Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 42 - The Human Kobolds

Chapter 42 - The Human Kobolds

«No way. We were the only ones making noise in that quiet place. There’s no way they couldn’t recognize we were people.»

Jhin shook his head.

And although he felt sorry toward Caleb, right now, he was convinced that the person he was chasing was not one of Stoneveil city Station’s survivors.

Even setting aside the fact that they were running away — the way they kept glancing back or occasionally intentionally slowing down made their purpose easy to see.

’They’re trying to lure us.’

Would Stoneveil city Station’s survivors really know the geography here so well? More importantly, they had no reason to lure anyone in a place like this.

Someone intentionally drawing distance and leading them onward was far more likely to be a survivor from Eastport Station than Stoneveil city’s.

’If that’s the case... could the ones who took the supplies be them too?’

But even that was questionable.

Why had they only taken some of the supplies? If it was just theft, they could have taken all the bags.

The answer became clear when the figure they were chasing stopped running.

’This place is... the waiting room?’

A kind of resting area found in every station. The moment he stopped moving, the air completely changed.

From somewhere, the sound of something slicing through the air could be heard.

Shaaak!

Pop!

Jhin, his eyes turning golden, caught an arrow. The tail of the arrow, stopping right before Luke’s forehead, trembled violently.

Seeing that, Luke was so startled he collapsed on the spot.

«H-heok...»

Since when?

Inside the waiting room, a smoky, mist-like fog now filled the vision. As if someone had thrown a smoke bomb.

Again, from somewhere, the sound of something cutting the wind.

Paaaat!

This time, it was an arrow aimed at Caleb.

And while Jhin furrowed his brow catching that one — yet another shot flew out.

The next target was Millie.

Baaang!

«...Mr. Jhin.»

«Yes. It seems they’re hostile.»

Their gazes collided midair.

Without exchanging a word, both could already see what action the other would take next.

At the same time, Millie sprinted to the left, and Jhin bolted to the right.

In the direction the arrows had come from.

Even with the fog clouding their vision, they weren’t inexperienced enough to miss the enemy’s location.

Jhin quickly identified and closed the distance to the enemy.

Shaaak!

Shaaak!

Were they panicking at his approach? Arrows suddenly rained down in rapid fire.

But even with careful aiming it would have been hard to hit him — random shots like this were even less likely to land.

Jhin clenched his fist and rushed to the spot where the arrows had been fired.

What he saw — was a single kobold.

It was small, and its level didn’t seem very high, but the creature’s face was twisted with fear.

Had it realized the level gap between them?

’Did a dungeon break happen around here?’

But as Jhin looked down at the kobold, a strange feeling crept up.

Its eyes were blood-red.

The foul stench from its mouth.

Every clue lined up with it being a monster — yet something inside him hesitated.

And he understood why.

It was something that shouldn’t exist.

’This thing’s name...’

His golden eyes scanned the kobold carefully, and he felt his hair stand on end.

«Ms. Millie! Don’t shoot!»

Baaang!

Was he too late?

Jhin lightly struck the back of the kobold’s head, knocking it unconscious, and dashed toward where Millie had gone.

There —

A kobold, its shoulder pierced through by a bullet, was howling in agony.

Fortunately, it seemed she hadn’t killed it.

Millie looked up at Jhin with eyes full of confusion.

«I had a bad feeling, so I deliberately missed. What’s wrong? Why shouldn’t we shoot?»

Urgently, Jhin poured an HP potion over the kobold’s body.

It was a low-grade potion, so the effect wasn’t strong — but it was enough to keep the kobold alive.

The rest would have to rely on the monster’s natural recovery ability.

Millie, frowning at Jhin’s bizarre behavior, tilted her head.

Caleb, who had also come closer, scratched his head.

«...Mr. Jhin. What in the world...?»

At that moment, Luke stepped forward and said:

«If it’s Mr. Jhin, he must have a reason. I believe him.»

«...»

«I really do.»

Jhin, quietly gazing up at Luke, shrugged his shoulders.

At some point, Luke had started wearing a slightly chilling smile.

What on earth was he plotting?

Even so, Jhin just gave him a glance and looked back down at the kobold.

The grotesque-faced kobold bared sharp teeth and sobbed.

Jhin spoke.

«This thing isn’t a monster.»

«...What?»

«It’s a human.»

The kobold’s eyes, slowly recovering, were still as blood-red as ever.

Its shrill cry was indistinguishable from a monster’s.

And then —

As the fog that had filled the waiting room began to thin,

from one side, kobolds — some a little larger — began appearing.

Glasses?

Among the kobolds, about twenty creatures in all, one was even wearing glasses.

As the group tensed up and gripped their weapons tightly —

Jhin spoke without hesitation.

«Them too.»

«What?»

«They’re all human.»