Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 32 - The Ghost Station’s Lament

Chapter 32 - The Ghost Station’s Lament

This time, Jhin moved first.

His crude greatsword flashed swiftly through the air.!

He didn’t give them even a second to feel pain.

By the time his cold dance of the sword ended, several mutated humans had already fallen, their heads severed cleanly, their bodies twitching briefly before going still.

"Let’s move."

Without another word, the group left the stairway behind.

The place they arrived at was a forgotten platform, its walls coated in thick layers of dust.

"It’s a ghost station," Millie explained.

"It was supposed to be part of Line 10, but the plan was scrapped, and the station itself became little more than a rumor."

Jhin had heard of it before.

There were stories online about Capital city’s abandoned ghost stations — secret, unused places hidden underground.

Millie nodded and added, "But anyone in the industry knows. I even shot one of my music videos at a ghost station."

"...You filmed here?"

"No. Mine was at Brookside Station.

Also, Jhin, could you please not add ’-Siss to my name?"

"Huh? Why—oh."

Realization struck, and Jhin chuckled.

"...You find my name funny?"

"Sorry, I just... couldn’t help it. Millie sounds too much like flirting.’"

"Jhin!"

"Got it, got it. I’ll stop, Milliei."

The light teasing slightly lifted the heavy mood.

Maybe that was her intention all along.

Jhin looked at Millie with a hint of surprise.

Come to think of it, he realized he didn’t know much about her.

’Clark. The Sharpshooter of Fate.’

But that was just her character in the game.

The real Millie, the human behind it all, was still largely a mystery. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

Even being a famous celebrity — wasn’t that just another mask she wore?

So he watched her closely now.

A strong person.

She had stayed by Jobe’s side, holding his hand through his final moments.

And when it came to mercy killings, she showed no hesitation.

Her strength wasn’t just physical. It was carved deep within.

Just then, Millie bit down hard on her lip and spoke, anger thick in her voice.

"One thing’s clear. Someone intervened."

Caleb muttered, "You think it’s the same group that attacked us at the collapsed school?"

"Highly likely."

"Damn it. The world’s already gone to hell — you’d think people would at least work together."

Jhin shrugged and said,

"Survival instinct is the purest form of selfishness."

"Huh?"

"Just saying."

As they searched around the platform, they found faint traces of survivors.

Just as Jobe had described, it looked like they had fled into the tunnels.

But their footprints crisscrossed chaotically, offering little guidance.

"Which way did they go?"

"Toward Eastport Station.

We were trained to evacuate there in emergencies," Caleb replied, shining his flashlight down the rails.

Beyond the beam of light, darkness swallowed everything.

Still — there were signs that people had passed through.

Screeeeech...

A strange noise echoed from the direction the flashlight pointed.

Something red flickered in the distance.

Without hesitation, Jhin sprinted toward it.

Chaeng!

His sword clashed with something mid-air — sending it spinning to the ground.

The group immediately fell into battle formation.

Caleb’s face went pale.

"...Tala."

"You mean, the "Tala" Jobe mentioned?"

"Yeah. That Tala."

Tala — the woman Jobe had tried to save, only to be bitten and left for death — had chased the fleeing survivors all the way down here.

Millie frowned deeply.

"Definitely third-stage mutation."

"...Yeah."

Four grotesque arms sprouted from Tala’s back, her body twisted into something no longer human.

She looked more spider than a person.

She wasn’t a survivor anymore. She was a monster.

If they killed her, she would drop experience points — and items.

"...Grotesque."

"Dungeon sickness always leads to this," Millie said grimly.

"A virus designed to spawn monsters."

That was why "Death Gardens" had to be cleared the moment they were discovered — no matter what.

Because of infections like this, tens of thousands on the continent had lost their lives.

’And now, it’s Earth’s turn.’

Jhin tightened his grip on his sword, eyes locked forward.

He planned to end it in a single blow.

’I’ll make it painless.’

He charged first.

Closing the distance in an instant, he swung his sword with deadly precision.

But Tala — moving like a creature with no bones — bent her body unnaturally and countered.

Her four arms lashed out at once.

Sguguguck!

Jhin’s eyes flashed.

With a single breath, he severed all four arms cleanly.

But then —

Tala’s mouth gaped open wide, and a new arm shot out from deep inside her throat.

Jhin twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the strike, and took a step back.

"I’ll help!" Caleb shouted.

"No! Stay back!" Jhin barked back sharply.

Caleb froze, looking shocked.

But Jhin didn’t care.

It was the truth.

He could maybe handle a second-stage infected, but a third-stage monster?

Impossible.

This thing was easily level 80 or above.

Kyaaaaah!

Tala shrieked, blood tears streaming from her eyes.

Jhin calmed his breathing.

’One strike. One end.’

She wasn’t born a monster.

She had been someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s lover.

The only mercy left now... was death.

Jhin emptied his mind and dashed forward like lightning.

His movements were so fast that Tala’s bloodshot eyes struggled to track him.

Kyah──!

Sguguguck!!

By the time she reacted — It was already over.

Her head flew clean off her shoulders.

The crude greatsword trembled violently in Jhin’s hands — tiny cracks beginning to creep along its blade.