Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 62 - The Mask Beneath the Horns

Chapter 62 - The Mask Beneath the Horns

"Bringing just a few awakened goblins, is that all?"

The awakened goblins charged like a swarm of angry hornets. Some leapt high into the air, swinging clubs downward, while others rushed full-speed for a body slam.

All of them burned with bloodthirsty rage, intent on killing.

But—

Tat-tat-tat-tat! Bang! Bang!!

A storm of magic bullets whirled through the air around the group. Far more powerful than before, her enchanted rounds exploded on impact, one after another, mowing down the goblins in rapid succession.

"Let’s wrap this up now."

Jhin approached the goblin leader and slammed his fist into it again, sending the creature flying.

After two solid hits, the once three-meter-tall body deflated like a popped balloon.

The goblin rolled pitifully across the floor, face bloodied and broken, then muttered with its toothless mouth,

"Y-You human... what the hell are you?"

"What would you do if you knew?"

"W-what?"

"There’s no need for all this pointless chatter."

Millie, having just finished wiping out the goblin horde, approached them, her face still flushed with battle heat.

"Can I finish that one off?"

"No."

"But I still have lots of stamina left..."

"Then go knock down that wall over there."

"Aha."

She moved at once, unleashing a relentless barrage of bullets toward the blocked-off exit. Right up until her potion’s effects wore off, she pounded the door until it was in tatters, eventually blasting it down completely.

Seeing this, the goblin’s face turned deathly pale.

"H-How did you break that door...?"

Jhin simply shrugged and grabbed the goblin by its horn as it tried to sneak away.

"Where do you think you’re going?"

"Human—no, sir! Please, spare me!"

Jhin narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the goblin. For a moment, he’d wondered if it was a creature who had forgotten its past as a human. But no—it was just playing a character.

As he stared into the goblin’s eyes, filled with genuine fear, Jhin grinned.

"I was actually human! I was deceived by some awful people and turned into a goblin against my will!"

"...Really?"

"Yes! I swear! I didn’t do anything wrong! I only followed orders!"

The goblin spoke desperately, voice trembling.

"It may be hard to believe, but I’m actually a player! I was tricked by Neon! That’s how I ended up trapped in this goblin body. I didn’t have a choice—I was forced to follow orders. That’s the truth!"

"Oh, really?"

Crunch!

Without hesitation, Jhin snapped one of the goblin’s horns clean off. For goblins, horns were like vital points. The creature let out a shriek of agony, writhing in pain.

"AAAAAAGH! Why—why?! I’m a human!"

"I know. I knew you were human from the start."

This was zone D-5, a safe zone.

No monster could enter this place. Every goblin walking around here had once been a player, now transformed.

"But pretending to be a victim? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?"

The condition for inhabiting a goblin’s body was singular: patricide.

Only those who had fulfilled that horrific criterion could become goblins. There could be no true victims among them.

"So how about you drop the act and just answer my question?"

Jhin gripped the remaining horn tightly as he spoke. The goblin looked up at him with terrified eyes.

"If I answer... will you let me live?"

"I’m the one asking questions. Want me to snap this one too?"

"..."

"Depending on how you answer, I’ll decide what to do with you. So think hard before you lie."

The goblin’s eyes sparkled for a split second. Like someone catching a glimpse of hope after waiting for death, it nodded eagerly.

"Where’s the contract?"

"...Sorry?"

"The hidden contract you used when you stole people’s bodies. You keep it somewhere, don’t you?"

Sweating profusely, the goblin stammered.

"I-I don’t really remem... Ah! Wait, yes, it’s coming back to me! I remember now! Totally!"

As Jhin clenched his fist and lifted it, the goblin dangled in the air, shaking as it spilled words in a rush.

"The boss! The boss has it!"

"You mean this dungeon’s boss?"

"No, no, no! I mean our master! The goblins’ master!"

After that, Jhin was able to extract several useful pieces of information from the goblin. The creature spoke with desperate enthusiasm, as if willing to give up its liver and gallbladder.

"So they recognized us because of Millie’s face, and the order was to kill everyone else?"

"Yes! Exactly! I didn’t want to, but it was an order. Orders are absolute, right? I mean, that’s how corporate life works, ha-ha..."

From its words, Jhin pieced together a clearer picture of everything happening in the dungeon.

It all made sense—goblins.

Pete, meeting Jhin ’s eyes, shook his head with a sigh.

"Goblin Crown, huh?"

"...Tch. What kind of closure reward even is that?"

Goblin Crown.

A special item capable of controlling and commanding all goblins. With strict usage conditions and several limitations, it wasn’t exactly a great item—

But if the conditions were met, nothing else was quite like it. Pete mulled it over and said,

"I think I’ve got a rough idea of how to rescue the kids."

"Yeah. I’ll need your help for that."

"Don’t worry. That’s my specialty. But beyond that, there’s not much I can do. You understand, right?"

"I do."

"And let’s also call this even on the debt I owe you, okay?"

"Fine."

Jhin answered a bit irritably, then turned his gaze back to the goblin. Having answered everything truthfully, the creature now looked at him with a sliver of hope, eyes pitiful.

Jhin gave it a gentle smile.

"Thanks for your answers."

Crunch!

He snapped the second horn. The goblin screamed in agony and coughed up blood. Eyes filled with hatred, it glared at Jhin .

"Why... WHY?! I told you everything!!"

He answered.

"Yeah. That’s why I’m going easy on you."

"What?!"

"I was going to kill you painfully. But now I’ll make it quick."

"...You said you’d think about it!"

"Yup. And this is the result of my thinking."

Jhin clenched his fist, coating it with magic. The goblin, now down two horns, tried to strike back in rage—but with both vital horns gone, it was powerless.

"You lying piece of—!"

KWA-BOOOM!

The goblin’s head exploded clean off. Its limp body collapsed forward, white smoke pouring from its shrinking form. No breath came from it again.

[Player ’Trixter

’ has been eliminated!]

[Level Up!]