Strongest Deliveryman In The Apocalypse

VROOOM!!!

Sobin's vehicle roared like a mighty beast as he traversed the wasteland with unimaginable speed. He had hit the gas pedal and moved like the wind, though in his eyes this was just Bessie's standard speed.

He actually had no idea that he had already passed supersonic levels and was steadily approaching the speed of light just from his truck's movements alone.

This was actually why he was able to cross several Zones so quickly, reaching Zone E–46 in just an hour.

Normally, it would take weeks—if not months—for a vehicle to achieve such an incredible feat.

"It's a shame we aren't encountering any Monsters, right, Bessie? It would have been nice to complete some more Quests on our way to the Pickup location."

"Indeed, Master!" Bessie grinned with delight. "I already miss slamming into those weaklings and destroying them!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

Both Sobin and his truck laughed with excitement, much to the disbelief of the System.

[... These two…]

"I guess Inhabited Zones don't have any Monsters, huh?" This time, Sobin directed his question at the System.

[You are wrong, Sobin. There are many Monsters that lurk within inhabited Zones. Some are also very strong, too… which is why this world is in a perpetual state of lockdown.]

"Ohh… I see." Despite getting an answer from the System, Sobin only got more confused. "Then why aren't we seeing any Monsters? Shouldn't some have jumped us now? We saw so many of them back then…"

What Sobin didn't understand was that the Monsters he encountered were some of the strongest creatures in the entire world.

Rank B Monsters were strong enough to devastate several buildings just by walking. Rank A Monsters could easily decimate cities with their attacks. And as for Rank S Monsters… any Zone they entered was practically ruined.

Even Rank C Monsters were city-wide threats.

However, there were a few reasons Sobin had never encountered anything below B Rank.

One was simply due to how fast his truck moved. There was simply no way for weaker Monsters to notice him, since he sped through them in a flash. Even for B Rank Monsters he encountered, he only faced them because they just happened to be in his path.

As for the second and most important reason… it was due to his strength.

Monsters, regardless of Rank, had survival instincts the same way humans and animals did.

They naturally knew what was threatening to them, which meant they would not dare approach an entity they considered much stronger than they were. Doing so would be synonymous with seeking death.

Which creature—Monster or otherwise—would do such?

Due to this, most Monsters steered away from Sobin's path. Even when he first appeared in Zone 99, one of the deadliest places in the world, there were several Monsters lurking around. Yet, none of them dared to show their faces.

It was only after some time that a brave Rank A Monster stepped up to the challenge.

Unfortunately for it, Sobin easily ran through it—killing the grotesque thing rather swiftly.

The other Monsters who witnessed this from a safe distance were immensely grateful that they listened to their instincts and didn't bother him.

But how could Sobin know any of this? All he knew about Apocalyptic worlds was what his wife told him, or the few Zombie films he saw as a kid. He couldn't possibly comprehend the vast dangers that this world held.

And so, ignorant of the terrifying nature of the dangerous reality he had stumbled into, he could only rely on the System for answers.

[We're moving too fast for most Monsters to trail us right now. Also, you should try to avoid Monsters in Inhabited Zones, since killing too many of them—especially near an occupied area—will draw the attention of more powerful Monsters there]

"And…?"

[People could die as a result. You have Quests that involve protecting lives, so doing that would be unwise if you want to fulfill them]

"A-ahh… okay then!" Sobin wanted to complete all his Quests as quickly as he could.

Failure wasn't an option!

"We've almost arrived. Let's slow down…" Sobin began to decelerate as they approached the city where he had to pick up the package for delivery.

It was located in Zone E–45, a close neighbor of the Zone he had just left.

After parking his Truck, he stepped down from the vehicle and looked at the rundown building that he was supposed to step into.

"Is this really the right place?" He pondered aloud.

The map on his RCD told him so, and since he had also accepted a similar Quest from the System, he was well aware of the building's appearance.

"Oh well…"

Sobin stepped forward and moved towards the building.

He hadn't even taken up to ten steps before several Gatling guns suddenly rose from the ground and aimed at him.

"W-what the—?!" His heart jumped as he witnessed the massive weapons flash with dangerous glints. The sun was already setting, so their dark metallic skin had a tint of orange that gleamed with death.

Sobin was just a deliveryman! How did he end up in such a situation?!

"What's the meaning of this? I only came here for pickup! There's no need to be this extreme!"

He kept yelling at the top of his lungs while flashing his Rider License, hoping whoever was operating the Gatling Guns would have mercy on him and spare his life. At that moment, memories of his wife flashed before his very eyes.

'I-is this how I die? But… I haven't even… done anything yet…' His eyes shut tight as he sniffed, darkness enveloping him while he patiently waited for the bullets to riddle his vulnerable body.

However, strangely… death did not come.

He was still alive!

"I-it didn't fire?! Whew!" His heart rate slowed down as he took a leap of faith and stepped forward, advancing towards the interior of the building.

He was tempted to bail and run, but how could he?

Sobin was a professional through and through—a deliveryman with ten years of experience.

No matter the weather he encountered or the dangers that came his way, he had never once backed away from completing a task he undertook.

That was what it meant to be a deliveryman!

At least, to Sobin.

After passing the hurdle of the Gatling guns and reaching the interior of the abandoned building, he looked around for a while. Confusion was planted on his face, since he found the warehouse to be completely abandoned.

He looked around for a while but found no traces of life.

'What is going on now?'

Once again, he was tempted to abandon ship. However, he shoved those thoughts aside and decided to contact the number on his device.

"I have arrived. Where are you?" Sobin read aloud as he typed.

After waiting for a while, he finally got a response.

<Beneath you. Look around for the hidden entrance to the underground tunnel>

'Oh? So there's a hidden tunnel…'

Sobin looked around for a while, and it didn't take very long for him to find the secret door. He knelt and knocked on the metal cover.

After waiting for a while, he heard a buzzing sound, and the door finally opened.

'Whew!' A relieved smile formed on his face.

Then—

As soon as it opened, a pair of hands suddenly reached out to Sobin and dragged him into the darkness.

"W-waaaiiiiittt!"

CLANK!

The metallic door closed once again.