Infinity, The Arcade Age

As Qin Ming observed the hulking figure standing beside the boss, indistinguishable from an ordinary heavy-armored swordsman yet immune to his Dinosaur Goggles, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Well, well! Impressive! It's only been half a day, and he's already managed to infiltrate the boss's ranks! Qin Ming thought. Was this guy planning to join the boss's forces and assist them in fighting against the protagonist trio?

It was undeniably a clever choice. The bosses' side was powerful, with large numbers and strong forces. Teaming up with them could indeed be easier. Plus, the protagonists themselves were essentially bosses in their own right.

If they managed to kill the protagonists, there would be three boss chests waiting for the taking. And the legendary Arthur—wasn't he the one who pulled the sword from the stone? If his Excalibur could be looted, its attributes would surely be mind-blowing. Just imagining the possibilities made Qin Ming shiver with excitement.

To be honest, Qin Ming had briefly considered joining the villains' side himself. The challenge, though, was how to integrate into the boss's team without risking his neck. He hadn't come up with a good plan for that, which is why he hadn't pursued it. He wasn't about to gamble his life away.

But now, someone had already pulled it off—earning a significant position within the boss's ranks in just half a day. Qin Ming couldn't help but feel impressed.

Still, he quickly withdrew his gaze and led his three minions into the nearby forest to sneak away.

Having confirmed the boss's attributes and decided that the fight was indeed feasible, Qin Ming was ready to make his move. As for that adventurer standing by the boss? Well, since they chose to side with the boss, they were now opponents. And Qin Ming never showed mercy to his enemies.

Following his crude map, Qin Ming quickly located the small outpost closest to the main camp. After a brief period of observation and confirming that there were indeed only about ten people stationed there, Qin Ming made his move without hesitation.

At the outpost's gate, two bored swordsmen stood guard.

In theory, they didn't need to be on high alert—this was their territory, after all. But recently, a rumor had spread that someone had pulled the Sword in the Stone, a person destined to challenge the evil Duke and end his reign of terror. This had infuriated the Duke, who demanded that all his soldiers find this chosen one and bring back his head.

It was said that this chosen one had been spotted nearby, and rumors were circulating that a nearby village had secretly pledged allegiance to him. The local commander, Sir Scorn, had ordered his men to be on high alert, dispatching small outposts like this one to block roads and search for enemies, hoping to earn a reward.

Their commander's ambition, however, had put his subordinates in a tight spot, especially the low-ranking swordsmen. They had to guard the gates, cook, fetch water, and perform all sorts of menial tasks. After all, you couldn't expect the elite heavy-armored swordsmen to do the grunt work, could you?

One of the swordsmen, annoyed from a long day's labor, grumbled to his companion, "Didn't they say that the village nearby is in league with the enemy? Why don't we just march in and slaughter them already? Why are we the ones suffering out here?"

His fellow swordsman rolled his eyes. "You idiot, that's called luring the snake out of its hole! If we didn't spread the rumor, how else would those bastards come running to help?"

"Oh, so the village hasn't actually allied with the enemy? We're just spreading false information?"

"I don't know about that, but it doesn't matter whether they have or not. They're dead either way. If we can't find the guy who pulled the sword, Sir Scorn will probably raze the village to the ground, just to save face. After all, we can't return empty-handed."

"Oh, makes sense... Wait, didn't Sir Scorn already meet with the village chief and take a bribe to leave them alone?"

"You really don't get it, do you? Taking a bribe doesn't mean he won't kill them! Promises are cheap, and once they're dead, no one's around to complain about broken promises!"

As the two swordsmen idly chatted, their banter came to an abrupt halt. A loud bang suddenly filled the air. The next moment, one of the swordsmen's heads exploded into a spray of blood, his body sent flying as he collapsed lifeless to the ground.

The remaining swordsman, frozen in shock, instinctively turned to flee. But before he could take a step, another thunderous shot rang out, and he too was riddled with bullets, his body flung aside to join his comrade.

The commotion drew the attention of the soldiers in the outpost, who scrambled from their tents, frantically pulling on armor as they rushed toward the gate.

Meanwhile, Qin Ming calmly strode toward the gate, his revolver still smoking as he reloaded. His three minions, including the hulking Fat Man, followed close behind, their expressions fierce.

Seeing the soldiers emerging from the outpost, Qin Ming wasted no time, raising his gun and firing again, quickly dispatching the two who led the charge. After emptying his revolver, he paused to reload.

Beside him, the Fat Man and the other two thugs roared in fury and charged headlong into the fray.

Fat Man, eager to show off his elite status, launched a Body Slam, barreling through two swordsmen with his shoulder and crashing into the midst of the enemy. He then leaped into the air, slamming his bulk onto another swordsman, who screamed in agony as his bones shattered.

In an instant, the enemy's front line was broken.

Qin Ming, having reloaded his revolver, joined the fray. One swordsman leaped toward him, sword raised, but Qin Ming quickly fired, hitting him square in the chest and sending him flying.

Turning his revolver on two more approaching swordsmen, Qin Ming fired again, killing one and grievously wounding the other.

Suddenly, a deafening roar came from behind—a massive figure wielding a two-handed sword and clad in heavy armor was charging at Qin Ming with terrifying speed.

This was the outpost's elite warrior, a Heavy Armored Swordsman.

He charged forward, tanking three shots directly—

—and then he died.

As the elite warrior's headpiece caved in from the gunfire, his body collapsed to the ground. Qin Ming, having emptied his revolver again, spat in disdain.

"Acting tough, huh? You think my silver-grade gun can't kill you?"

As Qin Ming began reloading once more, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. One of the swordsmen had managed to close the distance and struck him. The blow tore through his coat but was stopped by the red vest he wore underneath.

Without missing a beat, Qin Ming swung his fist behind him, landing a solid punch on the swordsman's face, sending him spinning to the ground. When the swordsman finally hit the dirt, his jaw was twisted at a grotesque angle.

Thanks to his gear and title boosts, Qin Ming's Strength stat now stood at 22.

Ordinary enemies? Bosses?

What a joke. In front of these small fries, Qin Ming was the real boss.

(End of Chapter)