Chapter 6

Hiding the Logistics Center in the Apocalypse - Chapter 6 (6/240)

Hiding the Logistics Center in the Apocalypse - Episode 6

(The Geese of the Logistics Park (3))

In the break room of the darkened logistics center, the yellow light of a flashlight illuminated a map.

"We just need to get to the intersection where the health center is. We'll all scatter from there."

We were discussing our rough escape plan.

We don't know what might happen outside.

Even if we escape the wyverns' territory, the unknown dangers that lie ahead are uncertain.

We decided to leave the rest to fate.

Tomorrow afternoon, seventeen pristine delivery trucks will roll in a line on the black asphalt, and at some point, they will scatter to their respective nests, each carrying neatly packaged delivery boxes.

But at least, it was my role to eliminate the wyverns.

After all, that was the promise.

Yong-sang said,

"The estimated number is around eight. They haven't increased much since we first encountered them. In fact, thanks to Jung-gyun, we reduced their number by one."

Fortunately, they don't seem to be as numerous as orcs.

Of course, their small numbers don't make them any less formidable.

One of them, who seemed to have already experienced it, complained,

"They are cunning. They won't engage in a fight they can't win."

Apparently, the people at the logistics center had once tried to eliminate the wyverns.

They armed themselves and hid in the tunnel to lure the wyverns.

However, the wyverns only attacked when they came out of the tunnel.

They clearly understood their advantageous position.

"In the end, we have no choice but to fight outside the tunnel."

That was our conclusion.

Of course, I'm fine.

Even in dangerous moments, I can just hide in the subspace.

But whether in the tunnel or the subspace, the dilemma remained.

If I insisted on a safe fight, the wyverns would likely avoid battling me.

If that happened, the other trucks following would be in danger.

In summary, a frontal assault was necessary.

I said,

"I'll ride in the back of the truck and intercept the wyverns. So, please, one of you take the wheel of the vehicle I'll be in."

Logistics Center E had a 1-ton cargo truck used for work.

Unlike the delivery trucks, the back of the cargo truck was completely open.

Yong-sang raised his hand.

"I'll do it."

It was the most dangerous role.

While I could hide in the subspace, the driver would be in grave danger if things went wrong.

Still, Yong-sang didn't hesitate.

"I couldn't say it before, but... I'm also an Awakened. I have the ability called 'Best Driver.'"

"Best Driver...?"

"It greatly enhances my dynamic vision, reaction speed, and proficiency when driving a vehicle. It only applies to cars and motorcycles for now, but it will definitely help."

The western tunnel is full of obstacles.

With his skilled driving, it would be a great help.

"That's great."

I nodded.

With that, the last night we spent at the logistics center drew to a close.

***

In the early morning, I yawned and got out of bed.

"Yawn..."

During the night, there was an attack.

Two orcs came in the early hours, and thanks to the other employees on watch, we managed to deal with them in time.

The bodies of the two dead orcs were still lying in the corridor.

Swish, swish.

As I carved out their hearts with my knife, I took in the desolate view of the logistics park.

"Is this a final gift?"

From my perspective, it was.

The cooldown time for the Dispatch skill is now 15 seconds.

Thanks to the two mana stones, I reduced it by 5 seconds.

That's the maximum I can achieve at Subspace Level 1.

I headed to the truck.

It was a relatively new truck, with a clean coat of paint, but it would likely be the last time I used it.

The wyverns' attack would be fierce.

"Vroom."

I climbed into the cargo area and opened a portal.

Whoosh.

Looking at the shimmering blue portal, I said to Yong-sang, who was in the driver's seat,

"Try moving it a bit."

The truck moved a few meters forward and backward.

Fortunately, the portal stayed with the truck, not floating in the air.

It was like carrying a portal in the cargo area.

I jumped out of the truck and summoned Pax.

"Take out three boxes of Bokashi."

Then, I approached the people finishing up at the logistics park and handed out a bottle of Bokashi to each of them.

"Thanks a lot!"

Some took the Bokashi with dirty work gloves, others with rough, calloused hands.

Looking at the scarves around their necks, it felt like any other day at the logistics center.

The sudden destruction that befell us seemed almost unreal.

Clank!

The aluminum cap twisted off with a satisfying sound,

Gulp, gulp.

"Ah!"

The sweet caffeine soaked the morning.

A 120ml bottle of magic, just enough but not too much.

***

The pungent smell of oil.

Vroom.

The engine roared for the first time in a long while.

Not just one, but seventeen white delivery trucks lined up.

The lead truck was a blue Porter.

The one I was in.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the western tunnel.

Instead of the passenger seat, I was in the cargo area, and I had already instructed Yong-sang.

"The other vehicles will wait in the tunnel. If everything goes well, that's great, but if anything happens, you need to turn the truck around and come back to the tunnel."

"Understood. I'll deliver your portal safely, so don't worry."

We said our goodbyes, and I climbed into the cargo area, gripping the bars facing the driver's seat.

I had prepared 3M gloves that would stick firmly to the bars, in case the driving got rough.

Swish.

I signaled to the rearview mirror, and the truck slowly began to emerge from the tunnel's shadow.

"..."

Flap.

Flap.

The wyverns appeared,

and the initial phase was a reconnaissance battle.

Perhaps because they had seen a comrade die, the wyverns didn't rush to attack.

The truck moved very slowly, and the wyverns, which had been flying around, began to land a few meters away.

Squish.

The wyverns flicked their tongues around their snake-like eyes.

Meanwhile, I was checking the new ability I had unlocked the previous day.

The Precision Delivery ability.

Beep, beep, beep...

A red crosshair appeared in my vision.

It felt like a sniper scope.

'Not magnified like a scope, but...'

There was something else.

When I aimed the crosshair at a wyvern, the real-time distance to the target was displayed on the right side of my vision.

Pax helpfully added,

I wondered to myself,

'What happens if I go out of range?'

Simply put, the power would completely disappear.

In the end, I had to close the distance to the wyverns.

Then it happened.

Screech!

The reconnaissance battle seemed to be over, and one of the wyverns facing me charged aggressively.

With a streamlined movement, it glided toward me in a gentle curve.

Beep, beep, beep...

The distance rapidly decreased,

Kaaah!

The wyvern opened its mouth wide.

I quickly responded.

'Dispatch.'

Several messages flashed by in an instant...

Crack!

The wyvern's head flew off in front of me.

Squeal!

Yong-sang sharply turned the steering wheel.

The decapitated wyvern's body was sliding toward the truck.

Thud!

The wyvern's body hit the truck and twitched from the impact.

I was also shocked.

'Precision Delivery... it's a cheat, isn't it?'

Headshot, one-shot kill.

Whatever you call it, it doesn't matter.

With a single shot, the wyvern's head was gone.

Squeal!

The remaining wyverns were enraged by the death of their kin.

Flap.

One by one, they hovered in the air and dove at me like swallows,

but the 5 seconds quickly passed.

Thud!

Thud!

The speed was six times faster.

It was incredibly satisfying.

Crack!

Thud!

The headless wyverns fell one by one onto the road.

Not their tails or wings, but their heads.

I was certain of their deaths without a moment's hesitation.

A few minutes passed.

Click.

Yong-sang got out of the driver's seat with a bewildered look.

He looked around, but...

Whoosh.

The sky was a clear blue, without a single cloud.

There was no need for the Best Driver to show off.

The truck had only driven about 100 meters at a slow speed.

Occasionally, he turned the steering wheel to avoid the falling wyvern bodies.

Thud.

I also took off the gloves I was wearing and threw them away.

The sweat that had formed when we left the tunnel had dried.

"Actually..."

I didn't expect it to end so easily.

Yong-sang started the truck again.

As we entered the tunnel in reverse, the people from the logistics park began to emerge from the trucks.

The truck was spotless, and so were we.

The road ahead, strewn with fallen wyverns, came into view.

The delivery drivers, finally on their way, cheered.

.

.

.

"Come on, we're almost there!"

The people from the logistics park, who had poured out of the trucks, each held a dagger.

Although it wasn't part of the original plan, everyone volunteered to help collect the mana stones once they realized the route was safe.

The reason I hadn't enhanced the Dispatch skill's range was also due to this.

With obstacles like sound barriers on both sides of the road, attacking from a distance would likely result in losing the bodies.

Thanks to handling most of them within 10 meters, we managed to collect all the bodies.

Three mana stones came from each wyvern's heart.

With the one we caught yesterday, we had killed a total of eight wyverns, and twenty-four mana stones were now in my pocket.

It was a significant income.

The people from the logistics park said their final goodbyes.

"Jung-gyun, thank you so much."

"Thanks to you, I can see my family. I'll never forget this."

Vroom.

The delivery trucks began to leave the road one by one.

I silently wished for their safe return.

Yong-sang said to me,

"Shall we go now?"

"Let's go."

Our destination was Indukwon.

The place where his wife and daughter were, and the route to Seoul.

We quickly got into the truck,

Vroom.

The engine started.

"Normally it takes 30 minutes. I don't know how it will be now..."

We had been isolated for days and had no idea about the outside situation.

Especially since we couldn't use the internet.

Still...

"I don't feel anxious for some reason."

He said.

The truck, sturdy like a turtle's shell,

and the logistics center with infinite inventory was on my back.