Infinity, The Arcade Age

Amidst an anguished roar, Twin-Guns' glowing right fist streaked forward, aiming directly at Qin Ming, who was mid-air preparing a diving kick.

And then—

Thud!

Her face collided with Qin Ming's foot.

The sheer force of the blow sent her hurtling backward, her body skidding across the ground for over ten meters before slamming into the dirt.

Qin Ming landed, stunned. His hands flew to his body, patting himself down frantically.

But there were no injuries.

Twin-Guns' supposedly devastating attack had failed to leave even a scratch.

Frowning, Qin Ming glanced at her prone figure sprawled in the distance.

What just happened?

That punch wasn't just for show—its initial energy surge had triggered his B-tier Combat Instinct to warn him of danger. He'd sensed the power radiating from her stance, unmistakably the prelude to an S-tier skill: Heavenly Overlord Punch!

A devastating, close-range attack renowned for its explosive force. If it had landed properly, even Qin Ming, with all his formidable attributes, wouldn't have shrugged it off.

But the impact? Nothing.

There could only be one explanation: She had failed to activate the skill.

Whether it was due to lacking the required attributes, insufficient spirit energy, or simply being out of stamina, the technique had fizzled out before it could reach its full potential.

Struggling, Twin-Guns propped herself up on trembling arms. Just as she raised her head, she found herself face-to-face with Qin Ming, who loomed over her, his gaze as cold and unyielding as steel.

She barely had time to react before his hand clamped around her neck, lifting her off the ground effortlessly.

Gasping for air, she flailed, her vision darkening as his other hand ignited with searing flames.

"D-Don't kill me!" she croaked, her voice barely audible.

Qin Ming's brow furrowed, and his lips twisted into a bitter smile.

"Funny, I've heard that same plea at least five times now. What's next? Do you all share the same last words?"

"I—I'll trade my life for something of value!" she stammered. "The hammer! You know how valuable it is!"

His grip on her neck loosened slightly as his brows knit together in thought.

"Fine. I'll let you live—on one condition. Hand over all your equipment."

Twin-Guns' eyes widened in despair, and she shook her head vehemently despite the strain on her neck.

"No! My next mission is a promotion trial! Without my equipment, I'm as good as dead! If I lose everything now, it's no different from you killing me outright!"

"...If you hadn't helped me earlier, you'd already be dead by now," Qin Ming said grimly, before flinging her to the ground.

Landing with a thud, Twin-Guns coughed violently, clutching at her neck.

"Start talking," Qin Ming demanded. "That hammer—how did you get it? And what about your skills and other gear? There's no way a rookie like you got all this on your own."

Despite her fear, Twin-Guns hesitated for a moment before deciding that honesty was the best way to survive.

"My talent," she said cautiously, "is called Duplicator. It lets me copy items from any protagonist in the mission world—as long as they willingly hand it to me."

"...Anything?"

"Yes. If they hand it over—even for a second—I can duplicate it. It's an exact copy, no matter how powerful."

"And that hammer?"

"I copied it in the tavern when you sold it to Aludo."

"And those skills? The Extreme Flow techniques? Where did those come from?"

"...From the Art of Kyokugenryu, taught by Ryo Sakazaki. I copied his family's secret manual during a mission in the Art of Fighting world. I earned his trust, built up enough favor, and borrowed the manual for a few seconds—just long enough to copy it."

She watched his expression carefully as she spoke, her voice trembling.

"The manual was a unique S-tier skill consumable. Once learned, it grants all Kyokugenryu techniques, including Heavenly Overlord Punch. But the manual itself? It's gone now. I already used it."

Qin Ming's expression darkened as her words sank in.

"...An S-tier item? And you copied it just like that?"

His disbelief was palpable. S-tier items were things of legend—rarely seen, let alone acquired. Yet this woman, through sheer cunning and her overpowered talent, had snagged one for herself.

"And now you're here with an arsenal of skills and gear you shouldn't even have. You're a monster, you know that?"

"I'm not the only monster here," Twin-Guns muttered, her eyes darting to Qin Ming's imposing figure. "How did you get stats like this? Your defense is ridiculous!"

But Qin Ming wasn't listening anymore. His mind was racing.

Her Duplicator talent was horrifyingly potent. If left unchecked, she could grow into a genuine threat—a rival whose strength would rival even his own.

If she was capable of this now, what would she become after her next mission?

The answer was clear: She couldn't be allowed to live.

Killing intent surged in his gaze, and his hands tightened into fists.

Twin-Guns noticed the change immediately, her face turning deathly pale. Desperation clawed at her voice as she began to babble rapidly.

"You can't kill me!" she pleaded. "I'll trade you anything you want! I even have a return scroll—it forces me back to the hub, but at a huge cost to my base stats. If I use it, I'll fail my promotion trial, and we'll never cross paths again! Isn't that enough?!"

"Shut. Up."

"Please! There's no point in killing me! We've only fought because of the mission! You'll never see me again after this—I swear! Killing me won't benefit you at all!"

"I said shut up!" Qin Ming bellowed.

Unable to bear her frantic rambling any longer, he lunged forward and clamped his hand over her mouth, silencing her protests.

Even as his grip tightened, Twin-Guns reached into her inventory and retrieved a small item—a Game Coin Voucher, its silver sheen dull in the dim light.

An item that could force her to retreat—but at a heavy cost.

(Chapter End)