Today was a beautiful, sunny day.
Alpha City, Year 2175. Current Time: 8:10 AM, Wednesday, February 15th.
"Alright, time to get to work."
Donning a sleek, elegant suit jacket, I stood before the mirror, admiring my reflection for a long time. A very long time. Finally, I gave a satisfied nod.
"Looking sharp, Alexander. Absolutely brilliant."
I flashed a textbook smile. My teeth were so white that if the city suffered a blackout, I'm fairly certain I could light my own way.
This wasn't narcissism. It was simply the objective truth.
From the neatly styled hair and sharp gaze to that confident smirk—everything was perfect.
Ah... wait.
"Work, work."
I quickly turned and headed out.
"Huh? Is the elevator broken?"
No matter. The stairs would do. I strolled down leisurely, whistling a tune. The morning sunlight filtered through the skyscrapers, spilling onto the streets of Alpha City with a strange, gentle warmth.
A beautiful day. A truly beautiful day.
I hopped onto the vehicle that had been my loyal companion for the past two years.
Ting. Ting. Ting.
[You have a new order. Request: Express delivery to address XXX.]
"An express order? What a great start to the day."
I am a delivery man. More accurately—a Super Delivery Man.
My on-time completion rate sits at a solid 99.9%. The remaining 0.1%? Completed early.
Not just anyone in Alpha City can do what I do. As for why? I'll get to that later.
For now, I needed to pick up the package. Luckily, the warehouse was right near my apartment complex.
Five minutes later, the parcel was securely in my hands.
"Hmm," I muttered softly, "with packaging this thorough... it's definitely a high-level security item."
No wonder they chose me. Super fast. Super safe. Super precise.
Aside from myself, I honestly couldn't think of anyone more suited for the job.
"What on earth are you wearing?"
The warehouse manager's voice rang out, snapping me back to reality. Nikole glanced at me from head to toe, her brows furrowed in pure confusion.
I let out a sigh. It seemed the woman had absolutely zero grasp of fashion.
"The suit jacket alone radiates enough charisma," I said with practiced patience. "Elegance. Luxury. Professionalism."
"This is called 'fashion,' my dear Nikole."
It was pitiful, really. Spending all day cooped up in a warehouse managing ledgers must have caused her to lose her sense of beauty a long time ago.
"What kind of fashion?" She raised an eyebrow. "Did you leave the house without wearing pants?"
"...Huh?"
Startled, I looked down.
Oh.
A pair of bright pink boxers. Featuring a cartoon elephant smiling very cheerfully back at me.
It appeared that while I was so busy admiring myself in the mirror earlier... I had forgotten one very important detail.
That mirror... Was only half-length.
"About that..."
I felt a flash of embarrassment, but I regained my composure instantly.
"Could I… perhaps borrow a pair of pants?"
It's all about the attitude. Even when you're begging for pants, you have to do it with the confidence of a man asking for a multi-billion dollar bank loan.
Nikole stared at me for a few seconds before finally shaking her head with a heavy sigh. She opened a locker and tossed a pair of jeans at me.
Cheap. Old. And... ripped.
The moment I put them on, the contrast was staggering.
Top half: Elegant, suave, sophisticated. Bottom half: Shabby, outdated, beyond saving.
It was a combination that could only be described as... a visual disaster.
"This is an express delivery for a C-Ranker," Nikole said, checking the data on her screen. "Make it quick."
Oh.
A Ranker, huh?
Sounds impressive.
For those of you who don't know what a Ranker is—well, since I'm on my way anyway, I might as well fill you in.
Ten years ago. The year 2165.
Alpha City was living its normal life until a massive ring of light tore open the sky.
From it, monsters poured forth.
They destroyed everything. They devoured everything. People called them the Devourers.
Then, a beam of light swept across the entire world.
Humans began to receive skills.
Fire. Ice. Light. Super-strength. Esoteric abilities.
The war broke out.
Soon, other circles appeared on the ground, pulling the Devourers back in. People called these Portals.
Since then, the world has changed. Those with skills banded together. They explored Portals and hunted monsters in exchange for resources and status.
Skills were ranked from F to S. And—most importantly—skills could be leveled up.
This was why those who awakened skills were called Rankers.
End of flashback.
"Finally here."
I pulled up in front of a massive estate and checked my watch.
Four minutes ahead of schedule.
"Still got it."
I looked up at the towering gates before me and let out a soft exclamation of envy:
"Being a Ranker must be nice."