Newbie's Quest: Awaiting Challenge
Chapter 64: Medical Records

Ethan Walker joked about James Mitchell becoming the president of Walker's Return guild, a statement so absurd that it was dismissed as a mere screen-to-screen fantasy.

"James Mitchell, better run for it, haha! This guy's figuring out how to freeload again!"

"LOL, Ethan, if you're too lazy to run your own guild, just pack up and marry into a top-tier guild."

"Ethan's truly the epitome of laziness. He's probably planning to sign some 'I'm the boss but you can't control me' tyrannical contract with James."

"Those who know Ethan can see right through him."

Ethan's playful banter, although not serious, lightened the mood for James, easing the tension within him.

"I'll give it my all," James assured Ethan, who responded with a satisfied smile.

Together, they opened the imposing doors of the eighth White Tower. Like other instances, a teleportation key led them into the instance. This time, Ethan briskly pressed the button, and in the blink of an eye, they stood outside the gates of the Seventh Hospital.

The two players, familiar with this instance, felt a change in atmosphere upon seeing the familiar high walls and old hospital building. For James, out of the numerous instances he had experienced, the Seventh Hospital was uniquely unsettling. A chill crept up from their feet to the crown of their heads as soon as they stepped onto the forsaken grounds, sending uncontrollable shivers down their spines. The Seventh Hospital, notorious for its horror, consistently ranked among the top five in terms of terror. Only upon entering could one truly appreciate the validity of its fearsome reputation.

The eerie white hospital emerged on the screen, silencing the live comments for a moment.

A raven flew in, perching atop the wrought-iron gate, its eyes like cameras, dutifully recording everything within the instance for the audience outside.

Ethan reached out to push the gate, which eerily swung open on its own.

Attentive viewers noticed something amiss.

"Holy smokes, did Ethan's hand even touch that door?"

"Seems like it opened by itself."

"Ethan expected this? He seemed unfazed as he withdrew his hand."

Unlike simulated scenarios in other instances, Ethan chose not to deploy his usual Red Riding Hood tactic. Instead, he readied his hammer, advising James to prepare for a potential intense fight. James nodded, retrieving a transparent umbrella from his cloud space.

"Is James Mitchell's weapon really an umbrella? Looks so ordinary."

"Even seems like plastic."

"Not some kid's umbrella, right?"

"Have you not followed the White Tower rookies? That umbrella is a top-tier weapon James got from his breakout instance. It's incredibly powerful."

"The umbrella is both offensive and defensive, a rare weapon in the White Tower. Its use is complex and uncommon."

"Let's see how James performs. This abruptly halted rising star, I feel, has much untapped potential."

While the viewers were intrigued by James's unusual weapon, Ethan remained indifferent.

"Just hold it properly," he said simply.

"Ethan seemed to anticipate that? He withdrew his hand very calmly."

Contrary to the simulated scenarios in the instance, Ethan Walker didn't summon Red Riding Hood, opting instead for his hammer. He advised James Mitchell to have his weapon ready, anticipating a possible fierce combat. James nodded, producing a transparent umbrella from the cloud space of his wristband.

"Is James's weapon really an umbrella? Looks so ordinary."

"Seems like it's made of plastic."

"Could it be a children's umbrella?"

"Have you not been paying attention to the White Tower newcomers? That umbrella is a powerful reward James acquired from his explosive debut instance." "That umbrella is a top-tier weapon, capable of both offense and defense. It can serve as a sharp weapon and a protective shield."

"The use of umbrellas as weapons is not common in the White Tower due to their high skill requirement." "Let's see how James performs. I always feel this prematurely faded star has a lot of suppressed potential." The viewers were surprised by James's choice of weapon, but Ethan's reaction was nonchalant.

"Just hold it properly."

Ethan didn't see anything worth discussing. After all, owning such a hammer himself, he couldn't criticize someone else's choice of a child-like umbrella.

The autumn wind wailed past their ears, and the hospital garden outside lay in desolate coldness.

Ethan and James exchanged a glance, reading the readiness in each other's eyes, and stepped through the hospital's main entrance together. This time, even Ethan, typically bold, refrained from acting rashly, the cautious atmosphere between them silencing the usually playful comments.

They barely dared to breathe.

Upon entering the hospital, the light dimmed instantly, signifying the transition indoors. It was twilight, and the hospital wasn't completely dark. The hall's fluorescent lights were broken, and the corridor lights flickered intermittently, perfectly setting a chilling atmosphere.

Ethan, not easily frightened by NPCs and bosses, glanced at James, who displayed caution and seriousness but no excess fear.

James, unassertive outside, remained emotionally stable inside the instances. He didn't vent negative emotions on his teammates nor did he get disheartened by challenging instances. A pity, indeed. If not for being framed, he would have been a highly valued member even in the talented ranks of the Emerald Tempest Guild.

As usual, Ethan shook the lottery machine at the hospital entrance to determine the instance difficulty.

Unsurprisingly, an 'S' marked yellow ball dropped out. The machine's voice echoed eerily in the empty lobby.

"We'll search for clues in the lobby first. There's usually some basic background information here. Let's see if we can deduce anything from these clues," Ethan suggested.

He signaled for James to split up and search, sticking to the spacious lobby where they could still see each other, avoiding getting lost. James nodded.

There were three registration windows in the lobby, with the payment and medication collection area to the side.

Ethan headed towards the registration windows, leaving James to explore the latter two areas.

Ethan had a reason for suggesting this search. He wanted to check if there had been any changes in the stack of medical records.

This matter involved him personally, so it wasn't appropriate to share with James.

The crow camera followed, its wingbeats audible. Ethan flipped through the pages rapidly, pondering whether to "accidentally" knock down the crow if he found any information detrimental to him.

Ethan scanned the pages swiftly, soon reaching the one supposed to bear his name.

Page 35, he remembered clearly.

But the content on the paper made him momentarily hold his breath.

There were changes.

The page meant for him was entirely obscured with black scribbles.

Yes, obscured. Not altered or vanished, but as if someone deliberately covered it.

Even the one-inch photo in the top right corner of the record was blackened out.

This was Ethan's first real visit to the Seventh Hospital, whereas James was the one returning for a second time.

When Ethan last saw this record, it was during a simulation.

Even if there were slight differences between simulated and real instances, they were usually minute.

But this was a glaring alteration of information.