WebNovels

Chapter 1 - Chapter 1.1

Who am I? What's my name? Honestly, it doesn't matter anymore. Besides, if I'm about to die in a few minutes, you'll probably just remember me as "that guy who got hit by a truck."

Just... please don't call me a "generic isekai MC." I've got some dignity, you know.

•••

Three in the morning is the witching hour for ghosts, night shift workers, and people who are absolutely starving.

Tonight, I fell into the third category.

My stomach, being the absolute bastard that it was, decided to throw a full-blown concert inside my gut... a symphony of hunger that was anything but harmonious.

I'd been trying to ignore it for half an hour, pulling my blanket up to my chin and hoping this hunger would just give up and let me go back to sleep.

But my efforts were useless.

This vital organ was more stubborn than a neighbor who likes blasting music at midnight.

Ironic, right? They say "love comes from the heart," but honestly, hunger's way more convincing than love. At least hunger has a clear argument: "Feed me or die."

Eventually, I had no choice but to give up.

I got out of bed reluctantly, rubbed my still-heavy eyes, then grabbed the thin jacket hanging on my chair. Sweatpantsa and flip-flops were enough for this midnight mission. With lazy steps and a body still half-conscious, I walked toward the door.

When the door opened, the cold night air immediately attacked, stabbing through my bones like ice needles. But somehow, that sensation actually felt calming. The fresh air drove away the remnants of sleepiness still clinging to my eyelids.

The night breeze hit my face with a cool touch, carrying the scent of dew starting to settle on the leaves. My footsteps echoed softly on the empty asphalt, accompanied only by the sound of crickets calling back and forth from the bushes. Hmm... weird, considering I live in an urban area. Maybe they're insomniacs like me too.

Sighing softly, I looked around while yawning. The streets were completely empty.

Street lamps cast pale yellow light, like bulbs that were half-dead, creating circles of light along the sidewalk. No speeding motorcycles, no nosy neighbors peeking from behind curtains, no kids hanging out playing crappy music. Just me, empty roads, and my stomach continuing to grumble with consistent rhythm.

"Nice walking at this hour," I muttered while slipping my hands into my jacket pockets, enjoying the silence I rarely get to experience during the day. The air carried the scent of wet asphalt—probably leftover from this afternoon's rain still stored in the pores of the street.

The silence around me felt so peaceful and calming.

A peace that, as I was about to learn, was incredibly deceiving.

My target was clear: the 24-hour convenience store at the end of the road. Just needed a 10-minute casual walk. I was already imagining my simple paradise... a cold can of coffee, a piece of egg sandwich, and maybe some salty snacks to keep me company while staying up all night. Ah, a little slice of heaven in the perfect night.

While rubbing my hands together and blowing on them to ward off the cold, I started enjoying this quiet. I even found myself daydreaming about the chicken curry instant noodles I was about to devour, imagining the warm broth that would chase away the night's chill.

But of course, paradise is never free.

When a faint sound started disturbing the night's tranquility.

At first it was barely audible.

Just a low hum mixing with the whisper of wind. Maybe just some cats mating or a neighbor's generator starting up.

But that hum got stronger, turning into a rumble approaching at an alarming speed.

Within seconds, that sound evolved into the deafening roar of a diesel engine, shattering the night's peace like a sound bomb.

My instincts screamed danger!!

I whipped around quickly, and my eyes widened in disbelief at what I saw.

A massive container truck, with blinding headlights like a giant's eyes, was speeding toward me at a velocity that made absolutely no sense for these narrow streets. Its light cut through the darkness, creating terrifying dancing shadows on the walls of houses.

What was even more terrifying... the truck was heading straight for me without slowing down even a little bit.

My first reflex wasn't panic.

Fear of death.

Or calling out to God.

Nope.

I just swore with creativity that even surprised myself.

"What the hell, speeding at this hour? Racing against demons?!" I shouted while reflexively stepping aside, standing at the edge of the sidewalk with my heart starting to pound hard, feeling close to the god of death.

But the next second I realized... the truck wasn't moving toward the middle of the road.

No.

It was getting closer to me, as if I was the target that needed to be destroyed.

"Okay... this doesn't seem like a hunger hallucination," I whispered with a trembling voice.

Without thinking, I leaped to the side with all my strength, letting my survival instincts take complete control of my body. Adrenaline immediately took over, making me move at a speed I never thought I could manage.

My body slammed into the rough asphalt in a messy roll. Pain immediately shot through my shoulder and elbow, skin scraped against the unfriendly texture of the road. But gratitude overwhelmed everything else at least I was still breathing, still able to feel pain, which meant I was still alive.

The container truck shot past right where I'd been standing just seconds before. The strong wind from its speed slapped my face cruelly, nearly blowing off the thin jacket I was wearing. That gust carried the scent of diesel and hot metal...

Making me feel relieved if I'd been careless for just a second, I would've changed realms.

Besides feeling relieved, of course, I wouldn't forget my purpose.

Which was to swear while getting up with a trembling body.

"You bastard you ####&#&#&#&#&#"

I let out all my pent-up frustration while giving the middle finger to the truck.

I thought after finishing my swearing, I could go back to walking, maybe a little traumatized and with some scrapes.

Unfortunately, life is never as easy as we hope.

What happened next convinced me that I'd either gone crazy or was still dreaming.

SCREEEECHHH!!!

The horrible sound of screeching brakes tore through the night silence, followed by the engine roaring loudly like an angry wild beast. The sound bounced off house walls, creating a terrifying echo.

The truck was... turning around.

With a drifting move that should've been impossible for a vehicle that size, the metal monster spun itself a full hundred and eighty degrees with movements too elegant for its size. White smoke billowed from its tires scraping hard against the asphalt.

Now it was facing me again, its headlights blazing bright like a predator's eyes staring at its prey. Black smoke puffed from its exhaust, as if the engine was snorting in annoyance at failing to complete its task.

My heart felt like it was free-falling into my stomach.

"Oh, no... don't tell me he really wants to kill me—"

A terrifying realization began creeping into my mind like poison spreading slowly.

This wasn't an accident.

This wasn't a drunk driver.

I was being hunted.

But why?

I lived a normal life, had no enemies, even paid off my motorcycle loan.

VROOM!

A sound immediately snapped me out of my daydream.

I saw the truck charging again, heading straight for my position with frightening determination.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"

Without wasting time, I turned around and started running.

The chase that felt like a nightmare began. I ran like a man possessed, my footsteps sounding panicked on the asphalt, accompanied by the engine's roar getting closer from behind with a sound that made me want to vomit from fear.

While running, I started feeling my stomach hurt.

Running at 3 AM on an empty stomach turned out not to be a good idea.

My breathing was gasping within seconds, my lungs felt like they were burning.

But that truck didn't care about my physical limitations.

Its massive tires hit the asphalt with force that made me feel vibrations in my leg bones, the horn blaring long and loud, piercing the night and awakening primitive fear that lay dormant.

"What the hell is this?! I just wanted to buy a sandwich, why am I being chased like a final boss in a horror game?!"

"Has my life genre now changed from slice of life mode to horror genre?"

I said while vaulting over someone's fence with wild, desperate movements, almost tripping over a flower pot in the front yard. My feet landed imperfectly, almost making me fall, but adrenaline forced me to keep running.

A moment later, I heard a thunderous crash behind me—

CRASH!

The truck had smashed that concrete fence to smithereens before finally stopping with a long, terrifying screech of brakes.

Meanwhile, I had managed to hide behind a mango tree in that yard, my body shaking violently. My breathing was ragged and harsh, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might explode. Cold sweat drenched my back, mixing with dust and dirt from my roll on the asphalt.

But before I could feel relieved, my ears caught something that made my blood freeze completely.

VROOOMMM! Another engine sound came from a different side of the road.

VROOOMMM! From the opposite direction, louder.

VROOOMMM! And another one, from the direction of... the sky.

Before I could think about the logic behind this crazy situation, another fleet of giant vehicles started appearing like in a B-grade action movie.

From the far end of the street, a cement mixer appeared with its bulky body and strobing lights flashing like a disco of death.

Then from another intersection, a garbage truck with a deafening horn, followed by a tanker truck with a siren that pierced eardrums.

One by one, like some invisible war cry, these giant vehicles filled the streets. Sand trucks, tow trucks, I even swear I saw an ice cream truck with music that sounded creepy in the middle of this situation.

What made this situation even more terrifying and surreal was the other weirdness I started noticing.

Even though this chaos had been going on for several minutes with a noise level that should've woken up an entire district, not a single house window had opened.

No residents peeking out curiously or fearfully.

No confused shouting from neighbors.

No police sirens approaching to investigate this commotion.

Just me and this convoy of giant metal hunters under the silent night sky, as if the world contained only me against them. Or like I was trapped in another dimension where only me and these crazy trucks existed.

I didn't even need to think any further and started looking for ways to save my life.

What happened next was like a nightmare that made no sense.

The chase began... and felt like it lasted forever.

I ran like a man possessed, turning sharp corners, leaping from yard to yard, while those trucks kept chasing me with relentless determination.

The deafening sound of horns, the terrifying screech of brakes, and the thunderous roar of engines mixed into a symphony of chaos that followed me wherever I went.

Every corner I took, every fence I vaulted, there was always one truck waiting or appearing from an unexpected direction.

"Ah... Damn it," I shouted in frustration while continuing to run.

I turned left into a narrow alley... the cement mixer tried to break through, its tires scraping against brick walls, creating sparks and ear-splitting metal sounds.

I turned right... the garbage truck was already waiting with blinding spotlights.

Even when I tried hiding behind a closed kiosk, the tanker truck appeared as if it knew exactly where I was.

Every time I thought I'd managed to escape, another vehicle would try to ram me from the left, right, or even from above (don't ask me how trucks can fly, I'm confused too and don't care about logic anymore).

My lungs started feeling like they were burning, every breath gave piercing pain.

My stomach, which had been growling from hunger before, now felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of needles every time I took a breath. Sweat drenched my entire body, clothes sticking to my skin.

My energy was slowly but surely running out.

My steps, which had been agile at first, now started stumbling.

My legs felt heavy as lead, each step requiring extra effort that was increasingly difficult to give.

The anger and fear that had initially burned in my chest started fading, replaced by incredible exhaustion and growing despair.

My body had reached its limit, and I knew it.

that's when he showed up.

From the end of the road, with movements contrasting the previous chaos, a tow truck with metallic gold paint gleaming under the streetlights glided calmly.

Not cheap gold paint that I usually see at modification shops.

This really gleamed, reflecting light with luxury that was out of place, like a giant piece of jewelry in motion.

I even had to squint because it was too blinding!

What set this truck apart from the previous destructive fleet was how it moved.

Unlike the aggressive and terrifying movements of the previous trucks, this vehicle approached at a leisurely speed, almost casual.

There was elegance in how it maneuvered, as if this wasn't a life-or-death chase but a victory parade.

On its front, I could see a crown-shaped emblem gleaming, adding to both the luxurious and terrifying impression.

Its driver...

A middle-aged man with dark sunglasses despite it being midnight.

His elbow casually resting on the open window.

He drove with one hand while looking at me with a thin smile that somehow felt more terrifying than all the other trucks' aggressiveness.

Something about that man's calmness made my hair stand on end.

This was like a cat playing with a mouse before killing it.

With the last bit of energy I had, I made a pathetic dodging move when his truck passed by.

My body nearly collapsed, my legs were shaking, and I knew this might be my final attempt.

But I didn't want to give up there were so many things I hadn't done in life yet.

Seeing me successfully avoid him made the man laugh... a sound that rang clear in the night air.

"Haha! It's been a long time since I found a toy this entertaining!" he shouted while jerking the wheel, making his truck swerve and nearly clip me.

I rolled to dodge, feeling the heat from his engine.

"Those losers..." he continued, his voice carrying again as his truck spun gracefully.

I even felt like the truck was alive.

"...couldn't even touch you! Had to call me in!"

"Yeah, what else. They're still bronze rank," he said while lighting a cigarette.

His eyes looked at me as I was coughing and sputtering with a look that was hard to read—a mix of amusement and curiosity.

"Ouch... Unfortunately for you, kid, you picked the wrong opponent." His truck stopped completely, giving me a moment to breathe.

As if enjoying this dramatic moment, before continuing with a proud tone.

"You know, kid? There are two things you can't avoid in this world: death... and me. They call me... the Gold Rank Truck."

Gold truck?

I didn't understand what that weird title meant, and honestly I didn't care anymore.

All I wanted was to sit down and breathe normally.

But then, right when I thought this night couldn't get any weirder, something absolutely impossible happened.

With a loud mechanical sound, two mini jet thrusters began emerging from the back of his truck's chassis.

Those small engines ignited with a sound like a giant blowtorch, shooting intense bright blue flames onto the asphalt behind them.

The asphalt at the contact point immediately melted and started smoking.

In the blink of an eye, that truck shot toward me at an impossible speed... like a fighter jet that had just been launched from a runway.

This time, I didn't run.

Not because I'd suddenly become brave, but because I literally couldn't.

My legs felt like jelly, my body was shaking violently, and my brain could no longer process what was happening.

I could only stand there, frozen by a combination of incredible exhaustion, deep resignation, and total disbelief at the reality I was facing.

Time seemed to slow down as I watched those blinding headlights getting bigger, getting closer.

The sound of that jet engine was deafening, the blue flames from its thrusters made the air around me feel hot, and I could feel the ground vibrating under my feet.

Then... impact.

The first thing I felt was the collision with cold, hard metal, followed by the strange sensation of my body suddenly feeling as light as cotton being thrown into the air.

The world around me spun at a maddening speed.

I could see the starry night sky, then asphalt, then sky again, everything spinning in an endless rotation.

Pain hadn't hit yet, there was just confusion and that weird floating feeling.

Sounds started becoming muffled, like when you dive underwater.

The edges of my vision slowly started darkening from the sides, narrowing like a tunnel getting smaller and smaller.

In the middle of the growing buzz in my ears, in the middle of consciousness starting to fade, one last sentence still managed to come through clearly.

Spoken in the same amused tone that was completely innocent, as if what had just happened was an enjoyable joke.

"Happy reincarnation."

And then, total darkness.

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