Infinity, The Arcade Age

With steady footsteps, Qin Ming walked out of the room and into the village. The villagers eyed him curiously as they passed by. His current identity was simple: a wandering merchant, essentially a peddler from ancient times. This odd mix of modern and medieval clothing wasn't entirely out of place for a traveling trader.

While the villagers cast strange glances his way, Qin Ming secretly observed them in return, using his Dinosaur Goggles to check their stats. Most of the villagers had attributes below average (5), which made Qin Ming shake his head in disappointment. And then… he actually began to set up shop.

"Come and see! Metal trinkets for sale! Cheap and affordable!" Qin Ming shouted loudly, sitting behind a stone with several empty bullet casings laid out as his wares. The smooth, shiny metal surfaces of the bullet casings attracted attention from the curious villagers, who had never seen such objects before.

As more and more people gathered, Qin Ming used this opportunity to observe the crowd. Soon enough, he spotted a few stronger individuals among them—the village militia. Some wore leather armor, while others were dressed in ordinary clothes, likely on a rest shift. There were about twenty militia members, and among them was even an elite enemy—the militia captain.

Qin Ming studied the captain closely, eyebrows raised, as he wove a simple metal necklace using bullet casings and string, which he then sold to the militia captain at a low price. But just as he was about to proceed with his next step, a faint noise came from nearby.

Hearing the sound, Qin Ming quickly turned his head, his pupils shrinking when he saw the man standing there. The figure wore leather armor over jeans, with a slick, middle-parted hairstyle that looked all too familiar.

It was another adventurer!

Not only did Qin Ming recognize him, but the man also seemed to identify Qin Ming's adventurer status. The windbreaker, sunglasses, and the bullet casings Qin Ming was selling made it obvious. After all, how could such modern items exist in a medieval world?

The man's eyes flickered, and he quickly backed away, disappearing from Qin Ming's line of sight. Qin Ming merely shrugged, unconcerned. He continued with his sales while keeping a watchful eye on the crowd. Since this mission was set to peace mode, there was no point in adventurers killing each other, as there were no rewards for doing so. Moreover, with no story characters involved yet, they all shared a common goal rather than competing for personal gains.

Two hours later, after selling all his bullet casings and gathering enough information about the village, Qin Ming decided to pack up. Just as he turned to head back to his temporary lodging, a voice called out from behind.

"You've got quite the calm attitude, setting up shop while the enemy is about to invade."

Qin Ming's hand, already on the door handle, paused. He turned around to see three men standing behind him.

Each of the three wore clothing with modern touches, clearly out of place in the medieval setting. It was obvious that they, too, were adventurers.

"Well, I might as well make a little money while I can. So, what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"Oh, nothing much," replied one of them, a man who seemed to be the leader. "Just thought we'd introduce ourselves to avoid any misunderstandings or conflicts later. We're also wondering if you'd be interested in working together."

"Working together?" Qin Ming raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. We want to maximize our gains in this world, but it's impossible to achieve that alone. So, we're looking to form an alliance with other adventurers."

The leader paused and gestured towards the door. "If you're interested, how about we discuss the details inside?"

After a brief moment of contemplation, Qin Ming nodded, pushed open the door, and gestured for them to enter.

Once inside, the four adventurers sat around a table, quietly sizing each other up for a few moments. Noticing Qin Ming's hand lingering near his waist, the leader smirked slightly before speaking.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm White Wolf, and this is Black Bear—he's on his third mission. And that's Leopard, also on his third. What about you?"

"Hyena," Qin Ming replied. "Second mission."

"Second, huh?" White Wolf seemed somewhat relieved upon hearing this and seeing Qin Ming's displayed mission count.

"Alright then. Let me explain our plan in more detail."

At White Wolf's signal, Black Bear pulled out a map and spread it across the table. White Wolf pointed at several circled areas on the map.

"Leopard and Black Bear have scouted the surroundings. There are four small camps of the Duke's soldiers nearby, as well as one larger camp. The small camps hold around a dozen men each, while the large camp has over thirty soldiers, plus a mini-boss. I've identified the strongest figure in the village—the militia captain. I'm not sure exactly how strong he is, but I'm confident I can convince him to join the fight. Best case scenario, he'll rally the other militia to help; worst case, he'll fight on his own."

"So, what's the objective?" Qin Ming asked.

"Our goal is to take down these five camps before the main force arrives. Ideally, we'll have the militia leave the village to preserve their strength. When the enemy attacks the village and the protagonist group shows up, we'll come back with reinforcements and ambush the enemy. We'll earn favor with the protagonists and ensure we participate in the boss fight to complete the side mission. What do you think?"

As White Wolf laid out his plan, the three adventurers watched Qin Ming closely. Qin Ming smiled and nodded.

"Sounds good to me. I'm in—let's work together!"

He extended his hand, and the three adventurers exchanged glances before shaking hands with him in agreement.

"One thing to clarify," White Wolf added, "since we gathered most of the intel, we'll take a larger share of the spoils."

"No problem," Qin Ming replied with a grin. "I'm not equipped with any fancy gear or skills. I'm just here to complete the mission. Oh, by the way, isn't there a fifth adventurer in this group? Where's he?"

At his question, the trio frowned.

"We haven't seen him," White Wolf said. "He seems to have disappeared as soon as we entered. He hasn't shown up in the village."

"Oh, that's a wild card. Better stay cautious," Qin Ming warned.

"Don't worry. There's strength in numbers," White Wolf reassured him.

(End of Chapter)