Infinity, The Arcade Age-Chapter 359: Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers
Chapter 359 - 359: Hidden Dragons and Crouching Tigers
"What you're saying is, you're not here to cause trouble, but to form a team?"
In the hall, Qin Ming and Tōdō Kasumi—who moments earlier had been engaged in a life-or-death skirmish—had now regained their composure.Tōdō Kasumi, wearing loose training clothes, was kneeling opposite Qin Ming with her hands resting on her knees and her back perfectly straight.Qin Ming, meanwhile, sat cross-legged on the other side, nonchalantly propping one hand on his knee.
Staring at the King of Fighters Tournament invitation card that Qin Ming had produced, Tōdō Kasumi furrowed her brows. After confirming its authenticity, she retrieved her own invitation from within her robe.As a renowned dojo, Tōdō Kasumi's school naturally had its own competition qualification.Lately, she had been troubled by the choice of teammates. This competition presented a perfect opportunity for her to not only boost the reputation of her dojo but also to find a way to bring her father back.If she could win the championship—completely vanquish the Extreme style once and for all—then surely, her estranged father, who had left in a fit of indignation, would return. In that sense, this tournament was of utmost importance to her.
But ever since she had spent her days training at home, Tōdō Kasumi had few friends.Recently, many had come to visit her, yet each one was as fierce as a warrior, though none possessed significant skill; their temperaments, however, were notable.When discussions broke down, some even erupted into violence on the spot, attempting to snatch her invitation by force—though none stood a chance, as she defeated them with ease.For instance, the hulking man before her was the first she had ever encountered with such raw power.Among the top disciples of the Shiranui Dojo, already in possession of scrolls and renowned for their formidable strength, his robust training was almost unforgiving.If she could actually team up with him...
A sudden change came over Tōdō Kasumi's face. Kneeling opposite Qin Ming, she abruptly lifted her head and, with the utmost gravity, declared:
"You can invite me to join your team—but I have one demand!"
Hearing this, Qin Ming's spirit perked up immediately.Originally, he had only intended to cobble together a team with anyone available, but unexpectedly encountering a master like Tōdō Kasumi made him truly eager to have her on board—after all, her "Metsushin Mutou" was nothing short of a nemesis to every close-combat specialist!With her as a teammate, he could specifically counter many of the strong opponents, helping him to achieve a better ranking—even seize the legendary King of Fighters champion title!
"Please, speak!"
"Our team's name—without fail—must be 'Team Todoh!'"
"Fine, that's acceptable—but I have one more requirement."
"Bonuses I don't need; they can all go to you."
"No, it's not about the bonus. I demand that the team captain's position for this tournament be mine!"
"That... is acceptable!"
After a brief moment of thought, Tōdō Kasumi nodded vigorously and then sprang to her feet, extending her hand solemnly toward Qin Ming."Let's have a pleasant cooperation!"
"Mm, pleasant cooperation."
Qin Ming took her hand vigorously—almost risking her earlier near-throw that had nearly shattered him—and, with a beaming smile, he felt he had successfully won her over.
With the three of them now assembled, an original team—previously nonexistent—was officially formed!
After sealing their partnership, the three immediately set off for the King of Fighters Tournament's venue to register.
Following the proper procedures, they successfully completed their registration. However, as they emerged from the registration hall with Tōdō Kasumi and Kasamoto Eri by his side, Qin Ming suddenly glanced around, and his brows furrowed further.Thanks to the combat instincts provided by his A‑rank fighting skills, he could clearly sense that a large number of people were secretly watching him.
Clearly, those adventurers who hadn't secured an invitation still hadn't given up—they were making a last-ditch effort.They had chosen to "lie in wait," attempting to ambush those who had obtained the invitation at the registration point.However, their targets weren't any of the plot characters—after all, teams formed by such figures were far too terrifying in terms of combat power, and not something the ambushers could handle.Moreover, if they caused too much commotion, they might inadvertently attract nearby martial artists.
These troublemakers were after their own kind—in other words, those adventurers who, by sheer luck, had managed to obtain an invitation and form a team.Ambushing such teams was not only easier than targeting the plot characters, but it also yielded rewards—a lucrative opportunity repeated over and over.
So why was it that when Qin Ming's trio came to register, no one emerged to ambush them?It was because Tōdō Kasumi was a plot character, Kasamoto Eri was another world's protagonist, and although Qin Ming wasn't particularly famous, his imposing 2.3-meter physique was intimidating enough!If you were in his shoes, encountering such a hodgepodge team that looked formidable at first glance, would you dare to show your face and snatch their rewards?If they actually showed up, it might well lead to a deadly brawl!
After all, a "monster" capable of attracting protagonists from other worlds simply couldn't be ordinary, right?
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Thus, the ambushing adventurers—those lurking around, waiting to exploit a weakness—wisely backed down when they saw the formidable appearance of Qin Ming's trio.Especially after recognizing Kasamoto Eri's identity, they became exceedingly timid.
But their silence didn't mean Qin Ming would remain quiet.Abruptly, he stopped in his tracks, scanned his surroundings, and then suddenly pulled out his handgun and fired a shot toward the sky.The deafening gunshot echoed far and wide, capturing the attention of every adventurer nearby.
Lowering his weapon, Qin Ming pulled out his extra invitation card and gently waved it."I still have an extra one here! Anyone interested, come talk to me!"
After speaking, Qin Ming turned and walked away.All that remained were the adventurers—some pretending to be incognito, others hidden altogether—exchanging wary glances.
Half an hour later, in a café, the trio of Qin Ming had gathered to drink coffee.Tōdō Kasumi, who had been raised on strict discipline since childhood, clearly wasn't very skilled at this; she sat frowning as she sipped her coffee.Opposite her, Kasamoto Eri couldn't help but let her natural charm burst forth as she began to flirt with the young lady.Qin Ming, meanwhile, sat at another table, quietly drinking his coffee and nibbling on snacks.Occasionally, he stole a glance at Tōdō Kasumi, his expression becoming rather odd.This very woman, who had traveled thousands of miles in search of her father—from battling in King of Fighters '96 to tracking down a little girl from King of Fighters 2002—now appeared completely different in character from Mai Shiranui.Though both are scions of illustrious families, Mai Shiranui, due to her training in ninjutsu, is carefree, passionate, and dresses very boldly,whereas Tōdō Kasumi is stiff, wooden, and exceedingly stubborn.Since she had taken on the mantle of representing the Tōdō Dojo, she insisted on wearing her dojo uniform whenever she went out, always donning the symbol of the dojo on her head—a headband very much resembling the forehead protector from Naruto.Her back was kept perfectly straight, and she constantly maintained a strict appearance; overall, she looked as if she could be easily bullied.Accurately speaking, at this moment Kasamoto Eri had already started picking on her—Tōdō Kasumi couldn't win an argument with Eri, and she dared not push back too hard.When a proper, stern young lady encounters a female thug, Tōdō Kasumi was completely at her mercy.Watching Tōdō Kasumi desperately trying to push away the persistent Eri clinging to her, Qin Ming couldn't help but exclaim from his seat on the other side.Who would have thought that a seemingly silly little girl actually mastered a close-combat divine technique—an A‑rank skill that could directly break through Heaven Glide! That move, Metsushin Mutou, is truly fearsome.
Just as Qin Ming was marveling at it, his ears suddenly picked up another sound.At the same time, on the opposite side, a figure had inexplicably appeared, sliding out a chair and sitting directly across from him.Hearing the sound, Qin Ming slowly turned his head and fixed his gaze on the woman sitting opposite him, raising an eyebrow."Coming here all alone—would you say that takes real guts?"The poised woman, seated in a state of alert composure, replied in a flat tone,"If one can invite so many people on one's own, then you too must be commendably courageous. Enough small talk—how much are you offering?""That should be you starting the bidding—how much can you offer?"Turning to face her, Qin Ming grinned broadly. The woman frowned and, just as she opened her mouth to speak, her pupils suddenly contracted; she swiftly reached for the short dagger at her waist and glared to one side.Qin Ming also glanced in that direction.There, from beneath the shadow cast by the table and as the shadow swayed, three figures began to emerge slowly from the darkness!Their bizarre mode of appearance left Qin Ming momentarily stunned."I offer 10,000 points—give me an invitation card."The mysterious trio all turned to look at Qin Ming. The lead man wore a black ninja outfit, his face concealed by a black cloth; he nodded subtly as he spoke.As a rival opponent arrived, the woman on the opposite side's expression darkened; she could no longer contain her irritation."I offer 12,000.""You're only one person— even with an invitation, you can't participate. Besides, coming here alone, aren't you afraid you might end up wasting your life?""Hmph! Don't worry about me! Since I dared come alone, I'm confident I can leave alone too!"During their exchange, both sides glared at each other. The trio in black ninja attire even slowly reached for the swords on their backs, as if contemplating whether to deal with the woman in front of them by force.But before the three could act, Qin Ming, sitting opposite them, gently knocked on his table."Let me remind you all: if you want to fight, then fight. But don't disturb my business, or I won't hesitate to make a little extra cash on the side."At his words, both the trio and the woman turned to look at him.Gazing at Qin Ming's imposing figure, they hesitated for a moment and eventually lowered their weapons.Securing two invitation cards in one go—no matter how the others had come by theirs—it showed that Qin Ming was not an ordinary guy.There was no need for a deathmatch, especially not in front of everyone's eyes, so they calmly chose to let go of their murderous intent.Seeing that they had finally calmed down, Qin Ming suddenly stood up, propping both hands on the table, and shouted loudly,"Is there anyone else? If not, I'm gonna start selling! If no one shows up, I'm not interested in doing business with you even if money is on the line!"After Qin Ming finished speaking, the café fell into a deep silence for several seconds. Then suddenly, footsteps were heard.Next to their table—accompanied by a distortion in the wall's color—a figure appeared in a strange manner!At the same time, two people leaped down from the ceiling.Nearby, a waiter who had been serving tea and water promptly came over with a tray, smiling and nodding at Qin Ming in greeting."Count me in."Seeing the waiter with a smile, Qin Ming's expression immediately changed.Because this waiter actually displayed attributes of a plot character, and most importantly—he had been completely ignored by Qin Ming just a moment ago!Not that Qin Ming hadn't seen him—but he had simply overlooked him!It was as if he were just an ordinary person that he didn't care about; seen one moment, then instinctively forgotten the next!A person whose coloration blends with the environment, merging into the shadows!And who might have trained in the Assassin's Creed organization—so inconspicuous that when standing among a crowd, he's completely overlooked!These adventurers daring enough to compete for invitation cards truly had some hidden dragons and crouching tigers among them!
(End of Chapter)
