Strongest Deliveryman In The Apocalypse

The paved road gave way to rubble as Sobin's truck approached the last delivery zone.

What remained of an old boulevard had collapsed into narrow alleyways framed by barricades and abandoned cars. Sobin stopped the vehicle, parking it close to the barricade.

"Too narrow," he said flatly, opening the driver's side door. "No way Bessie fits through this choke point. I'll carry it from here."

He hoisted a medium-sized crate from the truck bed with ease. Despite its incredible size and weight, Sobin handled it as though it were no more than a grocery bag.

The wasteland's night air brushed against him, carrying faint whispers.

From the corners of his eyes, he caught movement. Shadows slithered along the ruined walls of the alley. Silhouettes that twitched and bent, shapes with too many limbs, too little humanity.

Sobin paused, staring into the gloom.

His instincts tensed.

"…Monsters?"

Ever since he started his delivery business, he hadn't encountered a single Monster. The System told him this was a good thing, so he wasn't particularly aggrieved by this. Still, he couldn't help but feel unease whenever he observed his surroundings and sensed creatures like these watching him from a distance.

It almost felt like they would strike at any time… like a jumpscare.

But the shadows did not advance. They lingered, watching, yet unmoving. Like predators wary of a stronger beast.

Sobin narrowed his eyes, then shrugged. "If you're not on my delivery route, you're not my problem."

With that, he adjusted the crate under one arm and strode forward.

The barricade loomed ahead, a mesh of steel plates and reinforced gates built to seal off the fortified apartment complex within.

Sobin stopped before the locked gate and held his Rider License to the scanner.

BEEP!

The red light blinked green. The gates clicked open with mechanical groans, granting him passage.

All residential areas had gates like this that prevented Monsters from getting in. Riders had exclusive access to these places, since they had to deliver goods to the people living there. It was why a Rider License was so important.

Honestly, Sobin was really fortunate for the misunderstanding earlier.

If he hadn't arrived from the Uninhabited Zones, and if the people in Zone E-46 didn't think he was a high-level Rider with a secret mission, he would have actually been in big trouble for 'losing his license.'

Riders were very powerful in this world.

Naturally, their Licenses were highly valued, and if they fell into the wrong hands, that could mean chaos. Plunderers were only scary if they had a Rider working with them, or if they got their hands on a License.

But none of that was Sobin's concern.

He was simply a deliveryman making his last delivery for the day before checking out.

Sobin stepped through the gate, his boots echoing faintly against the metal floor as he ascended the stairwell. Each step creaked under his weight, but his pace remained steady, deliberate.

Despite his loud mouth and upbeat attitude, he always took his work seriously and with utmost sanctity.

By the time he reached the top floor, his breathing hadn't even quickened.

Target location: Room 12F.

Sobin adjusted his grip on the crate and pressed the doorbell.

DING-DONG.

Silence.

He pressed it again.

DING-DONG.

Again.

DING-DONG. DING-DONG. DING-DONG.

Finally, the door creaked open.

A woman stood there, her hair disheveled, her expression half-asleep. She wore little more than underwear, her posture languid and careless. Her eyes widened when she saw Sobin—tall, broad-shouldered, uniform sharp even in the dim hallway.

Sobin froze for the briefest moment. But only the briefest. His expression remained unreadable, his deliveryman's professionalism never wavering.

'Why doesn't she have anything on?!' He wondered silently, her bare skin reflected in his dark crimson eyes. 'This is too inappropriate…'

Despite having these thoughts, Sobin swallowed them and chose to remain professional.

"I have a package for this building," he said, his voice firm but neutral.

The woman blinked, startled.

Then her gaze flicked to the crate in his hands. Her eyes widened further.

"You… already?!" She took a step closer, her shock plain. "This was supposed to take weeks. At least weeks! I—I wasn't expecting anyone so soon."

Sobin nodded once, matter-of-fact. "I don't arrive late. That's not my style."

To be honest, he had encountered similar reactions from all the other stops he had made that day.

No one expected him to be so early.

At this point, even Sobin was surprised. Was competence such a strange thing in this world? Was he driving too fast? Were other Riders simply lazy, or perhaps unlucky due to all the Monsters they encountered?

Sobin had no clue, but he was beginning to suspect that his case was truly peculiar.

"I-I see…" The woman's mouth hung open in disbelief.

She took the crate with trembling hands, her expression slowly shifting from shock to gratitude.

"You're… incredible. Thank you."

Sobin dipped his head slightly, acknowledging her words.

But then her gaze softened, and her lips curved into a sly smile. She leaned against the doorframe, letting her voice drop into a low purr.

"You know… a man like you deserves more than just thanks. Why don't you come inside?"

Sobin blinked, his grip tightening faintly on the empty air where the crate had been.

The woman tilted her head, eyes glinting. "It's late, isn't it? You must be tired after working so hard. Why don't I give you… a good time? As a tip."

Sobin's eyes narrowed.

"I don't need the tip," he said firmly. "But I appreciate the gesture."

She chuckled softly, ignoring the dismissal. She leaned forward, her voice silk against the silence.

"Handsome men like you don't walk by every day. Why not rest here? Just for tonight."

Sobin's demeanor changed in an instant.

The air around him dropped several degrees, the easy composure stripped away.

A dangerous aura bled from him, invisible yet undeniable. His gaze sharpened into a glare that cut like a blade.

"Scram." His voice was ice.

The woman froze, her body trembling.

"I already have a woman waiting for me," Sobin said coldly. His aura pressed down like a storm. "And I won't ever betray her… especially for someone like you."

The weight of his presence crushed her composure.

Her sly smile vanished, replaced by shivers that crawled down her spine.

She stumbled backward, hurriedly clutching the crate as she retreated into her apartment. With fumbling hands, she slammed the door shut and locked it tight.

Silence returned to the hall.

Sobin blinked once, his aura vanishing as suddenly as it came. His expression softened back into calm professionalism. He raised his voice just enough to carry through the door.4

"Don't forget to leave a five-star review for my services."

With that, he turned and walked back down the stairs.

He didn't need to confirm payment—Miriam had already logged it all, and he had seen it.

The delivery was officially complete.

'Things were weird there for a moment. But, in any case… I can rest easy now.' Sobin's expression was filled with immense glee.

He couldn't have known that—beyond the building he was currently in—something dangerous was happening.

By the parked truck, other figures stirred.

Silhouettes emerged from the alleys, stepping into the faint glow of the moon.

Unlike the monsters, these had the shape of men—but their eyes gleamed with hunger, not for flesh, but for plunder.

—Plunderers.

They crouched low, their armor ragged but their weapons sharp. Their eyes locked onto Sobin's truck, loaded with crates.

"Looks like the Rider's gone. Left his precious cargo unguarded." One of them sneered.

"Perfect. We'll strip it clean before he even knows." Another chuckled darkly.

A third slapped the side of his weapon. "You two start loading. I'll keep lookout. If he comes back, I'll sound the alarm."

The others nodded eagerly, their greedy hands already reaching for the truck.