Infinity, The Arcade Age

As soon as the words left his mouth, Wind pushed off the wall with explosive speed, launching himself toward Qin Ming.

Dodging two Sonic Blades with precise movements, he let out a roar and delivered a devastating kick to Qin Ming's face. Qin Ming staggered backward, and Wind, relentless, landed smoothly and resumed his chase.

Despite the alley's narrowness, its significant height gave Wind ample space for maneuvering.

Using the walls as springboards, Wind bounced back and forth with astonishing agility, striking Qin Ming repeatedly in the blink of an eye. Qin Ming, however, failed to land a single counterattack.

Faced with the overwhelming disparity, Qin Ming had no choice but to reveal his trump card.

He pulled out a revolver and fired a shot into the air.

With a deafening bang, three figures materialized at the alley's entrance—a hulking brute and two lean brawlers.

Equipment Skill Activated: The Boss's Authority!

Hearing the gunshot, Wind froze briefly, his expression twisting into one of surprise.

"Thersio's Revolver?!" he exclaimed, then sneered. "What a nice toy! No wonder you've been holding your ground—you're just a lucky fool!"

Leaping into the air, Wind twisted to avoid the brute's charge. Landing smoothly, he grabbed one of the brawlers by the head and unleashed Dark Cry.

With a burst of tornado-like energy, the brawler was shredded into pieces, his remains scattering in the confined space.

Turning to Qin Ming, Wind grinned savagely, his blood-splattered face exuding malice.

"Summoning this trash won't help you. Even if you called a hundred of them, they'd still be useless against me!"

Without hesitation, Wind pounced on the second brawler, tearing out his throat with a claw swipe. The brawler collapsed, lifeless, without even a chance to struggle.

Even Qin Ming couldn't keep up with Wind's speed; what chance did these minor characters from the first act have?

The only one who managed to endure a little longer was the brute, but his resistance was futile.

After three powerful strikes, the brute fell apart, his body reduced to a broken mess on the ground.

The entire skirmish—three lives lost—took less than twenty seconds.

As the last body hit the ground, Wind landed lightly, his gaze locking onto Qin Ming.

Seeing Qin Ming standing there, visibly out of options, Wind shook his head mockingly, spreading his hands in feigned pity.

"Is that it? Is this your big plan? If that's all you've got, then…"

His expression darkened, his voice a growl.

"…It's time for you to die!"

With a roar, Wind raised his arms high above his head, blood-red energy swirling around him.

"True Orochi Slash!"

An A-tier skill—a devastating force of nature!

A trail of crimson energy followed Wind as he streaked toward Qin Ming at a speed that defied reaction.

His claws raked through the air, delivering a devastating six-hit combo before stabbing both hands into Qin Ming's chest.

Wind's maniacal laughter echoed in the alley as he suppressed Qin Ming once more.

But this time…

"I've been waiting for you!"

Despite his bloodied body, Qin Ming growled, his eyes flashing with a red light.

With a sudden burst of strength, he grabbed Wind's face with one hand.

Snap!

Ignoring Wind's relentless attacks, Qin Ming surged forward instead of retreating, sinking his teeth into Wind's ear.

B-tier Skill Activated: Essence Drain!

Qin Ming's arsenal featured two signature moves: the Sonic Blade and the Essence Drain.

The former had been seen and countered by Wind in their earlier exchanges. But the latter was different—its effectiveness relied on close proximity, something Qin Ming had struggled to achieve until now.

Now, however, it became his ultimate trump card.

Qin Ming bit down hard, his teeth tearing through flesh as he clamped down on Wind's ear.

Wind screamed in agony as a sharp pain radiated through his head. Horror dawned on his face as he realized his attributes were rapidly draining away.

His Strength dropped.

His Constitution dropped.

Even his most vital stat—Agility—began to plummet.

As Wind weakened, Qin Ming's stats surged, his Strength and Constitution nearing the critical threshold of 40 points.

With a sickening crunch, Qin Ming tore Wind's ear clean off.

Blood dripped from his mouth as Qin Ming, now visibly bulkier, locked his iron grip around Wind's neck.

No matter how Wind thrashed, Qin Ming's grip remained unyielding.

"Who gave you the guts to fight me up close?" Qin Ming growled, his voice dripping with disdain.

Power-Up Activated: Enhanced Sonic Blade!

With brute strength, Qin Ming hoisted Wind into the air. His free hand, engulfed in flames and swirling air currents, smashed directly into Wind's chest.

No rule said a Sonic Blade had to be thrown—it worked just as well as a direct weapon.

The fiery, high-speed blade tore through Wind's clothing, shredding his flesh and leaving his chest a gory mess.

Desperate to escape, Wind struggled, but Qin Ming's grip was too strong.

Escape? Denied.

Counterattack? Ineffective.

Every move Wind made was met with relentless blows from Qin Ming.

Even when Wind managed to pull out a shotgun and fire it point-blank into Qin Ming's face, it wasn't enough.

Blood streamed from Qin Ming's face, one eye blinded and leaking through the ruined socket. But his fury only grew.

His fists, burning with fire and wind, rained down on Wind's body with unrelenting ferocity.

Head. Chest. Even lower.

Within moments, the two fighters were indistinguishable—both battered, bloodied, and broken.

Finally, after countless brutal exchanges, the deadlock broke.

Through sheer desperation, Wind's attacks shattered Qin Ming's arm, forcing his grip to falter.

For the first time, Wind had a chance to escape.

(End of Chapter)