Infinity, The Arcade Age

"Help! We're under attack! Someone's attacking the outpost! Help!"

The desperate cries rang out as two soldiers in leather armor, battered and bruised, scrambled toward the main outpost.

Hearing the commotion, the soldiers inside the outpost were immediately on high alert and began gathering at the gates.

One of the heavy-armored swordsmen grabbed one of the soldiers by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

"What? Say that again! We're under attack? How many of them are there?"

"I... I don't know! When we spotted the enemy, the captain sent us to get help immediately! But when we left, there were already at least a dozen of them!"

"What?!"

The heavy-armored swordsmen exchanged shocked glances.

At that moment, heavy footsteps approached, and a burly man clad in full armor, accompanied by several followers, barged through the crowd. Kaido, the commander of the heavy-armored swordsmen, frowned as he gazed at the two soldiers kneeling before him. He turned to one of his subordinates, speaking in a deep, commanding voice.

"You said they wouldn't attack until nightfall. So what's going on now?"

Hearing this, Flying Snake, the adventurer standing nearby, felt a sudden shift in his expression, his face showing clear frustration.

"Well, sir... I assure you, these aren't the people I mentioned!"

"They're not?"

"Right! There are more of them—at least a dozen. And the village militia wouldn't dare oppose us in broad daylight! These are different people!"

"... Forget it. Whoever they are, Kaile, take twenty men and deal with them."

"Yes, sir!"

"And you, Flying Snake—you go too. Make sure this goes smoothly, and don't let anything go wrong again. I hate surprises. Remember, I gave you a position because you said you could handle the village militia. But if I find out you're lying to me, not only will you lose your rank, you'll lose your life."

"Understood!"

Bowing his head in acknowledgment, Flying Snake, with a dark expression, followed the unit out as they rushed toward the attacked outpost.

The reason Flying Snake had managed to join the Duke's forces was because of his bravery and willingness to take risks. After assessing the situation, he had boldly presented himself to the heavy-armored swordsmen's commander, offering to help him capture the village and eliminate the militia. That's how he'd earned his position among them.

Everything had been meticulously planned out, and Flying Snake was just waiting for nightfall to spring the trap.

But now, with this sudden unexpected development, his mind was a chaotic mess.

Running through the woods, the group rushed toward the distant outpost. After crossing hills and streams, they finally arrived at the outpost... only to find something completely unexpected.

The outpost wasn't under attack at all!

The gate guards stood there, perfectly fine, curiously eyeing the approaching group.

No attack?!

Seeing the soldiers emerge from the outpost, Flying Snake's mind went blank, his expression darkening with shock as he quickly scanned the area.

"Where are the two soldiers? The ones who came to ask for help!"

Hearing his panicked shout, the heavy-armored swordsmen looked at one another in confusion. Finally, one of the guards spoke up.

"They stayed behind because they were injured. They're resting at the camp."

Flying Snake's face paled.

"Damn it! They weren't ours—they were fakes! They lured us out! Hurry back! Their real target is the commander!"

Shouting in alarm, Flying Snake shoved past the crowd and bolted back toward the main outpost. Seeing him run, the others followed, including the soldiers from the outpost who, upon learning the situation, hurriedly donned their armor and joined the chase.

Over thirty men charged back toward the main outpost in a frenzy, but meanwhile, back at the larger outpost...

Bang!

A loud gunshot rang out, and a gate guard collapsed, dead.

Having confirmed that a large portion of the outpost's forces had left, Qin Ming led Fat Man, the elite thug, in a direct assault on the camp.

Hearing the commotion, the remaining soldiers rushed to the gate to defend it.

But just as they gathered, two of Qin Ming's Boxing Thugs, who had been disguised as swordsmen, suddenly drew daggers and viciously stabbed the two soldiers standing beside them, sparking a chaotic brawl.

The sudden infighting threw the outpost into disarray. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, the soldiers hesitated, and in the midst of the confusion, Fat Man charged through their ranks, scattering them like bowling pins.

The sounds of battle and shouting filled the air, and the chaos only worsened when one of the thugs threw a torch, setting a nearby tent ablaze.

Amid the spreading flames, the largest tent was suddenly flung open, and Kaido, the commander of the heavy-armored swordsmen, stormed out, half-dressed in his armor and wielding a massive sword, his face twisted with rage.

"What the hell is going on?!"

Bang!

Just as Kaido appeared, a gunshot echoed, and a bullet struck his shoulder, causing him to stagger, nearly toppling over.

Kaido turned to see a man standing there, expressionless, holding a strange weapon pointed directly at him.

Seeing the smoking barrel and the blood seeping from his wounded shoulder, Kaido let out a furious roar, ignoring the pain as he raised his sword and charged at Qin Ming in a blind rage.

Kaido rushed forward, and Qin Ming retreated, firing his gun as he backed away.

Each shot hit Kaido's armor, sending blood spraying with each impact.

After taking six bullets and still standing, Kaido finally managed to close the distance. With a burst of speed, he slammed his shoulder into Qin Ming.

C-rank skill: Charge Slash!

The collision was loud, but to Kaido's surprise, he wasn't able to knock Qin Ming to the ground!

After all, despite being a mini-boss, Kaido's Strength was only 20, whereas Qin Ming's strength was already 22!

Digging in his heels and holding his ground, Qin Ming wrapped his arms around Kaido's waist, preventing him from swinging his sword.

Despite taking two heavy punches from Kaido, Qin Ming roared in anger, summoning his strength to lift the massive commander into the air.

In one swift motion, Qin Ming executed a perfect German suplex, slamming Kaido's head into the ground with a thunderous crash.

Boom!

Kaido's head smashed into the dirt, his sword slipping from his grasp.

Before the dazed commander could recover, Qin Ming straddled him and began choking him with all his might.

Kaido retaliated with two punches to Qin Ming's side, but Qin Ming, now fully enraged, punched back—only to realize he was punching Kaido's helmet, hurting his own fist in the process.

Realizing that he was at a disadvantage in this fistfight, Qin Ming fumbled to reload his revolver.

Seeing this, Kaido, who didn't know what this strange weapon was, had already experienced its power. He knew that if Qin Ming managed to reload, it would be the end for him.

Desperately, Kaido struggled to stop Qin Ming from reloading, knocking the bullets out of his hands.

Frustrated, Qin Ming decided to forgo reloading altogether. Grabbing the empty revolver, he raised it like a club and began smashing it against Kaido's face, using it like a brick...

(End of Chapter)