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.

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, upgradable) lvl 4

Hand-to-hand combat (passive, upgradable) lvl 5

Gold or currency; 3,000

Kills or deaths; 13 kills, 1 death

Win-loss record; 1 win against Continental

Goal: To be a Mafia Lord.

(System suggests the host to level up quickly as the current pace is equivalent to a snail's crawl).»

"It seems you are right. Perhaps this mission will give me what I need." Carrick said. To him, this mission was just a means to level up.. becoming a Mafia Lord was all that matters, nothing else did.

*

Carrick crouched behind a stack of crates, his heart racing with anticipation. The warehouse district was dimly lit, the only sound was the distant hum of the city's nightlife. He glanced at Victor, who nodded silently. Carrick had wore a black gangsta rag over his face just in case someone who knows him will be in one of the cars.

"Remember, take out the guards first," Victor whispered to the group. "Then we go for the shipment."

Carrick nodded, his eyes fixed on the convoy approaching in the distance. Two black SUVs, flanked by motorcycles, sped towards the warehouse.

"Get ready," Victor hissed.

The convoy screeched to a halt outside the warehouse. Guards poured out, scanning the area. Carrick took aim, his gun aimed at the nearest guard.

"Now!" Victor shouted.

Carrick squeezed the trigger, his gun firing in unison with the others. The guards who were shot fell dead, as they were caught off guard. The motorcycles roared to life, speeding towards the ambushers.

"Incoming!" someone yelled.

Carrick leapt aside, avoiding the rain of bullets. He returned fire, taking out a motorcycle. The rider crashed to the ground, screaming. The system's notification kept ringing inside his head, he could not help but grin. He looked exactly like the Joker in one of DC's movies.

The SUVs opened fire, their windows shattering under the onslaught. Carrick sprinted towards the nearest vehicle, gun blazing. He tore open the door, dragging out a struggling guard, due to the Undying Resolve active skill, his strength and attributes had doubled, he was now stronger than the guards.

"Get the shipment!" Victor bellowed, although he was shocked to see Carrick yanking out carbon steel, he still kept his wits together and delivered orders.

Carrick tossed the guard aside, diving into the SUV. Crates filled the interior, stamped with the Gale Family crest. Carrick's heart skipped a beat. This was it.

Suddenly, the warehouse erupted into chaos. Reinforcements arrived, pouring out of the shadows. Carrick's group fought back, but they were outnumbered.

"Fall back!" Victor shouted. Staying here will spell their doom, and besides, they have achieved their aim. They had taken out most of the Gale family's men and also destroyed some of the important merchandise.. whatever it was.

Carrick grabbed a crate, sprinting towards the exit. Bullets whizzed past, the sound deafening. He burst through the door, crate in hand, and saw Victor's team pinned down. Just as he was about to help them, someone blocked his path.

"Put down the crate and I promise to give you a quick death."

Carrick froze. He recognized exactly who was in his path. It was none other than his half-brother 'Domino'.

Carrick and Domino faced off amidst the sounds of gunshots and painful screams, their eyes locked in a fierce stare. Carrick felt his anger rising as he was staring at the one of the people responsible for his painful death. Till this moment he could not shake off the fear he felt in that burning car, meanwhile Domino was just plain arrogant as he could not accept the fact someone had the guts to rob the Gale Family. The air was thick with tension as they circled each other, their fists clenched and ready.

Carrick, the younger half-brother, was now slightly skilled in Hand-to-hand combat as he had been training hellishly with Marcus back at the Alistair family mansion, his movements were fluid and calculated. Domino, on the other hand, relied on brute strength and aggression.

Without warning, Domino charged at Carrick, swinging a powerful punch. Carrick dodged the attack with ease, countering with a swift kick to Domino's stomach. Domino grunted, rolling over, but quickly recovered and launched himself at Carrick again.

The two half-brothers clashed, their fists flying in a flurry of punches and blocks. Carrick landed a solid punch to Domino's jaw, but Domino retaliated with a vicious uppercut that sent Carrick crashing to the ground.

Domino pounced, pinning Carrick down with his knees. He raised his fist for the finishing blow, but Carrick rolled out of the way just in time, using Domino's momentum against him. Carrick sprang to his feet, delivering a devastating combination of kicks and punches that sent Domino stumbling back.

Domino snarled, his eyes blazing with anger. He charged again, but Carrick was ready. With a swift and precise movement, Carrick took Domino down with a perfectly executed extension kick.

The two half-brothers struggled on the ground, their bodies locked in a fierce grappling match. Carrick managed to gain the upper hand, pinning Domino's arms behind his back. Domino thrashed and kicked, but Carrick held firm, his grip unyielding.

Finally, Domino lay still, defeated. Carrick released his grip, standing up and towering over his half-brother. Their chests heaved with exhaustion, their eyes still locked in a fierce stare.

"Whoever you are, you just made a terrible mistake. No one dares steal from the Gales." Domino said through gritted teeth.

"Really brother? And here I thought the family was declining?" Carrick said before removing his mask. Domino was shocked and speechless.

"I'll leave you alive so you can pass on a message to Father. Tell father I'll be back, and when I do, it won't end well for him and the rest of you." Carrick said and then slammed the butt of his pistol on Domino's head. Domino fell unconscious.

"Keep moving!" Victor yelled. He hadn't seen the exchange between Carrick and Domino, although he had caught a glimpse of them fighting, but he didn't know the full details.

Carrick sprinted towards the getaway car, the crate clenched tightly. They sped away, leaving the carnage behind.

As they caught their breath, Carrick opened the crate. Gold bars and stacks of cash glittered in the sunlight.

"We did it," Victor said, grinning.

«Ding! Congratulations to Host on completing his very first mission and taking a step towards his goal.»

«Ding!

Level 3 (15,400/20,000)»

Carrick smiled, soon he will be able to level up again.

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 it off their hands," one of them said. "Carrick, you'll lead the team on this mission."

Carrick was struck dumb before feeling a surge of adrenaline. Another mission, another chance to earn XP and level up.

"I'm in," he said, his voice firm.

Victor smiled, his eyes sparkled with approval. "I knew I could count on you, Carrick. Let's get to planning."

The meeting room erupted into a lot of activity, the team discussing strategies and tactics. Carrick listened closely, his mind racing with possibilities. If he could keep on leveling up and acquiring skills and gold coins, he could eventually build his own Mafia empire, then go seek revenge on the Gale family. His mind drifted to his mother.

'I wonder how she's doing now.'

Sigh!

As the meeting adjourned, Victor pulled Carrick aside. "Carrick, I need to talk to you about something."

Carrick raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Victor's expression turned serious. "There is something we didn't tell you about this mission. Due to the raid on the warehouse, the Gale family decided to move all the goods to their family mansion. Now, the Gale is hosting a masquerade ball, that's how you'll get in."

Carrick's gut tightened. He could not believe what Victor was implying.

"You want me to sneak into the Gale family mansion and steal the energy cells from them? Right under their nose and roof? Isn't that plain suicide!?" Carrick almost shouted.

Victor's eye locked onto Carrick's. "Yes, that's exactly what I want you to do. We won't get this opportunity ever again, and those energy cells are too valuable to let go. If you are able to pull this off, I'll promote you, and you can take on as many missions as you like." Victor said.

Carrick began to rack his brain. Then he remembered something he had read in a light novel.

"System, please tell me you have a pocket dimension where I can hide a lot of things." Carrick asked the System.

«Host is correct. But you need to unlock the storage room with gold coins. This will cost you 2,500 gold coins.»

"What!? That's almost all the gold coins I have." Carrick became frustrated. He then turned to Victor.

"If I do this and pull it off. I want a raise." Carrick said with knitted brows.

"If you succeed in this mission, I'll triple your salary." Victor said with a smile.

"It's a deal." Carrick nodded, his heart racing with anticipation. The stakes just got higher.

*

Carrick's team infiltrated the Gale mansion, their masks and formal attire allowing them to blend in seamlessly with the guests. Victor's voice whispered in Carrick's earpiece, guiding him through the layout and security.

The ballroom was packed with men and women of power. Carrick looked around, searching for one person in particular, but he could not see her. He wanted to see how his mother was doing. He missed her. She was the only one who stood up for him.

'What if she committed suicide out of depression thinking I'm dead?' Carrick's heart skipped a beat at that thought. As he was about to leave the ballroom, he spotted her, she had no mask on. He could barely recognize her. She was now thin, and her beauty had faded.. she looked so sickly. His heart bled from just thinking about all she had passed through since his absence. As he was about to go to her, his earpiece gave a buzz.

"Carrick, our man is near the storage room. Security is light. Make your way there now." Victor's voice sounded in his ear. Carrick nodded, his heart racing with anticipation.

'Hang in there Mother, soon I'll return and take you away from here. I will return more powerful than the Gale family, and no one will be able to trample on you ever again.'

Carrick adjusted his mask and followed his team through the winding hallways, avoiding detection.

As they approached the storage room, Carrick's earpiece crackle again. "Carrick, this is our man. I'm inside. Security is patrolling the area. You need to move fast."

Carrick's eyes locked onto the door. He could hear the sound of footsteps and laughter from the other side.

"Let's go," Carrick whispered to his team. "Stay sharp."

They entered the storage room, and Carrick's eyes scanned the space. Crates and boxes lined the shelves, but he spotted the energy cells immediately. They glowed with an otherworldly light, packed neatly into a small case.

"Get the case," Carrick whispered to his team. "We need to move."

But as they reached for the case, the door burst open. Domino Gale stood before them, his eyes full of fury behind his mask.

"Well, well, well," Domino sneered. "Look what we have here. Thieves in our midst."

Carrick's heart sank. They had been caught. This was a perfectly laid trap.

"Domino, we can explain," Carrick's team member started. He wanted to bluff that they were guests who had gotten lost, but Domino raised his hand.

"No explanations necessary. You're here for the energy cells. And you're not leaving with them."

Domino's eyes locked onto Carrick, and a slow smile spread across his face.

"Carrick Gale. I should have known. You're just like your mother - a bug that won't stay squashed. Funny thing is that she doesn't know you're alive, perhaps it will be best if we keep it that way.. forever."

Carrick's anger flared, but he kept his cool. "Domino, this doesn't have to end badly." Domino had the upper hand here; he and the guards all held assault rifles.

But Domino just laughed. "You're no match for me, Carrick. I'll enjoy watching you suffer as I've always enjoyed seeing you suffer. I don't know how you managed to cheat death, but you won't be able to do it again."

"We need to get out of here," Carrick whispered urgently. "Now."

But as they turned to leave, Carrick felt a hand on his shoulder. Domino's grip was like a vice.

"You're not going anywhere," Domino hissed.