Infinity, The Arcade Age

A massive fireball erupted inside the ship's cabin.

Huang Yan was blown several meters into the air, slamming into the ceiling before crashing back down, his entire body charred black.

Writhing on the floor, covered in burns and wounds, he let out a painful groan and hurriedly stuffed a recovery item into his mouth.

Not far from him, Eri Kasamoto, who had taken a direct hit from his ultimate attack, staggered to her feet.

As a summoned entity, Eri's situation was uniquely frustrating—

She couldn't use Nightmare Space recovery items, which were meant for adventurers.

She also couldn't use storyline healing items, which were meant for native characters.

Meaning—she had no way to heal herself.

So, instead of worrying about it, she uncorked a bottle of vodka, tilted her head back, and downed it in one go—numbing her pain with pure alcohol.

Lowering the empty bottle, she turned to face her opponents.

Huang Yan and Tobi had already recovered using their items and were now glaring at her with murderous intent.

Eri's lips curled into a cold smirk as she lifted her hand and smashed the bottle onto the floor.

Then, she pulled out a red bandana—the signature headgear of the Hound Army—and tied it tightly around her forehead.

Her injured but unyielding stance made both adventurers hesitate for a brief moment.

But only for a moment.

Exchanging a glance, Huang Yan charged in from the ground, while Tobi launched himself from the air, attacking her from two angles at once.

As mid-level adventurers, their stats and equipment were leagues ahead of the low-level adventurers in this world.

Although their power had been temporarily reduced upon entering this low-level region, their overall attributes were still capped at a terrifying 40 points.

And even at this level, they had enhanced skills and upgraded gear.

As elite members of the Hunting Squad, both Huang Yan and Tobi had trained their stats to be as balanced as possible.

For maximum efficiency in low-level missions, they became "hexagonal warriors"—well-rounded fighters with no weaknesses.

For any ordinary low-level adventurer, facing even one of them would be a nightmare.

Even someone as strong as Qin Ming wouldn't be able to take them down easily, let alone when they fought together.

Eri, of course, wasn't an ordinary low-level adventurer.

Having been empowered by Dreamwater, her stats were already beyond 30, with agility breaking past 50.

But—without any close-combat skills or melee-boosting gear, she could only overpower small enemies or weaker adventurers.

Taking on two mid-level adventurers at once?

That was suicide.

And she knew it.

Her only chance of winning was to rely on her speed, hit-and-run tactics.

But—she wasn't running.

Because if she tried to escape, the two adventurers might abandon the chase and head straight for the main battlefield instead.

And that—

Would be far worse.

B-Rank Skill! Tornado Gale Slash!

Super Move! Million Hammer Steam!

A sudden flash of light filled the air as both Tobi and Huang Yan activated their ultimate skills simultaneously, charging straight for Eri.

Yet—

She didn't move.

Standing still, her expression unreadable, Eri continued chewing her gum as she silently pulled a pin.

A grenade pin.

And attached to it—

Was an entire belt of silver-tier grenades and summoned C4 charges.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion engulfed the entire ship.

The sheer force ripped open the cabin, sending a mushroom cloud of flames into the sky.

From the very beginning—

Eri had known she couldn't win this fight.

Four mid-level adventurers had infiltrated the ship.

If they all regrouped, their combined strength would be overwhelming.

From the moment the battle began, Eri realized she couldn't take them down alone.

So—she chose a different approach.

Her goal wasn't to survive.

Her goal was to take at least one of them down with her.

She never planned to escape.

Instead, she lured them into the ship cabin, trapping them in a confined space.

And once she had them where she wanted—

She detonated herself.

The massive explosion sent shockwaves through the entire ship.

Even the fighters on the main battlefield turned their heads in shock.

Among them, Qin Ming's brows furrowed deeply.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his Hyena Fang pistol and checked its ammunition.

Noticing the dimming glow above, he realized that Eri Kasamoto had fallen in battle.

Once a summoned entity dies, they can no longer be called back into this world.

Which meant—Eri had run into a real monster.

Anyone capable of forcing her into self-detonation could only be adventurers.

Qin Ming gritted his teeth and quickly holstered his pistol. Just as he turned to explain to Sun Ji, who was looking over in confusion, a distant ringing sound suddenly echoed from the sea.

The sharp, rhythmic chime of bells.

Hearing this distinctive sound, Qin Ming froze.

But Sun Ji's reaction was far more intense.

Her expression shifted drastically, and panic flooded her face.

"Shit! It's the Jin Fan Pirates! It's really them! My second brother actually sent them?!"

Jin Fan Pirates? Gan Ning?!

Qin Ming, of course, knew that name.

This was Gan Ning's elite unit—the deadliest naval force under Wu's command.

"Dressed in embroidered robes, with bells at their waists, strutting through the streets to show their might!"

This was the legendary image of Gan Ning and his pirates.

The man himself had started as a pirate and rose to prominence through this very fleet.

And now—this elite naval force, feared across the land, was charging toward them at full speed.

Sun Quan had even deployed Gan Ning's troops in secret, ensuring the plan's success no matter what.

This—was completely outside Qin Ming's expectations.

After all, in the original Three Kingdoms: War Chronicles 1, Gan Ning had never even made an appearance!

Qin Ming's gaze locked onto the approaching Meng Chong assault boats, cutting across the waves at breakneck speed.

Atop them stood pirates clad in embroidered robes, each gripping a long blade, bells jingling ominously at their waists.

The tension in the air was suffocating.

And at the very front—

A man stood proudly on the prow of the lead vessel.

A long-handled weapon in one hand, an embroidered battle robe over his armor, and a string of copper bells tied to his waist.

His presence alone was commanding.

Standing atop the high platform, Qin Ming clenched his fists.

"Jinyi Gan Ning…!"

"Go! Board the ship!"

"Board the ship!"

The pirates roared in unison.

As the ships drew near, the Jin Fan Pirates flung out their bells—

Each bell was attached to a chain, which latched onto the ship's railing like a grappling hook.

With expert precision, the pirates grabbed hold of the chains and began their rapid ascent.

Their movements were terrifyingly swift.

And leading them—

BOSS Gan Ning himself.

The one-armed warrior bellowed, hurling his long and peculiar-looking halberd forward.

With a resounding whirr, the weapon shot out, its upper shaft trailing a chain, wrapping tightly around the ship's railing.

Then, with a sharp tug, Gan Ning was yanked forward, soaring through the air.

Flipping mid-air, he landed gracefully—

The first to board the ship.

His roar shook the deck.

And as the surrounding Wu soldiers rushed at him, Gan Ning casually reached into his robe—

And flung out a barrage of explosives.

Boom!

Spherical bombs exploded upon impact, sending flames and shrapnel scattering in all directions.

The soldiers charging toward him were instantly blasted apart.

Not a single one managed to close the distance.

Gan Ning turned, sweeping his gaze across the remaining troops.

His embroidered robe fluttered in the wind.

Then, gripping his halberd, he bellowed fiercely—

"You are Wu's navy! Do you not recognize your own general?!"

"How dare you oppose me?!"

"Tell me—where did you get the guts?!"

"Stand down!"