Infinity, The Arcade Age

The Hound Legion, led by Qin Ming, successfully settled into the military camp. Finding an open space, they pitched tents and began their own rest and reorganization.

Meanwhile, Qin Ming, now officially promoted to the rank of corporal, returned to his camp and immediately ordered his troops to tighten security.

Although Qin Ming had never been a soldier or an officer, he understood a simple truth: a king tolerates no rivals in his domain.

From the countless war movies and TV dramas he'd watched, he knew one thing for sure: an independent, unruly force suddenly appearing in a military camp was bound to draw hostility from its commanders.

At its mildest, such behavior would be labeled insubordination, arrogance, and failure to follow orders. At its worst, it could be seen as disobedience to military command or even hoarding troops for personal power, a major taboo in the military.

Collins and his officers would undoubtedly look for ways to strip him of his command, so vigilance was necessary.

The safest course of action, Qin Ming realized, would be to openly pledge allegiance to Collins and integrate into his command structure.

By doing so, Qin Ming would no longer be seen as a rogue element but rather as a much-needed ally—a Zhuge Liang arriving in a time of peril.

But there was a problem: he was an adventurer.

He had guns, tanks, soldiers, and resources. Why should he grovel to some mere NPC in the story?

If it were a heroine like Rika Kurasawa or Fio Germi, he might consider playing along just to see how things tasted.

But Collins? He wasn't even a protagonist! In fact, he wasn't even part of the original Metal Slug storyline!

What right did Collins have to command respect?

Before becoming an adventurer, Qin Ming had already spent much of his life bending the knee to others. After stepping into the Nightmare Space, risking his life daily, why should he continue groveling?

If he had to scrape and bow even after staking his life on these dangerous missions, then what was the point of becoming an adventurer in the first place?

No, surrendering was not an option. Not now, not ever.

If others tried to suppress him and forced him to compromise, it only proved one thing: his fists weren't strong enough, and his arsenal wasn't big enough.

As long as he had guns and soldiers, ranks like major general or admiral were meaningless. Could a military rank protect you from a bullet?

So, after settling into the camp, the first order Qin Ming issued was: recruit more troops.

He targeted the misfits, the forgotten, and the unwanted:

Injured soldiers: those who had been wounded in battle but were denied valuable medical resources by the army.

Scattered units: small, disorganized remnants of defeated units that no one wanted to take responsibility for.

Unwanted locals: militia units and conscripts drafted from the surrounding areas who were treated as cannon fodder.

Within a day of arriving at the camp, Qin Ming had already launched a massive recruitment drive.

To ensure no adventurers or spies planted by Collins infiltrated his forces, Qin Ming personally supervised the recruitment process.

Relying on his Dinosaur Glasses, he successfully drove off several adventurers trying to infiltrate his unit, as well as two local soldiers with suspiciously mismatched ranks.

By the end of the night, Qin Ming's forces had swelled from just over 400 men to more than 1,000 soldiers.

Of course, Collins, as the frontline commander, was well aware of Qin Ming's unauthorized recruitment efforts.

Inside Collins' tent, several of his officers had gathered to report the situation.

The colonel who had played the "bad cop" during the earlier standoff—almost causing a civil war—was no longer as aggressive.

Now, he appeared calm and composed, far from the hothead he had seemed before. Instead, he carried himself with the demeanor of a strategist.

Frowning, he addressed Collins, who was intently studying a map.

"Sir, the Hound Legion is actively recruiting troops and expanding their numbers. It's clear they're preparing to guard against us."

Collins didn't even lift his head.

"How many have they recruited so far?"

"Over 1,000 men already, and they're still recruiting."

"Did any of our agents manage to infiltrate their unit?"

"No, sir. They were too cautious and identified every one of them."

"They found them all? The other side is that cautious?"

"Yes, sir. None of our men managed to slip in."

"Oh, then let's not worry about them for now."

"What? Sir! If we allow them to continue recruiting like this, it could become a situation where the tail grows too big to control! He—"

"Durin, calm yourself," Major General Collins interrupted, finally lifting his gaze from the map. His face wore a confident smile.

"They may be strong fighters, but at the end of the day, they're still a subordinate unit under my command. Any glory they achieve will be credited to me. Besides, do you think strength alone matters in the regular army? Does he have connections? Does he have a powerful backer? Can he climb the ranks without them?"

"This..."

"No connections, no backing—if he wants to continue rising in rank, he'll eventually need to find someone to rely on. Without power or influence, without a clear path to promotion, why would his soldiers remain loyal to him? Would you risk your life on the battlefield for a superior like that?"

Collins patted his adjutant's shoulder reassuringly, his expression exuding confidence.

"And within this camp, who else could he turn to for support other than me? So relax. Who knows? He might become one of us in the future."

With his hands clasped behind his back, Collins turned to gaze out the window, his eyes glinting with cunning.

"And another thing—his recruitment efforts might not even be a bad thing for us. His current influence stems from his recent achievements and the unwavering loyalty of his men. But what about the newly recruited soldiers? Do you think they'll be just as loyal? Once his unit becomes a mixed bag of newcomers and loses its cohesion, do you think he'll still have the power to challenge us?

"Without loyal troops, he's nothing. Even if he were to suddenly die in some corner of the battlefield, no one would care."

"I understand!"

"Good. Now listen carefully. Our forces just scored a major victory under my command, and now is not the time to cause internal strife. Instead, we must seize this opportunity to expand on our success. Your priority is not to make trouble for him but to take your men out and sweep the battlefield clean!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Make sure everything is done flawlessly. Because of our victory, General Jamie Foss will personally come to inspect and reward the troops. Don't embarrass me when that happens. Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

The officers snapped to attention, saluted, and quickly exited the tent.

Now alone, Major General Collins stood by the window, gazing outside as a sly smile crept across his face.

"Hyena, huh? A mere third-class private thinks he can challenge me? I have all the time in the world to deal with you."

Meanwhile, in a small camp on the other side, Qin Ming was also issuing new orders to his two adjutants.

"Shuke, the pilot! Keep recruiting! Don't stop for even a moment, understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Beta, the tanker! You're in charge of distributing military uniforms and weapons. But don't hand anything out to the new recruits just yet. Wait until I get back so I can personally inspect them. I need to make sure there are no spies mixed in before they get equipped."

"Understood! I'll—wait, boss, where are you going this time?"

"To train the new recruits! How can my troops be of any use if they've never been on a battlefield? I'll personally lead them out for some drills!"

"You're leading the team yourself again?"

"What? Got a problem with that? If you do, feel free to speak up. I don't mind strapping you to the tank and taking you along."

"No problem! Absolutely no problem! Tanker Beta will follow the boss's orders to the letter!"

(End of Chapter)