[Ding! Adventurer 441985 has returned!]
[Main quest completed. Reward: 10,000 points, 10 free attribute points.]
[Optional quest completed. Reward: 10,000 points, 10 free attribute points.]
[Total rewards obtained this time…]
Hearing the notification in his ear, Qin Ming frowned. Before the system could finish its report, he impatiently forced it to end early and directly returned to his room.
Back in his room, he sat on the bed and rubbed his forehead with a slight headache.
The artillery bombardment from the regular army had been completely blocked by Qin Ming without injury.
And seeing that those lunatics had dared to go so far as to attack him, utterly tearing off all pretense, Qin Ming didn't bother with diplomacy. He decisively chose to publicly ally with the rebels.
The Hound Unit and the rebel forces officially joined forces to form a new resistance army, far more powerful than before.
And in just one short month, they swept across nearly half of the territory.
But after that month passed, Qin Ming had reached his maximum stay time and had no choice but to exit that world.
As for how the Metal Slug world would develop after this, Qin Ming no longer cared—because now, he had more urgent matters to handle: the Lamp Genie situation.
He took out a small golden lamp from his pocket, raised his hand, and gently wiped it while frowning.
This golden lamp was Qin Ming's final reward for completing the three wishes of the Lamp Genie—a blank-tier item.
That's right! The lowest grade—white-tier!
[Name: Useless Oil Lamp]
[Type: Item (White-tier)]
[Effect: None]
[Description: A perfectly ordinary oil lamp with no special value.]
No attributes. No effects. Absolutely nothing special about it. Just a plain, unremarkable lamp… except—
As the rubbing sound echoed, a puff of thick smoke suddenly burst out from the lamp. In the next moment, the Lamp Genie flew out with arms crossed, shouting loudly as he emerged.
"Congratulations on summoning me, Qin Ming! Now you must fulfill my three wishes!"
Qin Ming's expression didn't change in the slightest. Meanwhile, the Genie—who had finished yelling with arms wide open—cheerfully floated down, grinning brightly.
"I just love that line. Every time I say it, the summoner always looks so shocked."
As he spoke, the Lamp Genie happily glanced around. But once he took in the layout of the room, his smile abruptly vanished and his brow furrowed.
"This is the Nightmare Space? Ugh… I hate the smell of this place."
Sitting nearby, Qin Ming idly toyed with the oil lamp in his hand, lifted his head, and glanced at the Genie with a blank expression.
"Why is this lamp just a white-tier item?"
The Lamp Genie floated over to perch on a nearby cabinet, crossing his arms and shrugging slightly.
"Because I didn't want to attract the Nightmare Space's attention. If it found out I slipped in, it would definitely demand you hand me over."
"And if I refuse?"
"Find a way to kill you, of course. Once you're dead, the equipment naturally becomes its property. Sure, you're special—but trust me, compared to letting a powerful enemy emerge, it has no shortage of special little underlings."
Qin Ming nodded slightly at those words and casually tossed the oil lamp over.
The Lamp Genie caught it and looked at Qin Ming with a smile, then suddenly lowered his voice.
"So, have you thought it over?"
"What?"
"The proposal I made—have you considered it?"
"…Still not sure."
"Aiyah, what's with you men and your hesitation? Just give me a straight answer soon. Either you work with me, or you hand me over—pick one."
Floating over to Qin Ming's side, the Lamp Genie slung an arm around his shoulder and sat down, speaking with a nonchalant tone.
"If you work with me, we'll find a way to escape the Nightmare Space. With your power and my abilities, we can build our own space and compete with it. If you don't want to cooperate, then hand me over. You'll earn a great merit and it won't be a waste of completing my wishes. The choice is yours."
Hearing this, Qin Ming's eyes flickered, and he suddenly clenched his fist.
That's right… The Lamp Genie can create its own space! That was the very reason it had been completely sealed inside a world by the Nightmare Space!
The seal placed by the Nightmare Space had been airtight. But over time, the Lamp Genie had gathered energy and eventually broke free by transforming into its current "Genie" form.
The power the Lamp Genie wielded was called the Power of Imagination—in simple terms, turning fantasies into reality.
It was an extremely potent ability… but also extremely limited, because it was insanely resource-hungry.
Unfortunately, before the Genie had time to grow stronger, it had run into the Nightmare Space and been completely crushed and sealed.
And now, having taken a liking to Qin Ming's abilities, the Lamp Genie proposed a partnership—hoping to escape with Qin Ming's help, rebuild a space of its own, and return to the competition among the major spaces.
That was what had left Qin Ming torn.
As Qin Ming lowered his head and remained silent, the Lamp Genie shrugged slightly and suddenly sighed.
"I get it. The Nightmare Space treats people really well—immortality, ruling over worlds, just have to help it fight now and then. It's basically the dream life for most people. So if you don't want to work with me, I totally understand. Not everyone wants to step out of their comfort zone. You're sure to be promoted—your benefits will only get better. You really don't need to take a risk with me. After all, if we fail, you'll die."
Hearing that, Qin Ming frowned and looked up, staring at the Genie intently.
"What? You're not going to try to persuade me?"
"Nope. I need someone who can fight with me wholeheartedly, not someone who'll cry about how I tricked them the moment things go wrong. It's your choice. But once you decide—remember—you made that choice. Don't blame anyone else."
Qin Ming lowered his head again. After more than ten seconds of silence, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted, forming a faint, sinister grin.
"Going up against the Nightmare Space, huh… Now that's… heh, kind of interesting."
He raised his head and looked at the Lamp Genie, reaching out a hand.
"I'm in. Count me in your little team."
Hearing that, the Lamp Genie's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly reached out to shake his hand.
"Then from this moment on, you're my partner. Once we've built our space, you'll own half of it!"
"I don't need half. Just don't micromanage me. I just like fighting. Things in Nightmare Space are getting boring—I want to go out and challenge someone new."
"Nope! I hate managing things! I need someone who can manage! The last time failed because the one managing sucked! So this time, you're in charge!"
"…So… happy cooperation?"
"Happy cooperation!"
(End of Chapter)