Infinity, The Arcade Age-Chapter 389: The End of the Emperor

Rugal's eyes widened as he realized something was wrong. He desperately tried to control the two powers within him.

However, the Heavenly Bloodline and Killing Intent that had already gone completely berserk would no longer obey his commands.

120%! 150%! 200%!

The two powers, far exceeding his tolerance, continued to grow and evolve uncontrollably.

One frantically absorbed spiritual killing intent, while the other relentlessly plundered natural energy.

This caused a massive energy vortex to form around Rugal. In the center of the vortex, his body started to dissolve and rapidly expand, becoming larger and more bloated.

Gradually, even his body stopped responding to his commands. His eyes locked onto Qin Ming's receding figure, and his hand, which had been trying to gather strength to intercept Qin Ming, suddenly loosened and dropped.

"I am the master of strength! I am... I am..."

Boom!

A massive explosion echoed as Rugal, struggling for a long time, finally couldn't maintain his body and exploded.

The violent shockwave shredded all nearby buildings, and its power spread in all directions, forming a small mushroom cloud.

Hearing the noise, Qin Ming, who had already returned to the side of Hibiki Eri and the others, hurriedly used his blood manipulation to create a barrier to protect the area.

The barrier held up for over thirty seconds before the terrifying explosion finally dissipated.

When Qin Ming withdrew his blood, he noticed a massive crater had formed in the ground. As for Rugal? He had long since disappeared.

Stepping into the crater, Qin Ming looked at the object in the center, a key that shimmered with an unusual gleam. His face remained expressionless.

The key was no longer golden but a coppery bronze.

A legendary key! This was a top-tier key that Qin Ming had never obtained before!

Even though Rugal hadn't died at Qin Ming's hands but rather from losing control of his own power and self-destructing, he still managed to drop a legendary key, something Qin Ming had never gotten before.

He even inadvertently killed a group of adventurers who had been secretly watching, as well as innocent native inhabitants of the King of Fighters world.

Bending down to pick up the key, Qin Ming sighed as he looked at the coppery bronze key in his hand.

"Rugal, this time, you won."

The higher the skill, the more it could affect the user's mentality, and the Killing Intent was especially like this.

Even someone as formidable as Gouki was driven insane by this force. The influence of Killing Intent on one's character was horrifying—it had to be far greater than any of the two powers Qin Ming had mastered.

Yet, Rugal had perfectly mastered this absurd power and the equally powerful Heavenly Bloodline.

Yes! He had perfectly mastered them! Rugal was not affected by either power's influence on his character! Even at the moment of death, he remained himself!

In this regard, he surpassed Qin Ming by far. After all, Rugal, self-proclaimed King of Fighters, would never allow any power to affect his mindset—even the power of gods.

Of course, he ultimately died because of this character trait—he died because of his disdain for power, because of his arrogance.

Qin Ming, on the other hand, would not have made such a mistake. After acquiring Blood Absorption and Steel Body abilities, Qin Ming had also attempted to use them together but had never forced them to fuse.

The reason was twofold: first, he feared that he would accidentally self-destruct, and second, he had already been influenced by these two powers.

Qin Ming's two S-rank powers made him incredibly violent and reckless.

However, both powers followed instincts, and they avoided interfering with each other. "You do your thing, and I'll do mine," they seemed to say, without stepping into each other's territory.

After all, if they crossed boundaries, they would clash, and once a battle started, it would be to the death, with a winner and a loser.

Who would win was uncertain, but one thing was for sure—the host would definitely perish, just like Rugal.

Therefore, the two powers had always avoided each other's "red zone" and stuck to their own boundaries until Chin Gentsai used his Drunken Fist Sect's treasure to intoxicate them and help them sign a cooperation agreement...

Putting the key away, Qin Ming turned around and left, his face solemn.

Why was he upset even though he obtained a legendary key?

It was simple! Imagine seeing someone on the same path as you—someone who accidentally screwed up and self-destructed in front of you! Could your mood really be good then?

Two incomplete powers turned Rugal into a human bomb!

And Qin Ming had two complete S-rank abilities in his body! In the future, with points accumulated, he might even acquire more!

Good grief! If two S-rank abilities could cause such chaos, what would happen if four or five S-rank powers collided? Wouldn't they tear him apart on the spot?

No way! He had to figure out a solution! He needed to ask his "cheap" master if he had any spare potions!

Otherwise, the Steel Body and Blood Absorption abilities were at peace with each other for now!

But what if a third S-rank ability emerged one day? These two powers might unite and unleash a flash attack on Poland!

At that point, everything would seem calm, but he might not survive either!

Luckily, he hadn't been rich before, or he would have created a third S-rank skill! Otherwise, he might not have had time to meet Chin Gentsai before he killed himself!

Returning to the ruins and trying to find Chin Gentsai, who was supposedly getting potions, Qin Ming noticed something was wrong as he got closer.

At this moment, Chin Gentsai lay wounded on a large stone, while the equally injured and tense Athena Asamiya knelt beside him.

Looking at Chin Gentsai, who was breathing heavily and had a pale face, Qin Ming's expression changed. He hurried over.

This is bad! This old man is about to kick the bucket!

"Master! Don't die just yet! The bank card password... ah, no! Tell me the potion recipe first!"

He shoved Athena Asamiya aside and hurriedly supported Chin Gentsai. Qin Ming's face was filled with panic.

If not for the adventurer's potion, which couldn't be used on plot characters, he would have already forced the potion down Chin Gentsai's throat.

Seeing Qin Ming safely return, Chin Gentsai, who had been tense this whole time, finally relaxed, and weakly spoke.

"You won?"

"Kind of."

"That's good. Qin Ming, don't worry about the potion recipe. It has drug resistance. A person can only use it once."

Looking at Qin Ming's robust physique, Chin Gentsai suddenly sighed, his gaze unfocused.

"Child, the greater the power, the more it affects your heart. I can only help you calm the power, but how to overcome the impact they cause and control them... that's something I can't assist with. You'll have to find your own way."

"I understand, Master!"

"And this calming technique, I only used a secret method to barely maintain a balance between the two powers. Once one side grows too strong and disrupts the equilibrium, this balance will be broken. How to make them coexist harmoniously, or even merge into one... only heaven knows."

With a pale face, Chin Gentsai gazed at the sky, bitterly smiling.

"It seems I really am getting old. I'm no longer of use, and I can't even teach my disciple properly. The road ahead, you'll have to walk it yourself. I can only lead you this far. I'm tired... let this old man rest for a while."

As he finished speaking, Chin Gentsai raised his hand and gently patted Qin Ming's head before weakly lowering it.

Seeing this, Qin Ming clenched his lips, veins bulging from his neck. After a few seconds of silence, he softly spoke, his hand gently resting on Chin Gentsai's still-open eyes.

"Don't worry, Master. I will avenge you and your grudge. I, Qin Ming, swear on my life... hm? Why can't I close your eyes? Is the resentment this strong?"

Halfway through his words, Qin Ming was stunned when he found that he couldn't close Chin Gentsai's eyes.

He tried again, rubbing the eyelids, but still couldn't get them to close.

As he rubbed harder, Chin Gentsai suddenly raised his hand and gave Qin Ming a sharp knock on the head, causing a dull thud to echo.

"What are you rubbing around for! I'm not dead yet!"

"Huh? Faking death?!"

"Faking death? I'm just tired and want to lie down! I'm an old man, got beaten to this state! Is it wrong for me to rest for a bit? You little brat, how dare you wish me dead! Tell me, do you want me dead so you can inherit the Drunken Fist Sect's legacy?!" freewebnσvel.cѳm

Chin Gentsai was truly furious now. If he hadn't reacted quickly, this brat would've probably shoved him into a coffin!

Though raising a disciple was essentially preparing for the end, it didn't have to be this quick! The old man was not in such a rush to go!

As he spoke, Chin Gentsai gave Qin Ming several more knocks on the head. Finally, Qin Ming snapped out of his shock.

After recovering, Qin Ming swung his hands, unceremoniously tossing Chin Gentsai away while getting up and brushing off his clothes with a disgusted look.

"What's the deal with you?! Not dead, yet stirring up emotions! You almost had me moved! But let me tell you, old man, I've already cried in advance for you! If you really die one day, don't expect me to cry for you!"

"You brat! I don't need you to cry for me! I'll cry for you instead! Today, I'm cleaning house, you little troublemaker!"

"Stop hitting me! I'm warning you, I'll turn on you if you hit me again!"

"What? You still dare to bully your master and destroy your ancestors?!"

"Destroy my ancestors? If you keep pushing me, I'll throw you in a coffin and keep crying... I told you to stop hitting me! What's with this old man always hitting below the belt?!"

"Bullshit! I'd love to hit your upper belt too, but can I even reach it?!"

It was clear that age had made Chin Gentsai more formidable. Despite being on the brink of death, he still attacked ferociously, each strike aimed at the weak spots.

Transforming into a warrior focused on low blows, he succeeded in chasing away a disciple who had just broken through and was now defeated.

(End of Chapter)