In the darkened break room of the logistics center.
A yellow flashlight illuminated the map.
"As long as we reach the intersection where the health center is located, we'll be fine. That's where we'll all scatter."
We were discussing a rough escape plan.
Outside, who knows what might happen.
Even if we escaped from the Wyverns' territory, there was no telling what dangers awaited us afterward.
After that, we decided to leave it up to each person's fate.
Tomorrow afternoon, seventeen pure white delivery trucks will travel the black road in a line, and at some point, they will disperse to their respective nests.
Carrying neatly wrapped delivery boxes in their backs.
But at the very least, eliminating the Wyverns was my role.
That was the promise from the beginning.
Lee Yong-su spoke.
"The expected number is around eight. It hasn't really increased compared to when we first encountered them. No, rather, thanks to Jeong-gyeom ssi earlier, we can say we reduced it by one."
Fortunately, they didn't seem to be like the Orcs, which appear in large numbers.
Of course, just because their numbers were small didn't mean they were to be underestimated.
Someone, already having experienced a setback, voiced their difficulty.
"They're cunning creatures. They won't engage in fights they know they can't win."
I heard that the people here at the logistics center had once attempted to exterminate the Wyverns.
They had armed themselves and hidden in the tunnel to lure the creatures in.
But the Wyverns only attacked when they were outside the tunnel.
They clearly understood the advantageous position they held.
"In the end, we have no choice but to fight outside the tunnel."
That was the conclusion we reached.
Of course, I'm fine with that.
Even if things get dangerous, I can always hide in the Subspace.
But whether it's the tunnel or the Subspace, the dilemma remained.
If I insisted on a safe battle, the creatures would likely avoid engaging with me.
If that happened, the other trucks that followed might end up in danger.
In conclusion, a frontal assault was necessary.
I said.
"I'll ride in the back of the truck and intercept the creatures. So, I need someone here to drive the vehicle I'll be riding in."
In Building E of the logistics center, there was a 1-ton cargo truck used for work.
Since it wasn't a delivery truck, its rear cargo compartment was wide open.
Lee Yong-su raised his hand promptly.
"I'll do it."
It was the most dangerous role.
While I could hide in the Subspace if things went wrong, the driver would be on a direct route to the afterlife if it failed.
Still, Lee Yong-su didn't hesitate.
"I didn't mention it earlier because it felt like showing off, but… the truth is, I'm also an Awakened. I've obtained the ability called
"Best Driver…?"
"It's a skill that significantly enhances visual acuity, reaction speed, and driving proficiency when operating a vehicle. Although the level is still low, so it only applies to cars and motorcycles for now… but it'll definitely be helpful."
The western tunnel was full of obstacles.
A skilled driving ability would be more than a little help.
"That's great news."
I nodded.
With that, the last night we'd spend at this logistics center came to an end.
***
Early in the morning, I stood up with a yawn.
"Huaaah…"
There had been an attack during the night.
Two Orcs had come one by one in the early morning, and thanks to the other employees standing guard, I was able to step in and deal with them just in time.
The bodies of the two creatures that died last night were still lying in the corridor.
Slice, slice.
As I dug into the hearts of the creatures with my knife, I took in the desolate view of the logistics complex.
"Is this a final gift?"
At least, that's how it felt to me.
Currently, the cooldown time of the Shipment skill was 15 seconds.
Thanks to the two Mana Stones I obtained, it was reduced to 5 seconds.
It was the maximum limit that could be reached at Subspace Level 1.
[5 seconds] (You have reached the enhancement limit.)
I headed towards the truck.
It seemed to have been used recently; its paint was still in pristine condition, but… it was probably its last day today.
The Wyverns' attacks would be intense.
"Hup."
I climbed onto the cargo bed of the vehicle and opened a Portal right there.
Whirr-
Staring at the shimmering blue Portal, I spoke to Lee Yong-su, who was seated in the driver's seat.
"Let's give it a try."
The vehicle moved back and forth a few meters.
Fortunately, the Portal didn't just float in the air; it moved along with the truck.
It was like carrying the Portal in the cargo bed.
After jumping down from the truck, I summoned PAX.
"Give me three boxes of Bacchus."
[Dong-A Pharmaceutical Bacchus F, 120ml, 30 units, price: 20,400 won.] (TL Note: A Energy Drink)
Then, I approached the people at the logistics complex who were wrapping up their tasks and handed out a bottle of Bacchus to each of them.
"Wow—thank you!"
Some people grabbed the bottle with their worn-out work gloves, while others took it with their calloused, rough hands.
Looking at the towels wrapped around their necks, it was the usual scene at the logistics center.
Suddenly, the apocalypse that had befallen us felt like a lie.
Drrrrrk!
The aluminum cap turned smoothly,
Gulp, gulp.
"Ahh!"
The sweet caffeine filled the early morning air.
It was the magic of 120ml—just enough but not too much.
***
The smell of oil that stung the nose.
Woooong-
The sound of the engine's exhaust echoed for the first time in a long while.
And it wasn't just one.
Seventeen white delivery trucks lined up in a row.
Leading them was the blue truck.
The one I was riding in.
In just a few minutes, we arrived at the western tunnel.
Instead of sitting in the passenger seat, I was in the cargo bed, and I gave Lee Yong-su a heads-up.
"All other vehicles will wait inside the tunnel. If things go smoothly, that's great, but… if anything happens, you have to turn the truck around and head back to this tunnel."
"Understood. I'll make sure to deliver Jeong-gyeom ssi's Portal safely, so don't worry."
With that, we finished our exchange, and I climbed into the cargo bed, firmly gripping the grates that faced the driver's seat.
I had already prepared snug 3M gloves.
Since the driving could get rough.
Whoosh.
I signaled toward the rearview mirror, and the truck slowly began to emerge from the shadow of the tunnel.
"..."
Flap.
Flap.
The Wyverns appeared,
and the confrontation began with a reconnaissance phase.
Perhaps because they had seen the death of one of their own, the creatures didn't attack rashly.
The vehicle moved at a very slow speed, and the Wyverns flying around started to land one by one at a distance of about a dozen meters.
Chrk.
They flicked their tongues around their snake-like eyes.
Ignoring them, I was in the midst of checking the new ability I had unlocked the day before.
The ability called
Beep, beep, beep…
A red crosshair appeared in my field of view.
It felt like looking through the scope of a sniper rifle.
'It doesn't zoom in like a scope, though…'
But it had something else.
When I aimed the crosshair at one of the Wyverns, the distance to the target was calculated in real-time and displayed on the right side of my view.
[17m 46cm…]
[16m 71cm…]
[16m…]
PAX helpfully added some information.
[The current maximum shipping range is 10m.]
I asked in my mind.
'What happens if the distance exceeds the limit?'
[It doesn't stop at that position.]
[However, the speed significantly decreases.]
[The 'shipping speed' is not derived from the energy of physical laws in the first place.]
In simple terms, its power would disappear completely.
I had to get closer to them.
That was when it happened.
Kiiiiiek!
As if signaling the end of the reconnaissance, one of the Wyverns that was staring at me charged aggressively.
The creature made a streamlined movement, gliding down toward me in a gentle curve.
Beep, beep, beep…
[11m 52cm…]
[9m 02cm…]
[6m…]
The distance closed rapidly,
Kaaaak!
The Wyvern opened its mouth wide.
I reacted quickly.
'Ship.'
[It's a moving target.]
[The shipping position is being adjusted in real-time.]
[Adjustment calculations completed.]
Several messages flashed by in an instant…
Pahak!
The Wyvern's head was blown off right in front of my eyes.
Kiiiiiiiek!
Lee Yong-su, who was driving, sharply turned the steering wheel.
The headless corpse of the Wyvern was dragged toward the truck.
Thunk!
The Wyvern's body hit the vehicle, twitching as if unable to let go of the impact.
I was also in shock.
'Precision Delivery… this is a cheat!'
Headshot, one-shot-one-kill.
Call it whatever you want.
With just one shot, the Wyvern's head was blown off.
Kaaaaaak!
The remaining Wyverns roared in fury at the death of their comrade.
Flap.
They hovered in the air one by one, flying toward me like swallows,
but the five seconds passed quickly.
Thud!
Splat!
The speed had increased by six times.
It was incredibly satisfying.
Smack!
Thud!
Wyverns with severed heads started falling one by one onto the road.
It wasn't the tails or wings but their heads.
I could be absolutely sure of their deaths without a moment's doubt.
After a few minutes had passed,
Click.
Lee Yong-su got out of the driver's seat with a bewildered expression.
He looked around, but…
Whoosh-
The sky, as blue as paint, had no clouds in sight.
There was no need for the Best Driver to demonstrate his skills.
The vehicle had only driven about 100 meters slowly at a crawl.
All he had done was occasionally swerve the steering wheel to avoid the falling Wyvern corpses.
Thunk.
I also took off the gloves I was wearing and tossed them aside.
The sweat that had beaded up when we left the tunnel had already dried completely.
"Actually…"
I didn't expect it to end this easily either.
Lee Yong-su got back into the truck.
As he drove in reverse like it was forward, re-entering the tunnel, the logistics center workers who were riding the truck jumped out one by one.
The truck was spotless without a single scratch, and that went for both me and Lee Yong-su as well.
Between the fallen Wyvern corpses, the straight road stretched out into view.
The delivery drivers who had finally reclaimed the road cheered.
.
.
.
"Alright, not much left now!"
The logistics center workers who poured out of the truck each had a dagger in hand.
It wasn't part of the original plan, but once everyone knew that the road was safe, they eagerly volunteered to help harvest the Mana Stones.
This was also the reason why I hadn't strengthened the
On either side of the road were soundproof walls and various obstacles, so if I attacked the creatures from too far away, their corpses could easily be lost.
Thanks to dealing with most of them within 10 meters, we were able to secure all the bodies.
Each Wyvern's heart yielded three Mana Stones.
Including the one I killed yesterday, I had taken down a total of eight Wyverns, which meant I now had twenty-four Mana Stones in my pocket.
It was a remarkable haul.
One by one, the people from the logistics complex came over to say their final goodbyes.
"Jeong-gyeom ssi, thank you so much."
"Thanks to you, I'll get to see my family again. I will never forget this kindness."
Vroom-
And like that, the delivery trucks began to leave the road one by one.
Silently, I wished for their safe return.
Lee Yong-su spoke to me.
"Well then… shall we get going too?"
"Yes, let's."
Our destination was Indeogwon.
It was where his wife and daughter were, and also the gateway to Seoul.
We quickly got into the truck,
Vroom!
and started the engine.
"Usually, it takes about 30 minutes to get there. Who knows how long it will take now…"
We had been isolated for several days, so we had no idea what the outside situation was like.
Especially since we couldn't even use the internet.
Still…
"Strangely, I don't feel anxious."
He said.
With the cargo truck pfilled to the brim like a turtle's shell,
and the infinitely stocked logistics center riding on my back, how could we not feel secure?