2025-02-02 18:54:56Carrick, now called V5, pretended to be brainwashed. He stared blankly at Doctor Ambrose. The doctor smiled, happy with Carrick's condition.
"You're doing well, V5," Doctor Ambrose said. "You'll be a great asset for Rambosia." He nodded to the guards.
One guard, a tall man with a scar, stepped forward. "Sir, may I talk to you?" he asked quietly.
Doctor Ambrose frowned. "What is it, Victor?"
Victor looked at Carrick before speaking. "I think we should be careful. He's not as brainwashed as we think."
Doctor Ambrose laughed. "That's impossible. The treatment always works. V5 will do what we say."
Carrick's mind raced, remembering the system's warning to level up quickly. He knew he had to play along, but he also needed to find a way to escape and start his journey to become a Mafia Lord. He knew if he remained here, he would be nothing but an experimental subject, a guinea pig for this mysterious organization.
As the guards closed in, Carrick noticed a small, almost unnoticeable nod from Victor. It was a signal, but from whom? Carrick could not help but wonder. He had spent enough time with his family to know when a conspiracy was going on.
Suddenly, alarms blared, and the room shook. "What's happening?" Doctor Ambrose shouted in confusion. The Rambosia hideout was unknown to Major Mafia families, so who would dare attack them?
Victor reacted immediately and drew his gun. "We're under attack. Get V5 to safety!"
Carrick saw his chance. What just happened made him understand that this Victor wasn't loyal to Rambosia, perhaps Victor could be his way out of this sick place. He pretended to stumble, falling to the ground. As the guards rushed to help him, Carrick whispered to Victor, "Who are you working for?"
Victor's eyes locked onto Carrick's. "Meet me in the east wing tonight. Come alone."
With that, Victor dragged Carrick away, into the chaos. Carrick saw a new group of people dressed in a different uniform shooting at the guards.
*
Disguised as a Rambosia guard, Victor pulled Carrick through the winding corridors of Rambosia's secret facility. They dodged bullets and leaping flames, the sound of shattering glass and screams filling the air.
"What's happening?" Carrick shouted above the din.
"Rebellion," Victor replied, his gun firing at unseen targets. "We have to get out, now!"
They burst through a door, slamming it shut behind them. Carrick found himself in a cramped, dimly lit room filled with computer screens and wires. The room seemed like a tech storage room.
"Who are you?" Carrick demanded, his eyes locked on Victor. Before he could decide on anything, he needed to know who Victor was.. what if he was working for his father and was here to finish the job those men couldn't.
Victor ripped off his mask, revealing a scarred face and piercing blue eyes. "I'm Victor Alistair, former helmsman of the Alistair Family. My family was almost wiped out by the joint forces of the Gale family and Giovanni family. And you, V5, might just be the key to our survival."
"What do you mean I'm the key to your survival?" Carrick questioned, but suddenly a ding sounded in his head.
«Ding!
<<System suggests Host should make use of the individual 'Victor' and escape Rambosia.>>
"I will tell you all you want to know, but for now. I have infiltrated Rambosia's mainframe," Victor said as he lifted his face from the computer screen, his voice urgent. "We must escape now. The facility will self-destruct in five minutes."
Carrick's heart raced. "How do we get out?"
Victor handed Carrick a small device. "This is a neural disruptor. It will disrupt any brainwash action that may have been taken against you, and it will also disrupt the aim of those guards, in other words, they won't be able to land a single bullet on us as their aims will be way off. Press the red button to also neutralize their weapons as they are making use of electrical powered laser guns."
Carrick took the device, his mind racing. "What about you?"
Victor smiled grimly. "I'll draw off Rambosia's forces so as to lessen the attention on you. You don't have to worry, I'll be right behind you."
The countdown began, echoing through the room. Carrick and Victor shared a nod before bursting into action.
Carrick charged into the corridor, neural disruptor in hand. The Rambosia guards closed in, aiming their guns at him, they didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Carrick dodged and weaved, the disruptor emitting a high-pitched whine as it neutralized the guards' mental sense as well as their weapons. The guards pulled the triggers but only the clicking sound was heard.
"You're a dead man, V5!" a guard snarled, charging at him with a knife. The guard was quick to realize something was wrong with his gun, but instead of panicking, he decided to first take out Carrick
Carrick sidestepped, using the guard's momentum against him. The guard crashed into the wall, unconscious.
<<Ding! Congratulations to host for neutralizing a level 3 hostile individual. 200 XP awarded to Host. System suggests the host to kill hostile forces in order to reap maximum XP and level up quickly>> the mechanical voice sounded in his head.
Carrick stared at the unconscious guard, he had never killed a fellow human before. He was about to refuse when he felt his emotion calming down, he realized it was the Ever-Calm passive skill taking effect. He slowly walked over to the guard, picked up the knife that was on the ground and calmly slit the guard's throat. The guard twitched a few moments before becoming still.
«Ding! Congratulations to Host for killing a level 3 hostile individual. 500 XP and 250 gold coins awarded to Host.»
Carrick stared at the small blood puddle in front of him. For someone who just killed a fellow human for the first time, he was awfully calm as if nothing happened.
"Well, it's either them or me, and besides, a weak hearted person can't become a Mafia Lord." He said to himself and smiled. At the moment, he was seeing the guards as XP points and a stepping stone. A smile played on his lips.
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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 5: LEVEL UP
More guards came and surrounded Carrick. He stood strong, holding his disruptor tightly.One guard sneered at him. "You're trapped. Give up now and we might go easy on you." The guards had seen the previous experiments of previous subjects, they were always so weak. This guard couldn't see the reason the doctors wasted so much money and time experimenting on such useless people. Now facing against Carrick, he believed Carrick will be the same as the previous subjects.Carrick on the hand, remembered all the times he had given in to the Gale family. He had always stepped down and tried to stay quiet just to stay alive.But what did he get for being quiet? His brother hated him. His own father had tried to kill him.Carrick's eyes narrowed. He made a promise to himself: he would never give in again."I'd rather die," Carrick said, his voice firm and his smile cold.«Ding!New skills acquired!Undying Resolve (non upgradable)Description: In desperate times, Host's resolve to persevere w
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 6: THE ALISTAIR FAMILY
Carrick and Victor escaped from the Rambosia facility and ran until they reached a busy road. They hailed a taxi and Victor told the driver, "Take us to Ancroft city."The driver smiled slyly and said, "That'll be $200 each."Victor hesitated, but Carrick simply got into the taxi. Victor followed, looking worried. "I only have $500 on me, and we need to buy food too," he said.Carrick smiled and reassured Victor, "Don't worry about it."Then, Carrick silently asked the Erebus system, "Can I use the gold coins as real money?" «Ding! Yes. Host just needs to will a few coins to materialize in his hand and it will be so. Note, one gold coin is equivalent to ten dollars.» Carrick smiled at the system's response. * Ancroft city was in front of a mountain. Victor's family mansion was hidden in the mountain. "Welcome to our humble abode," Victor said, one could sense pride in his voice. As they walked on the stone steps towards the mansion, Victor thought it will be best to play the role
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 7: FACE OFF
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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 8: FACE-OFF
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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 9: TRAP
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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 10: BUILDING A PRIVATE ARMY
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BANG BANG BANG Chapter 12: THE STORY OF MAXIMUS PERCH
Carrick leaned forward, his sharp eyes studying Maximus. The leader of the Killer-Wolves Mercenary Guild wasn’t just some war-hardened soldier, there was something deeper behind those cold, calculating eyes. Something that felt eerily familiar. "You’ve piqued my interest, Maximus," Carrick said. "Go ahead, tell me your story." Maximus smirked and leaned back in his chair, swirling the whiskey in his glass. The dim lighting of the Helios Hotel suite cast long shadows across his face, making his expression unreadable. "You remind me of myself, Carrick," he began, his voice laced with amusement. "A young man with a vendetta, a thirst for power, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. That’s dangerous." Carrick smirked but said nothing. He was more than willing to let Maximus continue. "I wasn’t always the leader of KWE," Maximus said. "I was born into a military family in Moscow. My father was a Spetsnaz operative, a legend in his time. Cold. Calculated.
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 13: BLOOD IN THE SHADOWS
Carrick stepped out of the Helios Hotel, his mind buzzing with possibilities. Partnering with Maximus Perch and the KWE Mercenary Guild was a massive step toward building the Zenith Family into an unstoppable force. But the text message Maximus had received lingered in his thoughts."Aurum Zenith is dangerous. Take him out before it’s too late."Someone was watching. Someone powerful enough to try and strike before he could rise too far.Carrick lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply as he scanned the city streets. It was late, but the underworld never slept. He needed to move. If someone was coming for him, he’d strike first.«Ding! New Mission: Identify and eliminate the unknown threat.»«Reward: +5,000 EXP, Skill Upgrade – Shadow Steps.»Carrick smirked. So, the game had already begun.Thirty Minutes Later.Carrick waited in the shadows near an abandoned warehouse, his phone buzzing in his hand. He had sent out a few feelers, Jack Harris, Alex, and Lila were already digging for informati
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CHAPTER 151: TERMS OF WAR
The morning after the ambush, the city felt like a carcass picked clean by vultures. Smoke clung to the skyline, and the streets buzzed with a violence that no longer tried to hide itself. In the ruined conference room of what once was the Montrose Hotel, Carrick Gale leaned over a scarred table, maps and dossiers spread out like a battlefield. Marco arrived late, limping slightly, Victor and Silas flanking him like angry hounds. The air between the two leaders crackled. "You called for this meeting," Marco said, voice like gravel. "You better have something worth my time, Carrick." Carrick didn't look up right away. He tapped a folder at the center of the table. "Lucien," Carrick said. "And his pet ghost, Delilah Blackthorn. They're not just gunning for you anymore." Marco snorted, stepping closer. "No shit." Carrick finally met his gaze. His eyes were sharp, glacial. "They're coming for all of us." Silence stretched. Victor shifted, resting his hand on the butt of his p
CHAPTER 150 BLOOD IN THE STREETS
The first firebomb hit just after midnight.Carrick Gale stood on the balcony of the north wing of his estate, cigarette dangling from his lips, when the sky bloomed into angry red in the distance.Another explosion rumbled seconds later, closer this time.He ground the cigarette under his boot and turned on his heel, face hardening.Marco’s war had just escalated ... and it was bleeding into Carrick’s world.A knock rattled the door."Come," Carrick barked.Logan stepped in, breathless. His shirt was stained with soot and blood, his left sleeve shredded."They hit the Yarrow warehouse," Logan said. "Took out two guards. Set the whole place ablaze."Carrick’s eyes narrowed."And the DeSantis armory?"Logan hesitated."Gone," he said quietly. "Blew it sky-high twenty minutes ago. They're targeting every asset we have in the west sector."Carrick paced the room, the polished wood floors creaking under his boots."Marco’s desperation stinks like a dying dog," he muttered. "But this... th
CHAPTER 149: SMOKE AND MIRRORS
The smoke hadn’t even cleared from the ambush site when Marco slammed his fist onto the table back at the safehouse."Goddamn it!" he roared, sending a stack of blueprints flying.Victor stood nearby, a fresh gash bleeding across his brow, jaw set tight with anger.Silas limped in, clutching his side. "It was a setup," he rasped. "He knew every move we made."Marco’s face was carved from stone."He’s inside our circle," he said. "Somebody’s talking."Victor cursed low. "I’ll start running checks. Every man, every comm line.""No," Marco said, voice colder than steel. "I'll do it myself."He turned to Silas."Get patched up. You're no good to me bleeding out."Silas opened his mouth, thought better of it, and nodded, leaving the room.Only Victor stayed."You really think one of ours flipped?"Marco didn't answer right away. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, hands steady even though his gut boiled."Not just flipped," he said finally. "They sold their soul."Victor’s mouth tightene
CHAPTER 148: BLOOD IN THE SHADOWS
The first sign that something was wrong came with the silence.The war room was usually a hive ... phones ringing, men shouting, maps shifting. But tonight, there was nothing. Just an eerie, unnatural stillness.Marco paced the edge of the table, feeling the weight of it press down on his chest."Where’s Jax?" he snapped, glancing at Victor.Victor, frowning, checked his watch. "He should’ve reported in an hour ago."Silas lit a cigarette with trembling fingers. "Maybe he ran into heat. Cops, Carrick’s leftovers..."Marco shook his head. "Jax doesn’t miss check-ins. Not unless he’s dead."The word hung heavy in the air.A phone rang ... sharp and shrill.Everyone jolted.Victor grabbed it."Yeah?" His face paled almost instantly. "Boss... you need to hear this."Marco snatched the phone from him."Marco," a voice rasped. Jax’s voice ... barely recognizable, slurred and broken."It’s... a trap... he knew... he knew we were coming..."Gunshots crackled in the background. Screaming. Then
CHAPTER 147: FIRST STRIKE
Marco didn’t sleep that night.He sat in the war room ... a makeshift headquarters carved out of an abandoned speakeasy beneath the old theatre ... staring at the maps spread across the table. Each red pin marked a loyalty, each black pin a threat. And there were more black pins now than ever before.Victor entered, a mug of coffee in one hand, a pistol tucked into the back of his belt."You should rest," Victor said, setting the coffee down. "You look like hell."Marco didn’t move. "Carrick didn’t threaten me," he said, voice low. "He challenged me."Victor pulled a chair around and dropped into it, studying Marco."There's a difference?""Yeah," Marco said grimly. "One's a warning. The other’s a death sentence."Victor nodded slowly. "So what’s the play?"Marco leaned back, eyes burning. "We strike first."Victor's eyebrows lifted. "Now you’re speaking my language."But Marco wasn’t smiling."No messy fireworks. No grandstanding," he said. "We cut out Carrick’s heart while it’s stil
CHAPTER 146: SMOKE BEFORE THE FIRE
The night air was thick with mist and the sour stench of gasoline.Carrick Gale stood atop the rooftop of an abandoned textile mill, his coat whipping in the wind, a cigarette burning low between his fingers.Below him, the city lights flickered like dying embers."You were right," muttered Donovan, stepping up beside him. His breath steamed in the cold. "Marco’s moving against you."Carrick didn’t flinch. He didn’t even look at him."I know."Donovan hesitated. "It’s not just Marco. Salvatore met with him tonight. They're rallying others. Quiet-like, but... it's happening."Carrick took a slow drag from his cigarette, the tip flaring."So the rats finally show their teeth," he said softly.Donovan shifted uneasily. "What do you want to do?"Carrick turned, finally facing him. His eyes were pale blue and cold as glacial ice."Set a meet," Carrick said. "Invite Marco. Make it seem like I want to talk peace."Donovan frowned. "You think he’ll buy it?"Carrick smiled ... a thin, dead thi
CHAPTER 145: A KINGDOM OF ASH
The warehouse stank of oil, dust, and desperation.A single bare bulb swung from the ceiling, casting long, jittering shadows over the gathered men. Marco stood near the center, his fists shoved deep into the pockets of his coat, while Silas leaned casually against a rusted support beam, arms folded, eyes glittering like a serpent waiting for its moment to strike."So what’s the play?" Marco asked, his voice low.Silas smiled ... that same unsettling, knowing smile. "Simple. We bleed Carrick dry from the inside. Cut his supply lines. Peel away his allies one by one."Marco’s jaw tightened. "You make it sound easy."Silas shrugged lazily. "It's not easy. It's inevitable. Carrick's empire is rotting. All we have to do is give it a little... push.""Push too hard," Marco muttered, "and he'll lash out."Silas stepped closer, voice dropping. "That's the idea. Let him lash out. Let him make mistakes. Then we move in for the kill."Marco stared at him, heart pounding in his chest. The though
CHAPTER 144: A SERPENT AMONG WOLVES
The city was breaking apart at its seams, a rotting corpse wearing a golden crown.Marco walked through the crumbling alleys of the south side, the rain soaking through his jacket. He didn’t care. The world could drown for all it mattered.Carrick was slipping. And Marco ... once Carrick's sword arm, once his shield ... felt it deep in his bones: the time to choose sides had come.He wasn’t sure if he could betray the man who had once saved him.But as the blood pooled deeper around Carrick's throne, loyalty began to feel more like a noose.A sharp whistle echoed down the alley.Marco turned instantly, hand going to the gun beneath his jacket.Out of the shadows stepped a man ... tall, wiry, with an unsettling stillness to him. His long black coat clung to him like a second skin. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes were dead."You must be Marco," the stranger said smoothly, voice like silk pulled across a blade."Depends who's asking," Marco replied, voice t
CHAPTER 143: KNIVES BENEATH SMILES
The storm rolled in over the city as dusk fell, shrouding the skyline in grim clouds. Thunder grumbled low in the distance, a warning growl before the lightning’s inevitable strike.Inside the upper floors of the old Salvi manor, Arturo stood at the head of a long table. Around him were faces ... some familiar, some recently turned ... all carrying the same grim set to their jaws. They were the last of the De Luca loyalists, the bitter remnants of broken families, and the wolves who had long waited for Carrick Gale to falter.Alessia De Luca sat to Arturo’s right, her hands neatly folded, a mask of calm that barely concealed the rage boiling underneath."Carrick’s bleeding," Arturo said, voice low but carrying. "The shipment hit hurt him worse than he’s letting on. His allies are whispering. Some are jumping ship."A younger man, Gaetano, leaned forward, his knuckles white against the table. "Then we press now. While he's weak. Burn the rest of his operations to the ground!"Arturo sh
