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 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.

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 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.

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 of a tour guide.

"The mansion is hidden in the mountains, surrounded by trees and hills. It's a very special and luxurious place. As you drive up to the house, you can see that it's made of stone and wood, with big windows that let in lots of light. The roof is curved like the hills around it. Inside, the mansion is very fancy, with high ceilings, nice furniture, and beautiful artwork. Each room is decorated with care and attention to detail. The mansion has many special features, like a movie theater, a swimming pool, a wine cellar, and a spa. It's a great place to relax and have fun. Outside, the gardens are beautiful, with walking paths, fountains, and a pool that seems to blend into the mountains. The mansion is a peaceful and luxurious getaway from the world."

Carrick followed Victor inside, where he was greeted by a group of rough-looking men and women. They eyed him warily, but Victor gave them a slight nod and that seemed to relax them.

"This is Carrick, our new recruit," Victor announced. "He'll be working with us to take down the Rambosia and help in the rise of our family."

The group nodded, seeming to accept Carrick's presence. Victor led him to a back room, where a burly man was waiting. Squared jaw, chiseled abs, tall, muscular, he looked every inch like Captain Guile from Street Fighters.

"This is Marcus, our head of security," Victor said. "He'll train you in combat and help you get up to speed."

Marcus eyed Carrick critically. "You look like a scrawny kid. What makes you think you can handle our line of work?"

Carrick smiled grimly. "I have already taken down a few Rambosia guards and survived a brainwashing attempt. I think I can handle myself."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "We'll see about that. Let's get started."

And with that, Carrick's training began. He spent hours each day honing his combat skills, learning new techniques and strategies. He also worked on his attributes, boosting his strength and agility.

As the days passed, Carrick grew stronger and more confident. He knew he still had a long way to go, but he was determined to rise through the ranks and become a Mafia Lord.

«Ding! Host has reached level 3. Attributes have been boosted.»

Carrick smiled, feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment as he felt that his one month of constant training hadn't been in vain. He was getting closer to his goal.

*

Carrick walked into the meeting room, the dim lighting and heavy wooden table giving it a sense of gravity. Victor stood at the head of the table, flanked by several of Alistair's family elders. Their faces were stern, their eyes fixed intently on Carrick. It was obvious that they were unhappy having a greenhorn join them at the executive meeting, but due to the fact Victor specifically requested for Carrick's participation, they could only suck it up.

"Ah, Carrick, thank you for joining us," Victor said, his voice low and serious. "We have a mission of great importance to discuss."

Carrick took a seat, his heart racing with anticipation. Even back at the Gale family, he was never allowed into such an important gathering. "What's the mission?" He asked with a serious tone. Although he felt intimidated, but it was obvious he was no longer the scaredy cat he had been in the past.

Victor's eyes locked onto Carrick's. "We've received intel that a powerful Mafia family will be transporting a valuable shipment through our territory. We aim to... relieve them of that shipment." The last part was said with an evil grin on Victor's face. Meanwhile Carrick was happy as this will be an opportunity to earn some XP.

Carrick's face cracked with a smile. "Which family?"

Victor's expression turned ominous. "The Gale Family."

BADUUM!

The room fell silent, the weight of Victor's words hanging in the air. Carrick felt a shiver run down his spine. The Gale Family? His family?

"What's the shipment?" Carrick asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"We're not entirely sure," one of the elders replied. "But we know it's valuable. And taking it will deal a significant blow to the Gale Family's operations."

Carrick's mind raced. He had joined the Alistair Family to take down the Rambosia, but now he was being asked to target his own family, but he could not do anything as no one here knew he was a Gale.

'Well, not anymore though.' Carrick said in his mind.

"I see," Carrick said, trying to process his emotions. "And what's the plan?"

Victor smiled, a cold, calculating smile. "We'll ambush the convoy at the old warehouse district. We have men on the inside who will ensure the route takes them right into our trap."

Carrick nodded, his heart heavy with the weight of his decision. He was about to cross a line, one that could never be uncrossed.

"Let's do it," Carrick said, his voice firm.

The room erupted into a flurry of activity, the elders discussing details and strategies. Carrick sat back, his eyes fixed on Victor, a sense of determination burning within him.

This was it. He was all in.