Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 85: The Hidden Flow

Chapter 85: The Hidden Flow

«This isn’t a dungeon.»

That was the first thing Jhin said after they’d found cover from the growing crowd.

«Huh?»

«I mean it literally. This place—it’s not a dungeon.»

They had been forced to hide for a while after the carousel photos. Too many people had recognized Millie. Now they were tucked into a small ride overlooking the park. It was shaped like a hot-air balloon and circled gently, giving them a wide view of Bey World below.

Millie glanced down, spotting her own fans still pacing through the park looking for her. She lowered her voice and asked again.

«Then what is this place? I could’ve sworn it was a theme-type dungeon.»

«That’s what I thought too at first. But the more I think about it... I never got a dungeon entry message.»

If it were a dungeon—no matter the level, no matter the type—there would’ve been a system notification first. That was part of the rules. That kind of system prompt had never failed to appear.

«So that means this isn’t a dungeon. At least, not officially.»

But something still didn’t add up.

If this place was just a perfect recreation of the past—then people reacting to Millie shouldn’t have been possible.

If it was just a projection, like a memory being played back, the people here shouldn’t have been able to see them at all.

And yet, the crowd’s reaction had been immediate—and incredibly real.

Just look at those fans running around below. There was no mistaking it. That was real behavior. The way they’d screamed, pulled out phones, snapped pictures, chased her...

«Could something like this really exist outside a dungeon?»

Jhin narrowed his eyes.

Kimmy, who had been squirming in his pocket, was sniffing madly.

He had been twitching since earlier, making small noises every few seconds.

[’Kimmy’ cheers at the nearby ’Feast.’]

[’Kimmy’ drools over the fantastic scents drifting in from all directions.]

There was only one conclusion to draw from that.

There’s a dungeon nearby.

When Kimmy used the word "feast," it always meant an active dungeon. Anything leftover—fragments, minor traces—he just called "snacks." Which meant this wasn’t just residue. This was the real deal.

The whole area had to be under the influence of a dungeon.

But there was a problem.

If this were just a normal dungeon break, the scale shouldn’t be this big.

Jhin took another look at the sprawling view of Bey World and sighed quietly.

Could there really be a dungeon powerful enough to cast this kind of illusion—over this large an area—just hiding nearby?

It seemed impossible.

Not to mention the way this world was copying a moment from the past and placing it down as-is...

He had never heard of anything like that. Not even in Exodia1.

And the scent... it’s everywhere.

That was another strange part.

Kimmy wasn’t picking up one scent. He was reacting to the entire area.

Which meant either his nose was completely wrong—

Or there were multiple dungeons nearby, all at once.

The more Jhin thought about it, the more his head hurt.

«In the end... the only way to figure this out is to face it directly.»

Millie slumped in her seat and let out a tired sigh.

«But we’ve already searched for over an hour. We didn’t find anything weird.»

«Right. Which is why... we’re going to change the method.»

He leaned forward from the balloon ride, eyes scanning the space below with a strange little smile.

The moment Millie saw that smile, she shivered a little without realizing it.

«I have a plan.»

A short while later, they left the balloon ride and regrouped behind the stage on the far end of the park.

The STAFF area.

Inside, they found what they needed—stacks of costumes, props, and gear for performances.

It was just enough to put his idea into action.

Millie turned to Jhin , skeptical.

«You want me to... perform?»

«Yes. That’s the best idea we’ve got.»

«Do you really think this will work?»

«...No clue. But maybe we’ve been doing it backwards all this time. And doing the opposite might be the answer.»

Did Jhin really spend the last hour just walking around?

Not at all.

He’d been watching.

And what he saw was strange—unnatural.

The "flow" of something moving underneath this reality. Faint, invisible trails. Things that shouldn’t have been there.

He’d counted dozens of them.

And among them, a few had felt especially suspicious.

But whenever he approached, they vanished. Quietly. Instantly.

To him, those odd currents were the one clue they had.

«We don’t have any better options, right?»

«...You’re not wrong.»

With no other choice, Millie started changing into costume.

She clipped the mic to her waist, ran a hand down the fabric of the stage outfit.

And then—she changed.

Just like that.

There she was again.

Millie the idol.

The most beloved celebrity in Corelands. The voice of a generation. The face of every ad and every screen.

It had been so long since she’d stepped back into her old self. But now that she was here, she didn’t show the slightest hesitation.

Even if this performance was just a tool—even if it was just bait—she gave it everything.

«At the very least, the people in this place truly believe they’re real.»

She finished her checks and gave Jhin a subtle hand signal.

He, in turn, signaled Luke —who had already hidden near the lighting booth and rigged the controls.

The stage lit up.

Boom.

Music flooded the area.

-♩♪~♬

People nearby stopped what they were doing.

They listened.

Some of them were the same fans who’d chased Millie earlier. They turned in surprise.

«Wait, this song is—!»

«It’s her! It’s Millie!»

«There was a surprise concert today after all!»

More people began to rush toward the stage. They called to each other. Some began filming.

The lights snapped into focus—spotlights aiming straight at the center of the platform.

And there, Millie stepped forward.

«♪~Let the rhythm move you, let your body flow!»

The rhythm kicked in—fast and powerful.

Her voice, bright and smooth, rode the beat like it never left.

Bey World transformed in an instant.

It became a festival.

The title track—"Festival."

A song that had once topped every single chart.

Even now, people remembered the words.

The crowd began singing along.

The cheers grew.

Voices rose.

More and more of the park’s attention turned toward the stage.

And then—Jhin saw it.

That current.

That flow.

It flickered. Shifted.

It was just as he thought.

These things show up every time Millie takes the stage.

He’d seen them once before—

Back when they’d first arrived here.