Newbie's Quest: Awaiting Challenge
Chapter 46: I'm a Genius

Noah Williams stood with one arm naturally dangling and the other tightly gripping its elbow, appearing extremely tense.

The jeering from the crowd intensified, and his unease was evident as the beads of sweat on his forehead glistened under the harsh overhead lights. "He looks very nervous," Ethan observed.

"Rusty? Can't be. I haven't kept up with Eclipse Vanguard's news for a while, but he should have been on their first team," Emily responded.

Ethan opened his wrist device to check Eclipse Vanguard's information.

A quick tap revealed the news of the death of Christopher Williams, one of the high-ranking leaders of Eclipse Vanguard, in an inspection of the guild's new site. The event had apparently caused quite a stir.

Christopher had once been the president of Eclipse Vanguard but stepped down due to health reasons, passing the role to the current president. Under his leadership, Eclipse Vanguard consistently ranked in the top ten, but since the new president took over, their strength had significantly declined, barely clinging to the top 20.

Noah Williams, Christopher's only son, was indeed a prodigy, as Emily had described. Debuting at eleven and leading teams into instances by fifteen, his talent was unmistakable. Ethan viewed a highlight reel of Noah's achievements.

Even at eleven, without a fully formed combat system and relying purely on physical reactions, Noah displayed a battle prowess clear even to laymen.

He truly lived up to the moniker "prodigy."

However, following his father's death, Noah hadn't participated in any instances for three months and now surfaced in Blue Tower, seemingly a casualty of internal guild struggles. Tragic.

Having quickly grasped the situation, Ethan leaned languidly against the balcony rail, yawning out of boredom.

"Getting sleepy again?" Emily glanced at him. "I thought you'd be the type to intervene."

"This is an internal matter for their guild. Didn't you see someone down there dressed strangely? Definitely an Eclipse Vanguard player keeping an eye on Noah. I don't want to invite trouble. But watching the drama unfold is harmless," Ethan remarked.

Emily teased him for claiming not to want trouble, but since Ethan showed no interest in moving, they stayed put.

The shouting from the audience swelled, and Noah seemed like a herbivore surrounded by predators. His gaze helplessly swept over the crowd, finally settling on the robust challenger before him. The challenger spoke a few words, undoubtedly unpleasant, draining the color from Noah's face.

Two spectators behind Ethan were quietly discussing.

"Can he do it? Looks like he's all skin and bones."

"I doubt it. I hope it's not too gory; I can't stomach that."

Not just their section, but the entire audience seemed to be rooting for the other fighter, as if the victory had already been preordained.

The referee, wearing a black and white checkered mask, raised the flag, and the match began.

The challenger bumped his fists together, his features distorting into a sinister grin. He took a step back, launching himself at Noah like a human cannonball!

Boom-

A thunderous collision erupted from the ring, and the audience, upon seeing the outcome, gasped in shock.

No one had caught exactly what happened, but the challenger was now inelegantly sprawled outside the ring.

Noah's body relaxed, legs apart and arms hanging at his sides. Quickly, he drew his limbs back in, returning to his initial, restrained stance.

To everyone's surprise, Noah Williams emerged victorious!

The stands shifted from confused murmuring to a roaring applause.

Emily was also taken aback; she knew Noah was a prodigy, but she hadn't anticipated his combat skills would have evolved to such an extent after years of refinement.

She turned to wake Ethan, eager for him to witness the thrilling match.

However, she found Ethan not asleep, but resting his arms on the balcony railing, quietly observing the player's performance on the stage.

The second challenger, the woman who had won earlier with a chokehold, took to the stage. She lasted about five minutes longer than the previous challenger, but sadly, the result was the same. Two consecutive wins for Noah!

The crowd's roar grew even louder.

"He's using a unique style of boxing," Ethan suddenly leaned in and commented, catching Emily off guard.

"Boxing?"

"Yes, it looks like a family style, something I haven't seen before."

To maximize his combat skills, Ethan had studied the world's mainstream combat methods while in simulated instances. He would coerce bosses into immobility while he practiced beside them, using them for real combat training once he mastered a technique.

The style Noah was using differed from the techniques taught in major guilds, prioritizing rhythm over raw power.

He could disrupt an opponent's rhythm and draw them into his own.

Once successful, the opponent stood no chance.

Ethan speculated this rhythm wasn't limited to boxing. If Noah wielded a sword or another weapon, he could likely achieve the same effect.

One challenger followed another, and the atmosphere in the venue reached fever pitch.

Noah seemed to grow stronger with each battle.

The crowd's tone shifted, now favoring Noah.

"This kid's really fierce."

"Which one is this? The tenth?"

"Could he become the first to successfully defend an unlimited challenge here? This Blue Tower, being only a couple of years old, hasn't seen a successful defense yet."

Blue Towers were located in several densely populated areas, and this one was relatively new.

"Phantom Strike Technique."

In the midst of noisy discussions about victory or defeat, an out-of-place comment stood out. Ethan counted on his fingers to confirm.

"Yes, Phantom Strike Technique."

"What?" Emily didn't understand his sudden outburst.

"His boxing style."

Ethan, having deciphered the nine forms of boxing just by observation, wore a satisfied smile.

"Not bad. Although some moves are a bit complex, I managed to break them down."

"Awesome," Emily gestured appreciatively, "Your talent is what you call a real genius. Makes me want to push you off here and kill you."

"See, that's a twisted mindset. I recommend consulting your team's psychologist for that jealousy issue."

Ethan had just learned a new boxing technique and felt his trip was worthwhile. He was about to suggest to Emily that they leave when he glanced at Noah, still fighting on the stage. Even with his extraordinary talent, the continuous battles were taking their toll. He was now wiping sweat with his sleeve, his breathing growing uneven.

Ethan estimated Noah would collapse from exhaustion in another two or three rounds, losing interest in watching a prodigy's downfall. He was about to turn away when a cheer erupted, ringing in his ears for three seconds. "Holy smokes, isn't that Ethan Walker?"

Standing beside Ethan, Ethan himself was taken aback: ?