Infinity, The Arcade Age

In the desolate wilderness of Greentown, with the dry wind kicking up dust and tumbleweeds rolling by, Qin Ming and Kasamoto Eri finally arrived at their mission destination — the stronghold of Simon, the first boss of Sunset Riders.

As a notorious outlaw and farm owner, Simon had ruled these lands for years. With over two hundred henchmen under his command, he was a feared local tyrant.

The nearby towns were all under his control, and even the saloons, inns, and gun shops operated as part of his enterprises.

He wasn't wealthy enough to rival nations, but he was undoubtedly rolling in riches.

Men, guns, territory — and most importantly, money.

This strong foundation made Simon's dominance unshakable.

Despite the government offering a hefty bounty for his capture or death, no one dared challenge him.

But now, challengers had arrived.

Qin Ming abruptly pulled his warhorse to a stop, looking up at the scorching sun high in the sky. The fierce sunlight made him instinctively squint.

With a hand on the brim of his pirate hat, he finally understood why people said the West was a harsh land.

This scorching heat was enough to roast someone alive.

Dusting off the sand on his clothes, Qin Ming gazed at the eerily quiet town ahead. His newly acquired lever-action rifle slung over his shoulder, he guided his horse forward at a leisurely pace.

Riding alongside him, Eri pulled her cowboy hat lower, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

As they rode further into the town, Eri nudged her horse forward, coming closer to Qin Ming's side.

"Boss, stay alert," she said quietly. "Something's off."

"Huh?" Qin Ming raised an eyebrow and turned to her.

Eri's hand was already gripping her revolver at her hip.

"There are signs of a recent shootout," she noted, her tone serious. "The damage is fresh. It must've been a brutal fight."

Despite her carefree and boisterous demeanor, Eri had a sharp intuition, honed from growing up in the criminal underworld.

She didn't miss a thing.

If she said there had been a gunfight, Qin Ming knew better than to doubt her.

Resting the rifle on his shoulder, Qin Ming surveyed the empty streets and grinned.

"So someone beat us to it, huh? Looks like we're late to the party."

Since Qin Ming had forced his way into this world using a special tracking item, he already knew he was at a disadvantage.

Regular adventurers usually spawned right in Greentown and could immediately start working on the mission.

But Qin Ming and Eri had been randomly placed elsewhere, far from their target.

This was a safety measure by Nightmare Space to protect marked targets from being ambushed the moment they entered a mission.

Having someone beat them to the showdown with Simon didn't come as a surprise to Qin Ming.

He was prepared for setbacks, even if this mission ended up costing him more than it was worth.

What intrigued him now was the outcome of the fight — who had engaged Simon first, and who had won?

Was it his primary targets from The King of Fighters Squad, or the other two lone adventurers?

As Qin Ming pondered this, sudden movement caught his attention.

The doors and windows of the buildings around them were flung open.

Cowboys armed with rifles, shotguns, and pistols emerged, taking aim at the duo and opening fire!

Hearing the gunfire, Qin Ming and Eri reacted swiftly, leaping off their horses and dodging the bullets as they drew their weapons.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunfire echoed through the streets as the two retaliated, dropping cowboy after cowboy.

The gunmen at the windows screamed as bullets struck them, sending their bodies tumbling to the ground.

With two revolvers in her hands, Kasamoto Eri unleashed a relentless barrage of gunfire, each shot hitting a vital point with deadly precision.

Meanwhile, Qin Ming pulled the lever on his rifle, kicked open the saloon door where enemy fire was fiercest, and stormed inside with his gun raised.

Every shot caused his rifle to spin in his hands, completing the reloading process in one fluid motion.

The large-caliber bullets from the rifle packed an incredible punch, especially at close range.

Cowboys hit by his shots were sent flying backward. Those hiding behind the bar, hoping to engage in a firefight from cover, were blasted through, the bullet tearing through both the wood and their bodies.

The thunderous gunfire shattered furniture and liquor bottles, sending debris flying through the air.

Marching through the chaos, Qin Ming charged upstairs, enduring the bullets aimed at him. He fired a shot directly into a cowboy manning a crank-operated machine gun on the second-floor landing, sending him crashing through a window.

Seizing the machine gun, Qin Ming gripped the crank firmly and began turning it furiously, unleashing a storm of bullets onto the street below.

On the second floor, Qin Ming unleashed suppressive fire.

On the street below, Kasamoto Eri detonated explosives with pinpoint accuracy.

The cowboys hiding in the surrounding buildings, attempting to launch a coordinated ambush, were killed on the spot or fled in terror.

Fire and smoke engulfed the once peaceful town.

With the enemies dealt with, Qin Ming leapt from the second floor, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. He regrouped with Eri, and the two charged forward again.

When they reached the town's center, they finally caught sight of the legendary Simon Estate.

The three-story mansion was heavily fortified, with armed cowboys stationed everywhere. Three crank-operated machine guns were positioned at key points — near the entrance and on the rooftop.

Wooden barrels had been stacked to form makeshift barricades, and numerous cowboys crouched behind them, eyes filled with murderous intent.

Standing at the second-floor window was a burly man with a grim expression.

Dressed in cowboy attire with a wide-brimmed hat and plump lips, farm owner Simon held an exquisitely gold-inlaid rifle, glaring fiercely at them.

Seeing the infamous boss in person, Qin Ming and Kasamoto Eri were both taken aback.

They hadn't expected him to still be alive.

If Simon was alive, that meant the earlier casualties had been adventurers.

It appeared that Qin Ming's three targets hadn't arrived before him after all.

Standing at the window, Simon gazed down at the duo. His fingers brushed over his prized rifle as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Here to claim the bounty on me, huh?"

Qin Ming raised an eyebrow at his words.

"Sounds like you've had other visitors already?"

"Two greenhorns bit off more than they could chew. I took care of them—cut them up and fed 'em to my cows."

"Only two? You didn't see three working as a team?"

As soon as Qin Ming finished speaking, Simon's hand paused on his rifle. He raised his head sharply, eyes glinting dangerously.

"What, were they your friends?"

Click!

With Simon's words, the surrounding cowboys shifted their aim toward Qin Ming and Eri, exuding murderous intent.

Faced with the hostile enemies, Qin Ming squinted and smiled faintly.

"Relax, they're not friends. Quite the opposite — they're our enemies too."