2025-02-02 17:40:00Carrick floated in darkness, his mind filled with painful memories. He thought about what had happened, and his emotions swirled with regret, anger, and sadness.
He couldn't believe his father was behind it all. But deep down, he knew it might be true. Edgar, the driver, didn't deny it. He said he was just following orders.
Carrick's mind was filled with questions. Why did his father want him dead? Was it because his mother was a mistress? Because he was powerless in the family? Or because his mother used to be a maid?
Carrick felt angry and hurt. He had never fought back against the family's abuse. He had always stayed quiet. So why did they want to kill him?
He screamed into the darkness, "Why!?" His anger grew with every thought.
If only he had been given a chance to live, maybe he could have become a powerful Mafia Lord one day. But now, he was left with only anger and sadness.
«Ding!
Data collection complete!
Fusion successful!
Host's health is currently in a critical state. Injecting revitalization serum!»
Carrick heard a female mechanical voice. He immediately turned around but saw nothing except infinite darkness.
«Ding!
Host's emotions are a mess! Injecting Ever-Calm serum!»
Carrick felt his mind calm as a cool sensation ran over him. He began to rearrange his thoughts, but first thing first, what exactly was that mechanical voice earlier.
«Welcome Host, I am Erebus. Earlier I detected an attempt of brainwashing on the host, thus I made use of the Ever-Calm serum on the host.» the voice spoke again.
"Erebus, huh? Who or what are you?" Carrick asked.
"I am an Artificial Intelligence System, you can think of me as your personal assistant. Needless to say, I am not of this backwater world of yours. I was soaring through the data airspace when I felt a pull to you. I felt your unbridled desire to make a change in your life, thus I am here to help.» the mechanical voice said with a hint of glee in its voice.
"And how will you be able to help me?" Carrick questioned the system. In the past he would have been fretting, but now his mind was as calm as the sea.
«I can grant the Host sets of skills and monetary rewards should the host walk in the path of accomplishing his goal.» the mechanical voice replied.
"Like those Systems in Light Novels that make their protagonist so OP? Hmm, fine. But where exactly I'm I?"
«You are in the void, an airspace between the Living and Purgatory. Host should awaken in ten minutes.» the system replied.
"Alright. Since you said you're a system and I'm the host, can you show me my stats?"
«Ding!
STAT (System for Transfer and Analysis of Tactical data):
Host: Carrick Gale
Age: 18
Status: Comatose
Attributes:
Strength (STR); 10
Intelligence (INT); 25
Agility (AGI); 10
Vitality (VIT); 25
Endurance (END); 25
Charisma (CHA); 15
Combat stats:
Attack power (ATK); 10
Defense (DEF); 10
Health points (HP); 100%
Mana points (MP); 100
Accuracy (ACC); 0
Evasion (EVA); 0
Performance metrics:
Experience points (XP); 0
Level; 1
Skills:
Revitalization (passive, upgradable)
Ever-Calm (passive, non upgradable)
Gold or currency; $0
Kills or deaths; 0 kills, 1 death
Win-loss record; 0
Goal: To be a Mafia Lord.
(System suggests the host will level up ASAP or the host's goal will just be nothing but a pipe dream).»
Carrick was stunned by his stats, he didn't know he was this weak. But when he saw the Mana point and the skills, he got a bit confused.
"Hey system, what's with Mana point? Isn't that part of a game-like stat for mages and spellcasters? Why is it amongst my stat?"
«Host is correct. But in this case, the Mana point helps you to perform certain active skills which you will acquire in time. With the Mana point, you can perform some skills that can enable you to dodge bullets, shoot in a curved manner, read lips and other excellent active skills.»
"That's really cool. What about the two skills there, Revitalization, what does it do and why is it upgradable?"
«Ding!
Revitalization will aid the host to recover from any wound, illness, or poisonous state. Also when upgraded to a certain level, the host can even regrow a severed limb and recover from even a bomb attack. Nevertheless, that will cost lots of Mana points.»
WHAT!?
"Hold on! Are you saying that with the right amount of Mana points and revitalization level, I can be said to be immortal!?"
«You could say that.»
"This is so damn OP, I feel like I'm a protagonist in a light-novel."
«Ding!
Host will awaken in sixty seconds. Host is currently in a facility. System detected traces of attempted brainwash earlier but terminated it by injecting Host with the Ever-Calm serum. System suggests Host to act brainwashed as Host is currently too weak to defend himself against whatever the unknown individuals will do. Again, System urges the Host to find a way to level up quickly, otherwise the host's goal will never be achieved.»
"Huh!? What!?"
«Host to awaken in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..»
*
"He's coming around!"
"He's regaining consciousness!"
"Quick, get Doctor Ambrose!"
"Get some guards in case he goes berserk!"
Carrick could hear a cacophony of voices as his brain and eyes tried to adjust to the new surroundings. He felt he was laying on a soft bed and wearing a strange helmet on his head, also there was a lot of tubing attached to needles that had been inserted into him.
He didn't know where he was, but he had a feeling this was exactly where the system told him about, and he remembered the system telling him to act brainwashed in order to stay alive.
Sigh!
"Even after being revived and given a second chance in the same world, I'm still weak. It won't be long though."
Soon Carrick heard hurried footsteps, he could tell there were more than ten persons coming. Then he saw a clean shaven middle-aged man in a white medical coat that came and stood near him.
"Welcome back son, from now on, your name is X, and you serve Rambosia."
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BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 4: ESCAPE
Carrick, 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 fro
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
Carrick sat in the armory, getting ready for the ambush operation. Victor had chosen a small team of 20 people, including Carrick.Carrick knew that revealing his identity could jeopardize the mission. So, he decided to wear a mask to conceal his face.Before heading out, Carrick checked in with the Erebus system. "System, show me my stats," he requested. «Ding! STAT (System for Transfer and Analysis of Tactical data): Host: Carrick Gale Age: 18 Status: Healthy Attributes: Strength (STR); 35 Intelligence (INT); 40 Agility (AGI); 35 Vitality (VIT); 40 Endurance (END); 40 Charisma (CHA); 25 Combat stats: Attack power (ATK); 45 Defense (DEF); 40 Health points (HP); 100% Mana points (MP); 300 Accuracy (ACC); 60% Evasion (EVA); 55% Performance metrics: Experience points (XP); 1,400 Level; 3 (1,400/20,000) Skills: Revitalization (passive, upgradable) lvl 3 Ever-Calm (passive, non upgradable) Undying Resolve (active, non upgradable) Weapon master (passive, upgradab
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 8: FACE-OFF
Carrick entered the meeting room, where the morning sunlight shone brightly. The Alistair family elders and Victor were already seated, looking serious.Victor spoke firmly, "Carrick, thank you for coming. We have new information about the Gale Family."He explained, "They're moving a new shipment to their warehouse. We think it contains more of those special energy cells we found recently."Just two nights ago, they had attacked the Gale Family's convoy and raided their warehouse. What they found surprised them: most of the crates held blocks of energy cells, not just gold. Carrick's eyes narrowed. "What's so special about these energy cells?" Victor leaned forward. "They have the potential to produce new, highly advanced weapons. We can't let the Gale Family get their hands on that kind of power, once they make use of these energy cells, they will be unstoppable amongst the Mafia community. We need to get that power for ourselves." The elders nodded in agreement. "We need to take
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 9: TRAP
Carrick and his team were thrown into a dark cell in the basement. They heard water dripping and faint screams. Domino sneered at them, his eyes shining with victory."You're fools," Domino said. "You thought you could sneak into our mansion and steal from us?" He laughed. "We knew you were coming."Carrick's eyes narrowed. "How did you know?" he asked.Domino smiled. "Victor thought he was clever, but we caught his spy. We turned them against you."Carrick's anger grew. "Who was it?" he demanded.Domino leaned in, grinning. "Someone very close to Victor. They gave us information and led you into our trap."Carrick's mind was racing. Who could the traitor be? One of Victor's trusted friends?Carrick's anger flared, but he kept his cool. He knew he had to stall for time. Perhaps Victor will attempt a rescue operation.Domino leaned in, his voice dripping with malice. "After I kill you, I'll make sure your mother suffers too. One of our loyal servants will poison her, and she'll die a s
BANG BANG BANG CHAPTER 10: BUILDING A PRIVATE ARMY
Carrick sat in Victor's office, sipping his whiskey. He was angry and frustrated about the failed rescue mission. The quiet office couldn't calm him down.He couldn't believe Domino had tricked him again. Now Carrick worried about his mother's safety. He imagined her suffering at the hands of Domino and the Gale family.Victor looked serious, his eyes showing their failure. "Carrick, I'm sorry. We didn't expect Domino to be so prepared."Carrick stared out the window, his voice filled with frustration. "It's not your fault, Victor. I knew the risks. But I won't give up."Carrick had a secret reason for not giving up, but he kept it hidden from Victor. He had the system with him. And besides, he wanted to get his beloved mother out of the hands of the Hale Family.Victor leaned forward, his elbows on the desk. "We'll regroup, plan again. We won't let Domino win."Regroup and plan again? Not a chance. Carrick had already received a message from the System that he needed to build up his
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.
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CHAPTER 129: SHADOW GARDEN
Rain beat down on the glass panes of the Gale estate like a warning drum. The storm outside had begun hours ago, but the real tempest brewed inside. Carrick Gale stood in the main hall, silent and alone, save for the towering shadow of Victor beside him."They’re not moving tonight," Victor said, his voice low. "Alessia’s kept her dogs on a tight leash. Even Lucien’s gone dark."Carrick didn’t reply at first. He stared out the arched window into the gray-black night, watching the blurred outlines of trees sway in the wind. "It’s the quiet that bothers me, Vic. It’s too calculated. She’s not just waiting. She’s preparing."Victor nodded. "So are we."Carrick finally turned, eyes sunken but sharp. "We lost territory in the North End. Salvi's people are muscling into the docks. And we still don't know who leaked the warehouse locations.""I have people narrowing it down. It wasn’t Enzo.""No," Carrick agreed. "But Marco..."Victor's jaw tensed. "You think he's turned?"Carrick didn't ans
ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ 128: SMOKE AND STEEL
The rain fell in sheets over the East District, washing the alleys in a silver gleam that did little to cleanse the rot beneath. Streetlights flickered. Neon signs sputtered. And deep within the skeletal remains of an abandoned textile mill, war was being planned.Alessia De Luca stood at the head of a long, rust-streaked table, the old iron doors shut tight behind her. A map of the city was spread wide across the surface, marked with crimson pins and cigarette burns. Around her sat the core of her rebellion: Lucien, cool and expressionless; Nadya, the Russian smuggler who’d turned against Carrick after he torched her safehouse; and Salvi, his white beard stained with ash and betrayal."We hit the Verdant depot next," Alessia said, pointing to the warehouse near the riverfront. "Carrick’s moving weapons there under a new alias. He thinks I don’t know."Lucien leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "You plan to strike openly?"Alessia nodded. "Hard and fast. We torch the wea
CHAPTER 127: FRACTURED LOYALTIES
The rain hadn’t stopped for hours. It drummed against the windows of Carrick's war room like a warning, steady and relentless.Victor stood by the fireplace, arms crossed, watching Carrick pace in front of the city map. The black lines of territory had begun to blur beneath smeared ink and scrawled updates. Names had been crossed out in red. More every day."We lost two more blocks in the East," Victor said flatly. "One of our trucks went up in flames near the Viaduct. Nobody survived."Carrick turned sharply. "Which crew?""Nico's."Carrick's jaw tightened. Nico had been loyal since the docks. Since before any of this had truly begun. Another ghost to add to the hall."Alessia," Carrick muttered."She’s not acting alone," Victor added. "The way she moves... it's coordinated. Timed. Someone's pulling strings beside her."Carrick pointed to a cluster of buildings in the West. "Then we find out who. Shake down her known allies. I want to see blood in the alleys. If they back her, they f
CHAPTER 127: COLD FLAMES
The storm had no mercy.Rain lashed against the windows of the Gale estate, like ghostly fingers tapping out a warning on the glass. Thunder rolled over the city in slow, growling waves, the sound echoing through the marble halls and empty corridors of Carrick's stronghold. Inside the war room, the tension was thick enough to choke on.Carrick stood alone before the table, the city map soaked in red ink and wine stains, cigarette smoke curling above his head. His fingers traced the perimeter of West District again and again, like he could feel the noose tightening around his empire.Victor entered without knocking, his coat dripping wet, his eyes grim."She hit the seventh shipment," he said.Carrick didn’t flinch. "Losses?""Six dead. Two drivers, four guards. And..." Victor hesitated. "She left a message. Burned it into the asphalt."Carrick turned slowly. "What did it say?"Victor’s voice was flat. "An eye for an eye. And your city will go blind."Silence hung like a blade between
CHAPTER 125: BENEATH THE SURFACE
The scent of blood still clung to the smoldering warehouse ruins when dawn broke. A sickly orange light seeped through the skeletal frame of the building, casting long, jagged shadows over the wreckage. The air was thick with ash and tension, every breath reminding the survivors that Carrick Gale's war had turned another violent corner.Victor stood amidst the ruin, his coat torn, his jaw bruised, but his eyes sharp as ever. He watched the cleanup in silence. Medics were dragging out the wounded, body bags were being zipped. Three dead. Two maimed. The price of underestimating Alessia De Luca.Carrick emerged from the alley, his clothes blackened with soot, but his presence no less commanding. Marco walked beside him, bandages wrapped around his cheek, a hollow set to his features. Neither of them spoke at first."Booby-trapped weapons," Victor said grimly. "Who does that?""Someone who wants us to fear pulling the trigger," Marco muttered.Carrick's voice was quiet, dangerous. "She’s
CHAPTER 124: NO SAINTS IN THE SMOKE
The storm rolled over the city like a judgment long overdue, thunder rumbling low in the belly of the clouds. Rain spat against the windows of the Gale estate, but inside, the air was dry and charged.Carrick stood at the far end of the war room, his back to the door, eyes fixed on a map of the city pocked with red pins. Each one was a wound. A betrayal. A ghost.Victor stepped in without knocking. “We lost another shipment.”Carrick didn’t turn. “Where?”“Dock 17. South bay. Alessia’s people torched it. Again.”A long silence. Carrick’s hand clenched the edge of the table. “How many?”“Five men dead. Two missing. One of them was Piero.”Carrick finally turned. His eyes were darker than the storm outside. “Piero was loyal.”Victor nodded grimly. “He went down fighting.”“Good,” Carrick said softly, then added after a pause, “He deserves to be remembered for that. Not for dying under my command.”Victor watched him carefully. “You can’t keep bleeding people for territory, Carrick. She’
CHAPTER 123: SMOKE AND STEEL
Rain fell over the city like ash, thick and slow, soaking into the concrete and steel. A storm had rolled in from the east, as if summoned by the violence still hanging in the air. The streets were quieter than usual. Tension had a sound, and tonight, it whispered from the shadows.Carrick Gale stood beneath the awning of the Gale estate, a glass of dark rum in his hand and a Glock tucked beneath his coat. The wind stirred the edges of his coat, as if nature itself was uneasy around him.Victor approached from the gates, soaked to the bone. He didn’t complain. He never did."Kovac's gone dark," he said without preamble. "No one’s heard from him since the warehouse incident. His men are pulling out of shared zones. It smells like retreat, but I think he’s coiling. Waiting."Carrick didn’t look at him. "And Salvi?""Still playing both sides. Meeting with Alessia’s people through back channels. Lucien's face has been spotted near the docks.""Then it’s started."Victor paused. "You could
CHAPTER 122: A WHISPER BEFORE THE STORM
Carrick Gale didn’t sleep anymore.He sat in the estate’s underground war room, the dim light of the overhead bulbs casting jagged shadows across his face. The map table before him was marked with fresh ink...blue for neutral territories, black for allies, and red for enemies. The red bled across the city like an open wound.Victor stood near the door, arms folded, watching him. “You haven’t said a word in hours.”Carrick’s fingers traced a circle around a warehouse in the South District. “She’s baiting us.”Victor stepped closer. “You think Alessia wants us to strike?”“She wants me to overreach. She’s picked at the edges...cut off our money, turned the Kovac crew against us. That was precise. Surgical.” He looked up, eyes bloodshot but burning. “She’s not lashing out. She’s hunting.”Victor let out a slow breath. “So what do we do?”Carrick pushed the map aside. “We stop reacting. Start moving like predators, not prey.”Footsteps echoed down the corridor, and Marco entered, face pal
CHAPTER 121: CRIMSON TIDES
The rain hadn’t let up all night. It came down in cold sheets, hammering the city and washing away the bloodstains left behind from the latest skirmish near the south docks. Carrick stood beneath the awning of a half-collapsed warehouse, trench coat soaked, hair plastered to his forehead. The men behind him were quiet, watching the streets through narrowed eyes.Victor approached from the alley, his shoulder bleeding and his expression tight with fury. "They hit our courier line. Two trucks down. One torched."Carrick’s jaw flexed. "How far in?""Right under our noses. Just a block from the safehouse on Granger. We lost ten crates of rifles. That was our shipment from Serbia."Carrick exhaled, a cloud of steam escaping his lips. "Alessia knows our routes. She’s bleeding us one vein at a time."Victor winced as he pulled off his soaked jacket. "We can hit back. Hard. We know where Salvi’s been hiding his muscle. You give the word, we burn it to the ground."Carrick didn’t respond immed
