Infinity, The Arcade Age

World Setting: Dragon King Warriors, Act One

Difficulty Level: C

Participants: 5

Mission Summary: The evil Red Dragon has attacked the city, leading its minions in a rampage of plunder. Enraged, the king has summoned heroes from across the land to join the crusade. Five legendary champions have answered the call. But whether they are here to slay the dragon for justice or simply to seize the vast treasure hoard is a mystery...

Primary Objective: Participate in the defeat of the Act One boss: Orc Chieftain.

Reward for Completion: 2000 points, 2 free attribute points.

Penalty for Failure: Deduction of 2000 points.

Optional Objective: Destroy the siege weapons prepared by the orcs.

Reward for Completion: 3000 points, 3 free attribute points.

Penalty for Failure: None.

(Note: This mission is set to Peace Mode. Adventurers cannot kill each other to gain loot.)

Inside a medieval wooden house, Qin Ming's eyes snapped open.

He picked up a piece of parchment on the table, his brow furrowing as the mission details faded from view.

Dragon King Warriors? A classic arcade game. A standard tale of heroes and dragons, though this one had a twist: the so-called "heroes" weren't fighting for justice or honor—they were in it purely for the gold. Rescuing princesses and saving the world? Just a convenient excuse.

It was only the first mission, yet the world's difficulty was already rated C-level. Clearly, this was no easy world. The Nightmare Space was cranking up the intensity.

That was fine. Greater difficulty meant greater rewards. With fewer adventurers to interfere this time, Qin Ming was confident he could maximize his gains.

Adjusting the hat on his head, Qin Ming pushed open the door.

The moment he stepped out, his gaze locked with that of a woman emerging from the opposite room.

She wore a sleek, modern combat suit adorned with a massive skull emblem across her chest—a dead giveaway: Punisher Battle Suit, a blue-tier piece of gear from the Punisher world.

Qin Ming's brow twitched slightly.

The woman also froze, her eyes scanning Qin Ming's old-fashioned trench coat and round hat.

In that instant, they both recognized each other as adventurers. Qin Ming's hand instinctively moved to the revolver at his waist, while the woman slowly reached for the twin semi-automatic pistols holstered at her back.

The tension crackled between them, neither making a sound.

Their standoff was interrupted by a shrill scream from the distance.

"Orcs! The orcs are attacking! Help!"

The panicked cries sent the villagers scattering. Shopkeepers abandoned their stalls, civilians bolted for their homes, and doors slammed shut across the street.

From the distance came the sound of heavy, thundering footsteps. A horde of hulking beasts wielding spiked maces stormed into the village, their crude armor clanking as they howled in savage glee.

Some orcs charged at the village militia, while others broke off to smash windows and kick down doors, looting everything in sight.

Qin Ming's eyes glinted as he assessed the scene. Without a word, he stepped back and broke off the standoff, moving toward the rampaging orcs.

Relieved, the female adventurer drew her pistols and joined the fray, firing at the advancing horde.

Spinning his revolver in hand, Qin Ming unleashed a warning shot into the air.

The equipped skill triggered immediately. With a burst of noise, a fat man and two scrawny thugs smashed through the door of a nearby house. They grabbed chairs, tables, and anything they could find, rushing to Qin Ming's side.

At his signal, the makeshift crew charged into the orc ranks, wildly swinging their improvised weapons.

The melee began with a splintering crash as a chair shattered over an orc warrior. The battle of minions had officially commenced.

Name: Orc Warrior (Dragon King Warriors, Act One)

Strength: 8

Constitution: 8

Agility: 3

Spirit: 1

Skill: Thick Skin (C-grade)

Description: Orc warriors have no understanding of tactics or strategy. All they know is how to kill with abandon!

As Qin Ming strode into the chaos, he saw one of his boxing thugs land two solid punches on an orc, only for the creature to shrug them off. In retaliation, the orc swung its mace, sending the thug flying.

Qin Ming's brow furrowed.

It was clear now why this world was rated C-level—the enemies here were far stronger than expected.

Even the weakest orc warriors had stats rivaling Qin Ming's elite Fat Man minion.

The horde also included heavy-armored orcs with shields. Though their base stats were unchanged, they had a C-grade skill, Shield Block.

There were also kobold archers armed with crossbows and orc lieutenants with distinct skin tones and buffed stats.

The lieutenants were elite-tier monsters, boasting Strength and Constitution at 12 and Agility at 5. Their baseline stats eclipsed even the Fat Man's.

With slightly higher stats, they could easily qualify as mini-bosses in other worlds.

With a swift kick, Qin Ming sent one orc warrior flying. He sidestepped an incoming mace swing and raised his revolver, firing without aiming.

The bullet pierced an orc's eye, dropping it instantly.

Qin Ming continued firing with unerring precision, each bullet finding its mark. Orcs collapsed one after another, their bodies piling around him.

This efficiency soon drew the attention of other orcs.

Grunting to each other, they formed a line, the shield-bearers taking point and advancing slowly toward Qin Ming.

Two shots rang out as Qin Ming reloaded and fired. The bullets sparked harmlessly against the shields, failing to penetrate.

Frowning, Qin Ming adjusted his aim. Instead of targeting their heads, he shot at their feet.

"Arrgh!"

The shield-bearers screamed as bullets punched through their toes. Their formation fell apart as they stumbled in pain, lowering their shields.

Two more shots followed, each aimed at the exposed eyes of the orcs.

Blood sprayed, and two more corpses hit the ground.

With his B-grade marksmanship mastery, Qin Ming's combat instincts and accuracy had reached terrifying heights.

Previously, he might have struggled against a coordinated enemy like this.

But now, Qin Ming was entirely unfazed. He had mastered the art of dealing death.

(End of Chapter)