Newbie's Quest: Awaiting Challenge

Mr.Johnson stared at Ethan Walker, his eyes wide as if he were witnessing a living demon. The demon, however, simply offered a mild smile.

"Ha ha ha, is Ethan finally going to take action against an NPC?"

"I knew this guy was up to no good when he's silent."

"When Ethan is quiet, he's definitely up to mischief."

"But does this approach work?"

Ethan was as good as his word. His movements were quick and fluid, a porcelain jar deftly used to knock Mr.Johnson unconscious. It happened smoothly and without incident.

"Done," Ethan declared, picking up Little Red Riding Hood by the collar like she was a cat. "Let's go, let's go, no time to waste." He rushed out the door, heading straight for the school building.

At the entrance, he spotted a faint shadow - the second NPC, a girl named Jane. Normally, Jane would flee at the entrance, impossible for players to catch up. That had been the case during Ethan's first successful run, seen by all. But what people can't catch, something else might.

Ethan broke the crumbling door of the school building with one swing of his hammer and pointed at the fleeing Jane. "Red, chase!" Little Red Riding Hood's face split into an excited grin, and she darted out like a ferocious red firecracker. The audience was astounded.

"What kind of strategy is this?"

"Chasing an NPC?"

"Normally, wouldn't people be scared off by that ghost-like NPC?"

"Poor NPC, frightened into flight by a player."

"Let alone the NPC, Ethan's destructive power is astounding! Did he demolish the door just like that? Like a demolition crew."

"What's he planning to do by chasing the NPC? A kidnapping?"

Little Red Riding Hood, a former high-risk NPC of the White Tower, quickly brought Jane to Ethan. The NPC sat on the ground, visibly terrified. Ethan squatted beside her, his hammer still resting on his shoulder. "Don't be afraid," he said soothingly. "I won't hurt you." Jane seemed even more frightened after hearing his words.

"I just want to know if you're aware of how to trigger the 35 side quest." Jane shook her head forcefully.

"That's unfortunate." Ethan showed a look of regret, raising his hammer high. Jane closed her eyes tight, bracing herself. But only a gust of wind brushed past her ear.

Unharmed, Jane looked up in surprise to find Ethan already at the first-floor staircase. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up and run through the story," he urged. Jane quickly got to her feet and followed Ethan upstairs.

Ethan moved with incredible speed. Despite his usual lethargy outside of instances, inside he exhibited physical prowess far beyond other players. Climbing stairs so rapidly that afterimages appeared, the live stream audience could only catch occasional glimpses of moonlight reflecting off his hammer.

"Isn't Ethan too fast? What kind of stamina is that?"

"He's flying low."

"Ethan's style is quite uncommon among players. Most are terrified of the White Tower's horror-themed instances. To not be scared to death is considered brave, but Ethan? He's tearing the place apart."

"Doesn't Ethan like solving puzzles? Can you ignore them in White Tower instances, which are typically a mix of puzzles and monster-slaying?"

"The first instance didn't seem to have high puzzle-solving difficulty. If so, then Ethan, as a one-sided player, might lose his value."

"Can't blame Ethan, after all, he's the coachman from outside the White Tower [dog head]."

The chat was abuzz with discussions about Ethan's puzzle-solving skills.

"So, can he solve puzzles?" Emily Johnson asked, watching the live stream on her wristband with the others. "He doesn't seem to have encountered any puzzle-solving segments yet," Alexander Bennett replied softly. "That seems likely," Alex Johnson agreed, turning to the silent David Anderson. "David, what do you think?" David, seemingly more reserved than Alexander, was startled at being suddenly called out.

"I think... he must be adept at it," David Anderson hesitantly voiced his opinion.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" Emily Johnson, naturally outgoing and friendly even on a first encounter, slung an arm around David's shoulder, causing him to shrink slightly.

His voice even quieter, David explained, "In the instance with Little Red Riding Hood, Ethan mentioned 'the elderly feel pain for children' when looking at a photograph. It's how he figured out the wolf and grandmother in the boss fight. I think... he has puzzle-solving skills."

His voice trailed off, but he mustered the courage to add, "Just because he makes it look easy doesn't mean it is."

Their conversation, captured on the live stream, resonated with many viewers.

"Right, Ethan isn't just reckless; he makes calculated decisions."

"That triple-kill was seriously impressive, almost beyond normal reasoning."

"Ethan's split-second decision-making is incredibly fast. Was it his first time in the Little Red Riding Hood instance?"

"I don't recall anyone opening that instance before."

"It was the first opening, instances in the district battle are usually brand new."

"It could be a fluke, right?"

"Getting three hits right by chance? Seems too simplistic."

David's remarks prompted the others to ponder.

"You know a lot about him," Emily Johnson responded first. "Have you secretly watched Ethan's replays?"

The Avalon Guild, while not as negative towards Ethan as Emerald Tempest Guild, didn't encourage its members to emulate his behavior. Ethan's style, a mix of brute force and lone wolf tactics, could be a surgical scalpel when used well but could also tear a team apart if misused. With instances becoming increasingly difficult and requiring tight teamwork, a misstep could lead to total defeat.

Ethan was an anomaly. Major guilds contemplating his recruitment would likely need significant personnel adjustments. Avalon Guild needed Ethan, but not too many like him, so they hadn't actively promoted studying his tactics. "I... I happened to catch the live stream and studied it a few times after," David admitted softly.

"Ah, why bother with that stuff? Watching it once is enough," Emily remarked casually, then remembered something. "But David, I don't think I've seen you before. Are you a substitute for the second team?"

"Yes, that's right! I'm not well-known, and my abilities aren't great. It's normal for you not to recognize me," David replied modestly.

Emily Johnson, unlike many guild leaders concerned with hierarchy, was easygoing and approachable, though occasionally blunt in his remarks.

"Don't be so formal, why do you seem scared of me? I don't care about seniority and stuff."

"Okay, okay," David agreed meekly.

After David's response, Emily felt Alex Johnson's gaze on him was a bit odd.

"What's up, bro?" Emily, never one to hold back, asked directly.

"It's nothing," Alex Johnson smiled, "just realized that being straightforward has its perks."

"... Are you implying something?"

"Don't overthink it."

Emily was puzzled. Alex usually had more tricks up his sleeve, and Emily knew better than to try and outsmart him. Puzzled, his attention returned to the live stream. What he saw next took him by surprise. "Holy shit, what's Ethan doing? Forcing the boss to jump off the building?"