Infinity, The Arcade Age

The voices of the three mermaid sisters carried the seductive whispers of devils.

Despite being born from the dreams of innocent children, as they themselves had admitted, neither their appearances nor their hearts contained a shred of purity. They were filled with the corruption of adulthood.

One moment, they were sharp-tongued and commanding others to kill Qin Ming, and the next, upon realizing he could purify the Dreamwater, they became exceedingly warm and charming.

In just a few moments, they had already employed every dirty trick in the book—temptation, seduction, and even the suggestion of betrayal—planning to kill off their former ally, seize the benefits for themselves, and eliminate all potential threats.

Seeing the way things were turning, Tinker Bell, trapped in the bottle, began to struggle frantically.

Her tiny form thrashed about as she dragged the bottle in an attempt to escape. But when the three mermaids and Qin Ming turned their attention to her, she froze in terror, shaking her head desperately.

The three mermaids indeed possessed the means to kill Tinker Bell—just as Tinker Bell had the means to kill them.

Previously, their relationship was one of mutual benefit. Killing Tinker Bell would mean losing the ability to collect children's fantasies, and without fantasies, Neverland would wither and die. Without the Dreamwater, the mermaids themselves would perish.

So, under normal circumstances, they would never harm Tinker Bell. On the contrary, they would go to great lengths to protect her because who knew how long it would take for a new fairy to be born if she died?

But the situation had changed. With Qin Ming now capable of purifying the Dreamwater, and with his special relationship with Tinker Bell, the fragile balance had been broken.

If they didn't eliminate Tinker Bell now, what if she one day decided to eliminate them? After all, the Dreamwater no longer needed their purification.

This was the classic prisoner's dilemma.

Trust was broken. If one side made a move, the other would be doomed.

Tinker Bell might have been naive, but the three mermaids were anything but. They were cunning and ruthless.

In fact, the previous fairy's death was partly their doing. The last fairy had gone mad, stopped following orders, and started acting recklessly.

Seeing Tinker Bell struggling inside the bottle, the eldest mermaid moved swiftly, snatching up the bottle with one hand while conjuring a water spear in the other. Her expression twisted into a cruel smile.

"Little one, you're just as stubborn and foolish as your predecessor. If that's the case, I'll send you to join her!"

She raised the water spear, preparing to strike down.

But before she could, her jaw was suddenly caught in a vice-like grip.

Qin Ming had grabbed her face, forcing her to turn toward him.

The mermaid froze, blinking in confusion. Then, as if misinterpreting the moment, she blushed slightly and closed her eyes, puckering her lips.

However…

"She's my friend. She's helped me, and I don't want to see anything happen to her, understand? If there's a next time, I'll drown you in this pond you love so much."

Qin Ming leaned in, his voice cold as he whispered into her ear.

The eldest mermaid's eyes flew open in shock. She glanced at Qin Ming cautiously, and upon seeing his icy expression, her body trembled. Hastily, she set the bottle down on the ground.

"I-I was just joking! Really! We've known each other for decades—I'd never actually hurt her! We're practically sisters! I was just trying to… scare her a little!"

She flicked her tail subtly, smacking the youngest mermaid as a silent signal.

The third mermaid blinked, realizing the situation, and quickly swam over, pressing herself against Qin Ming and speaking softly.

"Peter Pan, from now on, Neverland will be our paradise. We must live in harmony. Oh, and here's a little secret—though we were born from human fantasies and have tails, we're actually not so different from humans…"

She leaned closer, her lips brushing against Qin Ming's ear as she whispered seductively, "So… do you want to try?"

When seduction failed, they quickly shifted tactics. Now it was time for Plan B: Temptation.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the Dreamwater, Tinker Bell finally managed to wriggle free from the bottle.

She shook off the sticky drink on her body, turned back to retrieve her tiny wand, and clenched it tightly in her small hands.

Her tiny face was filled with furious determination as she glared at the mermaids in the pool.

"You three treacherous, backstabbing scoundrels! How dare you try to turn him against me?! Didn't expect that, did you?! Peter Pan belongs to me! I'll have him slice you all up into sashimi—sashimi!"

The fierce little fairy hovered mid-air, brandishing her wand like a knight preparing for battle.

Previously, because she inherited the memories of her predecessor, Tinker Bell had reacted impulsively when Qin Ming summoned a woman to Neverland and broken the island's rules.

But now, seeing Qin Ming choose to protect her instead of siding with the mermaids, her trust in him was instantly restored. Her affection score shot back up and even increased slightly.

Being a creature born from childish fantasies, Tinker Bell was mercurial, her emotions shifting on a whim.

Rage still smoldering, she turned her wand toward the mermaids, ready to unleash chaos upon them.

But then…

She froze.

Her eyes went wide as she stared at the churning pool. The entangled forms of Qin Ming and the mermaids, the increasingly turbulent water, and the strange, ambiguous sounds echoing in the air left her utterly speechless.

Her tiny wand slipped from her hand, clattering onto the ground with a soft ding.

Her mouth hung open in disbelief. Her eyes grew wider and wider, her small face a mask of pure shock.

She had lived her entire existence in Neverland, a place built upon childish innocence and imagination. She had never witnessed anything like… this.

As the chaotic scene unfolded in the pool, Tinker Bell stood frozen, her worldview utterly shattered.

In that moment, the mischievous, childlike little fairy…

Grew up.

(End of Chapter)