Classless Ascension

It was time to fulfill one of the conditions that came with buying D-23. This particular one was the most straight-forward: $$$. 

Was Markus greedy? No, he just wished to compensate the families of the dead for their losses. As far as Josh was concerned, the whole gesture was noble but unnecessary. That was especially true considering that that man's political power was already secure. 

"Where are we going exactly?" Dale asked curiously.

The two of them had been running toward the suburbs and then some more, exiting the city. It was natural of him to wonder as nothing of interest was supposed to be there, at least for Climbers like them. Were they going to visit a farm, perhaps? 

"I intend to collect a debt," Josh explained. 

"??" Dale showed a confused expression but kept mum. 

Josh simply kept leading the way, following the directions of his navigation app. All until they arrived at their destination. It was a small mount. The way forward was a very plain and basic dirt road. It led to crumbling old rock stairs, some even missing. 

"Wow, just by seeing the entrance, I think you may want to forget about that debt," Dale remarked. 

Josh single shook his head as he started Climbing. Funny when how people heard Climbing they would instantly think Tower. How confusing must it be to discuss hiking or mountain climbing in such a world? 

"Have you ever heard of Eons?" Josh asked. 

"Only if you mean the word…." 

Josh couldn't blame him. He, too, only knew about it thanks to Dario's help. Well, technically, that new analyst guy was the one that had done the actual research. 

"What about Neos? Does that ring any bell?"

"You mean the B-Rank guild? Of course, I know them! They are extremely low-key, but there are rumors that they are actually pretty strong. That's the weird part, B-Rank guilds are supposed to be very popular. Yet, we almost never hear anything about them, nor do they do any advertisement." 

"Well, Eons is a popular appraisal business, especially in the S-Rank circle. That's how they funded their branch company Neos. There is no need for them to sell out, you see." 

"Seriously?! This all sounds like a huge conspiracy theory! So you're telling me we'll find Neos's boss here?! Why is Eons is in such a remote place?!" Dale was shocked.

Soon enough, a destitute shop surrounded by trees appeared before them. The wooden exterior was old, with some of the planks crooked. The paint was coming off in places. The stone pathway leading to it was uneven. There was a half-erased wooden sign that clearly showed they were in the right place. 

"This has to be a mistake, right?!" Dale looked dumbfounded. 

"No." Josh knew by the gazes he could feel on his back. 

It was similar to that one time with that Amelia girl and her group of followers. There were two teams this time. He could feel it when they pointed their guns at him. He also felt it when they stopped. Chances were they had just received orders to let them through.

This antique shop had state-of-the-art weaponry for their troops and possibly cameras. Quite ironic, wasn't it? Still, when were they going to learn? What was the point of perfect camouflage if they let their intent out? Then again, some people thought intent to be a myth. Fools. 

As he opened the creaking door, the ringing of a small bell was heard. Inside, it felt like a different world. There was the heavy smell of antiques. It was a deep and comforting scent that somehow brought a sense of peaceful calmness to it all. 

Then there was the ambiance. The lights were dim. There were colorful rugs adorning the floor, colorful paintings adorning the walls, and colorful statues adorning various pedestals. 

There were various objects of all kinds strewn around everywhere: some old coins, ancient furniture, once shiny cutlery, big mirrors, hand-made lamps, comfy-looking chairs. There was stuff everywhere! 

"First time here?" Came a soft and clear voice as a woman came out from behind a bookshelf. She was as colorful as the surroundings, with a fiery head, blue eyes full of vitality, and a bright, resplendent red dress. 

"This place is amazing!" Dale was looking everywhere with rapt attention. It was so amazing that it took him a while to even pay attention to the lady. But, as he did, he couldn't help but exclaim in fan mode, "Wait! You're from Eclipse….!" 

She gestured him to keep quiet before pointing at the surroundings. What was this, a library? Well, it seemed like the lady was someone renowned, S-Rank too. Josh gave her a slight nod before going around to explore. 

As he inspected the price tags, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise. The 1000 or even 10 000 were fine, but what about the 100 000 or even millions?! "How is this so expensive?! People buy this?!" This didn't make any sense. 

The woman's clear laughter quickly came in response. "You are wrong. He's not selling it for Credits but for money. All of these are extremely cheap." She then turned more serious, even slightly melancholic too. 

"The owner rarely sells these pieces. Otherwise, all would be gone. They are remnants of a time where the world used to be different, of a time before the Tower." She could be seen slightly caressing a sculpture. 

"I see. It's fine if he won't sell. I don't care much about antiques." Josh casually said. 

That is when her entire aura changed. She instantly became cold and took a step away from him. "You should leave then. This place is a sanctuary for antique lovers. It's fine if you don't share that interest, but you shouldn't sully this place either." 

"I'm sure he didn't mean it this way. Right, Josh?" Dale tried to reduce the tension. 

"No. I meant what I said. I'm not disparaging the trade. But, to me, it has no value whatsoever. I'm just here to collect some credits that the old man owes me, and then I'll be on my way." Josh ruined all of Dale's efforts without care. 

"You!" She growled. "Let me tell you. For your own good, you should leave right now. The old master is not one anyone can just disrespect. Not him, not his appraisal either. Now hurry up and leave before things get ugly for you. I'm not threatening you. I'm simply warning you." 

Well, she had a point. The man had behind him an army and many S-Rankers that were trying to get in his good graces. Would Draconic cower just because of that? Of course not! But she had no way of knowing that. She was probably assuming that Josh was foolish. No, he was simply bold. 

That is when came the sound of a door opening. From the side entered a kind-looking old man. He was wearing a casual white shirt with classy-looking black pants. It was simple but made him look quite dashing. Even with his grey hair, his face showed a touch of vitality that one could see in all Climbers. 

He looked at Josh directly with piercing grey eyes that seemed like he could see through his soul. He calmly uttered: "I heard that. What makes you dislike antiques so much? Go on. I'm listening." 

"I have no interest toward it all. The fact that these old dusty things have history doesn't matter one bit to me. So what? As far as I'm concerned, what is truly valuable are the ones that are imbued with my own memories. I couldn't care less otherwise." Josh explained. 

It just so happened that all the things he used to care about had disappeared back on Earth a long time ago. 

"Josh, maybe we should take a step back and…." Dale nervously proposed.

"Oh my god, this kid is so dead!" The lady screamed.

"HAHAHAHA. Useless, you say? I'll prove you otherwise!" The old man showed calm anger. 

Ah, Josh could feel snipers aiming at his head once again. Seriously, when were they going to learn?...