Infinity, The Arcade Age

Waves rippled as the warship steadily sailed down the river, following its course.

Now that Zhao Yun had taken control of the ship, he immediately altered its route, steering toward the nearest Shu water stronghold. His priority was to rendezvous with reinforcements.

After all, the Wu soldiers on board were a lingering threat.

At the moment, they remained passive and unaware, but the moment they realized that Sun Ji had defected, there was a high risk of them organizing a mutiny.

If that happened, and they were outnumbered, everyone on board would be in grave danger.

Zhao Yun needed Shu reinforcements—fast. Only by fully securing the warship under Shu's control would the rescue mission be truly complete.

But Wu had spent a long time preparing this plan—there was no way they didn't have a backup strategy.

And besides…

There were still several adventurers on board who had a personal vendetta against Qin Ming.

...

Suddenly, a deep rumbling echoed across the water.

Hearing the sound, Zhao Yun froze for a moment before rushing toward the ship's stern, gazing out toward the distant sea.

But all he saw was… calm, empty waters.

There wasn't a single ship approaching.

His brows furrowed in confusion. Before he could figure out where the noise had come from—

The warship suddenly shook violently.

A second later—the water's surface exploded!

Blinding flames erupted from the side of the warship!

As the ocean split apart, an enormous submarine slowly emerged from beneath the waves!

The massive vessel pressed tightly against the warship's hull, and from its upper deck, dozens of gun barrels adjusted their aim, immediately unleashing a barrage of suppressing fire.

At the same time, the submarine's sealed hatch burst open—

A horde of Wu soldiers, weapons in hand, roared as they surged forward, leaping onto the warship and engaging in brutal close-quarters combat!

Wu's pursuers had arrived!

And this time, they came aboard a submarine!

Gigantic Submarine: Thunder Roar!

A combat vessel from Undersea War, and a naval warfare superweapon controlled by the King of Fighters Squad's Hunting Team!

The warship, having taken a direct hit from a torpedo, was now taking on water. Its mobility was almost completely crippled as it drifted helplessly on the sea.

The ambush had caught them completely off guard.

Meanwhile, the endless flood of Wu soldiers pouring out from the submarine had locked the entire crew in battle, preventing them from repairing the ship.

Seeing the enemy overrunning the deck, Zhao Yun's face darkened.

Drawing his Qinggang Sword in one hand and grabbing a spare spear in the other, he charged into battle with an imposing presence.

With each swing of the Qinggang Sword, freezing energy trailed behind him—anyone who dared to clash weapons with him had their blades shattered, their bodies cut down in an instant!

Dual-wielding his weapons, Zhao Yun single-handedly blocked the wave of enemies surging toward the bow.

Meanwhile, among the invading forces, two adventurers with distinct attire had originally lit up with excitement upon seeing Zhao Yun.

Drawing their weapons, they had intended to charge in and engage him.

But the moment they saw him draw the Qinggang Sword, their expressions drained of color.

They stopped dead in their tracks.

They knew exactly what that sword was capable of.

Faced with such an overpowered divine weapon, fighting Zhao Yun head-on was suicide.

Locking eyes for a brief moment, they quickly nodded to each other—bypassing Zhao Yun entirely and making a dash toward the warship's interior instead.

They were both members of the King of Fighters Squad's Hunting Team, sent ahead via the submarine to intercept the warship and create an opening for their teammates to follow.

"You take out the control room!"

"I'll set fire to the mast!"

"Got it!"

The two adventurers quickly divided their tasks and sprinted in opposite directions.

Huang Yan, the burly brute and heavy-hitter of the four-man hunting squad, charged straight for the helm at full speed. Relying on his sheer brute strength, he smashed through several shield-bearing guards, their iron defenses crumpling under his force. He grabbed a spearman by the head and flung him several meters away, sending the screaming soldier crashing through the railing and into the sea.

Dressed in a red combat suit that left his massive chest exposed, with only a few black straps crossing over his torso, Huang Yan rammed his shoulder into the wooden door of the helm, shattering it instantly.

Hearing the sudden crash, the female guards stationed at the ship's wheel immediately turned to face the source of the commotion. As soon as they spotted Huang Yan's imposing figure, they swiftly drew their weapons, raising their swords and shields as they formed a defensive stance.

Huang Yan looked at the six elite guards standing in formation before him. Their cold gazes and beautiful faces only made the grin on his thick, muscular face stretch wider.

"Women? My favorite kind of opponent! HRAAAH!"

With a thunderous roar, he raised both arms high and slammed them down onto the deck.

BOOM!

A powerful shockwave erupted outward, rippling through the floorboards and blasting the surrounding area with immense force.

C-rank Skill—King of Fighters: Goro Daimon's Ultimate Move—Earthquake Slam!

The female guards, caught directly in the impact, were sent stumbling backward, their bodies momentarily lifted into the air by the sheer force.

Before they could regain their footing, Huang Yan had already launched forward like a beast on the hunt. With a shoulder tackle, he slammed into one of the guards' chests, driving her backward several meters until she crashed into the ship's wheel.

CRACK! The sturdy wooden helm snapped apart upon impact! The female guard, eyes widening in shock, coughed up a mouthful of blood from the force of the blow.

Huang Yan, his rampage not yet over, grabbed her head, his veins bulging as he hoisted her up and hurled her into the air. The woman soared several meters before slamming into the ship's cabin like a human cannonball, shattering the wooden wall and disappearing inside.

King of Fighters: Yamazaki Iori's Ultimate Move—Earth Breaker!

With one opponent down in an instant, Huang Yan stood tall, his muscles bulging so fiercely it seemed like they might tear through his clothing.

Unlike most of his teammates, who focused exclusively on mastering a single character's abilities, Huang Yan had chosen a different path.

He had combined the powers of two earth-manipulating warriors from the King of Fighters world: Goro Daimon, a master of grappling and throws, using the power of the earth to enhance his combat, and Yamazaki Iori, a ruthless destroyer, sacrificing control for pure destructive power.

One harnessed the earth. The other tore it apart.

Neither was inherently stronger than the other, but both were masters of close-quarters combat and raw power.

Huang Yan's path was to merge both styles, creating a unique hybrid fighting style.

Goro Daimon's grappling. Yamazaki Iori's throws. Together, their combined power was far greater than the sum of its parts.

The only downside?

There was no specific bloodline enhancement to match his hybrid fighting style.

But that wasn't a big deal. After all, Huang Yan had never qualified to obtain a bloodline in the first place. Yamazaki Iori's Dry Earth Bloodline was too high-ranked, beyond his reach—even as a mid-tier adventurer.