I like them big, do you?

Chapter 26: Hero

Rhett, known as Tehr, heard the unknown voice within his head.

That voice sounded eerie, and Rhett would have had goosebumps had he been in a normal state. However, he lied lifelessly, hanging on to life due to the unknown voice's presence! Even so, he knew that this man was looking down on him.

Thus, he smiled and didn't move an inch!

A loss was a loss.

Rhett lost against Reylin, and he had also signed a contract! He respected the winner, and turning toward some dark matter felt rather weird...

The half-undead race was also something Rhett would like to investigate rather than spending more time on the unknown presence.

Alas, a simple refusal from the half-undead wasn't enough to stop the show.

"Hesitating? No! You are unwilling! Haha! All players so far have accepted my offer! You are the first!" The unknown voice exclaimed.

His offers weren't too enticing, but the players chose the dark matter side for the unique quests and class! That was also the opposite side of the main quest, so the rewards were bound to be high!

It sounded epic, and they just threw themselves here willingly.

Rhett would have had some thoughts, but now, he had a contract binding his life, and he would instead rest than speak with a man with such a voice.

"Well. It's just one more dead body for my experiment then," The voice declared, and the whole sky turned dark.

Many players looked up, "Is it going to rain?" They thought out loud while looking at the sky with the black clouds devouring the white.

The timing was too perfect, and it felt like nature tried to answer Reylin's flames.

That thought brightened the faces of a few players, mainly those killed by Reylin before, and all of them prayed for the lightning bolts.

Their happiness didn't last long!

[You have entered the Dark Matter Zone.]

[The unknown existence had summoned the zone to collect your bodies! Face the three waves of the dark matter monsters and survive through it!]

[Reward: Your body will be more familiar with dark matter. You will be more liable for the lucky dark matter drop to your main quest.]

[Epic Reward: Depending on your kill count, you can get the following rewards: Dark Darius Sword(???), Rebecca's Staff(???), A piece of Shadow Armor Set(???), Red Eye Amulet(???), EXP BOOST +20]

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[Penalty for dying in The Dark Matter Zone - Unable to log in for the duration of the unknown existence's experiment. Your body can be saved by others, though. The penalty's time - Unknown.]

"Ridiculous! This game is ridiculous!" The players exclaimed.

At first, their bodies trembled with excitement. It looked like they unknowingly stepped into the main storyline quest! Those expressions billowed with the rewards, and many couldn't stop the urge to rush and find the monsters.

Their faces took a remarkable turn the moment the penalty appeared.

This game was already ridiculous with their reality, mainly the prison and NPCs! Some residents didn't even give quests, and one would need to work their butt off to raise affinity and then get some work!

Many other similar cases happened across the Faynom World, and there was a high percentage of players that had posted their complaints online.

The company didn't answer those, and they remained silent.

Many people often felt entitled, however. Some weren't even conscious of it, and it showed. Now, the handful of players caught in the dark matter zone shifted their eyes to Reylin.

They pointed their wobbling fingers at him, "It's because of you that we are in this shit! You don't think of running away or working alone! You must take responsibility!"

"Take responsibility and work with us!" The ladies shouted.

Reylin threw a side-glance at them and snickered, "Is your life so mundane you get so anxious over a little penalty? You can always create a new character. It's not like you've achieved something with such weak personalities."

Players trembled from indignation, and their pointless insults eluded Reylin.

He seemed ready for more exercise, and no one stood out enough to gather his attention for the potential party.

Reylin also wasn't interested in it, so he didn't bother searching for allies.

However, he stopped after someone invited him for a private conversation.

[A player, Ferocious Bear, has sent you a message.]

[Voice Call.]

Voice Call erased the voice from players and made it exclusive! Even if the lips were moving, no one other than the receivers would hear the speaker.

Reylin mostly chatted with his butler, and he never had any reason to use this option.

He accepted the invitation, and the lady introduced herself to Reylin's surprise with a soft voice.

He didn't expect that voice from the nickname.

"I am Maya, the guild leader of the Hero Party. I've come here to invite you to my guild, but things have taken such an unexpected turn I must leave that for later. My class is unique, just as much as yours. I believe we can have a long talk because we are both strong."

"Well then. Tell me what you want from me," Reylin smiled and asked while looking at Ther's undead body.

A dark matter was swirling around that player, and it was sure he would become the first opponent soon.

Other players tried to stop the process but to no avail.

Reylin wasn't in a rush, and he listened to the Ferocious Bear.

She also didn't waste any second, "The penalty must bother you as well. From the first video about you to today's stream, you were all alone. I apologize if it's rude, but it's implausible for you to get saved by someone else. And, that existence surely is both sneaky and strong. It's a gamble for how long we will be unable to log in once caught.

We lack knowledge about the dark matter zone. With your items, at best, you will overcome them alone. At worst, you will die and get no experience. No player has an infinite amount of stats, and we can help cover your back while you recuperate. The most crucial point is that the rewards are really tempting, aren't they? Let's face the waves together and become friends."

"You have covered the most important, more or less. Alright, I can work with you. The question is whether you can keep up with me once I get it going, but I am a little interested in your class now. Mind me taking it a little slower?" Reylin snickered.

Maya's faint chuckle amused him, "Of course not."

[You have been invited to Ferocious Bear's party. Would you like to join it?]

[Yes.]

[Ferocious Bear(Party Leader) Lv. 18 HP: 1230/1230 MP: 1000/1000]

[Average Guy Lv. 16 HP: 720/720 MP: 350/350]

[Helpless Help Lv. 15 HP: 450/450 MP: 1000/1000]

[Raikiam Lv. 16 HP: 800/800 MP: 650/650]

[Tate Bro Lv. 17 HP: 1500/1500 MP: 200/200]

Their status appeared open for Reylin's eyes, and those nicknames lit up in purple color in the crowd. He could see them on the minimap and distinguish them from the crowd...

He received surprising bonuses from entering the party.

[The Hero's Luck - You have a high chance to find the lucky items through a monster drop or labor class.]

[The Hero's Fate - You have an increased EXP gain for both skills and level by 5%]

[The Hero's Chosen - You will receive higher bonuses from the hero's passive skills.]

At last, Ferocious Bear stepped out of the crowd.

She wore steel armor that just exposed her face. Her sword didn't let out any sound, even after she unsheathed it and pointed at the sky! The lady was just a sixteen-year-old student playing on her vacation time, but due to the class she had received, it was clear the game would become more than just a game.

Or perhaps, it was already the case after Maya had fallen in love with the world and its people.

Reylin and Maya's eyes met, and her smile widened, "If you are scared, look at my back! If you can't take a step forward, take it with me! I am the hero, your friend, and support!" An unknown wave swept through the players.

Those who had accepted the blessing received bonuses such as...

[The Hero's Blessing Of Courage - Your stamina's usage is halved, and you can regenerate it during the battle. Your agility has increased by 20%. You deal more damage to the monsters wounded by the hero!]

Reylin received more bonuses because he was at the hero's party!

He whispered, "Pretty broken."

That was not the end of the surprise, however!

Tehr woke up, or rather, the dark matter that forcibly invaded his body! His whole body rose to feet, and he stood like a puppet. His eyes became black, both eyeballs and irises. No hint of color remained within those, and he howled like a genuine monster.

Maya took a position to thrust, and her sword went behind her, "The Hero's Advantage." She used her supportive skill first, her eyes on the monster.

[The Hero, Ferocious Bear, has extracted 5% of your mana.]

Reylin's eyes narrowed, then he peeked into her sword. It lit up in golden light with countless stars within. It was a beautiful skill, but also sharp and deadly against all of the hero's opponents!

In Maya's eyes, only Tehr prevailed.

His whole body soon disappeared, and his chest remained locked in her eyes.

That was what Maya saw as she closed the distance in the blink of an eye and thrust her sword into him. Her sword smoothly pierced through Tehr's chest, and his blood tainted Maya's babyface.

A loud shriek left Tehr's lips.

Then, the wave of even more eerie shrieks bloomed from behind him!

And as Tehr dropped onto the ground, dying for the second time, Maya's eyes expanded as she tried to cover the whole army of monsters going her way.

That was the first wave, and though their leader already died, their numbers left many anxious and speechless.

Maya shook her sword, wiping off the blood, then shouted, "Forward!"

Reylin's clothes fluttered as the wave of players launched their attacks at the wave, precisely after the hero's shout!

He didn't like how she used his mana, but that was not an important matter now.

He could tell she was a clever girl and that it was her presentation of the hero's abilities. If not, Reylin indeed would sing some more tunes for her. For now, he faced the challenge.

The Hero was the challenge.

"The rewards depend on the kill count," Reylin whispered, his smile widening.

The Hero's skill made others deal more damage to the monsters. That was what reassured many the most, other than the near-infinite stamina to evade the dark matter's army! However, Reylin didn't think the hero was that selfless.

And his guess was on the spot.

The Hero's skill helped others with the damage, turning the damage count in Maya's favor. It meant that all the damage the players did would mostly count for her, and she would just leave a little for them so that they wouldn't question her later on.

Hero.

Truly selfless heroes often died early.

It meant that Maya was, "A good hero," Reylin chuckled, and his fireball roared, "Showtime."