Infinity, The Arcade Age

One wielded the Pear Blossom Spear, the other the Soaring Sky Halberd.

One was a ferocious tiger on land, the other a mighty dragon of the seas.

The two clashed head-on, neither willing to yield an inch.

Their weapons collided in rapid succession, sparks flying with each strike. The ringing sound of steel against steel filled the air as they fought fiercely, their battle becoming a blur of flashing blades and sweeping arcs.

Having ordered his men to stay back and not interfere, Gan Ning went all in, trading blows with Zhao Yun in a duel that shook the deck beneath them.

As their intense duel raged on, the surrounding soldiers didn't remain idle.

They launched a full-scale assault on the ship's interior, their goal clear—to seize Liu Adou.

The female guards stationed around the ship's cabin fought bravely. Their equipment had been significantly upgraded, turning them into fearsome warriors.

But—no matter how strong they were, they were still outnumbered.

Facing both the defecting Wu soldiers and the overwhelming force of the elite Jingfan Pirates, the vastly outnumbered female guards began to falter, forced into a slow retreat.

Seeing this unfold, Qin Ming sighed heavily.

He knew that the female soldiers alone couldn't hold the line.

There was no choice—it was time to use his trump card.

Extending his hand, a bulky satellite phone materialized in his grip.

This was a special item from the Metal Slug world—a Military Satellite Phone.

"Command calling Hunting Dogs! Hunting Dogs, do you copy?"

A burst of static crackled from the receiver.

"—Zzzt… this is Hunting Dogs! Loud and clear!"

"Deploy the tactical unit for immediate support!"

"Roger that!"

The moment he ended the call, Qin Ming winced in pain—

His hard-earned 10,000 points vanished into thin air.

And at that moment—

A deafening roar echoed from the skies!

The clouds parted, revealing five massive heavy transport aircraft diving toward the battlefield!

Even before they had fully descended—

Paratroopers began leaping out one after another.

Fifty elite Hunting Dogs commandos— deployed!

Parachutes unfurled across the sky, and the soldiers floated downward like a steel rain, weapons at the ready.

Even before their boots hit the deck—

They opened fire, unleashing a storm of bullets from their assault rifles and submachine guns.

A barrage of gunfire ripped through the ranks of Wu soldiers and Jingfan Pirates. Screams and chaos erupted as men were gunned down mid-charge.

And amidst these airborne troops—

Two massive armored figures loomed.

Tanks.

And circling above—

Two light fighter jets swooped through the air.

The battlefield had changed.

What had once been a struggle for survival had now become an all-out slaughter.

The already formidable female guards had been holding their ground—

But now, with fifty elite modern soldiers armed with automatic weapons and heavy firepower backing them up—

Their combined force became a nightmare for their enemies.

The Hunting Dogs immediately took control of the high ground, setting up defensive positions with mounted machine guns and sniper nests.

Gunfire rained from above, while the elite female guards below formed a solid shield wall, cutting down anyone who got too close.

The Wu soldiers stood no chance.

The battle for the ship had turned into a brutal siege.

And then—

The tanks landed.

With a thunderous crash, two tanks rumbled onto the deck, their treads grinding against the wooden planks.

Their cannons swiveled, locking onto the enemy forces.

"Fire!"

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion rocked the ship—Wu soldiers were sent flying as the shells detonated amidst their ranks.

The sheer force of the modern steel behemoths left the Wu troops pale-faced with terror.

Swords couldn't cut them.

Spears couldn't pierce them.

Arrows shattered on impact.

These iron monsters were unstoppable.

With the tanks rampaging on deck and fighter jets strafing from above, the once overwhelmingly superior Wu forces were now being crushed.

Gunfire.

Screams.

Explosions.

The battlefield descended into absolute chaos.

Watching all of this unfold, Qin Ming furrowed his brows, his grip tightening.

Beside him, Sun Ji struggled in his grasp, eager to join the battle.

But he held her back, scanning the battlefield—

Looking for his true enemies.

The adventurers.

Where are they…?

He searched for any sign of them.

Yet—even after scanning every inch of the battlefield, he saw nothing.

And then—

Just as his brows knitted even tighter, and he felt himself about to lose hold of the restless Sun Ji—

A scream echoed from within the ship's cabin.

Qin Ming's eyes widened.

His heart dropped.

He spun on his heel, slamming open the doors, and rushed inside at full speed.

"Shit! They're going straight for Adou!"

Sun Ji's expression changed the moment she heard those words. Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted into the ship's cabin alongside Qin Ming.

As soon as they entered, they found the place already in chaos—a full-scale brawl had broken out.

A group of fighters, dressed in gray ninja uniforms and wielding katanas, were locked in fierce combat with the five female guards stationed inside.

And these sudden intruders weren't just ordinary warriors—there were more than twenty of them!

Among them, two figures stood out, their outfits distinctly different from the rest.

The remaining two members of the Hunting Squad had finally revealed themselves!

The leader of the group, Onien, frowned when he saw Qin Ming and Sun Ji burst in. Without wasting a moment, he turned toward them, his voice cold and commanding.

"Iron Ball, go capture Adou. Use him to force Sun Ji out of the fight. I'll deal with the target myself."

His large, heavyset companion, known as Iron Ball, nodded swiftly.

She knew Onien held a personal grudge against their target. As her eyes flickered with calculation, she added in a low voice, "Remember, Lord KOF wants him alive."

"I don't need you to remind me!" Onien snapped, his gaze locked onto Qin Ming as he strode forward.

As he walked, purple flames erupted from his palms, their violent energy crackling like a living thing.

The Bloodline of the Eight Executives—Flame of Fate, activated!

With a sudden whip of his hands, the ghostly flames surged forward, merging into a burning projectile.

C-Rank Skill: Sun-Slaying Flame!

A blazing purple fireball hurtled toward Qin Ming at high speed.

Frowning, Qin Ming quickly reacted, flinging out a white Sonic Hand Blade to intercept it.

BOOM!

The ghost flame and white fire collided mid-air, instantly canceling each other out in an explosive burst of light.

Lowering his still-glowing hands, Qin Ming tightened his grip on Sun Ji's wrist, stopping her from charging forward. His voice was calm but firm.

"I'll handle him. You go save Adou and take care of the other one."

"But—"

"Don't worry. Even if I can't beat him, I can at least hold out until you come back for me."

Hearing this, Sun Ji hesitated briefly before giving a sharp nod and dashing toward the far side of the cabin.

Onien didn't bother stopping her—after all, his original plan had been to use Adou to lure Sun Ji away, giving him a one-on-one fight with his real target.

With his plan going exactly as intended, he planted his feet and raised both hands, purple flames swirling violently around him.

His cold, piercing gaze locked onto Qin Ming.

"So, you're Hyena?"

"Yeah."

"My brother was Wind. Do you understand what it means to have killed him?"

"And what exactly is this supposed to be? A final speech? If so, maybe try a different one—I'll give you a moment."

"…You're dead!"

With a furious roar, Onien thrust both hands forward, sending a massive wave of purple fire surging toward Qin Ming.

The flames expanded rapidly, forming a towering wall of ghostly energy—then, in an instant, Onien himself vanished into the inferno.

His entire body became a massive fireball, streaking straight for Qin Ming like a meteor!

He hadn't wasted any time—his opening move was already a finishing blow!

A-Rank Super Move: Forbidden Fruit of the Earth!

(End of Chapter)