Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 64 - The Merchant’s Stage

Chapter 64 - The Merchant’s Stage

"Oh? We have a rather hasty guest tonight. Very well! A bid of 100 gold has been placed. Anyone else?"

The lift had stopped, and the item was now fully in view. The ’Goblin’s Illusory Hat,’ a level-90-grade item, began drawing everyone’s attention like a magnet.

"200 gold!"

"300 gold!"

"500 gold!"

The numbers soared in an instant.

Those who could afford to be here, at an auction in times like these, weren’t your average players—they had money, and they didn’t hesitate to throw it around.

As the bids surged upward, the moment came when the item’s perceived value began falling short of the offered prices.

"1,001 gold."

Crossing the psychological barrier of 1,000 gold, Pete casually submitted a bid of 1,001. While the crowd chuckled at the cheekiness, the person who had just bid 1,000 immediately punched in 1,100.

"1,101 gold."

Was he playing games?

The one who entered 1,100 looked as if he’d swallowed a crushed beer can, face contorted with irritation.

"1,500 gold!"

The value had long been surpassed. Buying it now would be a straight-up loss. But out of pride, the merchant kept pushing the price up.

Yet—

"1,501 gold."

Without fail, Pete raised it by one again—and secured the item.

"Sold for 1,501 gold!"

And so, the pattern repeated. Pete began snatching up every item like a runaway train with no brakes.

"2,001 gold."

"4,501 gold."

"3,071 gold." freёwebnoѵel.com

Again and again, he dominated every round. Whispers of discontent began to ripple through the crowd. Even Caleb, watching from the side, leaned in and whispered, clearly rattled.

"This isn’t part of the plan. We were only supposed to bid on the people—just the human lots to get the contract scrolls. If you keep this up, you’ll draw too much attention."

Their true objective was to bid on people, claim the rights through the hidden contracts, and extract them—that was the first step of Jhin ’s plan.

Pete smirked and replied nonchalantly,

"I said we’d flex a little, didn’t I? Don’t worry—the plan is still in motion. I’m just going about it my way."

"Your way?"

"I’m a merchant. And for a merchant, trust is everything. I can’t just sit back while someone drags my name through the dirt, can I?"

Caleb frowned.

"You say that, but you’ve swindled your fair share of top-ranking players—what trust are you even talking about?"

"Details, details."

Caleb looked on, clearly worried.

"Whatever you’re planning, are you sure about this? You’re already on the hook for over 100,000 gold. If they figure out it’s all fake, you’ll be thrown out—or worse."

100,000 gold.

An astronomical amount for a single player. The game had only been live for three months—no way any individual could possess that much gold.

"Who said it was fake?"

Pete gave a light-hearted smile, clearly trying to put Caleb at ease. But Caleb wasn’t comforted at all. The crowd was already starting to eye them with suspicion, as if ready to pounce the moment Pete slipped.

At this rate, the whole operation could collapse.

And as expected, the backlash came swiftly and loudly.

"Who the hell is it?! Who’s pulling this crap?!"

"Yeah! Show your damn face already!"

"This is fraud! I demand this auction be voided!"

Traders and merchants who had lost their bids began murmuring amongst themselves, and soon their voices rose into an angry chorus. The goblin emcee, clearly sensing the disruption, couldn’t carry on with the auction in such a state.

"This... has escalated a bit more than I expected. Looks like we need a little clarification, hmm?"

Even the goblin running the show wasn’t pleased. With every new item, someone interrupted the explanation by instantly outbidding before anyone could process what was even being sold.

Someone who kept upping the price by just one gold—clearly not here with honest intent.

The goblin curled its lip and scanned the crowd. In situations like this, the best solution was to redirect the attention.

"Would number 294... care to offer an explanation?"

As the goblin’s voice cut through the noise, the crowd fell silent. People turned their heads, eyes wide, scanning the room for badge number 294.

Caleb glanced down and confirmed it—294 was displayed on Pete’s device.

Pete began stepping forward.

"Wait—what do you think you’re doing?"

"They asked for an explanation."

"So?"

"Relax. I’m Neon, remember?"

With those words, he brushed off Caleb’s hand and stepped confidently into the spotlight. Caleb stared at his back, stunned.

Does he really have a way out of this?

He swallowed hard.

...Okay. Just trust him. He is Neon.

As Pete had said—he was the real deal. The legendary merchant who once ranked 9th overall, the ’Celestial Trader Neon’ himself.

If that was true, then this was his battlefield.

If Jhin ’s domain was the blood-slick frontlines of combat, then this—an arena of money, deception, and reputation—was Pete’s warzone.

This was his stage.

Pete adjusted his mask slightly and climbed the stage.

"I’m number 294."

"Oho... so it’s you."

"What seems to be the issue?"

"No real issue," the goblin said with a sly smile. "But when complaints are raised, it’s my duty to investigate."

Pete simply shrugged.

"Did I break any rules? All I did was purchase items according to the rules of the auction."

The goblin nodded slowly.

"True. But you must be able to prove you can afford your purchases. Us goblins have a strong distaste for those who play games with money."

"...I like that mindset," Pete muttered.

He turned to face the sea of merchants and players now glaring at him. Some eyes were filled with suspicion—others, with barely concealed killing intent.

So they were hoping he was bluffing.

Hoping they could eat him alive if he slipped up.

"You want an explanation?"

He manifested his inventory into visible form, projecting it for all to see. He specifically highlighted one thing for the crowd:

His liquid cash.

[10,000,320G]

Caleb stood frozen, mouth half-open in disbelief as he stared at the projection.

What the hell...?

What even is he planning?

He couldn’t tell what was going on inside Pete’s head.

And that made it even more terrifying.