Infinity, The Arcade Age

"Roar! Push forward!"

Amid ear-piercing howls, countless orcs stormed the walls of Blackstone Town, wielding weapons as they charged.

They carried crude ladders and wooden shields, launching wave after wave of attacks. On the town walls, human archers fired furiously, bringing down orcs in droves.

The battle was a chaotic back-and-forth, with neither side gaining the upper hand. The combatants numbered over 3,000, creating an overwhelming sea of bodies that filled the battlefield.

From a distance, amidst the swaying forest, Qin Ming and his group finally arrived.

They observed the orc horde relentlessly assaulting the town. The five adventurers and two protagonists frowned.

While they could easily handle a small squad of orcs, even two or three squads with minimal difficulty, they now faced a force of over a thousand. Charging in was out of the question.

From their position, Ranger Labelle pointed to the rear of the orc army. "Look there—two trebuchets. Those are the main threats to the city. If we destroy them, the orcs won't be able to breach Blackstone Town!"

Twin-Guns, observing the battlefield through a telescope, nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Orcs may be strong and resilient, but they're not smart. Without siege weapons, no matter their numbers, they can't breach the walls. I propose we launch a night raid on their camp and destroy the trebuchets!"

"How do we destroy them?" someone asked.

"With these!" Twin-Guns pulled back her coat, revealing a military-style camouflage belt holding five grenades.

Yes, grenades—specifically, World War II-style wooden-handled grenades.

In the center of the belt, a name was faintly engraved: Emily Lisben.

Qin Ming caught sight of the name and narrowed his eyes. Military camouflage? Emily Lisben? Grenades? That name was all too familiar—Emily Lisben was the demolition expert from the Metal Slug world.

As a master of explosives, her gear was undoubtedly high-tier—at least blue-quality.

Qin Ming realized that Twin-Guns was no ordinary player. She already possessed the Punisher Combat Suit, a blue-tier story item, along with dual pistols boasting high capacity and damage—likely blue-tier as well. And now, Emily's grenade belt, another story-related blue item.

Where had she acquired so many protagonist-level items?

Qin Ming also noticed her telescope, which she had used earlier during the protagonists' appearance. It seemed to be a rare reconnaissance tool, comparable to his Dino Glasses.

Suppressing his thoughts, Qin Ming refocused on the mission.

Hours passed as the group waited for nightfall. When the battlefield finally quieted and the orcs withdrew to their camp, they made their move.

At the camp's edge, two orcs stood guard, clearly bored and inattentive. Their lackluster stance reflected the typical orc disdain for surprise attacks.

Yawning, the guards seemed ready to fall asleep. Before they could, however, the faint whistle of an arrow pierced the air.

With a muffled thunk, an arrow struck one guard in the throat, his eyes widening in shock.

Before he could react, a second and third arrow followed, targeting his eyes and neck.

The orc stumbled back under the relentless barrage, six arrows embedded in his body by the time he collapsed.

Hearing his companion fall, the other guard turned in alarm. Spotting the corpse, he hurriedly grabbed his weapon to sound the alarm, but before he could, the bushes exploded as Priest Aludo charged forward.

With one swift motion, Aludo snapped the orc's neck and dragged the body into the bushes. His movements were clean and practiced—clearly the work of an experienced raider.

With the guards eliminated, the group moved into the camp. Peering into the orc tents, they saw rows of orcs sprawled out, snoring deeply.

Twin-Guns motioned with her hand. "We'll split into three teams. Tank and I will handle the trebuchet on the left. Air Cannon, Hyena, and Hawkeye, you take the one on the right. Priest and Ranger, you burn their supplies. Without food, they'll have no choice but to retreat!"

The Priest and Ranger exchanged a glance and nodded. The adventurers had no objections either. Splitting up to destroy the trebuchets was a logical plan, maximizing both safety and rewards.

The group divided and moved toward their respective targets.

However, as they infiltrated deeper into the camp, some orcs began to stir. Many had been sleeping near the trebuchets, making it impossible to avoid detection.

With a loud howl, the alarm was raised, and the camp erupted into chaos.

Orcs scrambled to grab their weapons, running aimlessly in confusion.

Realizing their cover was blown, Qin Ming's group stopped holding back.

Hawkeye charged forward, unleashing arrows like a machine gun. Each arrow found its mark, taking down orcs and forcing them to retreat amidst pained screams.

Qin Ming followed closely behind, shooting as he ran, with his three summoned minions providing support.

Meanwhile, Air Cannon demonstrated his signature move—a homing energy blast. The glowing projectiles streaked through the air, curving mid-flight to hit hidden targets. The sheer speed and precision of his attacks left the orcs in disarray.

Though chaotic in style, Air Cannon's auto-tracking blasts caused the most damage, mowing down orcs with alarming efficiency.

The camp descended into total disarray as Qin Ming's group fought their way toward the trebuchets, their path littered with the bodies of fallen orcs.

(Chapter End)