Infinity, The Arcade Age

Air Cannon watched in horror as the comrade who had been talking with him just moments ago was split cleanly in two, unable to react before his body hit the ground.

A shiver ran through his entire body.

As a veteran adventurer in the Nightmare Space, Air Cannon had fought through countless battles across various worlds. His instincts kicked in almost instantly, and he rolled away from his position without hesitation.

Not a moment too soon—a fiery, spiraling slash cut through the spot he had just occupied. The searing blade cleaved the massive boulder behind him in two, its momentum carrying it into the forest, where it felled several trees.

The trees crashed to the ground one after another, their scorched stumps glowing from the intense heat.

Before the flames even died down, another barrage of smaller fiery slashes erupted from the darkness, tearing through the ground, shattering boulders, and setting the surrounding vegetation ablaze.

Dodging and scrambling to avoid the relentless onslaught, Air Cannon barely managed to reach cover behind a larger rock. As he crouched down, panting heavily, the fiery slashes struck his refuge, carving deep gouges into its surface. Each gouge was a hand's breadth deep, capable of cutting through flesh and bone like paper.

Listening to the deafening impacts and feeling the tremors behind him, sweat poured from Air Cannon's face. It wasn't until the cutting sounds stopped that he dared to peek out from behind the rock.

Through the haze of smoke and fire, he saw a figure approaching—Qin Ming.

The man emerged from the shadows, walking with deliberate steps, his expression as dark as the night around him.

Air Cannon's breath caught. He had always considered Qin Ming the biggest threat among their group of five. With his infamous beginner's artifact and his ability to summon minions, Qin Ming could easily dominate during loot distribution.

That's why Air Cannon and Hawkeye had agreed to preemptively eliminate him. Striking first meant they wouldn't have to face him later.

But their calculations had gone disastrously wrong.

Not only had Qin Ming survived the orc ambush, but he had emerged unscathed, effortlessly dispatching Hawkeye with a single strike.

Qin Ming strode closer, his gaze icy. He hadn't been surprised that his so-called allies would turn on him eventually. What caught him off guard was how seamlessly they had coordinated their ambush, attacking without hesitation or concern for the mission's success.

Peeling off his charred outer layer of clothing, Qin Ming revealed a physique that seemed carved from stone, every muscle radiating raw power.

Even after enduring countless orc attacks, his body remained unscathed.

This was the terrifying result of his overwhelming defensive abilities.

Thanks to his B-tier passive skill Iron Frame Body and a collection of high-tier equipment, Qin Ming's defense stat had reached an astonishing 19 points.

While this might be inadequate against powerful bosses, against hordes of low-level enemies, it was almost invincible.

Flexing his shoulders as he advanced, Qin Ming's expression was one of unrelenting fury.

Realizing there was no chance of escape, Air Cannon gritted his teeth and chose to fight back.

Gathering energy in his hands, he unleashed a volley of homing energy blasts. The orbs curved wildly through the air, bypassing obstacles and hurtling toward Qin Ming at incredible speed.

But Qin Ming didn't bother dodging.

The first blast struck his chest, causing his body to jolt slightly.

The second hit his shoulder, making him tilt briefly.

Then came the third, the fourth, the fifth…

Exhausting every ounce of his spiritual energy, Air Cannon fired over a dozen blasts, pausing only when he could no longer muster the strength to continue. His face was pale, his breathing labored.

Yet Qin Ming remained unscathed.

The energy blasts hadn't even scratched him.

Staring at his approaching opponent, Air Cannon's panic reached a fever pitch. In a last-ditch effort, he stood up and leveled his light machine gun at Qin Ming, squeezing the trigger.

Bullets poured out in a relentless stream, hammering into Qin Ming's bare torso.

The rapid fire filled the air with the clinking of ricocheting rounds as the bullets bounced harmlessly off his skin, scattering in all directions.

Undeterred, Qin Ming strode through the hail of gunfire, closing the distance until he stood directly in front of Air Cannon.

With a single motion, Qin Ming grabbed the machine gun's barrel. His fingers tightened, and with a sharp twist, he bent the barrel upward at a perfect 90-degree angle.

The weapon sputtered and fell silent, its firing mechanism ruined.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Air Cannon stood frozen, staring into Qin Ming's eyes. The sheer presence of the man, combined with the effortless destruction of his weapon, drained the strength from his legs. Sweat poured down his face as he stammered, "P-please… spare me…"

For the first time, Qin Ming's expression shifted. His eyebrow arched slightly as his right arm, wreathed in flames, rose above his head.

The air hummed with power as Qin Ming unleashed a single, devastating strike.

His flaming hand cleaved through Air Cannon's body in an instant. The attack carried upward, igniting the sky before exploding in a fiery burst.

Air Cannon's body trembled before a thin, crimson line appeared down the center of his torso.

With a sickening crack, his body split in two, each half collapsing to the ground.

Qin Ming lowered his arm and finally broke his silence.

"I didn't provoke you. But you dared to come after me. You were asking for it."

(Chapter End)