Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 63 - The Auction of Shadows

Chapter 63 - The Auction of Shadows

"Just to be clear—I can’t beat the boss of a D-rank dungeon right now."

That was the first thing Jhin said after finishing off the goblin. The group stared at him, eyes wide, faces clearly asking: Did we just hear that right?

"...You’re joking, right?"

"No. I’m serious. I’m not strong enough yet to fight a D-rank boss and win."

The group exchanged stunned looks. From anyone else, such a statement would have been nothing out of the ordinary. But from Jhin , it hit differently.

The standard for a D-rank boss was a player at least level 120. Jhin had only barely surpassed that threshold—even with every stat pushed to its limit.

And their likely opponent? If Jhin ’s predictions were right—and they usually were—it was the dreaded Three-Horned Goblin.

’The Three-Horned Goblin is strong.’ ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

Even if he were a few levels above, defeating that monster would be far from easy. Starting such a difficult fight while the odds were against them wasn’t just reckless—it was suicide.

Caleb scratched his head and muttered,

"But you have beaten, Master of Chaos before, right? That D-rank boss monster."

He was referring to Master of Chaos, the boss of a dungeon that had undergone a dungeon break, upgrading it into a D-rank dungeon.

Jhin simply shrugged.

"Master of Chaos was in a cooldown phase when I fought it. It had just evolved into a D-rank monster, so it wasn’t a full-fledged D-rank boss yet."

That situation had been more favorable than this. The Three-Horned Goblin, by contrast, was a true D-rank boss monster. The difference in level and threat was massive.

Jhin glanced around at the group and added, casually but decisively,

"Which is why I’m suggesting we split up into two teams."

"Two teams?" Caleb echoed, puzzled.

"Yeah. We’ll move in two separate groups from here on out."

He turned to look at each member of the party.

"Eventually, if we want to leave this dungeon safely, we’re going to have to take down the Three-Horned Goblin."

Behind this twisted auction house, behind all the layers of shadows and deceit, stood the King of Goblins—the true villain pulling the strings. He was the impostor who had stolen Neon’s identity... and he was affiliated with the Company.

"That bastard holds the Goblin Crown. It’s a special item that grants him absolute loyalty from all goblins."

To take him down, they’d need to fight through the goblin army. That included the Three-Horned Goblin—of course.

So if they wanted to make it out alive, they would, inevitably, have to face the dungeon’s boss.

That made one thing clear: they needed a plan.

Caleb, his anxiety growing with each word, asked with a trembling voice,

"...So what do we do?"

Jhin began limbering up, stretching his arms and shoulders.

"I’ve got a way."

Once preparations were complete, the group split up into two teams.

Caleb found himself assigned to the Auction Team, walking side by side with Pete. As they moved through a dim hallway, Caleb glanced at his companion and said,

"You really think Jhin will be okay?"

Pete replied, a bit flatly,

"...You’re seriously worried about him?"

"But this is the first time I’ve heard him say something might be impossible. Honestly, I thought Kyle could do just about anything."

"Not an unfair assumption," Pete admitted. "I got chills watching him bring down that Giant Specter earlier."

He walked a few paces ahead, swiping his hand through the air, checking something invisible.

Was he checking his inventory?

"But Jhin ’s not a god. He’s a player. And players lose if their level, gear, or skills fall short. That’s just the way it is."

No matter how skilled, a player with lacking combat power could still lose. That was the hard limit of their world. Even Jhin —even Kyle—wasn’t exempt from that rule.

"But there’s one thing that makes Jhin different," Pete added. "He’s a top-tier, irreplaceable player—one of the highest-tier players to ever exist."

Even an impenetrable fortress can’t withstand a celestial-tier player forever. If a player of that level sets their mind to it... the results are unpredictable.

It might be impossible on the first try.

But the second... the third...

Jhin would find a way. No matter how unfavorable the conditions, he’d discover a method to break the unbreakable.

Pete remembered the near-miraculous plays he’d witnessed from Kyle in their last game. And he believed. Not just in Jhin ’s power—but in his ability to find creative, unimaginable ways forward.

He turned to Caleb and said with a smile,

"So we just need to do our part. We’re heading into battle too, after all."

At the end of the long hallway stood a door.

The door to the auction house.

To fulfill the first condition Jhin had mentioned, the mission awaiting them behind that door was critical.

Pete grinned, a little too confidently.

"Let’s flex a little—for old times’ sake."

The door opened.

A pungent mix of alcohol and perfume hit them at once. A massive banquet table sprawled across the room, laden with exotic dishes from all over.

Nearby, people in ornate masks wandered to and fro, as if a masquerade ball were just beginning.

So many players, all gathered in one place. In New Capital, a scene like this was unheard of.

’...All of these people are auction guests?’

Not all of them were villains—surely not. Human trafficking was just one part of the auction’s business. Some were likely wealthy players here for rare items, with no clue what went on behind the scenes.

But even so...

"What are you doing? Let’s move."

Pete was already ahead, biting into a grilled chicken skewer, looking completely at ease. He wore a mask like he’d been born in one.

Caleb nodded and followed, thankful his own mask hid the nervousness on his face.

This isn’t the time to get distracted.

He hadn’t come here to gawk at the corruption or taste fine wine.

He came to rescue Evan and the others.

With that thought firm in his heart, Caleb stepped deeper into the auction hall.

"Ahem, mic check. Testing, one-two—"

In the center of the grand ballroom, a circular stage lit up. A goblin—yes, another one—stood with a microphone in hand.

"Everyone, your attention please! It’s time for tonight’s maiiiin~~ event! The exclusive auction begins~~ now!!"

A cheer rose from the crowd, and people surged forward to gather around the stage. Caleb did his best not to lose Pete in the crush of bodies.

"Please check your terminals, everyone!" the goblin announced. "It’s simple. When an item you want appears, just input your bid into the device we gave you."

Caleb looked down at the terminal he’d received from a passing goblin. It was a plain device—just a keypad with numbers and a single ENTER key.

But it was more than enough to make a bid.

"Let the exclusive auction begin!"

With a bang, fireworks erupted from the edge of the circular stage. The rest of the room dimmed, leaving only the platform in a spotlight. A mechanical lift began rising from the center.

The first item slowly came into view.

"This here is a rare item, recovered with much difficulty from an ancient goblin temple! An old-fashioned hat, rich with vintage charm and mystique..."

Before the goblin could even finish the description, Pete had already input his bid.

The auctioneer paused for a split second, clearly surprised—but recovered immediately, his voice never skipping a beat.