Infinity, The Arcade Age

Ding!

"Congratulations, player, on triggering the hidden mission: Parsi Village Defense Battle! Do you wish to accept?"

Hidden Mission: Parsi Village Defense Battle

Difficulty Level: D

Mission Objective: Assist the village in holding off the enemy assault until the arrival of Percival, the protagonist.

Mission Reward: 3000 points, 3 free attribute points.

Mission Failure: Deduction of 3000 points. If insufficient, equivalent attribute points will be deducted.

Mission Description: Due to the unexpected assault on the village, the attack will be far fiercer than anticipated. Whether you can hold out until the protagonist arrives depends entirely on your performance.

Hearing the familiar notification from the Nightmare Space, Qin Ming couldn't help but pause, instinctively glancing at White Wolf beside him.

Similarly injured, White Wolf forced a smile despite the situation, looking at Qin Ming with admiration.

"You're the stronger one, I'll follow your lead."

Qin Ming nodded without hesitation and accepted the mission. Seeing this, White Wolf followed suit.

The moment they accepted the mission, both officially joined the protagonist's faction, unlocking the faction benefits. Besides the initial exchange options, new title quests specific to the faction became available to both of them. This time, there were five titles to choose from:

Title Quests:

Village Tyrant: Kill 50 members of the enemy faction during the village defense (0/50).

Reward: White Title - Village Bully (Agility +10).

One Man Army: Guard the village's entrance and ensure it does not fall until Percival arrives.

Reward: White Title - Brute (Strength +10).

Last Survivor: Be the last person alive after the village falls.

Reward: White Title - Master of Survival (Constitution +10).

Tactical Genius: Lead the villagers in defending the village and ensure the death toll remains under 20% by the time Percival arrives.

Reward: White Title - Strategist (Spirit +10).

I Am the Hero: Take the fight to the enemy and kill the first chapter's boss, Scaun, before Percival arrives.

Reward: Green Title - Hero's Aura (All stats +5, Charisma +1).

Each title task was more difficult than the last, especially the final one.

"What the... taking the enemy general's head amidst an army? Does the Nightmare Space think I'm Guan Yu? Who could pull that off?" Qin Ming thought.

That final task was insane—the first chapter's boss was a terrifying force, a general commanding many soldiers. Even with ten Qin Mings, it would be impossible to take him head-on.

Back in the village, the villagers had sprung into action. Some were moving crates, others were setting up barricades with wooden poles, and a few were even hauling stones up to rooftops for later use.

Qin Ming and White Wolf made their way to the village chief, now that they had accepted the mission.

When the elderly chief heard that they were volunteering to help defend the village, his expression turned odd.

After all, their enemies were an army. Several of their fellow merchants had already died because of this. Yet, here they were, not running away, but volunteering to fight. The chief wondered if they had lost their minds.

Noticing the chief's skeptical look, Qin Ming quickly explained with a smile,

"My fallen comrades were my brothers. I need to avenge them. So, chief, just give us the order."

Hearing this, the village chief nodded and replied,

"Alright then, please assist in defending the village entrance. No matter what, you must hold until reinforcements arrive!"

"Understood!"

With that, Qin Ming and White Wolf headed for the village entrance.

On the way, White Wolf couldn't help but keep glancing at Qin Ming, especially at Fat Man and the other lackey following him. His expression was filled with curiosity.

The number of missions an adventurer had completed was impossible to fake, and Qin Ming had previously revealed that he had only completed one mission before this.

Yet, despite being a rookie, Qin Ming had such terrifying equipment. How did he get so lucky? Or was he some kind of genius who had struck gold in the rookie mission and skyrocketed in power?

Whatever the case, White Wolf was filled with envy. The more he looked at Qin Ming's revolver and the lackeys following him, the more jealous he became.

He recognized the gun Qin Ming carried. He had seen it once in the Adventurer's Trading Post.

It was a Silver-Grade Story Weapon—the famous Tesshion Revolver! It was considered one of the three god-tier items for rookie adventurers, thanks to its skill that summoned henchmen, making it incredibly practical.

The other two god-tier items were the Demon Transformation Device from the Transforming Ninja World, and the Simon Rifle from Sunset Riders World. These items were equally rare and powerful, known for their unique and overpowering abilities.

The Tesshion Revolver could summon three henchmen and even had a chance of summoning elite enemies. With it, a rookie could immediately gain the strength to rival veteran adventurers.

The Demon Transformation Device allowed the user to transform into a chapter boss for a limited time, effectively giving them the strength of a boss. Its usefulness was undeniable.

Meanwhile, the Simon Rifle had no skills, but it still ranked among the top three rookie weapons. The reason? It could fire three-round bursts with incredibly high attack power.

To put it simply, even if the bullets didn't hit vital points, a single shot from the rifle could instantly kill a normal elite enemy in the first chapter.

In the early stages, the value of a powerful ranged weapon like a gun was unmatched.

If a rookie got their hands on such a weapon, they were practically invincible. No wonder White Wolf was envious.

As they passed through the village, Qin Ming and White Wolf reached the entrance and joined the remaining militia in reinforcing the defenses.

However, before the barricades were even fully set up, the sound of marching footsteps echoed from the distance.

The enemy squad that had ambushed them earlier had arrived, and they were bringing the fight to the village!

A black mass of soldiers, at least several dozen, approached with heavy-armored swordsmen leading the charge, their massive swords dragging on the ground.

Seeing this, the hastily assembled villagers gripping their crude wooden spears turned pale with fear.

Even the few remaining militia members, standing at the front, were visibly trembling.

Most of their best fighters had already died during the earlier ambush, and the remaining ones were little more than cannon fodder.

They were good at hunting or patrolling, but when it came to a life-or-death battle against a real army, they were utterly outmatched.

(End of Chapter)