Infinity, The Arcade Age

As night fell, Qin Ming and the Punisher, now temporary partners, set off toward their next objective: the castle on the outskirts. Infiltrating such a heavily fortified location? Not a problem.

With his expertise in various tactics and a well-stocked arsenal, the Punisher had procured two sets of diving gear. Together, they slipped into the castle grounds via the water route, surfacing stealthily in the swimming pool within the outer perimeter.

Emerging from the water and shedding their equipment, the two exchanged a glance before leaping from the pool, guns drawn, and marching forward with determination. Their sudden breach of the premises instantly triggered alarms, and within moments, the castle's guards—significantly more formidable than the thugs at the casino—began to converge on their location.

The environment of the castle provided little in the way of effective cover, making their advance even more dangerous. The difficulty spike from accepting the hidden mission and entering the second stage of the Punisher world was immediately apparent.

However, freshly equipped with his new gear, Qin Ming wasn't about to be deterred. Shielding his head with one hand, he advanced while returning fire, completely undaunted by the barrage of bullets. Most of the rounds bounced harmlessly off his body, and the few that managed to penetrate only left shallow wounds.

Seeing this, the Punisher's eyes lit up, and he quickly took advantage of Qin Ming's bulletproof resilience, using him as a human shield to facilitate their advance.

Together, the two tore through the defensive line and rapidly made their way to the entrance of the castle.

Just as they were about to breach the door, white smoke suddenly billowed from the entrance. Before the smoke had even fully dispersed, three shadowy figures darted out, launching a rapid spinning slash that slashed deep into Qin Ming's torso.

His clothing was shredded, and three fresh wounds opened up across his body. Wincing in pain, Qin Ming quickly fired back, but the three attackers had already retreated into the smoke and disappeared.

Invisibility technique!

Although the three attackers had appeared and vanished almost instantly, Qin Ming managed to catch a glimpse of their identities and attributes through his dinosaur glasses.

Name: Kōga Kunoichi (Punisher, Stage Two)

Strength: 15

Constitution: 5

Agility: 15

Spirit: 5

Skills: Smoke Concealment (C-level), Whirlwind Decapitation Slash (C-level)

Description: Members of the Kōga Ninja Clan, working with the main BOSS, Kingpin. They serve as both assassins and guards.

Taking three deep cuts right at the outset, Qin Ming's expression darkened.

Before he and the Punisher could adjust to the ninja threat, the door to the castle burst open again, and several more henchmen charged out, brandishing various weapons.

The fastest among them leaped over the crowd and landed a powerful kick square on Qin Ming's chest just as he was gunning down another foe.

Taking advantage of Qin Ming's momentary stagger, the assailant roared and launched a rapid series of kicks—one to the groin, one to the waist, and one to the neck. His final move was a spinning roundhouse that connected with Qin Ming's temple.

"Hyah! Ai-yah!" the assailant cried.

Standing in front of Qin Ming in his pristine white martial arts uniform, the henchman struck a confident pose, bouncing lightly on his feet as if challenging Qin Ming to come at him.

… And then Qin Ming grabbed the man by the throat, glaring furiously before emptying six rounds into his chest, sending him straight to the afterlife.

"What the hell?! Who even does martial arts in this day and age?!"

Throwing the lifeless body aside, Qin Ming swung his fist and sent another henchman flying into the wall, where he collapsed in a motionless heap.

Seeing this, another henchman in a similar martial arts uniform hastily reconsidered his approach. He grabbed a nearby box as a makeshift shield and charged along with the crowd rather than engaging directly.

Name: Taekwondo Expert (Punisher, Stage Two)

Strength: 10

Constitution: 10

Agility: 15

Spirit: 5

Skills: Triple Kick (E-level), Roundhouse Kick (E-level), Flying Kick (E-level), High Kick (E-level)

Description: The mob's martial arts master, is responsible for training members in close combat. Who cares if it's effective or not—it's all about looking cool!

As the henchmen swarmed around, the three Kōga kunoichi lurking in the shadows seized the opportunity to launch a second round of sneak attacks.

Smoke erupted once again as the kunoichi materialized, slashing furiously at their targets.

The Punisher deftly dodged the strike aimed at him, retaliating with a kick that sent one of the kunoichi flying. Without missing a beat, he followed up with a barrage of bullets, efficiently dispatching his target with a textbook-perfect series of moves.

Meanwhile, Qin Ming found himself facing a dual assault from the remaining two kunoichi. His reaction was a fraction too slow, and he took two more slashes across his body. But this time, he wasn't going to let them slip away so easily.

Catching a metal pipe swung at him by another henchman, Qin Ming barely flinched as the pipe bent against his forearm. He turned, firing a point-blank shot that sent one of the kunoichi flying across the room, a gaping wound in her abdomen. Before she could scream in pain, Qin Ming's hand was already clamped over her face, lifting her into the air.

With a menacing grin, he sank his teeth into her neck.

B-Level Skill: Essence Drain! Activate!

As the skill took effect, the kunoichi's eyes widened in terror. Her body convulsed before rapidly shriveling as her life force was drained away, leaving nothing but a withered husk, which Qin Ming tossed aside like garbage.

With his power surge fully activated, Qin Ming's body swelled, his muscles bulging as he let out a triumphant roar. He swung a fist and sent a nearby henchman flying, the poor man's head twisted grotesquely from the force of the blow.

Skill Activation Success! All Attributes +5!

Full Form Unleashed!

(End of Chapter)