knock.
"Shipping."
Shuuuuuung!
The black-bodied Hellfire missile shot forth at high speed.
Its massive frame was like the strike of a battering ram heralding a new era.
Kra-dak!
The ensuing impact, and then…
Kra-boooom!
With a fierce explosion, hellfire surged over them like waves.
The tightly shut iron gate of the sentry post was torn like paper, and between the gaps, the corpses of goblins covered in flames tumbled about.
Ringgggg!
The alarm sounded.
Considering smoke had been rising constantly, it was a fire alarm that was far too late.
I passed the sentry post.
Goblins, and now familiar half-goblin variants, charged at me.
Ratatatat…!
Gunfire, of course,
Bang!
Grenades flew in without hesitation.
Of course, they didn't do much damage.
Not only did we possess a higher rank than them, but ordinary weapons like guns and grenades couldn't pierce our repulsive force.
I simply stood in the back and bestowed upon them the hell they deserved with Hellfire missiles.
"…?"
The problem was elsewhere instead.
The deposit notifications from my account that popped up every time I killed them.
Thieves had wedged themselves in between.
[According to platform regulations, 30% of revenue is paid as a fee to Gold, Park Jeong-hun.]
[According to platform regulations, 15% of revenue is paid as a fee to Diamond, Lee Gang-min.]
[According to platform regulations, 5% of revenue is paid as a fee to Sapphire, Nam Do-hoon.]
They had already taken half.
And that wasn't all.
[According to platform special regulations, 10% of revenue is paid as a fee to High Priest, Kim Bong-su.]
[According to platform special regulations, 10% of revenue is paid as a fee to 'Tonatiuh' of the Mexica Dimension.]
"…Crazy?"
An additional 20 percent was taken.
In the end, the magic stones that came to me amounted to no more than 30% of the total.
I didn't know the exact principle, but it seemed a special rule I didn't know about was applied throughout the entire Legion Command.
Even so, there was information worth guessing.
High Priest.
It was a title I had heard when I spied on the 220th Legion Commander through a specter.
No doubt, he must be the being at the pinnacle of this entire plan.
In other words…
"…High Priest Kim Bong-su. This bastard must be the 1st Legion Commander."
He wasn't the only one bothering me.
'Tonatiuh' of the Mexica Dimension.
It was another name written side by side below that.
Like the 'Knight King' I had met not long ago, this bastard must also be a being who had crossed over from another dimension.
If that was the case, the Legion Commander was in partnership with a being from another dimension.
With human sacrifice as the main business item.
"First…"
I had no choice but to go up this hill.
The long uphill leading to the main building of the command headquarters.
On both sides, altars of familiar shapes were lined up in a stepped pattern.
Truly, it was pyramid-shaped.
As I went up that path, the asphalt floor felt like a sacred road leading to a god.
Truly, it was an absurd impression.
And one more thing, an impressive sight caught my eye.
"…Smoke?"
That white gas was rising from everywhere on the altars.
The remaining bones after burning were scattered about, and the white ash covering them was desperately hiding that stark truth.
Smoke rising from fire would normally slowly rise to the sky and scatter.
But the smoke rising from the altars was being pulled by an unknown force, climbing up the path toward the command headquarters like me.
And so, when I finally reached the main building of the command headquarters.
I discovered that all that smoke was gathering into one man.
Hssss…
He sucked in the sacrificial smoke from his surroundings with his whole body.
Then he exhaled smoke from all sorts of holes including his eyes, nose, and ears.
Seeing the smoke that escaped finally rising toward the sky, he was serving as the chimney for this entire Legion Command.
He was wearing a military uniform.
Three stars engraved on the collar.
In other words, this bastard was the Legion Commander, Kim Bong-su.
He had the form of a perfectly normal person.
It was quite a contrasting picture considering he had turned all his subordinates into goblins.
'Shipping.'
There was no need to wait and see.
I fired a Hellfire missile at him.
Screech!
A missile flying at 300 kilometers per hour.
But…
Fwoosh!
In an instant, it passed straight through his body which had transformed into smoke.
He looked at me and smiled smugly, heh heh.
Shuuuung!
The Hellfire missile flying into the distance.
But I was someone skilled at recycling.
To prevent the missile from falling in the wrong place, I activated
Whirrr!
The missile that stopped dead in its tracks began reversing at 300 kilometers per hour again…
Ka-bang!
"Ugh!"
Kra-boooom!
It smacked the back of his head and exploded properly.
Unlike his body which had turned to smoke, physical force was actually acting on his head.
The crimson flames of hellfire blazed red.
It was a Hellfire missile with the [Piercing] option.
But surprisingly, he was still alive.
"…This fucking bastard…"
He seemed a bit angry.
'…Could it be that his rank is higher than mine?'
But that didn't seem to be the case.
Because he was gasping for breath, meaning the blow had had an effect.
He grabbed the back of his head.
The smoke from the altars rising from all around the command headquarters.
That ashen gas thickly gathered into the back of his head.
And not long after…
"Hoo…"
He returned with a refreshed expression.
The smoke rising from everywhere in the command headquarters was lending him strength.
The Legion Commander faced me.
An arrogant yet cold expression.
He spoke in a prickly voice.
"Won't you stop while you're ahead? You can't kill me anyway."
"Really…?"
I asked.
"…Could you perhaps tell me how?"
"……Forget it."
He sighed and continued.
"Listen carefully. I have no intention of fighting you. I only revealed myself to you because I have a proposal."
A sudden peace proposal.
Come to think of it, he hadn't really launched any attacks at me yet.
Perhaps he simply didn't have the ability to kill me.
He said.
"You've been rescuing people, right? I can roughly guess what you want. That's why I'm saying this… there are still dozens of camps behind me. About four thousand people remain by headcount."
His proposal was truly astonishing.
"I'll hand them all over. In exchange, stop any further destruction and leave this place."
"…And if I refuse?"
"I'll have to kill all the remaining humans. Do as you please. You can't kill me anyway."
In other words, hostages.
The negotiation was "Shall we call it a draw?"
I answered.
"This place must be quite valuable, huh?"
"Take them and get lost quickly. Don't try any pointless tricks. Should I kill about a hundred to make the terms more clear?"
He pressed me.
Of course, stopping the fight immediately would be the most advantageous move for him.
To the point of giving up the offerings he had worked so hard to gather.
'…What's his angle?'
It was clear I couldn't kill him right away.
Because the smoke from the altars was restoring his damage.
Probably…
'As long as he's here, he won't take damage.'
The smoke connected densely like roots.
He was like a single tree.
A tree that collects nutrients from the ground and extends its trunk toward the sky.
As I watched the smoke extending from the top of his head…
"……!"
I met a certain gaze.
'…The sun? No, that's…'
It was half-hidden by the smoke.
A small circle burning red.
Perhaps it was like a crude imitation of the sun.
With goosebumps rising on my skin, a certain name came to mind.
'…Tonatiuh.'
That dog-like other-dimensional being who had taken fees from me.
It was the divine entity that the Legion Commander who had become a
Perhaps the Legion Commander's bullheadedness came from this 'Tonatiuh.'
He might be buying time, waiting for his descent.
I felt it instinctively.
That I must refuse his proposal.
'Gold, Diamond, Sapphire… even High Priest.'
Ridiculous titles attached when fees were deducted.
The smoke connecting them like a spiderweb.
Perhaps this was part of the class ladder they had established?
"Ah…"
That was the identity of the 1st Legion.
Network marketing, multi-level, pseudo-religion.
This was another type of 'business model' different from the Knight King.
The reason the Legion Commander couldn't die must also lie in this 'business model.'
Just as a lush tree doesn't die from cutting one root, he was replenishing his vigorous vitality based on the blood squeezed from below.
His vitality armed with 'network' and 'multi-level' was more tenacious and stronger than my 'hellfire.'
I spoke to the Legion Commander.
"Very well, Legion Commander. Let's resolve this like gentlemen."
I immediately sent Lancelot and Bedivere into subspace.
The Legion Commander showed interest in my ability while also looking secretly relieved.
"Good thinking. It's a shame… if we had seen eye to eye, I would have given you quite a high position."
Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire…
He rummaged through the multi-level jewelry box.
Without foreseeing the fate that was coming for him.
I said.
"But, Legion Commander. I must save you first and foremost."
"What…?"
"Right now, you are in a serious environment. Network marketing, multi-level, pseudo-religion, gambling addiction, drug addiction, the world is collapsing and your family is collapsing…"
"This bastard… what are you talking about?"
"Shipping."
Screech!
A large silver object was launched at high speed.
Its identity was the one-armed knight, Bedivere.
I had put him in subspace to gain propulsion.
Snatch!
"Aack!"
Bedivere grabbed the Legion Commander by the hair.
Unlike his body, his head was the only place where physical force could reach.
It was truly tremendous strength.
The captured head of the Legion Commander swayed like a weed pulled out by the roots.
The Legion Commander resisted.
"This bastard… so this is how you want to play it?"
Hssssss!
Long smoke spewed from his body.
The smoke was heading toward the camps behind him.
The deal was broken, so he intended to kill the hostages immediately.
I answered.
As quickly as possible since there was no time.
"There is a common solution for multi-level, pseudo-religion, and gambling addiction. Grabbing them by the hair and dragging them home."
I intended to cut the very network that formed his life, connected densely above and below.
Surely… my 'Fence' would be stronger than his roots.
Whoosh!
I opened a portal…
"Ah… no!"
The Legion Commander, grabbed by the hair, screamed.
But Bedivere's hand showed no hesitation.
Like a mother's hand saving a gambling addict crying "just one more round."
I took the lead toward the portal and said.
"Bong-su, it's time to go home."
"No…! Aaaack!"
Perhaps he intuited it too.
Flailing his smoke-composed body, he let out a shriek.
And so…
The place I entered was the vast parade ground of Guktonsa.
Behind me, a bluish portal was visible.
Through its surface, Bedivere who had followed me poked his head through.
And…
What was dragged along in his hand was the head of the Legion Commander who had lost all connection points.
His face pale white, eyes rolled back.
He was a bastard who had replenished his infinite life with smoke.
But now that he had lost those connection points, he lay dead and withered like a beheaded tree.
Fwhip!
Bedivere tossed the bastard's head outside the portal.
And…
[Dimensional Account ownership has been transferred.]
[You already possess a dimensional account. The amounts will be combined.]
[The total magic stones you possess amount to 14,915.]
Clean money came in without a single fee deducted.
"Hoo…"
I raised my head.
The empty sky of the subspace without a single cloud came into view.
Of course, in my subspace, everything is connected too.
However… there is no up or down.
Unlike their 'Network'.