Newbie's Quest: Awaiting Challenge
Chapter 26: James Mitchell

Ethan Walker is launching his own guild!

The news exploded across major platforms.

As a rising star who recently conquered two 35 difficulty dungeons, Ethan's next move was a matter of keen interest for many players and guilds. Most speculated he would join one of the top ten elite guilds; the question was, which one?

However, no one anticipated Ethan's declaration at the press conference: he wouldn't join any existing guild!

"Two-Hammer Walker starting a new guild! Can any expert analyze the impact on other guilds?"

"Rookie Ethan Walker going solo - is this a career suicide?"

"Why is everyone saying Ethan's guild is a dead end? Any supporters of Walker?"

The online world buzzed with discussions, and media outlets scrambled for an interview with Ethan himself.

But since dropping that bombshell, Ethan seemed to vanish from the public eye, neither dungeon diving nor spotted anywhere.

Reporters inquired at the Avalon Guild, but whether due to a gag order from the vice president or not, everyone was clueless about Ethan's whereabouts.

Despite the outside frenzy, the Avalon Guild carried on with its routine, methodically training and dungeon diving.

"You're back with more junk?"

Emily Johnson ended her afternoon training, opened her room door, and saw a figure crouched over a spread-out, worn blanket filled with various sized dirt and stone clumps. These seemingly mundane items were actually minerals from the White Tower, hiding precious ores beneath their earthy exteriors.

The person sifting through this "trash" was none other than Ethan Walker.

Contrary to public speculation, Ethan hadn't immediately moved out of the Avalon Guild.

This was reasonable, as he lacked a residence in this world.

Alex Johnson reminded him to acquire a property to serve as the guild's base. It didn't need to be large, but it had to exist.

Ethan agreed, considering the substantial cost, especially for registering it as a guild address.

This expense couldn't be borne by the Avalon Guild; doing so would make them a stakeholder in Ethan's venture, holding him accountable for any future mismanagement. Including the registration fee, Ethan had to fund everything out of his pocket.

The gold coins he earned from Hamilton's dungeon were barely enough for the minimum guild registration capital.

Now, Ethan needed a small house, for both personal use and as the guild's address.

He was actively earning money for this purpose.

The White Tower dungeons varied, and material dungeons were one of the types. These could be repeated, and the mined ores could be exchanged for items or money. Such dungeons weren't overly challenging but time-consuming, which suited Ethan fine. Recently barred from tougher dungeons by Alex Johnson, he spent his days mining in material dungeons. Mining had its pleasures. There was no imminent threat of monsters, offering a relaxing and stress-free experience.

Ethan's only issue was avoiding media attention and keeping his whereabouts secret, leading him to select remote material dungeons.

Thankfully, the Avalon Guild had teleportation points, greatly easing his travel. Alex Johnson granted him access, allowing Ethan to choose suitable material dungeons.

Everything was going well, except for Emily Johnson's room, which now resembled a mining cave.

"Just now I was in a desert-themed material dungeon, and the dust was quite thick. Could you open the window?" Ethan Walker, without looking up, continued sorting through his treasures. Emily Johnson, grumbling under her breath yet agreeing about the stuffy air, walked over and opened the window halfway. Then, she squatted down, facing Ethan, and began helping him sift through the dirt. Despite their habitual bickering, they had grown accustomed to each other's company over the past few days.

After some idle chit-chat, Ethan suddenly remembered something.

"Do you know James Mitchell?"

"James Mitchell?" Emily paused in her digging, her eyebrows arching. "From the Emerald Tempest Guild? Why do you ask about him all of a sudden?"

"I ran into him today while mining. I didn't recognize him, but he recognized me."

"Is that okay? I thought you didn't want people knowing where you are."

"Yeah, he said he wouldn't tell anyone."

"And you believe him? Sounds like a child's promise."

"I mined with him for a while. He gave me all the ore he found. Seems like a good guy."

After cleaning some of the ores, Ethan bagged them up to sell at the market the next day.

"James Mitchell kinda reminds me of you," Emily said, scrubbing dirt from the crevices with an old toothbrush, replaceing the task surprisingly therapeutic. "About a year ago, he made a spectacular debut. All the big guilds wanted to sign him, but Emerald Tempest Guild sealed the deal with a bronze coin toss." "Oh."

"But his first performance in Emerald Tempest Guild wasn't very impressive. He was placed in the first team, and the vice-captain nearly lost an arm trying to save him." "Oh."

"After that incident, James was penalized and demoted to the second team. Things went downhill from there, and he eventually slid to the third team. I heard he hasn't played in a while?"

"Oh."

Emily chattered away, but Ethan's response was limited to a few noncommittal "ohs", which started to irritate her.

"I'm pouring my heart out here, and that's all you have to say?"

"Hmm..." Ethan, examining the ores with his bracelet's flashlight, replied, "I'm not really sure what to say. I don't know much about it."

""

Emily sighed, forehead in hand.

"I'm warning you to be careful. Every time James plays, he causes a disaster. Emerald Tempest Guild's fans even nicknamed him 'Calamity Mitchell'. Apparently, the guild is trying to rent him out, but no takers. Other guilds think he's bad luck." "People need to believe in science, not superstitions."

"Try telling that to the guild executives. Even with a discount, Emerald Tempest Guild can't replace anyone to take him."

"That cheap?"

"It's not about being cheap. You..." Emily paused, sensing something, "You're not thinking of doing something sneaky, are you? Look, if you're renting, choose someone good. And since you usually solo dungeons, why would you need a partner? If you really need one for a duo dungeon, I, Emily Johnson, might condescend to join you."

Ethan's frosty response to Emily's self-offered noblesse oblige was simply, "You're too expensive. I can't afford it."

The comment left her momentarily speechless, unsure whether it was a compliment or a snub.

Ethan hadn't actually planned anything. His encounter with James Mitchell was a mere coincidence, without any intention of a follow-up. However, the next day, when he returned to the remote sandy mining dungeon, he saw James Mitchell again.

In the sandstorm-heavy area, every player wrapped a gray cloth around their head to cover their mouth and nose.

Ethan, fully covered, spotted the equally well-wrapped James, who brightened up and quickly approached him.

"Hey Ethan, good to see you again."