Hiding a Logistics Center in the Apocalypse - Part 6
(The Wild Geese of the Logistics Complex (3))
The break room of the darkened logistics center.
A yellow flashlight beam illuminated the map.
"We only need to go as far as the intersection where the health center comes into view. Then we all scatter from there, right?"
We were discussing a rough escape plan.
We didn't know what would happen outside.
Even if we escaped the wyverns' territory, what dangers might lurk thereafter was unknown.
After that, we decided to leave each to their own fate.
Tomorrow afternoon, seventeen snow-white delivery trucks would tread the black asphalt in a single file, and at some point scatter to their respective nests.
Like delivery boxes neatly packed and held in their beaks.
But at least, eradicating the wyverns was my role.
Because that was the promise from the start.
Yongsu said.
"The estimated number is around eight. Compared to when we first encountered them, they haven't really increased. No, rather, thanks to Mr. Jeonggyeom earlier, you could say we reduced them by one."
Fortunately, they didn't seem to be as numerous as orcs.
Of course, we couldn't take them lightly just because their numbers were few.
Perhaps because they had already been broken once, one of them expressed difficulty.
"They're cunning creatures. They won't even try to fight a battle they can't win."
Apparently, the people here at the logistics center had also gone out once before to eradicate the wyverns.
They said they hid in the tunnel with weapons to lure them.
But the creatures had only attacked when they stepped outside the tunnel.
They clearly understood the advantageous position.
"In the end, we have no choice but to fight outside the tunnel."
That was our conclusion.
Of course, I would be fine.
Even if there was a dangerous moment, I could just hide in the subspace.
But whether tunnel or subspace, the dilemma remained.
If I insisted on a safe fight, the creatures would likely avoid fighting me too.
If that happened, the other trucks following behind would be in danger.
In short, a frontal breakthrough was needed.
I said.
"I'll ride in the back of the truck and intercept them. So one person here please take the wheel of the vehicle I'll be in."
In Building E of the logistics center, there was one 1-ton cargo truck used for work.
Because it wasn't a delivery truck, its rear cargo bed was wide open.
Yongsu raised his hand briskly.
"I'll do it."
It was the most dangerous role.
I could just hide in the subspace, but if things went wrong, the driver would be bound straight for the afterlife.
Still, Yongsu didn't hesitate.
"It would be presumptuous of me to say, but... actually, I am also an Awakened. I obtained an ability called
"Best Driver...?"
"It's an ability that drastically enhances dynamic vision, reaction speed, and proficiency when driving vehicles. My level is still low, so it only applies to cars and two-wheeled vehicles for now... but it will definitely help."
It was the western tunnel, full of obstacles.
If skilled driving backed us up, it would be invaluable help.
"That's fortunate."
I nodded.
With that, the last night spent at this logistics center drew to a close.
***
In the early dawn, I rose from my spot with a yawn.
"Huaaam..."
During the night, there had been an attack.
Around dawn, two orcs had found their way in, one at a time; thanks to other employees keeping watch, I had been able to step out at the right time and deal with them.
In the corridor lay the corpses of the two that had died during the night.
Shhk, shhk.
As I gouged out their hearts with a knife, I took in the desolate view of the logistics complex.
"A final gift?"
From my perspective, it was.
The cooldown of my Shipping skill was currently 15 seconds.
Thanks to obtaining two magic stones, I had reduced it to 5 seconds.
That was the maximum limit reachable at Subspace Level 1.
[5 seconds] (You have reached the enhancement limit.)
I headed for the truck.
It looked like it hadn't been used for long; the paint was spotless, but... somehow today would probably be its last day.
Because the wyverns' attacks would be fierce.
"Up we go."
I climbed into the cargo bed and opened a portal right there.
Whirrr-
Looking at the shimmering blue portal, I spoke to Yongsu in the driver's seat.
"Try moving a bit."
The vehicle moved back and forth a few meters.
Fortunately, the portal didn't hover in mid-air; it moved together with the truck.
It was like loading a portal in the cargo bed.
I leaped lightly out of the truck and called out Pax.
"Bring out just three boxes of Bacchus."
[Dong-A Pharmaceutical Bacchus F, 120ml, 30 units, price is 20,400 won.]
Then I approached the people of the logistics complex who were finishing up preparations and handed each a bottle of Bacchus.
"Wow, thanks!"
Some with dirt-stained work gloves, others rubbing their calloused, rugged hands, took the Bacchus.
Seeing the towels wrapped around their necks, it was a scene no different from the usual logistics center.
The apocalypse that had suddenly befallen us felt like a lie.
Click!
The aluminum cap turned refreshingly.
Glug, glug.
"Kyaah!"
Sweet caffeine soaked the dawn.
It was the magic of 120ml, seeming insufficient yet somehow enough.
***
A sharp smell of oil pierced the nose.
Vrrroom-
The sound of exhaust pipes rang out after a truly long time.
And it wasn't just one.
Seventeen white delivery trucks linked like a line.
The lead was a blue Porter truck.
The one I was riding in.
In just a few minutes, we arrived at the western tunnel.
Having climbed onto the cargo bed instead of the passenger seat, I gave Yongsu a prior warning.
"The remaining vehicles will all wait in the tunnel. If things go well, that's fortunate... but if something happens, you must turn the car around and come back to this tunnel."
"Understood. Mr. Jeonggyeom's portal, I'll deliver it safely so please don't worry."
We finished our greetings like that, and I climbed onto the cargo bed and gripped the bars facing the driver's seat with strength.
I had prepared tight-fitting 3M gloves in advance.
Because the driving could get rough.
Whoosh.
I sent a hand signal toward the rearview mirror, and like that, the truck slowly began to leave the tunnel's shadow.
"..."
Flutter.
Flap.
The wyverns appeared.
The beginning was a probing battle.
Perhaps because they had witnessed a comrade's death once, the creatures didn't attack rashly.
The vehicle moved at a very slow speed, and the wyverns flying nearby landed one by one at a distance of several dozen meters.
Hiss.
They flicked their tongues around their serpentine pupils.
Regardless, I was checking the new ability I had unlocked the day before.
Namely, the
Beep, beep, beep...
A red crosshair was drawn across my field of vision.
It felt like the scope snipers used.
'It doesn't zoom in like a scope, but...'
Instead, there was something else.
When I moved the crosshair toward a wyvern, the distance to the target calculated in real-time displayed on the right side of my vision.
[17m 46cm...]
[16m 71cm...]
[16m...]
Pax helpfully added.
[Current maximum Shipping range is 10m.]
I asked inwardly.
'What happens if it's beyond the range?'
[It doesn't just stop in place.]
[However, its speed drops drastically.]
[Because 'Shipping speed' is not kinetic energy generated by the laws of physics to begin with.]
Simply put, its destructive power completely disappears.
In the end, I had to close the distance to them.
That was when.
Screech!
As if the probing battle had ended, a wyvern facing me charged fiercely.
With a streamlined motion, it glided toward me in a gentle curve.
Beep, beep, beep...
[11m 52cm...]
[9m 02cm...]
[6m...]
The distance rapidly closed.
Kaaahk!
The creature opened its jaws wide.
I hastily responded.
'Shipping.'
[Target is moving.]
[Shipping position is being corrected in real-time.]
[Correction value calculation complete]
Several messages flashed by in an instant...
Crack!
The wyvern's head flew off before my eyes.
Screeeeech!
Yongsu, who was driving, jerked the steering wheel hard.
Because the beheaded wyvern's body was sweeping toward the vehicle.
Thud!
The wyvern corpse that struck the vehicle twitched, unable to forget the impact.
I was also shocked.
'Precision Delivery... isn't this broken?'
Headshot, one-shot one-kill.
Whatever you call it didn't matter.
With a single shot, the wyvern's neck flew off.
Kraaaeeek!
The remaining wyverns were enraged at their kin's death.
Flutter.
They took to the air one by one and flew at me like swallows.
Five seconds passed quickly.
Thwack!
Thud!
A speed six times faster.
It was truly exhilarating.
Smack!
Thump!
The beheaded wyverns fell onto the road surface one by one with dull thuds.
Not tails, not wings—heads.
I could be certain of their deaths without a moment's doubt.
A few minutes passed like that.
Clack.
Yongsu got out of the driver's seat with a bewildered expression.
He looked around, but...
Whoooosh-
The blue sky, vivid like paint, was devoid of a single cloud.
There was no opportunity for the Best Driver to shine.
The vehicle had only slowly traveled about 100 meters at low speed.
Occasionally steering to avoid the wyverns' corpses falling at it—that was all.
Flick.
I too took off the gloves I was wearing and tossed them away.
The beads of sweat that had formed as we left the tunnel had dried crisp.
"To be honest..."
I hadn't expected it to end this easily either.
Yongsu drove the car again.
When we entered the tunnel in a reverse that felt like moving forward, the people from the logistics complex who had been in the trucks rushed out one by one.
The vehicle was clean without a single scratch, and the same went for Yongsu and me.
Between the fallen wyverns' corpses, the stretched-out road came into view.
The delivery drivers who had finally reclaimed the road cheered in jubilation.
.
.
.
"Come on, we're almost there!"
The people pouring out of the trucks each held a dagger.
It hadn't been part of the original plan, but everyone who learned the path was safe volunteered to help extract magic stones.
This was also the reason I hadn't enhanced the
There were noise barriers and various obstacles on both sides of the road; if I had attacked the creatures from too far away, I would likely have lost the corpses.
Because I had dealt with most within 10 meters, I was able to secure all the corpses as well.
Three magic stones came out per wyvern heart.
Including the one caught yesterday, that made a total of eight wyverns caught, and a total of twenty-four magic stones came into my pocket.
It was an income worthy of admiration.
The people of the logistics complex exchanged final greetings one by one.
"Mr. Jeonggyeom. Thank you so much."
"Thanks to you, we can meet our families. I will never forget this grace."
Vroom-
And so, the delivery trucks left the road one by one.
I silently wished for them to return safely.
Yongsu spoke to me.
"Then... shall we get going too?"
"Let's."
The destination was Indeogwon.
It was where his wife and daughter were, and the gateway to Seoul.
We hurriedly got in the car.
Vroom!
And started the engine.
"It normally takes 30 minutes. I don't know how long it'll take now..."
We had been isolated for several days and had no idea of the outside situation.
Moreover, since we couldn't use the internet either.
Still...
"Strangely, I'm not anxious."
He said.
The box truck, its interior fortified like a turtle's shell.
And because I had the logistics center with its infinite inventory on my back.