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Chapter 6: I'll Follow You, Teehee

Unbeknownst to them, the team had subtly divided into two factions, one led by Ethan Walker and the other by Max Turner. Ethan had no intention of forming cliques. With his capabilities, he could easily breeze through the instance without injury, but he chose not to, feeling uncertain. This iteration of the Red Riding Hood instance, with its nine unfamiliar players and slight variations in small details, differed subtly from the thousand times he had experienced it before. Insignificant as they were, these changes merited increased vigilance.

They obtained a clue in the form of a photograph, one Ethan was overly familiar with. It depicted a family of four: Red Riding Hood, her parents, and her grandmother. Red Riding Hood, clutching a lamb doll, stood at the center, her parents' faces scratched out, leaving empty voids. The grandmother, smiling affectionately, stood behind her, her aged hands gently resting on the girl's shoulders.

"What does this photo imply?" asked Emily.

Emma Thompson furrowed her brow, her female intuition sensing something amiss.

"The parents' relationship seems strained, standing rigidly on either side of the old lady," she speculated.

Grace Evans glanced at the photo, then asked Ethan, "What do you think?"

Ethan had no desire to speak. He had pored over this story a thousand times, knowing it inside out. The tale was a tragic social incident: the young girl and her mother enduring the father's brutality, the grandmother accidentally killed in an attempt to protect the child, and the mother drove to madness, attacking her husband with a knife.

"This old woman loved the child very much," Ethan said ambiguously.

The comments were confusing:

"What does that mean?"

"Seems like a useful but useless comment."

"Since the photo is the only clue so far, it must be key, right?"

"Emma's point makes sense; maybe there's something to uncover from the relationships shown in the photo."

While the others studied the flimsy photograph, Ethan and Oliver Wright joked around.

"The slap marks on your face are quite symmetrical."

"Can't you say something nice for once, bro?"

Ethan wasn’t focused on the photo; he was contemplating the next steps. Ahead lay "Grandma's house," a six-story apartment where she lived on the fourth floor. This building had a curious structure, with entrances on both sides leading to "Grandma's house."

NPC Red Riding Hood stopped, pointing towards the building entrance.

"We can reach Grandma's house through here."

"Which entrance?" asked Grace.

"Hmm... Mommy said either is fine."

Before Ethan could respond, Max interjected, "Then let's split up."

The comments began to flood in:

"Isn't it reckless for young people to split up in a horror instance like this?"

"Are these two separate storylines? Do they lead to different endings?"

"Splitting up might not be bad given the current atmosphere. They might just start fighting in the hallway."

"They're probably eyeing the boss's loot, wanting to hog the rewards. With Ethan there, he's sure to claim the lion's share."

Ethan was indifferent to this suggestion.

"You choose first."

The only difference between the two entrances was the unpredictable hanging woman, appearing randomly in one of them. This detail was even beyond Ethan's grasp, so to him, either choice seemed irrelevant.

The team unknowingly split into two groups, with Ethan Walker and Max Turner each leading a faction. Ethan didn't intend to create cliques. Given his strength, he could effortlessly speed through the instance unscathed, but he refrained from doing so due to uncertainty. This version of the Red Riding Hood instance had subtle differences compared to the thousand times he had previously experienced it.

After Max chose one of the building's entrances, he led two unnamed players and the elder Smith brother through it. The younger Smith brother, after a moment of hesitation between following his brother and staying with Ethan, eventually decided to follow his elder sibling.

Ethan noticed that NPC Red Riding Hood hadn't moved.

"Red, why aren't you following them?"

The NPC looked up innocently, blinking.

"Brother, I'll follow you, hehe."

Ethan realized something. There was only one Red Riding Hood. Since she didn't follow Max's group but stayed with them, it meant that in the final confrontation, Max wouldn't face Red Riding Hood's betrayal, but they would. For balance, Max's group would likely encounter the unsolvable hanging woman, which they wouldn't.

Now aware of the instance's nuanced setup, Ethan urged caution.

"Everyone else, stay downstairs."

This suggestion surprised not only those present but also the live viewers.

"Ethan's going to solo the boss?"

"Isn't that too rash, even if the teammates are useless?"

"There must be a reason behind Ethan's decision."

"Is he overconfident? Hope he doesn't fail."

Oliver was the first to oppose Ethan's proposal.

"I disagree! Bro, you’re sacrificing yourself!"

"Don't worry, I have it under control."

"What control? Who knows what's up there? I'll go with you!"

Emily also tried to persuade him.

"Ethan, if you think I'm a burden, I won't go. But it's too dangerous for you alone."

Emma remained silent but showed disapproval, and Grace didn't say anything.

Ethan couldn't disclose that he had traversed these corridors enough to wear out his shoes. No one could openly declare they had an advantage like that. He had to adopt a fearless facade, placing his hands on Oliver's shoulders.

"Oliver, you're still a student. Focus on your studies and don't risk your life in this game."

Oliver was moved by Ethan's sentiment, tears welling in his eyes.

"And you, Emily."

Ethan turned to the tearful girl beside him.

"You too, focus on college. And help Oliver; he's a bit slow. Take care of him."

Emily sobbed, promising to study hard.

Ethan's gaze passed over Oliver's shoulder to Emma and Grace. Both nodded, understanding they would look after the students, allowing Ethan to proceed without worry.

Ethan smiled softly.

"I'm off."

He waved, not looking back, his tall figure appearing heroic and poignant.

The viewers cried along with the characters.

"Didn't expect Ethan to be so self-sacrificing."

"It's rare these days to see players willing to sacrifice themselves for others."

"Can't believe such a promising newcomer might fall in his debut."

"There's no choice. Once an instance starts, outsiders can't interfere."

"The rescue card should be able to forcibly reopen the instance entrance, right?"

"Don't be naive, the drop rate for that card is insanely low! All the major guilds keep them for their leaders."

The rescue card, a rare drop from defeating bosses in the White Tower, allows players from outside to reopen an instance entrance after it's been closed. However, these cards are exceedingly rare, and even the largest guilds only possess a few, some of which are acquired at great cost from the black market. The Avalon Guild also has one.

At this moment, Alex Johnson, accompanied by his assistants Susan Harper and Emily Johnson, had arrived at the main entrance of the White Tower in District 1089. Surviving players from the Red Riding Hood instance would be teleported here upon completion. Any movement by a renowned guild on the leaderboard was quickly noticed by the media, and Alex hadn't tried to conceal his whereabouts. His arrival at the District 1089 airport in a jet adorned with the Avalon Guild's red and gold insignia immediately drew a crowd of reporters.

"Vice President Johnson! Are you here specifically for the newcomer?"

"Is Avalon offering a silver contract to Ethan Walker?"

"Will Avalon use a rescue card to save Ethan?"

Dressed in a suit, Alex Johnson loosened his tie and held his phone to his ear, speaking with the president of the Avalon Guild.

"Understood," he concluded the call and stood firm, with Susan and Emily standing behind him.

"Avalon has always been sincere in approaching potential newcomers," Alex said with an official smile. "As long as Ethan Walker survives the life-and-death battle of the district, we will offer him a 【Silver+】 contract."

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