Infinity, The Arcade Age

"Hey! Qin Ming! Good morning!"

Trailing a faint golden glow, Tinkerbell fluttered over to Qin Ming, cheerfully greeting him.

As the legendary fairy drew near, Qin Ming's eyebrow twitched involuntarily.

"Morning, Tinkerbell."

Adjusting his sunglasses, he activated his scan ability.

Name: Tinkerbell (Captain Hook World)Strength: 5

Constitution: 5

Agility: 5

Spirit: 50

Skill: Fairy's Power (Grade A)

Description: A mischievous and proud little fairy living on Neverland. Playful, temperamental, and girlish, she's also the mascot of the Lost Boys camp. As long as Neverland exists, she will never truly die.

With her cheerful greeting finished, the palm-sized fairy casually perched herself atop Qin Ming's head, crossing her arms as she curiously observed the commotion involving the middle-aged Peter Pan.

Feeling the slight weight on his head, Qin Ming's expression grew even more bizarre.

Good grief… so the silver title's effect kicked in on Tinkerbell?

But what's the point of having maximum favorability with a tiny fairy? What can she even do for me?

No, don't misunderstand! Qin Ming's 'what can she do' wasn't in that sense—it was purely in terms of combat assistance!

Before he could dwell on it further, Peter Pan, still being chased by a swarm of angry Lost Boys, spotted Qin Ming and abruptly pointed a finger at him.

"Wait a minute! You said adults aren't welcome here! Then where did he come from?"

His loud accusation brought the entire camp to an abrupt silence.

Qin Ming felt a chill run down his spine. Crap, I was just here to watch the drama unfold… how did I end up getting dragged into it?

The Lost Boys turned, their eyes collectively fixing on Qin Ming.

As the silence grew heavier, Tinkerbell, still seated atop his head, spoke up sharply.

"Qin Ming's just a kid who grew up a little faster than the others! He's nothing like you, you fat, oily old man! How dare you sow discord here! Boys—get him!"

Her indignant outburst triggered cheers from the crowd, and the Lost Boys charged at Peter Pan with renewed enthusiasm.

Pan yelped, turned on his heel, and bolted like a frightened rabbit, leaving Tinkerbell to nod smugly atop Qin Ming's head, arms crossed like a victorious commander.

Her irritation was understandable. To her, Peter Pan was a betrayer.

He had abandoned Neverland and willingly erased his memories to live a mundane life. For Tinkerbell, this was an unforgivable betrayal.

With Peter Pan eventually captured and tied up, the Lost Boys prepared to judge him for his crimes under Tinkerbell's lead.

But just as the chaos reached its peak, footsteps echoed from the camp's entrance.

The wooden gates creaked open, and four figures stepped into view.

"Wait! Stop! Don't hurt him! He really is Peter Pan!"

The voices silenced the crowd as every head turned toward the newcomers.

Standing at the entrance were four adults—two men and two women.

Their identities were unmistakable: Adventurers.

They paid no mind to the hostility radiating from the Lost Boys. Instead, their wide eyes locked onto Qin Ming.

It was as if they had just seen a ghost.

Oh, so this is where the fifth participant ended up. Right in the middle of the protagonist camp!

Did he use some special item to achieve this?

As the four adventurers stood frozen in place, Qin Ming narrowed his eyes and carefully scanned them.

None of these people are my enemies… at least not the ones hunting me.

Relief flooded him briefly, and his frown softened slightly.

Before anyone could speak, Tinkerbell shot to her feet, her tiny wings flapping furiously.

"Who are you people? Without a fairy's guidance, it's impossible to reach Neverland! Unless… unless you're spies for Captain Hook! Speak! Are you Hook's lackeys?!"

The Lost Boys brandished their weapons—a chaotic assortment of clubs, spears, and makeshift swords.

The adventurers instinctively took a step back, their expressions uneasy as they stared down a swarm of angry, armed children.

One of the female adventurers swallowed nervously and whispered to her teammates:

"I thought this was supposed to be a fairy tale. Why are these kids wielding weapons and ready to murder us? What kind of dark fairy tale is this?"

Her teammate grimaced, wiping sweat from his brow.

"They're a bunch of wild kids who've been living without rules or adults for years. You think they wouldn't be violent? These brats fight pirates on a regular basis!"

As the Lost Boys crept closer, one of the adventurers—clearly the smooth-talker of the group—stepped forward, raising his hands placatingly.

"Esteemed Lady Tinkerbell, we have long admired your legendary beauty and grace! Please, allow us to explain! We're here to protect Neverland! We infiltrated Captain Hook's ship to stop his wicked plans!"

The flattery seemed to work—Tinkerbell's fierce expression softened slightly.

But she wasn't convinced yet.

"Neverland doesn't welcome adults!"

"We know, we know!" the adventurer said hurriedly. "Once Captain Hook is defeated, we'll leave immediately. But right now, the most pressing matter is waking Peter Pan's dormant spirit!"

The adventurers stepped cautiously toward the bound and suspended Peter Pan, their faces twitching slightly at the sight of his round belly and balding head.

This guy? This flabby old man is supposed to be the legendary hero Peter Pan? Seriously?

But they had no choice.

They needed Peter Pan to be accepted, or else they'd never gain access to the Lost Boys' resources.

Clearing his throat, the spokesman addressed the crowd with theatrical flair:

"He is Peter Pan! The legendary hero who defeated Captain Hook! The leader of the Lost Boys! The one and only Peter Pan!"

The declaration was met with a sharp, angry voice from the crowd.

"No way! He can't be Peter Pan!"

From the mass of children emerged a teenager with colorful hair, wearing a pair of dual short swords at his waist.

It was Rufio, the current leader of the Lost Boys camp and the second-in-command in the storyline.

His face twisted with anger as he glared at the adventurers.

"Peter Pan left us a long time ago! He's not coming back!"

The four adventurers exchanged helpless looks.

They knew Rufio wasn't going to yield easily.

But they also knew…

If they couldn't convince the Lost Boys that Peter Pan had returned, then their mission—and their foothold in this world—was doomed from the start.

So whether he was really Peter Pan or not didn't matter.

They had to make everyone believe he was.

(End of Chapter)