Newbie's Quest: Awaiting Challenge
Chapter 42: I'm Always So Happy to Help

The backup camera orb relayed everything to the live audience. In the Emerald Tempest Guild's broadcast room, the fans seemed incredulous. "What? What are they talking about?"

"The trap was set by the vice captain? Impossible!"

"Vice Captain Isabella is such a good person, I believe in her."

"But Ethan was almost sliced in half..."

"It's fake, all an act! Ethan must be faking it!"

"I trust Vice Captain Isabella's character. If she were bad, her teammates wouldn't trust and rely on her in interviews."

The Central Association's broadcast room was filled with outrage.

"That Isabella Martínez, I can't believe her!"

"What a terrible person! She endangered Ethan!"

"Unbelievable, how can someone be so cruel!"

"The chat is filled with Morse code; the moderators are scrambling to add banned words and mute users."

Then someone sent a message stirring more trouble.

"Guys, the idiots at Emerald Tempest are making a scene in their broadcast room!"

Instantly, the Central Association's room lost fifty thousand viewers. Ethan's fans, known for their remarkable solo capabilities or, less flatteringly, as brawlers, stormed the Emerald Tempest's guild room, overwhelming the chat. "Use your brains, people! Can't you see the obvious setup?"

"Emerald Tempest fans are just like their leader, utterly despicable."

"Take a good look at your ugly selves."

"What, does someone have to die to prove your leader's innocence?"

"After the challenge, let's see how this plays out at the station. Unless Ethan is generous, this won't end well."

"I bet this isn't the first time for your vice captain. Was James Mitchell framed by her too?"

The fans from both sides argued incessantly, but the individuals on the screen remained silent. Isabella Martínez's forehead was beaded with sweat as she forced herself to stay calm and avoid immediate rebuttal, knowing that more words might lead to more mistakes.

"Do you have proof?" she finally found an excuse to cling to, like a lifeline. "This is just your speculation. Without evidence, it's defamation."

She was convinced there were no cameras on the other side of the mechanism, believing that if it wasn't caught on camera, the incident couldn't be definitively proven.

Ethan smiled. "Vice Captain, you really won't admit it until the end, huh? Let's not waste time, we need to regroup with Henrik Jensen."

His unexpected agreeableness took Isabella aback. Ethan had already walked a few steps ahead, then turned back. "Come on, Vice Captain Isabella. This is your guild's challenge. You can't expect an outsider to lead the way." Isabella, unsure of Ethan's intentions, was relieved he didn't press the issue. They walked in silence, a tension between them more daunting than the surrounding desolate scenery.

Fortunately, they were lucky and quickly made their way back to the park's center, reaching the control room. As expected, it was a trap, with the boss being a middle-aged man reported in the newspapers.

Ethan and Isabella stood at a safe distance from the control room, careful not to intervene hastily and risk collateral damage. The boss, transformed into a fearsome creature, moved extremely fast, able to morph his body into a shadowy figure for evasive maneuvers.

Henrik Jensen plunged his staff into the

ground, causing the earth to fracture and stones to rise abruptly, catching the boss off guard and trapping him. Then, a gigantic, distorted inflatable head suddenly expanded, opening its massive jaws and swallowing the boss whole.

"Wow," Ethan exclaimed, observing the "floating" inflatable figure in the sky, brightly colored and drawn to resemble a girl. Initially, he thought it was a mere prop, but then he saw it shrink back onto Maxwell Ford's shoulder, even nuzzling against his face. It had a certain level of self-awareness and was evidently a subordinate entity.

"It's called Snow," Maxwell introduced, treating it almost like a person. "Pretty, isn't it?"

Ethan snorted dismissively. What an ugly thing, nowhere near as charming as his own pet, Little Flower. He even compared the two.

Seeing Isabella Martínez alive behind Ethan, Henrik Jensen and the others breathed a sigh of relief. Henrik commented that it was good she was back, while Isabella, pale-faced, managed a weak smile.

With the live broadcast available for replay, she was uncertain what Henrik would think after seeing the earlier footage once the challenge was over.

He really wanted to strangle Ethan Walker.

Isabella Martínez glared at Ethan with deep-seated resentment, and Ethan met her gaze with his own. "Vice Captain Isabella, I know I'm handsome, but you don't need to affirm it with such intensity." Isabella thought Ethan was utterly unreasonable.

Having defeated the boss at the park's center, they noticed the surrounding scenery undergo another change. It felt as though they were inside a rapidly spinning teacup ride; everything was shaking violently. Brandon Scott was the first to succumb to nausea, and Sophia Carter, after adapting, clung tightly to the inner wall.

Everyone struggled, except for Ethan. He continued his live broadcast diligently. "Folks, see this? This thing's a brain scrambler. Don't try this at home," Ethan said, clutching the camera orb as the viewers in the live broadcast felt nauseated by the shaking image. "Who in their right mind would ride this?"

"Damn, Ethan, look out for yourself!"

"Grass, grass, grass, was that pink blur in the middle the boss?"

"I saw it too!"

Ethan, sensing danger, ducked his head as a blade of light whizzed over him. "That was close, almost ruined my hairstyle." He sounded casual, while the Emerald Tempest members had already engaged in combat with the boss. Ethan, clinging to the edge of the cup, noticed the boss resembled a humanoid doll, shaped like a girl with four arms, each wielding a different weapon.

Observing the others' performance.... What was this? A chaotic fight where the master gets killed by a flurry of random punches?

Possibly due to the disorienting view, the Emerald Tempest members struggled to adapt, missing several strikes. Eventually, Henrik Jensen and Maxwell Ford took the lead; Henrik severed two arms while Maxwell cut off another. The remaining arm was about to fling Sophia Carter away, but Ethan was closest and intervened.

His familiar pink inflatable hammer came down hard, causing the entire contraption to collapse on one side. It was over.

The group landed on the ground in various states of disarray. Ethan was the most composed, standing relaxed, waiting for the scenario to dissipate.

In the midst of the white light, two figures appeared, one tall and one short, holding hands - both seemed like girls. The taller one looked familiar, resembling the real Jane, with a serene smile. The shorter one, probably the unfortunate girl from the park, had a round, apple-like face and waved at Ethan. "Goodbye."

In a blink, the figures disappeared, leaving only the sprawled members of the Emerald Tempest team. Brandon was still feeling sick.

"I think I'm gonna die..."

Ethan patted his head affectionately, like patting a not-so-familiar watermelon. "If you want, I can help make that happen. No need to thank me, I'm just that helpful." Brandon rolled his eyes.

The challenge was over, and it was time for reward distribution. Since everyone participated in the boss fight, they all received rewards. Three people had identically large gift boxes: Henrik Jensen, Maxwell Ford, and Ethan Walker. "Ah, I have one too," Ethan said, grinning, while the Emerald Tempest fans in the live broadcast were on the verge of exploding.