Inside the live broadcast control room, a wall of monitors bathed the cramped space in shifting colors, each screen capturing a different slice of the chaos unfolding in the forest.
The assistant director, pale as a ghost, burst into the room clutching a tablet, "Director, we're in trouble! We're trending!"
The director, a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair and sharp eyes, sipped his chamomile tea. He raised an eyebrow, "Trending's good, isn't it? What's the problem?"
The assistant director shoved the tablet toward him, voice trembling, "We're getting roasted! Look at this! People are losing it!"
The director tapped the #ADayAsASidekickFeedsKidsToEBoss hashtag. The screen flooded with Quirkter posts:
[What kind of show lets high schoolers fight E-rank monsters? Are they trying to get them killed?]
[Kai almost got torn apart by an F-Elite, and now an E-Boss shows up? Pull those kids out!]
He smirked, setting his tea down, "Let them rant. You know half our views come from haters. The more they rage, the better for us." He took another sip, unfazed.
The assistant director frowned, voice urgent, "But this is seriously dangerous! Two students nearly died, and now an E-Boss? If we don't pull them out and something happens, we're done for!"
The director clapped a hand on his shoulder, still grinning, "You're worrying too much. An E-rank superhero is already en route. The kids just need to hold the outer perimeter now—it's less dangerous than before. Everything's under control."
"But…" the assistant director started, only for the director to swivel his laptop screen toward him. The viewership graph was skyrocketing, numbers climbing like a cash counter.
"Look at this," the director cut in, smug. "It's been ages since our show had a breakout moment. This is a rare opportunity. If we don't seize it, the whole production team might be out of a job."
The assistant director shook his head, resolute. "Even so, we can't gamble with those kids' lives!"
The director leaned forward, eyes glinting. "The authorities greenlit this show not just to promote superheroes but to show the public how dangerous those 'neighbors' from the rifts are. The participants knew what they were signing up for. They signed the waivers. This is part of our mission."
Just then, the director's assistant, a young woman with a high ponytail, rushed in, "Director! Blackfang Tactical just called—they're increasing their sponsorship by $150,000!"
The director's eyes lit up, "Increasing? Why's that?"
The assistant beamed, "Thanks to Kai's insane slash that split through an F-Elite's skull! That ShadowClaw blade of theirs looked cinematic on screen. Netizens are going wild, saying Kai fights like a pro superhero!"
The director turned to the assistant director, shrugging smugly, "Hear that? If we pull the kids out now, that sponsorship money's gone. You know we get a nice cut of it."
The assistant director hesitated, lips pursed. "We can't ignore the kids' safety for a bit of cash."
Before he could finish, the assistant squealed, voice brimming with excitement, "Director! Luminous Arcana wants to sponsor us too! They just called—Lilith's Angel Wing staff is attracting attention from the aristocracy thanks to this Gate upgrade. They're offering a $200,000 sponsorship deal!"
The director laughed, nodding, "See? Lilith's our trump card. She's not just saving the show—she's pulling in big sponsors. Pull out now, and who's gonna cover that loss?"
The assistant director's face tightened. He slammed a hand on the table. "But—"
His words were cut off by the assistant's phone ringing. She answered, nodding furiously. "Yes, yes, thank you!" She turned, eyes wide as headlights. "Director! MaruChamp Foods is offering a massive $500,000 sponsorship!"
The director blinked, intrigued but confused, "MaruChamp? What's that got to do with us?"
The assistant grinned, barely containing her excitement, "It's the instant noodles Mai used to cook! Sales have skyrocketed since she made them this morning, and the latest scene is making them sell out everywhere—they want in, big time!"
The assistant switched the main monitor to a livestream camera. The room fell silent as the screen showed Evermoss sitting gracefully inside the tent. Her hourglass figure and elegant poise were magnetic, her blonde hair catching the light as she swept it back behind her ear. In her hand was a steaming leaf plate of Mai's stir-fried MaruChamp noodles mixed with quail meat, the aroma practically leaping through the screen.
Evermoss took a slow, deliberate bite, her lips parting with a sensual grace that made the entire control room hold its breath. Her eyes fluttered shut, a soft hum of satisfaction escaping her throat as she savored the dish, her expression pure, elegant indulgence. In the background, Kai could be seen stealthily licking the last drops of soup from his own bowl, his blade propped beside him.
A chorus of barely audible gulps filled the control room. Just moments ago, they'd watched Inferno Knuckle devour a bowl of Mai's cooking with gusto, and it had looked plenty appetizing. But this? Evermoss's scene was on another level. Her refined, almost otherworldly allure elevated the simple act of eating instant noodles into a performance that screamed luxury. No wonder MaruChamp's socials were reporting sold-out stock within minutes.
The director, grinning ear to ear, barked an order, "Quick—cut to a close-up of the noodle packet. Make sure the brand's clear on camera."
He turned to gloat to the assistant director, only to find an empty chair. The assistant director had slipped out, his silhouette vanishing beyond the door, leaving the room steeped in the hollow triumph of soaring views and fat sponsorship deals.
The sun hung high, its light cutting through the treeline in narrow shafts. Lunch was over, and the forest's uneasy quiet settled in again. The E-rank Boss wasn't expected to emerge until nightfall, but that didn't mean the area was safe.
Knuckle crouched and drew a rough diagram in the dirt with his finger. "Here's the Gate," he said, marking a jagged circle.
He drew another, larger shape a short distance away. "And here's Lost Angel. Everyone knows Gates always open facing the nearest population center, and monsters will inevitably drift toward it. Most wait for their Boss before launching a coordinated assault, but every so often, a few stray from the main horde—scouts, hunters, or just impatient predators."
He circled a spot along the treeline between the two. "We'll be here, at the forest's edge. This is where we stop the ones that wander out."
Inferno Knuckle dusted his hands off and stood, scanning the tree line.
"Alright," he said, his voice carrying over the camp. "We'll rotate watch on the forest edge and clear out anything that comes out. I'll take the first shift. Solstice, you're next. Evermoss, you're last. Once we've gone through a full rotation, Boltcrack should be here."
He didn't even glance at the sidekicks. In his mind, this was no job for them—especially not for someone fresh from an injury.
"I'll go with you," Mai said, adjusting the rifle slung over her shoulder.
Knuckle turned, brows furrowing. "Not happening. Sidekicks stay here. The Gate's upgraded—too dangerous."
Mai didn't answer. She simply met his gaze, her expression unreadable.
"I'll go when it's our turn," Kai said suddenly. Evermoss looked like she wanted to respond but kept her silence.
"I'll go with Solstice," Lilith added, though she hesitated before continuing. "But…Sis, I think you should stay behind. This is still a real mission—best not to slow down Mr. Inferno Knuckle"
She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, waving her other hand in a fluster. "I didn't mean you're weak! I just mean… you were injured earlier, so maybe it's not the best time to fight."
Mai ignored her. She had no interest in trading barbs thinly wrapped in courtesy. Her eyes stayed on Inferno Knuckle.
For a moment, Knuckle considered shutting her down outright. But something in the way she stood there—calm, steady, not pleading, not defiant—made him pause. Sending her back without a single chance to be on the field would leave her with nothing to show for the mission but a fresh injury. He didn't know how many people were watching the show right now, but he knew this could ruin her future.
He exhaled through his nose. "Fine. Keep your distance and use the rifle. Move toward me if you're attacked, and run the moment things get dangerous. Don't play the hero. If I can't handle it, you'll only get in the way. Got it?"
She gave a single nod to his rambling instructions.
Knuckle adjusted the straps on his gauntlets, the gesture more deliberate now. He'd just given himself another job: keeping the weakest member alive. But if she picked up even a fraction of field sense from this, maybe she wouldn't be such a liability later.
"Let's move," he said, stepping toward the treeline. Mai fell in beside him, rifle at the ready.
The forest waited.
The livestream feed blazed across screens worldwide, plunging viewers into the heart of a perilous forest clearing where the air thrummed with danger. The camera swept over the scene: a sprawling campsite at the edge of a dense, misty woodland. The hashtag #ADayAsASidekickFeedsKidsToEBoss dominated Quirkter, the comment section a roiling sea of awe, skepticism, and hype.
The feed locked onto Inferno Knuckle, a towering superhero whose fiery aura cast flickering embers into the twilight. His massive frame carved a path through the underbrush, each step heavy with purpose.
Trailing at a cautious distance was Mai, a Level 1 Raiser—the lowest rung on the hero ladder, below Trainee (Level 10) and F-rank (Level 20). Her slight figure was almost swallowed by the forest's shadows, but her grip on a sleek Blackfang Tactical sniper rifle was steady, its scope glinting faintly.
The camera zoomed in, the way her hands tightened around the weapon, then slid to the Blackfang Tactical logo on the rifle's body.
[Poor Knuckle stuck with the rookie again]
[She's gonna trip and cry before she even shoots.]
A guttural snarl cut through the feed. A sinewy, insectoid monster—claws like serrated blades, eyes glowing venom-green—lunged from the undergrowth. The camera swiveled as Knuckle charged forward but didn't punch—he simply squared up, a living wall daring the creature to make the first move.
[Knuckle could flatten that thing with one punch. What's he waiting for?]
[Bet he's setting Mai up for a highlight reel. Dude's sly.]
[Big guy's rough but classy. Gotta respect it.]
[Mai needs something for her academy report, or she's done for.]
[Lmao, what if she misses and nails Knuckle instead?]
[Oh no, imagine that actually happening!]
[Knuckle's Level 29, her sniper could nick him—but maybe only a bloody scratch or two at best, don't worry about it]
Doubt flooded the chat like a tidal wave. Then—BANG. A single, deafening shot shattered the forest's silence. The camera snapped to Mai, her sniper rifle braced against her shoulder, scope pressed to her eye. The bullet tore through the monster's skull, a clean headshot that dropped it instantly, its glowing eyes snuffed out. The feed froze on the moment: Mai, steady on her feet, and Knuckle, his rugged face caught in a split-second of shock.
[WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!]
[💀💀💀 HEADSHOTTTTT]
[Knuckle's face is GOLD, he's like 'huh?!' hahaha.]
[🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥]
[Total fluke, no chance she pulls that off again.]
[Fluke? Knuckle had it pinned. Easy shot.]
[Easy? I'd like to see YOU try, keyboard warrior.]
[Bruh, I'd have dropped that thing the second it popped up.]
[💸 Superchat $50 from EagleEyeFan: This girl's aim just paid my rent in dopamine.]
The forest fell quiet again, save for the distant hum of the Gate. The screen trailed Knuckle and Mai as they ventured deeper, the camera catching every tense step.
Occasionally, the silence split with the crack of a gunshot. Mai lifted her sniper rifle, each round finding its mark with chilling precision—one shot, one kill. The camera lingered on every hit: a monster's head bursting in a spray of ichor, another dropping mid-lunge. It cut to the rifle's smoking barrel, then slid back to the Blackfang Tactical logo etched on the stock. By the fourth kill, Knuckle had his arms crossed, a bemused grin on his face as Mai dispatched the stragglers like a veteran marksman.
[Yo, where's the 'fluke' crowd now? Hiding?]
[This girl's a SNIPER GOD. Lottery tickets? Nah, she's out here collecting skulls!]
[Knuckle's like, 'Where's monsters? Where's MY monsters?' Lmao.]
[Look, there's his monsters—a whole fackin pack!]
[😱😱😱 CLUTCH INCOMINGGG]
[🍿🍿🍿 Sit down, this is gonna be good.]
[Superchat $100 from MaruChampOfficial: That shot was as clean as our new Quail & Herb Flavor—COMING SOON.]
The camera panned to the horizon, where a low, guttural rumble shook the trees. A pack of monsters emerged from the shadows, their eyes glinting with malice, claws raking the earth.