Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 182 - 227+228

Jhin scanned the tendrils of smoke curling through the chamber and quickly grasped the situation.

So this is where the real scenario begins.

Of course.

Sure, he had started off as a discarded blacksmith and gone through a bit of hardship, but for something labeled a C-rank theme dungeon, it had been relatively easy so far.

That clearly ended now.

[Conditions met.]

[Scenario quest has been updated.]

As the system message flashed, Jhin slipped on the black iron gauntlet he'd kept hidden in the master's bag.

Good thing he had the sense to pack it.

<Quest – The Mysterious Invasion>

Type: Scenario

Difficulty: C+

Condition: You've successfully entered the royal palace—but it's already been infiltrated by enemies. Find the 'ally' and reclaim the palace.

Time limit: Until dawn

Reward: Large amount of EXP

Failure: Scenario failure

Most likely, the enemies invading the palace were vampires.

After all, this world seemed overrun with the vampire virus.

Now that I think about it, the B-rank version of Calamity's Meteor had a kingdom already overrun by vampires…

Maybe that's how the scenario would unfold if it failed here too.

Jhin held his breath and waited patiently.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for movement outside the door.

"This should be far enough. Open it."

The door creaked open, and soldiers stepped in with heavy boots. They opened the windows to vent the smoke, then casually examined the dwarves sprawled across the floor.

"All knocked out cold."

They nudged the master and other dwarves with their feet, then spoke without emotion.

"Drag them off. They'll be used for the ritual."

The soldiers grabbed the dwarves by the ankles and began dragging them out one by one.

Despite watching his comrades being hauled off, Jhin had no choice but to remain perfectly still.

Dwarf Rof.

The best outcome was not being discovered at all.

But luck didn't favor him.

"…Huh?"

One of the soldiers, the last to leave the room, paused and tilted his head. His brow furrowed, and he muttered:

"I think… we're one short."

Tap!

No more reason to wait.

Jhin launched himself forward, aiming straight for the back of the soldier's head.

Short legs or not, it was the strongest ambush he could muster!

But the soldier twisted away with expert ease and grabbed him by the throat.

"I don't know how you're still awake, you dumb dwarf… but you underestimated a royal guard."

Of course he knew.

How could a Dwarf with only 495 power take on a knight from a C-rank dungeon?

This was the expected outcome.

But that was exactly what he was aiming for.

"…Huh?"

Jhin clamped the knight's arm with his black iron gauntlet.

At this range, evasion was impossible.

"What are you gonna—"

The knight's words never finished.

powersurged within the gauntlet. An immense, monstrous force burst forth.

The knight's arm was not just crushed—it was turned to powder.

As the grip on his neck loosened, Jhin seized the moment.

"Gaaah—! What the—!"

The knight's eyes snapped open in pain and fury, but it was too late.

The gauntlet clenched tightly around the knight's skull.

CRACK!

The knight dropped like a sack of rocks.

"Huff… huff… This is why I hate perceptive guys."

Breathing heavily, Jhin immediately checked his health.

Unbelievable—just from the knight's grip on his neck, he had lost a third of his HP.

What a cursed body.

"First things first—need to find the black iron suit."

The suit had been made for presentation, yes.

But in truth, he'd crafted it for his own use.

He couldn't go on being this frail forever.

"But before that, I need to get out of here."

Silently, like a cat, Jhin crept into the hallway.

The corridor was blanketed in darkness. Not a sound to be heard.

The Royal Banquet.

Held once every quarter, this was no simple feast.

It was an event meant to honor those who had fought against the vampires and to gather nobles from across the land for strategic briefings.

It was a serious affair.

"That's why you have to act natural."

"…Easy for you to say. How am I supposed to move in this getup? Damn it. I can't breathe."

"Can you not swear? Be more ladylike. You're a princess, remember?"

Count Camriel and Princess Violetta—both nobles of the realm—had, of course, attended the banquet.

Especially Violetta, who was in the position of host. Skipping it was out of the question.

Tempah took one step forward—then stumbled, nearly falling.

"…Women are incredible. How do you even walk in these things?"

"You get used to it. I can even dance in them."

Millie smoothed her sleeve with practiced ease and held out her arm to him.

Tempah, clearly not used to high heels, looked suspiciously at her.

"I'm not a kid."

"Come on. Just take it. Nothing's more awkward than a princess tripping on her dress."

"…Tch."

With a scowl, Tempah reluctantly took her arm. He still wobbled, but at least he wasn't falling over.

Millie spoke without moving her lips.

"Smile."

"…Ugh."

"Think this is just pretend? If you want people to believe it, you have to lie even to yourself."

He gritted his teeth and pulled his face into a stiff, trembling smile.

His acting… was painfully bad.

Then again, it took me five years to get rid of the 'wooden actor' label myself. I'm in no place to judge.

She remembered when she got cast in her first drama and charged in full of bravado…

There was a time she'd even received a comment that read: "Even a robot would act better than Millie."

Before she earned the nickname "Acting Idol," she was stuck with the label "Robot Idol" for a long time.

Still, at least my face is completely different this time. I don't need perfect acting.

Taking comfort in that, Millie guided Tempah with grace. The King—sovereign of the kingdom—awaited them on the other side of the hall.

"Rof Camriel, presenting himself to His Majesty."

Millie bowed, one hand tucked behind her back, the other across her abdomen—a bow in the signature style of this kingdom.

She had studied and rehearsed the etiquette in advance. Her movements were flawless. No one would have suspected she wasn't the real Camriel.

"Welcome, Count Camriel."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The King's gaze then turned to the princess beside her—wearing a strained smile.

"Princess Violetta. You're late."

"H-Huh? Yes, Father."

Her stiff tone and awkward grin remained, but the King didn't seem particularly concerned.

With a warm smile, he said,

"I've had your favorite—salmon salad—set aside."

"…Thank you."

Then, more guests began to approach, and the King turned his attention to the incoming wave of nobles.

Unfortunately, that meant they had to part ways.

Tempah, still playing the princess, had to remain at the King's side and greet the arriving aristocrats.

Honestly, it works out. No better place to observe everyone than next to the King.

Millie blended effortlessly into the crowd, nibbling on finger foods and sipping wine, her sharp eyes drifting between nobles.

The high-ranking guests—lords and ladies from all across the land—greeted Count Camriel warmly and shared updates and rumors freely.

Her eyes stayed vigilant.

Finding someone who isn't infected with the vampire virus is the hard part. This is worse than I thought…

The truth was, Millie was moving through the banquet with a mission.

Two days earlier, she'd contacted the kingdom's secret organization—The Shadow. Through them, she had learned that even high-ranking nobles had been infected.

This banquet is going to turn into a festival of blood.

With the dungeon break nearing, the vampires were preparing for war.

And this? This was ground zero.

"Ah, Count Camriel! It's been too long."

A man approached her with a hearty smile. If her memory served, he was the Duke of Alit, commander of the northern front.

…He's a vampire.

The ring on Camriel's finger began to tremble—its gem glowing a faint red.

It reacted to the presence of vampires.

If even the Duke of the North had turned, the situation was far worse than expected.

"Duke Alit. I heard you led a grand victory in the recent battle."

"Haha, you flatter me. It was nothing."

He was right, of course—it was nothing.

If he was already infected, then the reports could've easily been falsified. Who knew when the north had actually fallen?

"I also heard, Count Camriel, that you rooted out some rebels who tried to exploit the kingdom's turmoil?"

"…Yes. I was lucky."

"Humble, as always."

Just then, a nameless servant passed by behind Alit and met Millie's gaze.

One of the Shadow agents.

He gave the signal.

"I must excuse myself, Duke. An urgent matter calls."

"Pity. It was just getting interesting."

"Forgive me. Until next time."

She swiftly excused herself and made her way to a table she had prepared in advance. Beneath it, hidden and ready, was Camriel's signature weapon—a thin, deadly rapier.

I've finished identifying the infected and the clean. All that's left is to separate them...

But then it happened.

Kyaaaaah!!

A monstrous shriek ripped through the hall. A banquet table flipped into the air.

Nearby nobles screamed and stumbled back in terror.

"A v–vampire!!"

It wasn't just one.

All across the hall, nobles who had been smiling and conversing mere moments ago now bared fangs and warped features.

They had transformed—one by one.

"Everyone, arm yourselves!!"

They had lost the first move, but the plan was still intact.

Millie pulled the rapier from under the table and drove it into the neck of the nearest noble—

Duke Alit.

"You… How do you—?"

His words never finished.

She withdrew the blade and raised it high, shouting:

"Do not panic! Stay with the plan—slay the vampires and protect the kingdom!"

Chaos erupted. Blades clashed. Shadows and vampires engaged in brutal skirmishes across the banquet floor.

Millie dove into battle as well.

She couldn't use her gun here, which was a shame, but Camriel's skills were decent enough.

And she wasn't helpless in close combat.

Still, the real trouble came from elsewhere.

"Graaahhh!!"

A vicious roar cut through the noise, and then—

Silence.

When did he get there…?

A vampire stood at the throne dais, claws poised at the necks of both the King and Princess Violetta.

"Drop your weapons!"

"Your Majesty…!"

"Lay them down now or the King dies!"

A trickle of blood ran down the King's neck as a claw pressed harder.

A centimeter more and his life would be lost.

The Shadow agents froze, all eyes darting toward Millie.

"Don't drop your weapons. There's no compromise with vampires."

"You'd let the King die?!"

"If you think you can kill him, go ahead and try."

"…What?"

Her words—bold and cold.

The vampire looked bewildered, unsure whether she was bluffing.

Millie declared:

"The King is safe! Attack now!"

At that moment, the hostage princess—Tempah—struck.

He elbowed the vampire in the gut, twisted, and swept the creature's legs from under him in one swift motion.

Then came the final touch—a high heel stomp straight to the skull.

"Gaaaaaah!!"

He leapt into another close-quarters fight immediately after, but his contribution didn't last long.

Each punch swelled his knuckles more and more.

"Damn it, this hurts like hell!!"

In the end, he ripped off the uncomfortable heels and wielded them as weapons.

Millie winced as she watched.

Violetta's supposed to be a mage…

Even so, the real Violetta—or rather, Tempah—endured the pain and helped free the King.

"Gaaahh!!"

Tempah exhaled heavily and turned to the monarch.

"Your Majesty—er, Father?"

"V–Violetta…"

"Can you run?"

The King, stunned, managed a slow nod.

Slicing through a wave of vampires, Millie reached them just in time.

"We have to move. Follow me!"