Infinity, The Arcade Age

The trading hall in the low-level zone was as bustling as ever, filled with adventurers coming and going.

Although adventurers died in the Nightmare Space every moment, new recruits arrived just as frequently.

This ensured the area remained lively, never quiet.

Qin Ming had once wondered if the constant disappearances of hundreds or even thousands of people daily would cause chaos in the real world.

A few disappearances might go unnoticed, but repeated incidents on such a scale would surely attract attention from the authorities.

Curious about this, he deliberately gathered information and eventually found the answer from Double-Gun Granny.

Interestingly, it wasn't something she explicitly told him—rather, it was something Qin Ming realized during a casual conversation with her.

He noticed that the place names she mentioned didn't match those in his world.

In other words, they weren't from the same universe!

Parallel worlds! Dimensional rifts!

The countless adventurers who appeared similar actually hailed from different but analogous worlds, not a single unified place.

This discovery left Qin Ming both stunned and relieved.

It was good news for him. If they weren't in the same universe, then these warbands couldn't fully consolidate their forces in the real world.

Without the ability to unite in reality, it would be much harder for them to target him there.

If they had all existed in the same world, the mere thought of the influence these warbands could wield in the real world sent chills down Qin Ming's spine.

But now that he knew their forces were fragmented across different dimensions, the number of adventurers in his world was far less than he had feared.

That realization finally eased some of his anxiety.

Indeed, anxiety had been gnawing at Qin Ming despite his increasing strength and string of successes.

Rather than growing complacent, he became even more vigilant.

He firmly believed that he wasn't some chosen protagonist around whom the world revolved.

If you discover you've awakened a special ability, don't rush to celebrate—because chances are, countless others may have awakened similar abilities, many of whom could be stronger than you.

You might be special, even outstanding—but you'll never be truly unique.

The world has never lacked for geniuses or lucky individuals.

And even if you are unique, it may not be a good thing. The more extraordinary you are, the more likely you are to become a target.

Having once run a small business, Qin Ming was well aware of how ruthless people could be. He knew how difficult it was for an outsider to break into an established industry where the profits had long been divided.

When you're struggling, others may even help you—because you're no threat to them.

But the moment you start doing well and threatening their business, you'll find that all your peers have turned into enemies, working together to ostracize or sabotage you until you're either driven out or ruined.

As a newcomer, unfamiliar with the landscape, it's nearly impossible to fight back—after all, even a mighty dragon doesn't mess with the local serpents.

Qin Ming's reluctance to stand out or fully utilize his talents stemmed from this fear—fear of being noticed by the local "snakes" and devoured.

He worried that even if they couldn't kill him in the Nightmare Space, they'd find a way to track him down in the real world and finish him off.

Sure, high-level adventurers couldn't enter low-level zones or low-level missions, but no one said they couldn't mess with you in the real world.

Imagine a top-tier adventurer suddenly showing up at your doorstep with a group of killers—how was that any different from Zhu Yuanzhang begging on the streets, only to look up and see an army of 100,000 soldiers ready to crush him in his infancy?

Would Qin Ming gamble on such a scenario?

Of course not! He couldn't afford to. So his only option was to stay low-key.

But now that he realized adventurer forces weren't as terrifying in the real world as he had imagined, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This newfound understanding was why he dared to use his abilities, openly clash with the King of Fighters Warband, and even plot to retaliate.

Now that he could finally catch his breath, Qin Ming wandered through the low-level trading district, constantly scanning adventurers around him with a special tool.

The tool in his hand was called the Identification Scanner, a specialized item he had exchanged for a hefty 5,000 points from Nightmare Space.

He was searching for members of the King of Fighters Warband, recording their identification numbers in preparation for his revenge.

Just because he usually avoided trouble didn't mean he was afraid of it.

Since the enemy was determined to come after him, what was the point of backing down?

Not fighting back simply wasn't Qin Ming's style.

They had hunted him—now it was his turn to hunt them.

The more intimidating and seemingly powerful someone appeared, the more they became his target.

He knew that unless he made them hurt, they would never leave him alone. Only by teaching them pain would they learn to be afraid.

This was precisely why Qin Ming had bolstered his forces in the previous world and relentlessly hammered the enemy—he wanted to send a clear message: he was not to be trifled with and never forgot a grudge.

If they insisted on pursuing him, then he would take the fight to the bitter end.

And if they dared to fully mobilize against him, then he had a backup plan—he would throw in with one of their rival warbands.

His only demand? That they fight the King of Fighters Warband to the death.

A man with nothing to lose fears nothing. Let's see if their bite was really stronger than his stone-hard resolve.

By now, the warband must have gathered some intel on him, at the very least confirming that he could create a substantial amount of high-level storyline equipment.

Next? He would find a way to wipe out a few more of their teams, forcing them into a position where meaningful negotiations would finally be on the table.

But until then...

Standing amidst the crowd, Qin Ming's gaze drifted toward a massive sign erected in a prominent spot in the trading district.

On it, bold neon letters read:

"Hyena Commander! Please come have a chat! The King of Fighters Warband sincerely invites you!"

Looking at the glaring neon message, Qin Ming tugged his hood down slightly and chose not to approach. Instead, he quietly slipped out of the crowd and disappeared into the throng of people.

The current power dynamic was still unbalanced. The so-called "negotiation" was nothing more than the warband condescendingly offering him a bone.

Qin Ming didn't need to show up to know what they wanted. They likely sought to recruit him, offering some benefits to make him work for them.

But Qin Ming wasn't interested in being recruited—he wanted to make them wary of him. He wanted them to be the ones begging for peace on his terms, without conditions.

He sought a seat at the table as an equal, not some fake negotiation that came with threats of death if talks broke down.

Going to them now would only signal fear, and once fear was shown, the game was lost.

He couldn't afford to be afraid—not now, not ever.

He wanted them to fear.

(End of Chapter)