Infinity, The Arcade Age

Crack!

With a sharp sound, Xiahou Dun tore off his heavy general's armor, leaving only his inner garments clinging to his muscular frame. Standing waist-deep in the churning river, his single eye glared menacingly at the figure before him.

Across the water, Qin Ming's form had grotesquely expanded, now towering over two meters tall. His muscles bulged under his torn shirt, veins pulsing with raw power as he cracked his knuckles and sneered back at Xiahou Dun.

For a moment, neither man spoke. Their piercing glares locked in silent fury.

Then, as if triggered by an invisible signal, both roared and lunged at each other through the water. They collided midstream in a savage, primal struggle—no weapons, no skills, just raw fists and brute force aimed at each other's vital points.

Their attacks were animalistic: hair was pulled, faces were punched, and elbows hammered into jaws. The river frothed and splashed around them, slowly staining red with their mingling blood.

It wasn't that they were fighting honorably or avoiding skills—it was because neither could use their signature abilities underwater.

Qin Ming's Ignition abilities were useless in the water.

Xiahou Dun's most powerful skills—Flame Spit, Fourfold Thunder Explosion, and Blazing Hammer Strike—were all fire-based.

Both men had been robbed of their signature fighting styles, reducing them to little more than brawlers in murky water.

Name: Xiahou Dun (Romance of the Three Kingdoms 2 – Act Two)

Strength: 50 (45)

Constitution: 50 (45)

Agility: 25 (20)

Spirit: 40 (35)

Skills: Flame Spit (B-Rank), Fourfold Thunder Explosion (B-Rank), Blazing Hammer Strike (B-Rank)

Profile: The trusted general and cousin of Cao Cao, Xiahou Dun is infamous for his stubborn determination and fiery temperament. Despite a career marred by losses, he continuously rose in rank.

Even with his stats slightly reduced by the water, Xiahou Dun's raw strength still surpassed Qin Ming's. Every blow he delivered packed devastating power, leaving welts and bruises on Qin Ming's skin.

However, Qin Ming had a terrifying advantage—his endurance.

Each punch Xiahou Dun landed on Qin Ming's face triggered Qin Ming's damage reduction attributes. A punch that should have shattered bones was reduced to a mere dull ache.

On the other hand, Xiahou Dun was fighting bare-chested, and Qin Ming's fists hit flesh with unfiltered impact, leaving bruises and cuts that grew worse with every exchange.

The stalemate continued until Xiahou Dun, teeth gritted, grabbed Qin Ming by the neck, lifting him from the water with a guttural roar.

"Flame Spit!"

Whoosh!

A torrent of fire erupted from Xiahou Dun's mouth, engulfing Qin Ming's upper body. The water hissed and steamed, and Qin Ming screamed in agony as flames seared his flesh.

But Xiahou Dun's triumph was short-lived. Through the smoke and flames, Qin Ming's charred face emerged—eyes bloodshot, mouth twisted into a feral snarl.

With a guttural growl, Qin Ming lunged forward and sank his teeth into Xiahou Dun's neck.

"Essence Drain!" (A-Rank Skill Activated)

Xiahou Dun howled in pain as energy began to drain from his body into Qin Ming. Every second Qin Ming remained latched onto his neck, his burns began to heal, his skin knitting itself back together as vitality surged into him.

No matter how hard Xiahou Dun punched or clawed at Qin Ming's head, the latter refused to let go.

Essence Drain was relentless. Each second consumed one point of Qin Ming's Spirit stat, but he could sustain it for nearly twenty seconds. That was more than enough time to recover from fatal injuries.

Four seconds later, Qin Ming's burns had fully healed, and his vitality was restored.

If Essence Drain had dealt higher direct damage, Xiahou Dun might have already been dead.

In a frenzy, Xiahou Dun dug his fingers into Qin Ming's hair and pulled with all his strength. With a sickening rip, Qin Ming was finally torn away—but not before tearing away a sizable chunk of flesh from Xiahou Dun's neck.

Blood gushed from the wound as Xiahou Dun staggered back, his expression twisted in both pain and fury.

Both men floated a meter apart, gasping for breath.

Qin Ming clutched his left eye, blood seeping between his fingers. Xiahou Dun pressed a trembling hand against his shredded neck.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Qin Ming released his eye, revealing an empty, bloodied socket. His lips curled into a chilling grin.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the dangling, partially torn eyeball, ripped it free, and—

Plop!

—shoved it into his mouth and swallowed it whole.

"Father's Essence, Mother's Blood—Cannot Be Abandoned!"

Xiahou Dun's single eye bulged wide in shock.

"That's… THAT'S MY LINE!!"

With a furious bellow, Xiahou Dun charged forward, flames spewing from his mouth again.

Qin Ming roared in response, his body bursting through the flames.

His right hand raised high, energy swirling rapidly around it—a rapidly spinning cyclone of concentrated force.

"Take this—Eightfold Sonic Slash!"

Instead of launching the energy blade, Qin Ming kept it in his palm and delivered the attack point-blank.

Slash!

The high-speed vortex cleaved into Xiahou Dun's neck, sending blood spraying into the water.

Before Xiahou Dun could even react, Qin Ming's left hand followed with another Sonic Slash.

Then another. And another.

Each strike left deep gashes across Xiahou Dun's torso and neck. The water churned and turned crimson as Qin Ming unleashed blow after blow in a relentless flurry.

No one had ever said ranged energy attacks had to be ranged.

Qin Ming had perfected his own brutal melee variant of the Sonic Hand Blade.

Close quarters, rapid execution, point-blank devastation—this was his signature style.

As the relentless strikes continued, Xiahou Dun's movements slowed. His furious roars turned into desperate gurgles.

In the moonlit river, two titans clashed with primal ferocity, their shadows dancing across the water.

Neither man was willing to yield.

(End of Chapter)