Duo Leveling LITRPG | Post Apocalyptic | SYSTEM-Chapter 81 - The Price of a Lie, the Weight of a Soul

Chapter 81 - The Price of a Lie, the Weight of a Soul

"...Tch."

Jhin clicked his tongue, shaking his head as if the guy wasn’t even worth scolding. Just a trash fire reaping what he sowed. A con artist who got too clever with contracts and blew up in his own face.

No wonder Neon’s deals always felt too clean.

The reason Neon—the real Dungeon Merchant—stood apart wasn’t just his image. It was the absolute truth baked into his trades.

He wore the Angel’s Earring.

As long as that earring hung from his ear, not a single lie could exist within his contracts—not from Neon, and not from the other party either. Lies, deception, hidden traps—they all rebounded onto the one who tried them. A built-in divine retribution clause.

And this fake? Every line he tried to shove into a contract with Neon, every underhanded clause, had come crashing back down on him like a tidal wave of karma.

It was almost poetic.

"...But then, how did you manage to scam me?"

"...Sorry, what?"

"You. In Exodia1. You scammed me. You scammed Millie. You conned half the high-rankers like it was a hobby."

Pete started sweating again. A different kind this time.

"Well, I mean... it was a game about to shut down anyway. I figured, even if I got hit with penalties, it wouldn’t matter much."

"Hmmm..."

Neon couldn’t lie, either. That was the rule. If someone lied to him, they paid. But if he lied, the backlash was just as brutal.

That’s what made the Angel’s Earring fair. That’s what made Neon the icon of honest deals and trustworthy exchanges.

At least with him, you knew the dirt wasn’t coming from the deal.

"...Except, yeah, for the ridiculous markups once you get deeper into a dungeon."

But even that was acknowledged as fair by the earring. Hazard pay. Pete didn’t have much in the way of combat ability, but he still braved high-risk dungeons to sell items. Charging more was justified.

So yeah, the same potion that sold for 1 gold in a village? It could go for 100 in a dungeon, and no one could complain.

Well... except the poor schmucks who had to buy it.

"Ugh..."

Jhin looked down at the fake—this shivering, seething imposter who still couldn’t lift his eyes from the ground.

His name? "Neo."

"Neo." Close enough to be confusing, not quite enough to sue.

"...How much were you able to dig up on this guy?"

"The Company? Not much, unfortunately. I think they wiped my memory somehow. Might’ve implanted a device or something."

So much for using him as a source of information.

"...Totally useless."

"But he is really good at carrying luggage."

The man’s rage seemed to flare even hotter, his twin pupils burning like coals. But Jhin and Pete didn’t even blink. He wasn’t even worth their attention.

"Oh right—Tomas, I have a message from Detective Caleb ."

"Yeah?"

"He said he’ll be staying in Ark for a bit longer. Apparently that guy, Evan, is in really critical condition. Wants to keep an eye on him a little longer."

Jhin gave a slow nod.

Caleb was originally the head of Stoneveil city Station. A man with too much responsibility in his bones. No way he’d leave someone like Evan behind to die alone.

"He seemed really apologetic."

"Tell him it’s fine."

"Got it. I’ll let him know next time I stop by Ark."

Jhin closed his eyes and took a long breath. He focused inward, scanning his body.

Two days of rest. That was all it had taken for his body—once torn apart by the Imemangryang—to start healing. No, not just healing. Restoring.

Even jumped ten levels at once.

He had nearly reached level 60.

Clearing the "Running Ghost Train," a D-rank dungeon, had pushed him forward like a rocket. That kind of level gain in just a few days? Most players would call it insane.

But this wasn’t your average climb.

He was level 43 when he walked into a dungeon with a minimum recommended level of 80. He not only survived but took down monsters that rivaled C-ranks.

This kind of level-up wasn’t just fair—it was overdue.

This was Exodia, after all. You risk death, you earn your reward.

Honestly, he might’ve deserved even more.

Still... now I don’t even need to become a Wraith. I can probably use the Sword of Master of Chaos just fine.

It wasn’t that Scarecrow’s Thorn Gauntlet was bad. But it had a short range. And Jhin had always been a swordsman at heart.

The claw felt limiting. The blade felt right.

"Anyway... Tomas. Should we accept the NIS’s request?"

Pete asked it casually, but there was a spark of curiosity in his voice.

Jhin shrugged. It wasn’t even a decision, really. Even if the government hadn’t asked, he already had a reason to go.

"If it’s really the Goblin Orb... it might be enough to bring the kids’ souls back."

"...It probably is. If it was made from the Goblin King’s horn, then the royal presence imbued in it should make it even more powerful."

He didn’t know exactly what "the majesty of the king" meant...

But he could guess at one thing:

I’ll become stronger than ever.

Recover the souls of the children.

Gain a powerful new artifact.

Two birds with one throw.

And now he even had Lykan’s confirmation.

Jhin turned to look around at the others.

Just then, Luke returned, carrying a bucket brimming with water.

So that’s where he’d been—fetching water.

"Sir Kyle! Sir Kyle!"

The past was long forgotten. Luke now looked at him with nothing but admiration, calling him "Kyle" like it was his name all along.

Jhin let out a small laugh.

Luke beamed, rushing over.

"You’re awake!"

But before he could get too close, Lykan stepped forward, blocking him like a tiny, overly dedicated bodyguard.

Honestly? It felt like he’d recruited the cutest security guard in the world.

Jhin watched them both for a moment, then turned to Millie.

She didn’t say a word.

Just nodded.

As if she’d already heard the thoughts forming in his head.