2025-02-02 18:58:05More 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 will give all attributes ×2 boost.»
'Hehehe, things just keeps getting better and better.' Carrick chuckled inside.
The guards opened fire, but Carrick's disruptor rendered their laser guns useless. Seeing them shocked at the fact their guns weren't working, he rushed at them with the knife he used to kill the previous guard. With his strength and agility boost now both at 20 each, he found it easier to take down the guards.
Suddenly, a guard landed a lucky blow, sending Carrick crashing to the ground. The disruptor flew from his hand, sliding across the floor, broken to pieces.
"No!" Carrick shouted, scrambling for the device.
The guard raised his gun, ready to deliver the final blow. Carrick rolled aside, avoiding the bullet by mere inches.
With a loud shout, Carrick launched himself at the guard, tackling him to the ground. They wrestled, punching each other. Carrick kicked away from the guard, then picked up the knife which lay beside him, just as the guard made one more jump at him, Carrick made it his last.
Puchi!
«Ding! Congratulations to Host for killing a level 4 hostile individual. 700 XP and 300 gold coins has been awarded to Host. Host is now a few points away from leveling up.»
As he stood up, Carrick realized he was bleeding - the bullet had grazed his arm. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain, but soon, he saw the wound healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. In no time, the wound had scabbed.
'This revitalization skill is no joke.' Carrick inwardly rejoiced.
The disruptor lay nearby, now trashed. Carrick picked it up, but it was now just a piece of junk.
Fortunately there were no more guards heading his way, it seemed that Victor and his team had drawn all the attention to themselves. The corridor was silent, except for the sound of his own ragged breathing.
Carrick leaned against the wall, catching his breath. He had won, he was very proud of himself. His first battle and he had emerged victorious. Although he knew it was with the help of the system, still..
«Ding!
Host, you're clear to escape.» The system's voice echoed in his mind.
Sigh!
"It seems from now on Rambosia will not stop haunting me."
«Host is correct. Host is therefore advised to lay low while he continues to level up and amass skills and wealth»
Carrick nodded, wincing in pain. "I'm ready."
'It seems I have to really make use of Victor and his fallen Mafia family. With their help, I can lay low and grow at a steady pace.
Carrick made his way through the deserted corridors, his eyes looking for any signs of danger. He knew that Rambosia wouldn't give up easily, sooner or later more guards would be here, but he had a head start. Although he didn't know what part of the city he was in right now, he had a feeling he was in a place that could easily link him back to the Gale family.
As he turned a corner, he saw Victor waiting for him, a hint of a smile on his face. There was blood all over him.
"Well done, V5," Victor said, clapping him on the back. "You're a natural."
Carrick grinned, feeling a sense of pride and belonging. "Thanks to you and your team. I owe you one."
"I know this isn't the time, but I'm curious, how did you manage to break through the brainwash? That had never failed before." Victor asked and Carrick saw pure curiosity in his eyes, although Victor just escaped the Rambosia, that didn't mean he could trust him with the secret of the system.
"Luck I guess." Carrick shrugged.
Victor's expression turned serious. "We need to get out of here, now. My team has bought us some time, but Rambosia will regroup soon."
Carrick nodded, following Victor through the narrow corridors. They reached a secret exit, and Victor handed Carrick a new device.
"This is a secure comms device. Use it to contact me when you need help."
Carrick took the device, feeling a sense of gratitude. "Thanks, Victor. I won't forget this."
Victor smiled, but didn't move away from Carrick, he stared long at Carrick which started to creep the teenage boy out.
"Where will you go now V5?" Victor asked even though he had already guessed the answer.
"Well, I don't know. I guess I can just find a motel and you know, get a job if I can."
"That only established the fact that you have nothing in mind. Why don't you come join my family? You can offer your services to them.”
With that, Carrick slipped out into the night, ready to start his new life as a fugitive. But he knew he wouldn't be alone. He had Victor, Erebus, and his own determination to drive him forward.
«Ding! Host has reached level 2. Attributes have been boosted.»
Carrick smiled, feeling a sense of excitement. He was just getting started.
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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
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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
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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
