Infinity, The Arcade Age

Qin Ming stared wide-eyed at Captain Hook from a distance. The sheer range made it impossible to use his goggles to scan the boss's attributes, leaving him with only speculation.

This is the final boss of the last stage... I've never encountered a final boss before.

In most worlds, the strongest foe he had ever faced was only the second-stage boss.

As Captain Hook's voice echoed over the water, the Lost Boys quickly parted, revealing Qin Ming at the center of their ranks.

"Hmph! Peter Pan is already here! He is Peter Pan, the hero who once defeated you!"

Captain Hook's previously calm expression froze in shock.

His sharp eyes locked onto Qin Ming as he scanned him up and down with obvious confusion.

"You… are Peter Pan?"

Qin Ming's face darkened.

"Yeah, I'm Peter Pan."

Captain Hook frantically dropped his weapon and pulled a faded photograph from his coat pocket. Holding it up to compare it with Qin Ming's face, his confusion deepened.

"You're… really Peter Pan?"

"Yes, I'm Peter Pan."

"But… you look nothing like him! How can you possibly be the same Peter Pan who once defeated me? Can you fly?"

"I…" Qin Ming's frustration boiled over. "I've told you already—I'm not Peter Pan! Why does everyone keep asking me if I can fly?! Is flying really that important?!"

Qin Ming gritted his teeth as he snatched Tinkerbell mid-air, stopping her from trying to cast her half-baked flying spell on him again.

"I'm not Peter Pan! But they keep insisting I am! I've never fought you before!"

Qin Ming had no intention of fighting the final boss without preparation. His main goal was still to track down those three intruders and eliminate them.

The identity crisis between Peter Pan and Captain Hook? Let someone else deal with that mess.

Captain Hook fell silent, his eyes narrowing as he studied Qin Ming's face carefully.

After a brief silence, he spoke with a chilling calmness:

"So… you're the new Peter Pan, aren't you?"

The subtle emphasis on the word "new" made Qin Ming's eyes narrow.

He knows. He knows the title of Peter Pan can be transferred!

For a long moment, they simply stared at each other across the water—one standing on the deck of his pirate ship, the other on the shore surrounded by rebellious children.

Finally, Captain Hook smirked, tossing aside the photograph.

"Peter Pan, I don't care whether you're the old one or a new one. If you bear that name, then our grudge remains. Mark my words—I'll settle this score with you!"

With a dramatic sweep of his arm, Hook turned and strode toward the captain's quarters of his massive ship.

The pirate crew followed their captain's orders, scrambling to prepare the ship to retreat.

Looks like they've exhausted their supplies. Otherwise, Hook wouldn't have hesitated to attack directly.

As Captain Hook disappeared from sight, three figures emerged on the deck of the retreating ship.

They stood at the bow, staring down at Qin Ming with hostile intent.

The trio consisted of Feng, the cold and silent leader; Yan, the blindfolded female mystic; and Nu, a brawny, reckless man casually perched on a railing.

None of them spoke, but their intentions were crystal clear.

It's them… so Feng actually survived our last encounter? Must've burned some rare survival item.

Qin Ming's lips curled into a mocking smirk as he met Feng's gaze.

Raising a hand to his throat, he made a slashing motion, flashing his teeth in a menacing grin.

I wonder how many more lives your fancy items can buy you, Feng. Let's see how many rounds you've got left in you.

The pirate ship's horn blared as it pulled away from the shore.

Turning back to the Lost Boys, Qin Ming raised his sword and barked an order:

"Prepare for battle! Don't give them time to regroup—we attack immediately!"

"Yes, Captain!"

The Lost Boys erupted into cheers, their weapons raised high in the air.

But as Qin Ming watched their eager faces, a dark realization settled in.

This isn't a fairytale… this is a bloody gang war. These kids aren't innocent or pure—they're miniature pirates with a taste for violence.

"The Adventures of Peter Pan"? More like "Lord of the Flies: Pirate Edition."

Qin Ming had multiple reasons for deciding to engage Captain Hook directly:

His enemies—the three adventurers—were hiding under Captain Hook's protection.A hidden mission had been triggered.

Ding! Warning! Due to your unique status, you have triggered this world's Final Hidden Mission: "Captain Hook's Vengeance!"

The final-stage boss will enter the stage early. The difficulty level of this world has been increased to B-rank!

Final Hidden Mission: Captain Hook's Vengeance

Objective: Defeat Captain Hook.Rewards: 10,000 Points, 10 Free Attribute Points, Clear Reward Chest x1.Failure Penalty: None.

Leading the Lost Boys towards Captain Hook's stronghold, Qin Ming couldn't suppress the excitement in his chest.

The final boss has entered early… and there's a hidden mission attached.

The rewards were immense—10,000 points, 10 attribute points, and even a clear reward chest.

Whatever's in that chest… it's worth risking my neck for.

Compared to the chaos of the last world, this challenge felt manageable.

B-level world? Please. I've survived worse.

Qin Ming tightened his grip on Peter Pan's Sword, his golden bracers gleaming in the sunlight.

This time, I'll finish all my enemies in one sweep—Captain Hook, Feng, Yan, Nu… none of you are leaving this island alive.

"All troops, march!"

With a wave of his arm, the Lost Boys charged forward, their excited war cries echoing through the dense jungle.

The final confrontation with Captain Hook awaited.

(End of Chapter)