Infinity, The Arcade Age

Watching Tinker Bell struggle furiously inside the bottle while her affection score continued to plummet, Qin Ming placed the bottle aside and stared at it, utterly baffled.

What the hell happened? Why did this little fairy suddenly go berserk?

Could it be hatred born of love? That didn't make sense. The infatuation affection indicator for fairies was supposedly set at 800 points. Qin Ming's previous score hadn't even reached 600, nowhere near triggering such a reaction.

Before he could figure it out, the sound of water splashing came from nearby. Qin Ming frowned and turned his head sharply.

The three mermaids, who had been stealthily trying to slip back into the water, froze under his gaze. They awkwardly clutched their fish tails, their wide eyes filled with nervousness.

The eldest mermaid raised her hand slightly, forcing a stiff smile onto her face. "Uh… We'll dehydrate if we stay out of the water for too long. Can we go back in now?"

Qin Ming didn't immediately respond. Instead, he tapped the bottle lightly against a nearby rock. "Do you three know why this little one suddenly went insane?"

Seeing that Qin Ming wasn't blocking their way anymore, the three mermaids dove eagerly into the water.

As they submerged themselves in the milky-white Dreamwater, their expressions became visibly relaxed, and the faint golden patterns on their bodies began to turn white.

The mermaids lounged lazily in the pool, their eyes narrowing contentedly. It wasn't until Qin Ming impatiently tapped the bottle against the rock again that they snapped out of their stupor and swam back over.

The eldest mermaid swam gracefully to Qin Ming's side, pressing herself against him with a sly smile. "Of course, it's because she's scared."

She glanced at the bottle containing Tinker Bell and chuckled softly. "This little one isn't the first fairy. Her predecessor is already dead—killed by her own Peter Pan. And it all started because of a woman."

As soon as the eldest finished speaking, the second mermaid swam over as well. She flicked her tail, rudely splashing Kasamoto Eri aside, and pressed herself against Qin Ming's other side with a bright smile.

"Fairies, like us, are spirits born from Neverland itself. Technically, they are immortal. But nothing in this world is truly immortal—it's just that the right method hasn't been discovered yet. The previous fairy was killed because someone found the method."

Frowning, Qin Ming asked, "So that's why she's so agitated?"

"Exactly. The previous fairy fell in love with her Peter Pan and granted him unrestricted access to Neverland. But later, she discovered that Peter Pan had another woman—a real woman from the outside world. Furious, she chased him away, refusing to listen to any of his explanations."

"Yes!" The second mermaid nodded. "Fairies are incredibly possessive. They are born from children's innocent fantasies, which makes them stubborn, naive, and childish. After driving Peter Pan away, the fairy immediately chose a new Peter Pan and established a rule: Neverland would no longer allow any women to exist. If any girl appeared, she would be punished. This rule gave birth to the Lost Boys' Camp."

The third mermaid leapt out of the water and clung to Qin Ming's chest, her bright eyes gazing directly into his.

"But the fairy misunderstood her Peter Pan. That girl wasn't his lover—she was just his foster sister from the real world. To prove his loyalty, Peter Pan killed his sister with his own hands. But when he returned to Neverland, he discovered he had already been replaced. He was no longer Peter Pan."

Qin Ming's eye twitched violently. "And then… the furious Peter Pan found a way to kill the fairy?"

"Exactly."

"…So, Peter Pan became Captain Hook, didn't he?"

Though phrased as a question, Qin Ming was already sure of the answer.

No wonder. No wonder an adult man like Captain Hook could freely enter and exit Neverland—and even bring his pirate crew with him.

No wonder he and his crew had special powers despite not being part of Neverland.

No wonder he knew that Peter Pan wasn't just one person but a role that could be replaced.

He knew because he himself had once been Peter Pan!

The three mermaids nodded simultaneously, their expressions a mix of sadness and understanding.

The eldest mermaid traced a finger along Qin Ming's chest, her voice soft and mesmerizing. "Children are fickle creatures. They are both innocent and cruel. When they grow tired of a toy, they throw it away and find a new one. Peter Pans are their toys… No, everyone on this island—the Lost Boys, the fairies, even us—are their toys."

Qin Ming narrowed his eyes. "And what about you? What exactly are you?"

"We? We are the purifiers and guardians of Dreamwater." The eldest mermaid smiled. "Fairies spread fairy tales among children and gather their dreams, while we purify those dreams, making them pure. We aren't born from children's innocent fantasies—in fact, we're quite the opposite."

The second mermaid chimed in, smirking. "We are formed from impurities—the confusion of precocious children, the doubts of over-matured kids, and even the dirty thoughts of bad children. These impurities congeal to create us. We are the filtration system of the Dreamwater."

The third mermaid leaned closer, her lips near Qin Ming's ear, her voice a soft whisper. "So, we aren't innocent at all. We are the bad children…"

Qin Ming's brow furrowed as he processed their words.

Before he could respond, the eldest mermaid's hand slid along his chest again, her eyes glimmering with cunning.

"Peter Pan, how about we make a deal?"

"A deal?" Qin Ming's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Yes. Forget the fairy and work with us instead. Your power is extraordinary—you can purify Dreamwater. You can help us grow stronger. And in return…" Her voice softened, filled with allure.

"Kill her. Kill the fairy. Replace her with a newborn fairy who knows nothing. Together, we'll raise her as a pet. We even have the means to kill her, though it comes at a great cost."

Her gaze became sharp, her words dripping with temptation.

"Kill her. Then kill Captain Hook and all the Lost Boys. From now on, Neverland will belong to us—and we will belong to you."