C6 Valley Mission

"Welcome to Honor of Kings!" With his prior experience, Matthew didn't bother with the system's announcements and immediately selected Tyler and manipulation mode, a strategy he had already planned. He knew he had two strong jungle heroes, and Honor of Kings is a game that heavily relies on jungle control. He was quite confident in his gaming skills.

"Given the short duration of this mission, you cannot switch heroes." The system ramped up the difficulty, but Matthew wasn't too worried; he only needed his two best heroes.

"Charge!" As the signal sounded, Matthew guided Tyler out of the base. He noticed something different: a "+10" in the top right corner of his screen. Matthew surmised this was because his Tyler was a blue card, which likely meant the higher the star and level, the greater the bonus. He wasn't sure if it was for all attributes or just one. Matthew quickly opened the panel to compare the team lineups. If all went well, he felt this game was in the bag.

But the next second, he panicked. He realized he had no inscriptions. Thankfully, the blue card's attribute bonus was there to compensate for the early disadvantage. As he fought the red monsters, Matthew assessed his bonuses, figuring that a blue card could offset the lack of inscriptions early on. If it were a purple card, it would probably be even stronger at the start. When he spotted Oliver trying to steal his blue buff, Matthew knew this was a high-level match. He skillfully used two abilities to create distance and waited for backup. Luckily, the clear speed of his allies was swift, and they quickly came to his aid. Oliver, seeing the tide turn, beat a hasty retreat, and both teams settled into a stable opening.

The dragon remained untaken, so Matthew decided to let it be. Several calm minutes passed until the enemy Oliver and the fish vanished from vision. With a clear grasp of the situation, Matthew signaled his marksman and moved to counter-attack. Marco Polo, also alert, kept a safe distance from the bushes. Despite his passive ability, Oliver's mobility was too great to risk a closer approach.

The mid-laner and support arrived just as Matthew reached the Tyrant in the bottom lane. He boldly used two abilities to dive into the brush, and as expected, both the enemy fish and Oliver were there. Guigu'zi unleashed his ultimate, ready to join the fray. Matthew stood his ground, drawing circles with his basic attacks. Marco Polo joined in with a whirlwind of damage, severely wounding both opponents. Oliver unleashed his ultimate in a bid to survive, but Matthew's Tyler, well-farmed by now, struck four times and finished them with his ultimate, taking down two foes.

Now was the perfect time to establish dominance. Matthew decisively countered Oliver's blue card and took down the Tyrant. He was adept at snowballing his lead, steadily widening the economic gap until his own resources were double that of his opponent's. At this point, he decided to take a calculated risk, knowing that if he didn't, the enemy might stage a comeback with Aphaea's lane-clearing abilities. After purchasing the Revival Armor for a bit of security, Matthew, controlling Tyler, dove into the mid-lane tower without giving Aphaea a chance to unleash her ultimate. Dodging a lethal freeze with a swift maneuver, he executed the Green Lotus Sword Song to eliminate Aphaea, then used the third segment of his first ability to retreat to safety, embodying the adage, "Kill one in ten steps, leave no trace in a thousand miles." This bold tower dive was only possible thanks to Tyler's exceptional development; otherwise, Matthew would never have risked it, as death would mean defeat.

The middle lane crumbled under the relentless pressure from Matthew's team, and they quickly advanced to the high ground. Despite their advantage, Matthew remained vigilant, constantly checking for any enemy presence around his shadow. Malek the Malachian Emperor took the opportunity to destroy the high ground defenses. Matthew then strategically called for a retreat to secure the Dominator, prioritizing stability. Zhuge, meanwhile, continued to apply pressure in the mid-lane. At 18 minutes and 36 seconds, Matthew's team captured the Dominator. By 20 minutes and 13 seconds, Tyler led his five-man team in a final push, and at 21 minutes and 2 seconds, they secured a resounding victory. Matthew exhaled deeply, relieved.

"Congratulations, you have completed the mission. Your score is 6/0/12, and the mission took 21 minutes and 2 seconds. Your overall rating is A+. Please choose whether to leave now or wait for the mission reward to be sent to you later. Check it at your convenience. Yes or No?"

Matthew steadied his emotions, reflecting on the challenge of surviving a match in Honor of Kings without a single death. He was starting to really enjoy the game. Controlling Tyler had given him a rush unlike any he'd felt playing on a smartphone—the intuitive mind control coupled with the immersive holographic projection was exhilarating!

Back in his cozy den, Matthew noticed he had leveled up to 3 and his backpack now contained a beginner card pack, which included a white-quality Athena and an Experience Potion. Recognizing the potion as a valuable item, he used it immediately and ascended to level 4, which meant he could now choose two Heroes to play. Elated, he decided to save the beginner card pack, knowing that a streak of ten consecutive wins was the ultimate goal.

Counting the white cards in his possession, Matthew realized he had seven. Eager to trade at the market, he entertained the possibility of acquiring a two-star card if fortune favored him.

Upon arriving at the market, Matthew didn't immediately dive into card exchanges. Instead, a woman kneeling outside, begging for help, caught his attention. "Please, I only have two hours before my mission starts. Please, have mercy..." she pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Initially hesitant, Matthew was struck by a thought, and with a reassuring pat on her shoulder, he offered all his cards except for Tyler's. "This is all I have. Pick whichever you need," he said.

The woman was momentarily taken aback, but as Matthew placed the cards in her hands, she frantically examined them. Clutching Apate and Da Ji, she looked up at Matthew with a mix of fear and nervousness. In an almost otherworldly gesture, Matthew handed her both cards and stowed the rest in his backpack. After all, cards couldn't be stolen without the owner's consent. Onlookers speculated about their relationship, generously showering the woman with attention. Realizing her stroke of luck, she hastily dried her tears and gave Matthew a deep bow, repeatedly expressing her gratitude. Prepared for the worst, she was relieved when Matthew asked for nothing in return and simply walked away, leaving her kneeling there, stunned. She glanced at her own body, laughed at herself with a touch of self-derision, and scrambled to her feet, rushing home.

In the brief pause, Matthew reflected deeply, ultimately recognizing himself as a fortunate soul without grand ambitions. Content with his own happiness, he recalled the despair in the woman's eyes, which mirrored his own during his toughest years. If not for a helping hand back then, he might not have made it to the present. Shaking off the melancholy, he swiftly refocused, reminding himself, "Survival is what matters most now."

After a stroll through the market, Matthew traded his white cards for three Athena cards and two Angela cards. Upon inspecting Athena, he noticed a note indicating it could be combined. Successfully merging it into a two-star card, Matthew returned home, thoroughly pleased with the day's outcome.

Over the following days, Matthew kept himself busy with odd jobs, steadily accumulating gold coins, and occasionally sharing a drink with Frasier. Life, he found, was surprisingly content.

That is until a new mission arrived...

Mission Name: Collect the Flameheart Gems

Mission Location: Tamu Star

Mission Content: You will be teleported to Tamu Star, where you must collect 50 Flameheart Gems.

Number of Participants: 1

Mission Deadline: 5 days

Note: Abandoning or failing the mission will result in a deduction of 10 years from your HP. Please proceed to Tamu Star within 24 hours to complete the mission. Successful completion will yield substantial rewards.

Please select: Abandon/Accept

Tamu Star... Matthew quickly flipped through his notebook—a collection of miscellaneous information he had gathered from various inquiries. Tamu Star was of moderate value, typically involving missions to collect a range of crystals and ores, though known to be challenging. Details beyond that were scarce.

Seeing that he didn't have much in the way of gold coins to prepare anyway, Matthew decided to accept the mission.