[Brother's Jealousy and Forced] How Hard It Is to Get Things Done

16 The First Script - Auction

After the completion of his treatment, as soon as Emily left the arena, he immediately submitted an application to leave the island. Gladiators were generally not allowed to leave on their own, but Emily was not just a gladiator; he was one of the privileged who came as a guest. He had joined on a whim to play around. As long as he reverted to the audience's status, he would naturally not be detained.

Consequently, he directly withdrew from the ranks of the gladiators, leaving the audience who had been watching him dumbfounded. Even in this short period, the rewards and shares from gambling were enough to make Emily rich. Typically, gladiators who worked for money would not easily give up this quick and lucrative source of income. Moreover, regular gladiators couldn't even leave if they wanted to. They were astounded to find that this rising star, who had been admired recently, turned out to be just like them—a spectator!

Later, they began to mock him, saying he had experienced one failure and was now giving up, resembling a defeated stray dog.

However, Emily didn't care about any of this. Returning the mask that represented the gladiator identity, he left his current residence. The living conditions for mid-level arena gladiators were excellent. When he returned to the audience's identity, the membership level would also inherit the gladiator level, and the assigned living environment would be much better than when he first entered.

It was his last night here, and Emily didn't mind. He thought he could skip this night to avoid any unnecessary complications, but the system did not allow him to do so.

Every time this happened, it indicated that there was a plot related to the main character Alex, requiring his participation; it couldn't be skipped.

Sitting on the spacious terrace, watching the gradually receding blue sea, thinking about all this abnormality, he suddenly felt a palpitation.

Alex... could he have recognized me already?

Why did he enter the arena so early? Since he had been following Delilah, where was Rosalie Zhang? He hadn't seen her for a long time, so was it because of the fight that...? How far had he and Rosalie Zhang progressed?

Emily brought up the emotional progress bar for the main characters. Rosalie Zhang's progress bar had grown considerably compared to a few years ago, but it was far from what he had imagined. Clearly, his emotional storyline with Rosalie Zhang had not reached that point.

The door was knocked, interrupting his thoughts. An AI brought in a set of finely crafted formal attire, inviting him to attend tonight's auction with Miss Delilah.

Although many arena audience members had heard of Miss Delilah's name, very few had actually seen her. An invitation from her was a great honor for everyone in the arena. However, Emily, who had just arrived, was unaware and simply uninterested.

Alex hadn't participated in the ten years of his growth and upgrade, which Emily hadn't carefully examined. He only needed to play the role of a dandy, idle away the time for ten years, and wait for the main character to return and be slapped in the face. Why was such a simple task so challenging?

Emily didn't want to go to Miss Delilah's appointment. During the day, A027 designated to fight him was Miss Delilah. A027's true identity was undoubtedly known, and if he accepted the appointment, he would have to meet Alex. But as the time approached, the room's ecological system automatically popped up a reminder that "Miss Delilah is waiting."

Being under the eaves, he had to bow his head. As the owner of the island, if Miss Delilah wanted to see him, he probably couldn't leave before the appointment.

Emily could only put on the prepared clothes and follow the guiding AI to tonight's auction. As a new member at this level, he didn't have the qualifications to participate in the auction.

Although it was an offline auction, it was more like a kind of virtual trading. Customers were led into their independent spaces by AI, not meeting each other, and there were no overt auction calls. The accompanying AI provided bidding services with utmost confidentiality.

Emily was led into a dim corridor with only ground lights. The surrounding air gradually became quiet, and the entire space had a certain curvature, forming a huge circle. The AI stopped in front of a black wall, a fist-sized camera, also called an "eye," met an indistinguishable mark on the wall, and the "wall" quickly opened silently.

If not invited and guided by AI, this kind of secret door would indeed be difficult to crack.

After Emily entered, he found that the space inside was not small. Coupled with the high ceiling, the visual effect was very open. The lighting inside was also dim, and in the center of the room was a large and luxurious sofa, with a person sitting on it, back facing him, and a silver-white ponytail tied up. It should be a woman, presumably Miss Delilah.

All the way here, he was indeed curious and interested in this "Miss Delilah." Just as he was about to step forward to say hello, he heard a low and muffled growl next to his ear—an animal's sound.

Emily immediately took a cautious step to the side. Out of the darkness walked a giant white lion, slowly approaching him, its azure blue eyes insolently sizing him up.

The one who had just made the sound was a black shadow behind him. Emily took a closer look and found that beside the white lion, there was also a black panther, with saber-toothed tiger-like long canine teeth. Emily immediately recognized it as the one he had defeated in the newcomer's battle.

At this moment, the black panther obviously held a grudge against him for breaking its teeth. The golden eyes stared at him intently, and it snarled at him with bared teeth.

This really is... a meeting at a narrow path?

"Andrew," a lazy and hoarse female voice rang out, "maintain your composure."

Upon hearing this, the black panther, named Andrew, had to suppress its fierce expression, temporarily shelving its resentment. It reluctantly walked to its owner's feet and lay down quietly.

"I thought you wouldn't come to the appointment," Miss Delilah said, as she reached out to caress Andrew's jaw to appease him. "After all, you are someone who can't wait to leave here."

In a flat tone, Emily replied without mincing words, "If I don't come to the appointment, will you let me leave?"

Miss Delilah was not angered; she chuckled and said, "Have a seat."

Her dignified and controlling demeanor truly made her a deserving hostess.

As Emily approached the seat on the side of the sofa, he noticed there was a third person in the room. This person remained motionless behind Miss Delilah's sofa, like a silent statue, with breathing so subtle it was nearly imperceptible, completely hidden in the darkness. The tall and slender figure, along with the black and gold mask, undoubtedly belonged to A027.

Taking advantage of the situation, Emily thought to himself: Alex has already recognized me; however, as long as I don't acknowledge him, maybe I can avoid meeting "Oscar Wilson" and Alex here.

Ignoring A027 completely, Emily casually took a seat and finally had a clear view of Miss Delilah.

Miss Delilah was nothing like the high-ranking and weighty young ladies he had imagined. She didn't possess the delicate fragility of a pampered flower; instead, her bronze-toned skin exuded a captivating wildness, and her silver hair was ice-cold and sharp. Her facial features were deep and noble, with silver patterns painted on her cheeks, resembling tribal totems from ancient times. The massive black panther and white lion lying beside her made her appear like a formidable ruler; she was undoubtedly the rightful queen of this island.

Her dress and attire were equally distinctive. At the moment, she sat with her legs apart, reclining on the sofa, proudly exposing her waist and abdomen. Her muscles were tight and attractive, clearly the result of regular training. No wonder she could manage such a vast arena; her strength must be extraordinary.

There were female gladiators in the arena, both in the advanced and mid-level arenas, although Emily had not encountered any yet. For Emily, Miss Delilah was an extremely charming woman, precisely the type Emily favored. Her appearance wasn't delicate and beautiful, but she exuded vitality, and this kind of wild liveliness was a dazzling form of beauty.

If he encountered someone like Miss Delilah in real life, he would undoubtedly launch a pursuit, even though he believed the chance of her responding positively was low. After all, most women in reality didn't need men, just like Alex's mother. Even if they wanted children, they would choose to bear and raise them alone or use birthing chambers and nurseries.

This is why men are more prone to indulge in harem-style games, a mere consolation for unrequited desires.

A strong-willed person like Miss Delilah would, of course, raise beloved beasts or gladiators on a whim.

However, Emily was now quite sure that Miss Delilah was a hidden subplot in this game. Although the main storyline did not mention any inappropriate incidents between Alex and her, as the protagonist logging into the game, Miss Delilah was undoubtedly a character that could potentially be pursued.

But since there was no mention in the main plot, he didn't need to worry too much about it. Thinking that Alex might have a chance to be with such a charming woman, Emily was quite dissatisfied.

By now, Miss Delilah had already started petting the white lion vying for her attention on her other side. "Are you curious about me?" she asked.

Emily, with an apparently calm expression, withdrew his gaze. "I believe there's hardly anyone in the arena who isn't curious about Miss Delilah."

"Since that's the case," Miss Delilah said with a serene smile, "why rush to leave?"

"Personal matters."

"Is that so?" Delilah extended her arm backward, reaching for A027's tie, and directly pulled him down, letting him lean forward. "Is it because of the gladiator I appointed, who offended you?"

A027's fair skin contrasted sharply with Delilah's complexion. Delilah's hand lightly touched his cheek, as if she were caressing her own "pet." "If you hold grudges against opponents who defeat you like Andrew here, what if I let him deal with you? Consider it a welcome gift."

No way! He absolutely didn't want that!

"Miss Delilah is just joking," Emily said. "I came to the arena to witness the strength of gladiators. Miss Delilah's designated match directly helped me achieve my goal. I've recognized the gap and have no reason to stay."

"I thought..." Delilah lifted A027's gracefully contoured jaw, turning him toward Emily like displaying her own "pet," "you didn't want to see my Leo again."

A027's golden-brown eyes stared directly at Emily, who glanced at him expressionlessly before casually shifting his gaze away. "I'm not that petty."

Everyone in the room seemed to be aware of everything, yet each person pretended to be oblivious. Delilah laughed and, after briefly scanning between the other two, released A027's hand, allowing him to return to his original standing position.

"The auction is about to begin," Delilah changed the topic. "As the owner of the arena, I won't boast, but my auctions are quite entertaining."

As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding walls gradually became transparent, and the outside scenery became clearer. Eventually, a 270° panoramic view formed in Emily's vision, revealing a hall that was nearly circular. Other similar halls, albeit smaller, surrounded their spherical hall. From the outside, it was impossible to see the situation inside.

These "spheres" floated in mid-air, arranged in several rows of huge arcs. In the center of each arc was the auction stage, where the host was projected through holographic images, magnified enough for everyone inside each sphere to see clearly.

Delilah's "sphere" was directly facing the stage, undoubtedly claiming the center position.

The auction featured not only bidding for gladiators but also entertaining performances, including presentations on genetically modified beasts and DNA authorization auctions.

Before Emily's eyes, scenes of gladiator battles, popular singers performing, and genetic introductions and physical conditions of fierce beasts unfolded in mid-air. The gladiator's blade would thrust directly toward the "sphere" of each client, breaking the surface of the sphere as if piercing through a protective shield. The popular singer, surrounded by a galaxy aurora, seemed to walk through the air to each client, delivering a heartfelt performance. When the auctioned genetically modified Cretaceous Spinosaurus approached, breaking through the water with fierce "attacks" on the sphere, even extending its claws and head into it, Emily involuntarily tensed up.

It was a truly enchanting visual feast. Although current film and television were all holographic, there were not many with such strong interactivity and shock value.

Moreover, both gladiators and genetically modified creatures were not something seen in reality.

"It's indeed very interesting," Emily sincerely praised. He was in high spirits, unknowingly having consumed quite a bit of alcohol, causing a faint warmth throughout his body due to excitement.

Delilah, with a proud smile, said, "Don't you want to take something back?"

"For example..." She tilted her head, bringing up information about all the gladiators in mid-air. "A gladiator?"

Emily was genuinely curious as he glanced over, finding even the A-rank gladiators listed. He exclaimed, "Miss Delilah is truly generous. Are you willing to give me all of them?"

"Mm-hmm." Delilah replied indifferently, "As long as they're willing."

Emily couldn't grasp her intentions. He felt that Delilah seemed to want to give him A027. She must know about their brotherly relationship and might even know that Alex was harmed by him and his mother. So, did she want to bring them together and witness a brotherly conflict? Admittedly, such a plot in the arena would be very attention-grabbing.

However, Emily had no intention of taking anything from here. After all, the storyline's Oscar Wilson didn't even know about this place.

He made it clear that he had no intention, and Delilah did not insist. After the auction ended, she naturally bid him farewell.

After Emily left, Delilah lazily said, "You saw it too. He recognized you and showed no concern."

A027 replied in a low voice.

"Do you regret it?"

A027 shook his head and left the place on his own.

Delilah reached into a hidden compartment beside her and took out a small bottle the length of a finger. The spindle-shaped bottle, made of pink crystal, sparkled with dazzling brilliance. Delilah placed her legs on the coffee table, reclining on the sofa, meticulously examining the translucent and exquisite crystal bottle. Through the refraction of the crystal, the faint light was shattered and dreamlike, dispersing in the dim room and reflecting in her cunning and playful eyes.

Ever since Oscar Wilson arrived here, she had known everything. She could sense Leo's subtle attitude towards his brother, and she was curious about the true relationship between the two brothers.

Therefore, before Oscar Wilson arrived, she gave Leo two crystal bottles. The amethyst one contained poison; if he killed Oscar Wilson here, everything related to The Wilson family would belong to Leo. He would get what he wanted without the need to please or obey her anymore.

However, he chose the other one, the pink crystal, and inside it was an aphrodisiac.

He knew, and he didn't hesitate.

Delilah curled up the corners of her lips; this was truly, too interesting.