I Have a Modern Weapon Gacha System in the Zombie Apocalypse-Chapter 78: Achieving Energy Independence

May 2nd, 2025.

It was the summer season in the Philippines, and the heat pressed down hard on Basa Air Base. The air felt heavy even in the shade, the kind that stuck to your skin and didn’t let go. Concrete surfaces radiated heat back upward, turning the entire base into a slow oven.

Power demand had spiked.

Not just from comfort.

From necessity.

Radar systems stayed online around the clock. Command terminals never shut down. Refrigeration units had to preserve food and medicine. Air conditioning wasn’t a luxury anymore, it kept personnel and civilians functional and equipment from overheating.

And the grid. It didn’t exist anymore.

"Load is climbing again," one of the engineers said over the radio. "We’re pushing past safe margins."

Adrian stepped out onto the open ground, the sunlight hitting him directly as he moved toward the engineering section of the base.

A large flatbed truck sat in the middle of the area.

On it, a massive unit that looked like a container but was not.

Men moved around it with purpose, guiding it down slowly using a crane.

"Easy... easy..." one of them called out.

Chains tightened.

The machine lifted slightly, then lowered inch by inch onto a reinforced concrete platform that had been prepared ahead of time.

Adrian stopped a few meters away, watching.

"So that’s the Perkins 2-megawatt diesel generator huh?" Adrian noted as the engineers requested to him that they needed power generation units. And that Perkins megawatt diesel is one of the items he had got from the gacha.

"Yes sir, we are lucky to have one right now," the engineer said.

"Explain to me how this will help our energy independence from the grid. Like you know, how much electricity it produces and how much electricity we consume, how much diesel it drinks, like give me some perspective," Adrian said, eyes still on the machine as it settled into place.

"Yes, sir," he said. "This unit is rated at 2 megawatts. That means at full load, it can generate 2,000 kilowatts continuously."

Adrian nodded slightly.

"In practical terms?" he asked.

The engineer pointed toward the base.

"Our current consumption fluctuates between 1.2 to 1.5 megawatts during peak hours," he said. "That includes radar systems, command center, refrigeration, lighting, and partial air conditioning across key zones."

"So this covers it," Adrian said.

"Yes, sir," the engineer replied. "With margin. Around 25 to 30 percent headroom if we manage the load properly."

Adrian glanced back at the generator.

"And fuel?"

The engineer exhaled lightly.

"That’s the trade-off," he said. "At around 75 percent load, this thing consumes roughly 350 to 400 liters of diesel per hour."

Adrian’s gaze sharpened slightly.

"Per hour."

"Yes, sir."

Silence held for a second as that number settled.

"That’s close to... nine thousand liters a day," Adrian said.

"More or less," the engineer confirmed. "If we run it continuously."

Adrian folded his arms. "Well, that’s not a concern for now since we are scavenging fuel from the gas stations. There are over ten thousand gas stations in Luzon alone and in the north, it’s roughly half of that."

"Most gas stations hold about twenty to forty thousand liters combined storage," the engineer said, picking up the thought as he followed Adrian’s line of thinking. "Underground tanks. Usually split between diesel and gasoline."

Adrian nodded.

"So even on the low end, that’s enough to keep us running for a few days per station," he said.

"Yes, sir," the engineer replied. "If we prioritize diesel extraction. Most stations carry a decent reserve, especially those along highways."

Speaking of the devil, Adrian and the engineer saw a fuel truck approaching.

"That’s the fuel truck carrying diesel fuel for this machine here," the engineer said, pointing toward the incoming vehicle.

The fuel truck rolled in slow, its tires crunching over the hot concrete as it approached the generator platform. Dust trailed behind it, the engine rumbling low.

"Bring it in—align with the intake!" one of the technicians waved.

The driver adjusted, turning carefully before stopping a few meters away from the generator.

Engine off.

The door opened.

Two personnel jumped down immediately, moving to the rear.

"Hose ready," one of them called out.

They pulled out a thick black fuel hose, heavy and stiff from the heat, dragging it across the ground toward the generator’s intake port.

"Check the fuel first," the engineer said.

One of the men nodded, grabbing a sample container. He opened the valve slightly, letting a small amount of diesel flow into it.

They watched.

"Fuel looks good," he confirmed.

"Proceed," the engineer said.

The hose was secured tightly into place, clamps locked, valves aligned.

"Open it slowly," he instructed.

The valve turned.

A low, steady flow began.

The fuel line vibrated slightly as diesel moved through it.

Adrian stepped closer, watching the gauges on the side of the generator.

"Pressure rising," one technician reported.

"Flow rate stable."

The engineer moved to the control panel, eyes scanning the readings.

"Let’s see if she takes it clean," he muttered.

The generator was already running, but this was the real test. It sustained the feed, there was no interruption and instability.

Seconds passed.

Then a minute.

The engine note stayed steady.

"RPM holding," one of them said.

"Fuel pressure stable."

"Temperature within limits."

The engineer let out a breath.

"She’s taking it," he said.

Adrian watched the system a moment longer.

Then—

"Load increase," he ordered.

One of the technicians adjusted the distribution panel.

Power demand shifted.

The generator responded.

The sound deepened slightly as it took on more load, and it held.

"1.6 megawatts," the technician called out.

"Stable."

Adrian nodded once.

"Push it further."

Another adjustment.

"1.8..."

"...holding." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"The fuel system is clean, sir," he said. "No interruptions. We’re good for sustained operation."

Adrian stepped back slightly, eyes still on the machine.

"Good," he said. "Good work, but we know we can’t rely on this forever."

"There’s a solar option sir," the engineer commented. "But before all of that, we are using this diesel generator."