At the top of the building, Qin Ming quickly descended the stairs, arriving at the battlefield below. There, the first-stage boss of Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, the massive and imposing Vice-Terra, was engaged in fierce combat with the three main protagonists.
Vice-Terra deftly sidestepped Mustafa's flying kick, then clashed fists with Mess in a bone-rattling impact. With a single punch, he sent the hulking Mess flying. Without hesitation, he spun around, drawing his revolver and firing three consecutive shots at Jack, who was leaping toward him from behind.
The bullets struck Jack mid-air, causing him to grunt in pain as he crashed to the ground. Rolling quickly to avoid Vice-Terra's brutal stomp, Jack barely escaped being crushed.
Frustrated at missing his target, Vice-Terra ground his teeth and unleashed a furious punch. Before it could land, however, Jack, still struggling to his feet, flashed a murderous glint in his eyes. He spun rapidly, unleashing a devastating uppercut.
"Shoryuken!" Jack roared.
It was his B-grade skill, the Spinning Dragon Punch! With a brilliant flash, Jack's spinning punch collided with Vice-Terra's fist, and this time, Vice-Terra lost the exchange. The massive boss was sent flying.
Before he could recover, Mess charged in with a flying tackle, immediately followed by Mustafa, who delivered a powerful dual-leg kick. Their combined assault knocked Vice-Terra back even further, eventually sending him crashing to the ground.
Vice-Terra rose to one knee, snarling in frustration as he glared at the three protagonists. But just then, the sound of footsteps echoed nearby—it was Qin Ming, who had finally caught up.
Strutting forward, Qin Ming dramatically flung open his coat, revealing his blue revolver. He approached the kneeling Vice-Terra with every intention of unloading a full barrage of bullets into him.
But before Qin Ming could get close, Vice-Terra pulled out his own gun and fired into the air.
Bang! The deafening gunshot shattered the windows of nearby buildings, and in the thickening smoke, several figures leapt into the battlefield, charging toward them with clenched fists.
As a boss, Vice-Terra didn't just have high stats—he had skills too.
It was his B-grade skill: "Call Reinforcements."
With a single shot, Vice-Terra summoned five minions. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he stood up and turned his vengeful gaze toward Qin Ming.
Without missing a beat, Qin Ming shrugged, flipped his coat back over his revolver, and spun on his heel, walking away as casually as if nothing had happened.
Vice-Terra stared in confusion, as did his summoned minions, who had been preparing to attack the closest target—Qin Ming.
But after a moment of awkward silence, the summoned minions shrugged too, then turned their focus on the three protagonists.
Vice-Terra, having regained his composure, raised his revolver and charged at the trio as well.
While the minions were no match for the protagonists, having Vice-Terra backing them up changed the situation entirely. The boss had three key abilities:
A C-grade skill called "Side-Step Hook Punch," a quick, powerful punch that could send opponents flying if it landed.
A C-grade skill called "Revolver Barrage," a rapid series of three deadly shots in quick succession, with almost no wind-up.
And of course, the B-grade skill "Call Reinforcements," which summoned underlings to gang up on the heroes.
These skills made him a nightmare to fight, especially in combination. While Vice-Terra and his minions engaged in another intense brawl with the protagonists, Qin Ming had retreated to a corner, leaning against the wall, his expression sour.
"Summoning reinforcements? This guy really doesn't play fair!" he muttered.
If he hadn't withdrawn so quickly, Vice-Terra and his minions would have beaten him to a pulp.
Pulling out his revolver, Qin Ming checked the cylinder. Satisfied with the number of bullets left, he took a deep breath and, with renewed determination, stepped out from cover.
Approaching the battlefield, Qin Ming raised his revolver and fired. A minion, who had been fighting Mustafa, was hit squarely in the back and collapsed.
Mustafa glanced at Qin Ming, nodded gratefully, and rushed off to engage another enemy. His favorability toward Qin Ming immediately increased by 50 points.
Without missing a beat, Qin Ming aimed at another minion fighting Mess, shooting him in the head. The brute fell, and Mess, grinning, gave Qin Ming a thumbs up before charging at Vice-Terra. Mess's favorability toward Qin Ming also increased, this time by 70 points.
Feeling good, Qin Ming turned his revolver toward Jack. But then—bang—the bullet struck Jack's shoulder by mistake.
Jack, utterly confused, stared at his bleeding wound, while Qin Ming's face froze in embarrassment. He awkwardly cleared his throat and quickly adjusted his aim.
He swore this wasn't on purpose—it was just a harmless mistake! No hard feelings, right? After all, he was just a rookie with guns. It was perfectly understandable if his aim wasn't great, right?
Nervously laughing to himself, Qin Ming fired off the remaining three rounds in his revolver, each shot hitting its mark. One even struck Vice-Terra himself, proving that Qin Ming's skill with the gun wasn't so bad after all.