"Urraaa!"
With a mighty roar, Qin Ming, now transformed into a towering two-meter giant, unleashed a flurry of punches, relentlessly pounding the enemies rushing toward him.
Baseball bats shattered upon impact with his body. Steel pipes bent under the force of his punches.
Empowered by his active skill, Qin Ming's strength had surged to an astounding 35 points—an overwhelming force that the hapless thugs simply couldn't withstand. Bulldozing through their ranks, Qin Ming even picked up one of the so-called Taekwondo Masters and slammed him straight through a wall.
With a resounding crash, the wall crumbled, and Qin Ming, using the thug as a battering ram, barged straight into the building.
No sooner had he broken through than he came under heavy gunfire. Several gang members, armed with various firearms, opened fire on him. The bullets ricocheted harmlessly off his body, with only the two elite thugs wielding submachine guns managing to slightly pierce his defenses. However, even those shots merely grazed the surface.
Roaring in fury, Qin Ming grabbed a nearby cabinet and hurled it with all his might. The massive piece of furniture shattered the staircase railing before crashing into the group of gunmen, sending them flying.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Qin Ming charged forward, intent on tearing through the remaining enemies.
But just as he was about to close the distance, a small, wiry man suddenly darted out from behind the staircase, a sinister grin on his face as he aimed a flamethrower directly at Qin Ming and pulled the trigger.
With a whoosh, a torrent of flames engulfed Qin Ming, covering him from head to toe.
Elite enemy: Pyromaniac (Punisher, Stage Two)
Name: Pyromaniac (Punisher, Stage Two)
Strength: 5
Constitution: 5
Agility: 5
Spirit: 5
Skill: Flamethrower (B-Level, requires a flamethrower)
Description: These deranged lunatics are feared even among the gang members. Rumor has it that they have a few screws loose in their heads.
"Hahahaha!"
The pyromaniac cackled with maniacal glee, holding the trigger down as the flames continued to scorch Qin Ming's body. Covered in fire, Qin Ming appeared to be completely consumed by the blaze, now a figure of roaring flames.
The pyromaniac's laughter grew louder, his expression contorted with twisted delight.
But before he could revel in his apparent victory for long, the burning figure in front of him suddenly spread its arms wide.
The next moment...
"RAAAAAHHH!"
With a roar, a powerful shockwave exploded outward, instantly snuffing out the flames surrounding Qin Ming's body. A whirling vortex of energy took shape in front of him, transforming into a tangible force that shot toward the pyromaniac.
Skill: True Sonic Hand Blade!
In a flash of light, the spinning blade of air cleaved through both the pyromaniac and his flamethrower in one swift motion.
The pyromaniac's insane grin froze on his face, his hand still gripping the trigger. Worse still, the ruptured flamethrower spewed its contents across the room, igniting the very flames he had been using.
With a deafening explosion, the flamethrower detonated, sending fire surging in all directions. The remaining gang members were instantly engulfed, screaming as they were transformed into human torches.
As for Qin Ming, he shielded his face with his arms, enduring the brunt of the explosion.
When the flames finally subsided, he shook off the remnants of burning fabric, revealing his scorched body. His hair was singed, his skin marred by severe burns, and he could feel the intense pain throbbing beneath his charred flesh. Despite neutralizing the flames with his Sonic Hand Blade, the damage from the fire had left him in rough shape.
His face twisted in pain and anger, Qin Ming's fury only grew.
Kicking open the next door, he stormed toward the main hall, fully prepared to take his vengeance.
But after only a few steps inside, he immediately retreated.
Standing in the hall, beside the casino boss Bruno, was a towering, four-meter-tall mechanical monstrosity.
The second boss, the Battle Robot, had appeared!
Realizing the situation, Qin Ming promptly fell back.
Seeing Qin Ming's retreat, Bruno laughed maniacally.
"Hahahaha! Thought you were tough, didn't you, kid?! Come on, show me what you've got! Let's see you beat steel!"
BOOM!
Bruno's gloating was cut short by a sudden explosion. The wall behind him shattered, and a swirling vortex of energy tore through the air, slicing Bruno clean in half.
Charged Sonic Hand Blade!
Without even having time to react, Bruno was bisected by the energy blade, his body falling to the floor in two pieces. A mere elite enemy like him stood no chance against the fully charged attack.
Bruno's two lackeys also lost their arms in the process, and most notably, the Battle Robot standing behind them was also struck by the attack. Though the blade only managed to leave a gash on the robot's metal frame, it had succeeded in activating the hulking machine.
The robot's eyes lit up with a menacing red glow, and its head swiveled to lock onto Qin Ming.
A chilling, synthesized voice echoed through the hall.
"Target acquired. Objective: Terminate."
With a sharp whir, a searing red beam shot from the robot's eyes, sweeping across the room.
The beam cut cleanly through Bruno's remaining henchmen, bisecting them as easily as it had slashed through the walls, leaving deep, molten gouges.
B-Level Skill: Laser Beam!
In the hallway, Qin Ming narrowly avoided being struck by the beam, cold sweat dripping down his back.
Hearing the heavy, metallic footsteps behind him, Qin Ming quickly pulled out his revolver and fired into the air.
With a deafening crash, the door beside him was thrown open, revealing three more elite enemies: a Fat Henchman and two Boxer Thugs.
Unfortunately for them, the robot had already turned its attention toward the newcomers.
As the robot's head swiveled, its laser beam flashed out again, cutting the two Boxer Thugs in half before they had a chance to react.
Only the Fat Henchman managed to evade the deadly beam, leaping into the air with a skillful high jump as he attempted to land a crushing body slam on the robot.
And then…
BAM!
With a loud crash, the robot's arm shot up in a perfectly executed uppercut, slamming into the Fat Henchman mid-descent. The sound of bones shattering echoed through the hall as the Fat Henchman's body was launched back into the air, screaming in agony.
One punch, and he was crippled.
Name: Battle Robot (Punisher, Stage Two)
Strength: 50
Constitution: 50
Agility: 20
Spirit: N/A
Skills: Steel Body (B-Level), Laser Beam (B-Level), Rocket Jump (C-Level)
Description: A guard robot crafted with specialized technology. Some say it was purchased by Kingpin, while others claim he stole it. Regardless of how it came into his possession, there is no doubt about the terrifying power of this killing machine.
(End of Chapter)