Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 67 - Tricksters and Terrors

Chapter 67 - Tricksters and Terrors

Kkiiiiiik!!

A piercing, bone-chilling shriek echoed through the air as thick fog rolled into the boss room. The temperature plummeted like a midwinter night.

And then, they came.

Legless phantoms, their figures trailing like smoke, began to swirl and rage throughout the room.

Each one held in its grip a reaper’s scythe—Specters, incarnations of death itself.

The boss room, invaded by the Specters, quickly plunged into utter chaos. The impostor scowled, fury rising, and shouted,

"...Was this your plan?"

Pete only gave a nonchalant shrug.

In that instant, dozens of Specters descended directly onto the Three-Horned Goblin. Within seconds, Nuada’s enormous body was engulfed, completely buried in ghostly bodies.

Clang! Thud!

A tremendous impact rang out.

The impostor’s voice trembled with suppressed rage.

"I don’t know how you summoned the Specters... but for daring to defile my throne room, you’ll pay with your life."

With a twisted gleam in his eyes, he turned toward the corner of the room and ordered,

"Nuada! Kill them!"

"...Yes."

Nuada, who had been motionless amidst the swarm of Specters, stirred.

With that, the entire room quaked—as if a mountain had roared.

The Three-Horned Goblin stretched slowly, then began swinging his massive club, lazily at first, then with frightening power. Specters exploded like insects caught in a sandstorm.

"Suppress them! ALL OF THEM!" the impostor bellowed.

"Goblins! Subdue the Specters and destroy every fool who dares raise chaos in this place!"

"UWAAAAAAHH!!"

A chorus of monstrous cries erupted.

From every corner, Goblins poured out—like they’d been hiding in the very walls. The sound of clashing metal filled the air. In the blink of an eye, the boss room had turned into a full-blown warzone.

The impostor turned his gaze back to Pete, holding up the contract like a blade.

"Now... it’s your turn. You stirred this mess—now face the punishment."

"..."

The impostor extended the contract. A sickly, evil light burst from it, shooting toward Pete’s wrist.

It was the punishment clause—the price for breaking the terms of the hidden contract. The system itself now intervened.

Caleb, watching in horror, gasped as Pete staggered back, his face twisted in agony.

"Uuughh!!"

The cursed light burned into the mark on Pete’s wrist. Flames flared over it as the mark began to glow intensely.

Pete kept screaming, voice raw.

"AAAAAGH!!"

"..."

"UGH! UGH!!"

"..."

The room fell silent as everyone stared.

Then Pete... blinked.

He glanced around at the awkward atmosphere and, as if just realizing, smiled sheepishly and waved.

The glow on his arm evaporated, fading into the air like smoke.

"...Huh. It disappeared?"

The impostor’s eyes narrowed. He looked down at the contract in his hand, then back at Pete.

"...What did you do?"

"Huh?"

"How did you nullify the contract?"

In a fit of rage, the impostor ripped the paper.

But the contract shimmered... and reassembled itself, good as new.

Pete tilted his head and shrugged.

"I don’t know. It just went away."

"That makes no sense."

"Is something wrong?"

The impostor’s glare sharpened, fury bubbling to the surface. The Goblins caught the change in mood—their killing intent escalated. Some began ignoring the Specters entirely and turned their weapons toward Pete.

"You dare... DARE mock me like this?!"

And then—

"I’ve been wondering since earlier," Pete interrupted casually. "Do you... realize your breath smells awful?"

"...What?"

"Seriously. It’s nasty. Do you even brush your teeth?"

"RAAAAAAGH!!"

The impostor lost it. His composure shattered.

"Kill him! KILL HIM!! I SAID KILL HIM!!"

The goblins’ eyes all began to glow red. At that moment, every single one of them turned away from the Specters. Their gazes locked onto Pete like he was the only target in the world.

A terrifying sight.

Even when scythes sliced at their necks, even when Specters swarmed their backs—they ignored everything else.

That was the power of the Goblin Crown. Its authority was absolute.

They would likely obey without hesitation even if ordered to die.

"But you know, Neon—or should I say... Fake Neon."

"...Fake?"

"This really isn’t the time to worry about me."

"What nonsense are you talking—"

KUGGGGUNG!!

The far end of the boss room collapsed, as if something monstrous had slammed through it. And then—

A scythe, massive as a tower, dropped into view.

A ghost emerged.

Colossal—nearly as large as Nuada.

A creature whose mere presence made you feel like it was draining your soul just by looking at it.

A message rang out:

[Hidden Boss ’Wailing ghost (D)’ has appeared!]

[The ghost of hell unleashes its wail!]

A Wailing ghost.

The moment it opened its mouth, a hundred voices poured out at once—women screaming, men shouting, elders sobbing, children wailing. Every pitch, every age, every kind of cry fused into one terrible voice.

The Wailing ghost hissed:

"...Goblin."

"...Wailing ghost."

Nuada locked eyes with the Wailing ghost. In that moment, blue sparks danced through the air—a sign of system-level rejection.

Two D-class boss monsters. Creatures that could not, by any rule, coexist in the same space.

Even nearby goblins and Specters began to faint, unable to withstand the pressure of their presence alone.

The first to strike was the Wailing ghost.

Sseugeureok!

Her giant scythe slashed downward. Goblins were cleaved in half—slain instantly. Only Nuada and two other elite goblins managed to withstand the attack.

Then came Nuada’s turn.

KUUUUNG!!

As he swung his massive club, shockwaves rippled through the room. Specters unable to withstand the pressure were blown apart on contact. Each wild swing burst through the air like cannonfire.

The impostor watched and muttered,

"...You even dragged in a Wailing ghost. You really are a trickster."

But he didn’t look particularly afraid.

Why?

He must have been hiding something.

BOOOOOM! KRAAAAAASH!

The fight raged on—Nuada and the Wailing ghost trading devastating blows. The outcome was still unclear.

But the tide... was beginning to turn.

And the impostor?

He just smirked, as if he had known this would happen all along.

"You thought I’d be afraid of that Wailing ghost?"

He laughed.

"Hahahahaha! You fool."