Trash in the Apocalypse

Jun got inside the vault and was welcomed by piles and bundles of cash. Stacks of bills and bags of coins are neatly arranged on one side of the table.

It seemed that a clerk hadn't finished counting the money as there's still a messy pile beside the money counter machine.

He didn't have enough time to appreciate the view fully, so he used his left hand to open his dimensional storage; a small black hole appeared on top of his palm.

He then used his right hand to push and sweep everything on the table towards the black hole. Afterward, he ransacked the drawers, taking all kinds of expensive stones; diamonds, ruby's, and more.

He stopped looting when he passed by 'Leonel's footlocker.

He would have ignored it if it was any other time, but seeing the stickers that said 'Danger' and 'Do not open,' he's curiosity was instantly piqued.

He opened the locker and found himself staring at a black colored shotgun.

There's a Remington 870 hanging on the left side, while a Colt .45 ACP was placed beside it. On the lower compartment were two boxes of 12-gauge shells and two clips of .45.

He felt happy and fortunate, gaining some unexpected loot that could actually help him survive. He knew that having lots of money at this time wouldn't make him 'rich' anymore; he was doing this just to satisfy his vanity. At least when he dies, he can tell himself that he was once rich or any other bullshit story.

A shout came from outside while he was emptying the footlocker. "Time's up! Please come out." the manager said with a pleading voice.

Jun took a random bag and stuffed his pockets with stacks of bills. He then walked out joyously. "You're so strict! I can't even search properly. Look! I only got this much!" Jun waved the bag he was holding, making sure that the manager can see his hands.

He then closed the vault's door with a smile on his face. He put his arms around the old man's shoulder, then brought him down to the first floor.

Pablo was still kneeling on the floor, glaring daggers at him. "I'm feeling generous, so let me tell you something," Jun said to the manager.

Jun grabbed the manager's neck and used his second skill [Rob]. A dim red-light covered his hands, followed by a series of notifications.

[Rob activated! You used 10 energy.]

[Stat check... 8:4... check complete.]

[Robbing the target was successful!]

[There are no items to be taken.]

It seemed that the old manager received notifications that he was being robbed, as the color and expression of his face changed from elation to anxiety.

Since Jun already started his quest, he might as well finish it here. He robbed everyone inside the bank, including Adrian and Shiela. When it was Sheila's turn, Jun took the pistol and tossed it in his dimensional storage. He can feel that his expertise in using his dimensional storage increases the more he used it.

Sheila felt disheartened when she was robbed and got disarmed, while Adrian felt like taking the gun from her was the reasonable thing to do. Although they were together, they don't consider each other as friends. The main reason that they were sticking together is due to their own interest.

In short, they're just using each other. Jun needs Adrian's lock picking skills and an extra hand for killing and looting infecteds, while Sheila is kept around for her medical expertise. Adrian is following Jun's leadership since he had this overwhelming confidence that can make anyone feel assured. Sheila, on the other hand, simply wants to find her father by relying on someone's help.

When Jun finished robbing Sheila, a series of notification continuously covered his front view.

[Quest Complete! 'The Big Boss I' ]

[You received 50 EXP]

[You received x1 Random Weapon Crate]

[New Quest: 'The Big Boss II']

[The Big Boss II]

[Description] You managed to tell the world that there's a new boss in town. Now, you just need a base of operations and a territory to lord over.]

[Claim or build a base. 0/1]

[Clear all of the infected in an area to become its lord. 1 km radius 0/1]

[Reward] Increased follower count.

Despite robbing everyone, Jun was still smiling contentedly. He finished his quest easily and received the rewards with little to no effort at all. After reviewing his new quest, he figured that it would take him a lot of time and manpower to clear an area. Even managing an area would need manpower. So for now, he just shoved this quest on the back of his head.

"The world has changed, and to be safe and be able to protect yourself, you need to become stronger and level up, or the same thing that happened today will happen again. That's my generous self being helpful. See you next time, old man." Jun said as he left the bank with Adrian and Sheila in tow.

***

The three of them walked in silence. No one was talking nor had the intent to start any kind of conversation. They traveled unhindered as most of the infected were already dealt with, and the nearest group of infected were at least a hundred meters away, causing an uproar on a nearby elementary school. Jun unlocked the gate of his house and headed towards the backdoor.