Infinity, The Arcade Age

On the pirate ship, the sound of clashing swords echoed as Qin Ming and Captain Hook fought desperately.

But facing Captain Hook, who could repeatedly adjust the Fairy's Blessing to enhance a single attribute, Qin Ming was completely on the defensive.

In terms of stats, he was inferior.

In terms of technique, he was equally outmatched.

Even the fairy magic provided by Tinker Bell couldn't compare to Captain Hook's overwhelming strength.

When Qin Ming enhanced his Strength, Captain Hook would do the same.

When Qin Ming enhanced his Agility, Captain Hook followed suit.

When injured, Captain Hook could use Fairy's Blessing to heal himself. If overwhelmed, he could enhance his Defense.

Even when faced with Qin Ming's relentless barrage of Sonic Hand Blades, Captain Hook could simply use Fairy's Blessing to fly.

And unlike Tinker Bell's crude flying spell, Captain Hook's flying ability was far more refined and precise.

Soaring freely through the sky, Captain Hook kept pulling out his flintlock pistol, firing repeatedly at Qin Ming. Forced to defend with his armored gauntlets, Qin Ming was pushed back repeatedly. Then, when Captain Hook spotted an opening, he dived from above and slashed Qin Ming with his rapier.

Seeing the numerous wounds now covering his opponent, Captain Hook flicked the blood from his sword and spoke coldly.

"Peter Pan! The reason I didn't assist those two fools in killing you earlier… was so I could defeat you personally. I swore to kill every Peter Pan—without exception!"

Quickly using Tinker Bell's magic to heal his wounds, Qin Ming gritted his teeth.

This guy… he's like an all-purpose monster. Whether it's swordsmanship, agility, or even flying, he surpasses me in every way.

How am I supposed to fight against this?

Raising his arms once again, Qin Ming stared at Captain Hook, his eyes narrowing.

"Tinker Bell! Open the gate!"

At his command, Tinker Bell froze for a second before nodding.

A brilliant glow erupted behind Qin Ming as a massive energy portal appeared, its end revealing the Dreamland beyond.

Seeing this, Captain Hook's brows furrowed, and he lunged forward with his sword raised.

"Trying to escape? Do you really think you can get away?!"

Captain Hook knew all too well what lay beyond that portal.

Believing that Qin Ming was trying to flee into Dreamland for safety, he charged without hesitation.

With Captain Hook in pursuit, Qin Ming dashed through the portal.

The moment they emerged on the other side, Captain Hook knocked Qin Ming aside with a powerful kick, sending him sprawling near the glowing pool of Dreamwater.

Flicking his sword with a flourish, Captain Hook sneered.

"You fool! This is my domain! The three Mermaids are my allies! You've run straight into your death, you—"

Before he could finish, Captain Hook froze.

Because on the other side of the pool, the three Mermaids had already emerged from the water and were crowding around Qin Ming.

One inspected his chest, another checked his wounds, and the third fussed over him anxiously.

"Are you okay, darling? Did he hurt you? Quick! Soak in the water!"

Staring at the overly enthusiastic Mermaids, Captain Hook's eyes widened in shock.

Meanwhile, Qin Ming pushed the Mermaids aside, raising his fists and smirking confidently.

"Sorry, but this place is my domain now."

"You…!"

Captain Hook looked utterly baffled. Turning his furious gaze towards the Mermaids, he demanded an explanation.

"Ladies! Deal with him and his fairy! I'll continue spreading the legend of Peter Pan for thirty more years! How about that?!"

But the Mermaids just stared at him, their eyes filled with hesitation and awkwardness.

Seeing no response, Captain Hook grew visibly angry.

"We worked together so well before! You're the ones who gave me the magic bottle to trap my fairy, severing her connection to Dreamland and slowly killing her! Are you going to betray me now?!"

At these words, the Mermaids froze in horror, realizing too late that Captain Hook had just spilled their darkest secret in front of Tinker Bell.

The magic bottle—a tool they had secretly given to Captain Hook—was indeed what severed the connection between his fairy and Dreamland, causing her to slowly weaken and die.

Desperate to cover their tracks, the Mermaids shouted in unison.

"Slander! That's slander! He's lying!"

"We would never harm Tinker Bell! She's our sister! Our beloved sister!"

"Darling! You know us! You've… deeply understood us! How could we ever do such a vile thing? He's framing us!"

"Villain! Thief! Darling, kill him! Tear him apart and make his bones into a totem!"

As the Mermaids screeched and shifted blame, Qin Ming had already finished healing his injuries.

Cracking his knuckles, he stepped forward to confront Captain Hook once again.

Staring at the bewildered old Peter Pan, Qin Ming grinned wickedly.

"Old man, it seems like the world has changed while you weren't looking. Now… these fish are mine!"

(End of Chapter)