Strongest Deliveryman In The Apocalypse

Sobin exited the building with his Rider License in one hand and a phone in the other.

Indeed… an actual smartphone!

Sobin smiled as he looked at the device. It had his information already imprinted in, along with a tracking function that would allow him to always find it, while also allowing the Rider Association to track him as well.

Sobin wasn't the biggest fan of an organization monitoring his movements, but he figured he was a rather insignificant character in this world, so they probably wouldn't be keeping much of an eye on him.

Besides, he was one of the people who believed that the government on Earth constantly monitored people using SIM cards and the front camera of every phone.

He also believed companies listened in on every conversation he had.

How else could he explain the many ads that targeted his specific needs anytime he spoke about them to anyone? His wife had also complained of the same issue, which gave him a stronger suspicion that they were being watched.

But so what? They were both ordinary characters in a world of 8 billion people, so he didn't really care back then.

And he certainly didn't care now that he was in an Apocalypse.

Surely, the government had bigger priorities in this world than following his every move.

"What's that, Master? Is that a smartphone?!" Bessie shrieked excitedly once Sobin entered the vehicle.

"Not exactly. It functions similarly, but has limited features that restrict it to mainly communication and—"

"Can it take pictures? Please take tons of pictures of you and me, Master!" Bessie seemed to be shifting from excitement. She giggled and shrieked like an overexcited teenager who just got asked to the prom by her longtime crush. "I can pose well for the camera! Make sure you capture all my good parts."

Frankly, Sobin didn't know what to tell Bessie.

She was a truck in the end. What would qualify as her good parts? Besides, how exactly would she 'pose' for the camera?

Sobin set aside those thoughts and chose to be the adult in the room.

"It's not meant for stuff like that. It's a communication device that allows me to work as a Rider." Sobin was tempted to elaborate on it more, but after hearing Bessie click her invisible tongue in disappointment, he chose not to bother.

'Surprisingly, it also has apps that bear uncanny similarities with the ones used on Earth.'

[Indeed, Sobin! Your job as a Rider is to deliver packages from one place to another. Essentially, you're a courier—not much different from your occupation on Earth. How do you like it? It's familiar territory for you, so you should be fine.]

"How considerate of you," Sobin almost rolled his eyes. "Then, could you be understanding enough to send me back home?"

[But I already told you… You can't return without destroying this reality.]

"And…?"

[... Nevermind]

Sobin took the System's response as a "No" to his earlier question. It seemed the System knew a way for him to get home, but it didn't want to risk the lives of all these people.

Frankly, Sobin couldn't care less about them.

He hadn't formed any kind of bond with the people of this world, and he doubted any kind of connection he made here would exceed the one he had back home. Anytime he thought of his wife, his heart burned with desire and ached with pain.

"Ahh… sugarplum, I miss you so much!"

Unfortunately, she could not hear his cry. So, instead of moping around, Sobin chose to take active steps that would lead him home. To do that, he began operating his new device—the Rider Communication Device (RCD for short)—and he could complete even more Quests.

Fortunately, the device was very similar to a smartphone, so it was no problem at all.

Just as the System said, Riders were essentially couriers.

Also, there were Service Provider Apps already installed on the RCD. All he needed to do was register on these apps using his Rider Identification, and he would be a part of the already established system.

The entire process didn't even take ten minutes.

There were several courier apps, and even an active leadership that showed the busiest apps in a certain ranking. However, an app being the busiest didn't necessarily mean they were the best option.

Each app had percentages of revenue shared, among other complicated terms that were very relevant to read thoroughly in their contract.

The trend was that the higher-ranked a courier app was, the lower the percentage it offered its riders. Lower-ranked apps had higher percentages, but with fewer customers using them, Riders there would probably not earn as high as those in the busier apps.

In the end, one simply had to pick their poison.

'Also, it seems the top apps already have established Riders on them, and it's difficult for a newbie Rider like me who is just starting to be recommended. Even if I am chosen, the customer might opt for another more experienced Rider…'

Sobin understood all of this very well, as someone who had been in the industry for a long while.

A Deliveryman—no matter the kind of product he was delivering—was someone who held the faith of the customer. They implicitly held trust that their orders would arrive on time and with no damage whatsoever.

This was the standard!

Of course, there would be unreasonable customers who demanded too much from a Rider. But, for the majority of people, they simply expected competence from the Riders and fully trusted that they would deliver.

Because of that, a Deliveryman had to be someone a Customer could trust.

This was why some Rider Apps were more favored than others, and Riders with more experience were preferred over greenhorns.

'Since I just started out, I am a mere E Rank Rider. The more tasks I complete, the closer I will be to qualifying for a Promotional Evaluation. It's just how things are. As an E Rank Rider, my opportunities are very limited, so I should probably stay away from the top-rated apps for now. I should also avoid the ones at the bottom of the ranking. That means…'

Sobin's eyes focused on a particular app. It had a green color, with the letter "B" boldly plastered ot the center of its logo.

"I should use BOTL. It's ranked somewhere in the middle, and I can see decent reviews from both customers and Riders. Should be a decent experience, at the very least."

Operating BOTL wasn't difficult for Sobin, since he had ten years' worth of experience in the industry. Apart from being a Deliveryman, he also had a small business involving motorbike riders who helped deliver food and more mobile packages.

Even as a greenhorn in this world, he had a lot going for him, so it was easy to set up his profile.

As soon as he was finished—

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

'E-eh?! A Delivery Request already?!'

Sobin was stunned by the speed of the request to the point where he nearly declined it.

'Whew… that was close!' He couldn't afford to decline too many requests, especially as a newbie. Doing so would reduce his evaluation and also slow down future recommendations to customers.

Most importantly, it would harm his chances of promotion.

'Would you look at that, Bessie! It appears we've gotten our first job in this world…' Sobin's professional spirit burned bright as the truck's engine roared to life.

Bessie was raring to go, matching the determination glowing within his dark crimson eyes.

'Let's give it our all!'