Infinity, The Arcade Age

In no time at all, the money Qin Ming had asked for was delivered to him.

Moments ago, he had been completely broke, but now, with a few stacks of dollars in hand, he was living the high life once again. He received tens of thousands of dollars, more than enough to keep him living in luxury for a while. Feeling generous, he tipped the nearby casino girl a thousand dollars on the spot, causing her to cling to him even tighter.

Of course, while Qin Ming was reveling in his newfound wealth, not everyone was so lucky—especially the other adventurers scattered around the casino.

Two unlucky souls didn't even get a chance to act before they were accosted by casino enforcers. Without any money to give, and after a search of their rooms turned up nothing incriminating, the enforcers unceremoniously tossed them out the front door, leaving the two dumbfounded adventurers sprawled on the ground, dazed and humiliated.

Looking out the window and seeing the two pitiful adventurers land face-first in the dirt, Qin Ming couldn't help but shake his head in amusement.

The competition for these missions was cutthroat. In this world, being quick meant survival, and those who failed to act swiftly were left in the dust. These guys had been too slow to figure out how to get money; it was their own fault for getting tossed out.

Still, with the abilities of adventurers, being thrown out of the casino didn't necessarily mean they were out of the game. They could just as easily regroup outside and find another way back in.

For now, Qin Ming was in no hurry to act. There was no need for him to rush into things. The casino was bound to be the setting for the first major event of the mission, and the protagonist would eventually make his move. All he had to do was wait patiently for his chance.

With that in mind, Qin Ming fully embraced the luxurious lifestyle of the casino. He gambled with abandon, dined like a king, and indulged in the pleasures of the beautiful women who eagerly catered to his every whim.

One day passed by in a blur of decadence. By the time the day ended, Qin Ming had burned through nearly ten thousand dollars from the forty thousand he'd acquired.

The U.S. dollar sure stretched far in these times. Despite his lavish spending, he still hadn't managed to blow through all his money in a single day.

But Qin Ming wouldn't have the chance to spend the rest of it.

Early the next morning, Qin Ming was jolted awake by a series of loud sounds coming from outside his room. A sly grin crept across his face as he realized the protagonist had finally made his entrance.

Smiling confidently, Qin Ming threw the covers off with a flourish and grabbed the remaining cash, tossing the money into the air. The bills rained down on the naked beauty still sleeping in the bed.

Satisfied with his dramatic exit, Qin Ming dressed quickly, strapped on his revolver, and stormed out of the room with purpose.

…only to shuffle awkwardly back moments later, his face flushed with embarrassment. He cast a quick glance at the still-slumbering woman in the bed and hurriedly began picking up the money he'd just thrown around.

Apparently, the commotion outside wasn't caused by The Punisher making his move after all. It turned out to be the result of an overly ambitious adventurer trying to assassinate Bruno, the casino owner and the optional mission target.

The idiot had been caught in the act and was now being chased down by a massive, two-meter-tall bald thug.

Mission fail. Money's still needed. Back to collecting…

The would-be assassin hadn't been successful. In fact, he'd been completely outmatched.

The optional mission to kill Bruno was, in reality, a trap. Bruno might have seemed like an easy target—just a regular mid-level boss with no exceptional strength—but this was his turf. He had the advantage of numbers and, more importantly, a powerful bodyguard who was a boss-level enemy himself.

Facing such overwhelming force, even Qin Ming wouldn't have attempted a solo attack. The adventurer had foolishly thought he could handle it alone and had paid the price. The massive Russian bodyguard had intercepted the attack, and when the adventurer tried to flee, he was gunned down by a hail of bullets from Bruno's henchmen.

It was a gruesome sight—dozens of bullets riddling a single man in seconds.

Standing on the second floor and watching the scene unfold below, Qin Ming shook his head. He turned away, disinterested in the clean-up process, and returned to the comfort of his bed.

By noon, after enjoying yet another steak and a bottle of red wine, Qin Ming was in the middle of a rather enthusiastic rendezvous with the Western beauty when the sound of explosions reverberated through the building.

This time, Qin Ming didn't waste his time throwing cash around or making a flashy exit. He simply picked up the exhausted woman, her legs wrapped around his waist, and carried her over to the door.

Peeking out into the hallway, Qin Ming caught sight of a large man dressed in a tight suit emblazoned with a huge skull emblem—The Punisher had arrived and was wreaking havoc in the casino.

Seeing the familiar skull insignia, Qin Ming's eyes lit up with excitement. He hurriedly tossed the woman back onto the bed, leaving her to sprawl out, completely drained from their activities.

Grabbing the leftover cash from the table, he quickly pocketed a few bills and then tossed the rest into the air.

"All yours, darling. Enjoy yourself!" he called back.

Kicking open the door, Qin Ming marched out, clad in his windbreaker and hat, revolver at his side.

As he walked down the corridor, he spotted a casino thug running down the hall with a knife, clearly intending to join the fight against The Punisher. Without a second thought, Qin Ming grabbed the man by the throat and bit down viciously.

The casino thug's eyes bulged as his body rapidly withered. In mere moments, he was nothing but a gaunt, skeletal shell.

Activating his B-level skill, True Essence Drain, Qin Ming drained 5 points from all of the thug's attributes, killing him instantly. He tossed the shriveled corpse aside with a wicked grin.

Within seconds, Qin Ming's body began to expand. His muscles swelled, and his stature grew until he towered at over two meters tall, his already muscular physique becoming even more monstrous.

Now transformed into a hulking figure, Qin Ming let out a loud laugh and charged straight through the second-floor railing, crashing down into the casino below.

With a thunderous impact, the floor beneath him cracked. Qin Ming landed amidst a group of casino goons and wasted no time, immediately throwing a punch that connected with one thug's face.

The force of the punch sent the man flying like a cannonball, smashing into the bar, where he lay still, embedded in the woodwork.

Smirking, Qin Ming's eyes gleamed with malice as he spread his arms wide. With a loud roar, he thrust his hands forward, slashing through the air with both arms.

"Sonic Boom!" he shouted.

A visible shockwave shot from his hands, spiraling together to form a rotating energy blade that sliced through the air with a high-pitched whine.

His B-level skill, True Sonic Hand Chop, activated with devastating power.

The energy blade tore through a wooden wall and the arcade machines behind it, slicing clean through before continuing on to hit two unlucky thugs. Their bodies were instantly bisected, their lifeless halves dropping to the floor in a pool of blood.

One attack, two kills.

(End of Chapter)