Side Story 30 – The Day of the Auction – Joshua

“You absolutely need the safety gear. What if an accident happens? If you die, it may be the end for you, but what about us, the people involved in this?”

A dispute was arising between the female operations agent and Joshua. It was all because of the safety gear that was designed to wrap around the groin.

However, the previously loud demeanor of the operations agent faltered at one point. It wasn’t merely due to Joshua’s cold gaze, but rather she couldn’t handle his stunning beauty.

This is so unfair. This man…his beauty isn’t of this world.

The operations agent stared blankly at Joshua and said, “You won’t take responsibility, will you? If you’re not going to follow protocols, please leave.”

Even then, her voice was getting softer. As the operations agent moved to the next customer, Joshua turned back to Seon-Hu.

“They keep recommending unnecessary things. It’s just a jump after all.”

“You have to understand their perspective. It’s not just a simple jump. It’s different from bungee jumping. Once you try it, you’ll understand.”

“Okay.”

“Try to enjoy it. Clear your mind.”

“Yes, Master.”

Joshua couldn’t resist any longer against Seon-Hu’s firm stance. Even if he had to put on the unflattering safety gear that wrapped around the groin in front of everyone, he had no choice. Especially since the Master had already experienced it for him, ignoring that consideration would not be the attitude of a servant.

Joshua approached the operations agent, who was now attending to another customer, and whispered in her ear, “I will follow the policy.”

Without waiting for a response, he picked up the safety gear. The safety equipment was designed with straps that wrapped around the groin and shoulders, and pads on the back to absorb shock from a fall. The operations agent stood behind Joshua to help him put it on.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look like Osiris? I mean, Chairman Osiris, Joshua von Karjan.”

“…”

“Of course, you’re more handsome. What do you do for a living?”

The operations agent tightened the straps to fit Joshua’s frame.

“That’s not the attire of a traveler.”

Joshua was displeased with that. His precious suit, prepared by the Master himself, was getting wrinkled because of this unattractive gear.

“My name’s Nina. Nina Schwartz. It’s your turn. What’s your name?” said the agent.

“Are you always this talkative?”

Joshua was conscious of the tight strap around his groin and was becoming irritated.

“I’ve never seen someone insist on not wearing safety gear. You were serious about it, right?” Nina asked.

“You are…noisy.”

“You can at least tell me your name. Not that big of a deal.”

When the operations agent abruptly pulled the shoulder strap, Joshua’s head turned towards her. Once again, she was captivated by his handsome and beautiful face. His flawless skin made the natural red hue of his lips stand out even more.

Moreover, he looked tired and somewhat pale with his angered expression, and it was somewhat hot and attractive.

The operations agent couldn’t meet his gaze any longer and looked down. Then, she saw the dizzying line of his body connecting the jaw and neck hidden between the suit collar.

Gulp.

Her salivary glands exploded. Joshua took a few steps forward and dropped his head.

It is truly annoying. I can’t believe I showed such an ugly appearance to the Master…

***

Even the ridiculous safety gear became a fashion item when Joshua wore it. It seemed as if he was wearing a work of a famous designer that couldn’t be understood by the general public. He wasn’t standing on the runway, but he was already captivating the people around him, drawing gazes of admiration, including from the agent.

“I know who you are! You are a model, right?”

The agent asked with confidence, but Joshua did not respond at all, only maintaining a cold reaction. Because of that, the agent began to look forward to what kind of face this cynical handsome man would make when he got scared.

The elevator platform had a ‘ㄷ’ structure, and the space was only enough for two people to get on board. The central part was hollowed out so that the player could fall, but despite being a structure responsible for the player’s safety, there was nothing more than a grill-like lower platform and a few connected pipes. The wind was stronger than usual, so the crude elevator shook slightly.

However, the agent was only disappointed in the end as Joshua didn’t even flinch until the elevator reached the top.

I don’t want to waste the Master’s efforts. But how can I feel any thrill from civilian’s sports……

In Joshua’s mind, thrill came from the fear of possibly dying.

He is truly a fearless man. Look at those eyes soaked in excellence. My goodness. He’s so beautiful. A lonely handsome man…how can he be so good?

On the other hand, the agent momentarily lost consciousness while looking at Joshua like that. It was only for a moment, but she had to come to her senses because Joshua was about to jump.

“Don’t move! I told you. It’s dangerous.”

The agent hastily grabbed one of Joshua’s arms.

“I wish it would end quickly.”

“It’s not you jumping.”

“……”

“Do you not know what scad diving is? It’s jumping without a rope. Just do as you’re told.”

The agent proceeded as usual. When the job was done, Joshua was dangling from the open space on the elevator floor. If the agent only released the rope connecting the elevator and Joshua, he would fall straight into the safety net.

Civilians feel thrilled with this kind of joke. They are pathetic. How peacefully they must have lived in this world.

All of humanity would not be enough to give their souls in thanks to the Master.

“Are you ready?”

The agent asked with a face covered in cold sweat.

“Just do it.”

“Jump!”

The agent shouted as she fiddled with Joshua’s rope.

“Three! Two! One! Jump!”

Joshua was ready.

But.

“…I’m joking.”

The feeling that engulfed him at that moment was something he had never felt before. The sly smile of the agent seemed to mock him.

How dare you.

The rising anger immediately distorted his brows. He was about to open his mouth as he couldn’t bear it any longer.

Click.

As he heard the ring being released, a strong sense of speed threw him down.

Swoosh!

It was over in an instant. The reflexive attempt to regain balance was of no use. There was nothing he could do as all of his abilities were blocked.

He lifted his upper body inside the deep net. He felt his heart pounding. He was startled by the sudden sensation of falling, but the reason why his heart did not calm down easily was different.

It was humiliating that he was thrown not by his own will but by others. And that too by a mere civilian woman.

Joshua glared at the top and came down to the ground. It was time to hide his angry emotions.

Because Master was watching him.

“The thrill was new. Thank you for giving me such a precious experience.”

“You felt the thrill?”

“I remembered when I was thrown by Doom Kaos. It’s amazing to feel such a thrill with civilians’ sports. Probably because my abilities were blocked.”

“If that’s true, I couldn’t ask for more. If you can feel the thrill of diving.”

Seon-Hu was delighted with glowing eyes. Only then did Joshua realize something was wrong.

“So, can you do it again?”

“I don’t think I can feel the same thrill a second time. I’ve already found out. But…wasn’t it for the thrill?”

“I see.”

“…”

“How can we feel the thrill there? We might be surprised, but it’s not to the level we can call thrill.”

The momentary smile on Seon-Hu’s face began to fade as he realized that Joshua had lied to him. Yet, the pleasant light that had shone on Seon-Hu’s face did not completely disappear. Having witnessed exactly what he wanted to see from Joshua, he found new hope.

It was an aggressive manifestation of embarrassment. It could also be called a competitive spirit.

Seon-Hu recalled the stern-faced Joshua looking up at him.

“If it’s truly for my sake, then I wish you wouldn’t lie, Joshua.”

“Yes.”

“Weren’t you angry just now?”

“Yes… I was.”

“You wanted to do the same to her, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“It would be satisfying to do the same, right?”

“To be honest, I don’t really want to do that to a civilian woman.”

“Good. If you still have such feelings, then they can be useful. Even for me, such experiences have been rare. It was a very long time ago in a previous life, and it was a different genre.”

Seon-Hu looked forward with anticipation.

I bet, Joshua, you might be even more so. Maybe you’ve never experienced it. We, who lived more combatively than anyone, be it in our previous life or this current one.

“I might not be able to attend the auction. I have somewhere to go with Joshua.”

「I won’t be able to attend the auction. I have somewhere else to go with Joshua. 」

He sent a message to Woo Yeon-Hee and then walked to his car. Joshua followed Seon-Hu, leaving behind the attendant looking at him with a dazed expression.

***

Seon-Hu’s destination was a place commonly found in Seoul. However, in Berlin, there were so few of these places that you’d need to search for them online. Upon arrival, the two witnessed the sight of Berlin’s youth enjoying the regained peace. Some wore headphones, while others were engrossed in the screens in front of them.

Seon-Hu took a seat first and pulled out a chair for Joshua. Not just that, he even booted up Joshua’s computer for him.

“I used to play a lot of role-playing and strategy simulation games back in the day. But nowadays, there seems to be a trending genre that combines them all,” Seon-Hu explained.

“Master, is this…?”

Joshua looked even more bewildered than when he was first introduced to the Scad Diving Field.

“We didn’t have this kind of genre in my time. Have you ever played this game?”

“No.”

“Good. We’re both novices, so we can help each other out.”

Seon-Hu finished browsing the web while waiting for Joshua to connect.

“There’s a good position for the two of us to start together. We couldn’t start together in the beginning, Joshua.”

“Yes.”

“But here, we stand on the same battlefield from the start.”