Newbie's Quest: Awaiting Challenge
Chapter 67: Robert Anderson

In the desolate expanse of the hospital, the sudden appearance of a person shocked both the commenters and James Mitchell. Perhaps he wasn't human at all.

Commenter 1: "Whoa! What the heck? That scared me!"

Commenter 2: "Wearing a hospital gown? A patient?"

Commenter 3: "Guys, my blanket moved. I'm out for now! Will catch up on the replay tomorrow!"

Commenter 4: "When did he appear there?! I swear the stairs were empty at first glance!"

Commenter 5: "James Mitchell is portraying me. His expression is exactly how I feel right now..."

Commenter 6: "This seventh hospital copy is too thrilling. Is it really just S-class?"

The moment the stranger, a patient, appeared, the comments momentarily fell silent, then exploded in a flurry of "Aaahs" and "I'm scared to death". James Mitchell was also startled, but he quickly turned to look at Ethan Walker.

... Where is he?

The figure, who had been standing a few steps above him, had suddenly vanished without a trace. A chill ran down James Mitchell's spine, thinking that if even Ethan Walker had disappeared, it would be truly terrifying. Glancing down inadvertently, he realized that Ethan Walker had already crouched down, face-to-face with the sudden appearance.

The patient, who had only uttered a "baa", turned his head, and they locked eyes in a seemingly "tender and affectionate" stare. Ethan Walker spoke first.

"Are you human?"

The patient remained silent.

Commenter 7: "Wow, Ethan's words rendered the mental patient speechless."

Commenter 8: "This young man in the hospital gown must be an NPC from the copy, right?"

Commenter 9: "Could also be the final boss, you know."

Commenter 10: "Would the boss appear so early?"

Commenter 11: "There are no written rules in the White Tower copies. Who says the final boss can't wander around the copy?" Commenter 12: "Wander around? You think he's the final boss for no reason..."

Commenter 13: "What's wrong with that? If he's bored being in one scene, isn't he allowed to get some fresh air?"

Commenter 14: "You must be an undercover agent for the White Tower! Talking about the boss getting some air. Is it with the lives of players?"

The comment section could turn a molehill into a mountain, with the moderator sister impassively muting and adding words to the block list. Meanwhile, Ethan Walker and the NPC continued their standoff.

The NPC was a frail-looking young man, seemingly of university age. Apart from severe dark circles, he appeared quite normal.

Hearing Ethan Walker's question, he opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

It was as if he was pondering over and over whether he was indeed human.

"No, I am not human."

The NPC finally affirmed his identity with a definitive answer.

James Mitchell's child-sized umbrella, sharp at the edges, was already unsheathed, poised for the next move.

Then the NPC spoke again, very seriously and earnestly.

"I am a sheep."

James Mitchell was silent. Ethan Walker, familiar with this NPC from simulations, was also silent again.

No wonder his first word was "meh".

The NPC didn't seem very aggressive, probably one of those purely guiding types.

James Mitchell also crouched down.

"Why are you sitting here?"

"Because I want to eat grass."

"There's no grass here."

"It doesn't matter whether there's grass or not, what's important is that I want to eat grass."

"If you don't go to a place with grass, waiting here is futile."

"Who says there's no grass here?" He suddenly opened and closed his mouth twice. "I am eating grass."

"You're eating air," James Mitchell calmly stated, still engaging in a peaceful conversation with the stranger. "Nonsense, I am eating grass. What you call air, I call grass. I could even say, I am eating meat."

He bit the air twice more, then suddenly froze.

Like a machine abruptly unplugged, he became completely motionless, even in thought.

After about ten seconds, he stiffly turned his head towards Ethan Walker.

"I am a bear."

James Mitchell was beyond the point of commenting, but Ethan Walker seemed to adapt well.

"Alright then, would Mr. Bear kindly lead the way?"

"I have a name, I am Robert Anderson."

"Okay, Mr. Bear."

"I told you, my name is Robert Anderson, you should call me by my name."

"So, are you a bear or Robert Anderson right now?"

"1

Robert Anderson's CPU burned out once again.

What was initially a tense and eerie atmosphere had been dissipated by the exchange between Robert Anderson and Ethan Walker.

The comments section erupted into laughter.

Commenter 15: "Hahaha, how did Ethan tune into his wavelength like that!"

Commenter 16: "Don't ask. Only Ethan, with his uniquely fragmented mental state, could pull this off."

Commenter 17: "Isn't anyone concerned about why this NPC appeared? I remember during the last Emerald Tempest Guild raid, he wasn't there!"

Commenter 18: "Maybe he's randomly spawned by the copy. Replays of the White Tower copies are just references, some higher difficulty copies have slight variations."

Commenter 19: "Haven't the experts discussed this? The copy itself has various trigger conditions. Players only have one life; they can't just recklessly try every possibility." Commenter 20: "Try and die."

Commenter 21: "Wait! This NPC was there last time Emerald Tempest went through! I can't post links in the chat, but check out my homepage for proof!"

An observant viewer posted a cut from the last Emerald Tempest Guild copy on their homepage. In the same scene, at the staircase connecting the first and second floors, Henrik Jensen, as the leader, was leading the way with four members following.

In total, there were five team members, but right after the fifth man ascended the last step, a shadow suddenly stood up and followed behind!

This shadow was silent and trailed at the end of the group. Whenever a team member almost saw its face, it deliberately turned away.

With nearly all the lights on the second floor out, the team could only use flashlights. The limited range of the flashlights meant the trailing shadow remained unnoticed for the entire journey!

It only spoke once after entering room 201, staying quiet otherwise.

Viewers who saw this video cut were stunned. The thought of that "person" silently following behind, unnoticed by the others, was chilling, even after a long time.

But this time, for some reason, the NPC didn't seem intent on completely hiding its presence. Not only the two players in the copy but also the viewers watching the live stream had noticed it.

A stark contrast to the previous situation.

Meanwhile, Ethan Walker was still engaging with the NPC. Outside the copy, the Emerald Tempest Guild team had new developments.

Henrik Jensen had discussed with Ethan Walker beforehand, and as agreed, led a team into a copy.

The copy was A-level. Although it was two days earlier than Henrik Jensen had anticipated, they were well-prepared and expected to return safely.

The copy's map was extensive, requiring time to explore. Henrik Jensen wasn't in a hurry, advising his team to keep their cool and take it slow.

Since the last Paradise copy, Isabella Martínez hadn't been in great form. This time, their team included two newcomers. When the newcomers sought guidance, Isabella Martínez, called "Deputy Leader" twice, finally snapped back to reality. "Sorry, I was distracted. What did you want to ask?"

As Isabella Martínez responded kindly, Henrik Jensen stood by, his eyes calm and words few.

Calculating the time, by the time they finished, Ethan Walker's situation would have progressed to two-thirds.