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.

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 slow, agonizing death."

Carrick's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't let that happen. With a surge of adrenaline, Carrick made a split-second decision. He would pretend to cooperate, gather information, and wait for an opportunity to escape and protect his mother. He now wish he had killed Domino during that raid.

"Domino, you win," Carrick said, feigning defeat. "I'll tell you everything. Just spare my mother."

Domino's smile grew wider. "Oh, Carrick. You're no match for me. But I'll enjoy watching you beg."

Carrick's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't let Domino harm his mother.

"Please, Domino," Carrick begged, trying to sound desperate. "Have mercy. My mother has nothing to do with this."

Domino laughed, the sound echoing off the cold walls. "Mercy? Do you want mercy? You should have thought of that before you crossed me, Carrick."

And with that, Domino left the cell, leaving Carrick and his team to their fate. But Carrick's mind was already racing with plans, determined to outsmart Domino and save his mother. He was handcuffed and also chained to a chair, there was no way he could escape.. unless..

'System, is there a way to boost my attributes without leveling up?'

«Yes. Host just needs to use gold coins. 10 gold coins will give you 1 point in any attribute you wish to allocate it. This is not a temporary boost. 10 gold coins can also give you 100XP. Nevertheless, you can only use this method once every thirty days.»

'That means my five hundred gold coins will only amount to fifty points. I accept. Convert it all and add twenty points to Strength, twenty points to Agility, and then ten points to endurance. I need to be fast and overwhelm the guards with strength if I am to succeed.'

«Ding! 500 gold coins have been converted to Attribute points.»

«Ding! Congratulations! Host's Strength is now at 55 points.»

«Ding! Congratulations! Host's Agility and Speed is now at 55 points.»

«Ding! Congratulations! Host's Endurance is now at 50 points.»

«Ding! Host is now comparable to a level 5 individual. With active skill Undying Resolve, Host will become comparable to a level 10 individual.»

Carrick felt his body tingling, and then he could feel the handcuffs could not hold him any longer. With a slight yank, the handcuff broke in two and he was a bit free. With a hundred points in strength, he was able to break free from the chains. Now his next plan was to free his teammates, steal the crates, and if possible.. take his mother away from here to the Alistair family mansion.

Carrick's eyes shone with determination as he assessed his situation. He had broken free from his restraints, and now it was time to free his teammates.

"Alright, guys, let's get out of here!" Carrick exclaimed, his voice low and urgent. "Leave the basement and return to the ballroom. From there, make your way back to the Alistair mansion. I'll take care of the crates."

His teammates stared at him in awe, still trying to process how Carrick had broken free. "How did you...?" one of them started, but Carrick just shook his head.

"No time to explain. We need to move, now!"

With his 100 points in strength, Carrick quickly freed his teammates, who nodded and quickly made their way out of the basement.

"Be careful," Carrick called after them. "Domino will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

As his teammates disappeared into the darkness, Carrick turned his attention to the crates.

He sprinted to the next room where the crates were kept. The moment he opened the door, he came face to face with four burly Mafia guards, the whirlwind symbol was embroidered on their breast pocket, that was the Gale family's symbol.

Carrick stood facing the four big bodyguards. They were guarding the crates. Carrick was not afraid. He was ready to fight. He was already pissed at Domino's antics, perhaps he will use these guys to quell his anger.

The first bodyguard, a really big guy with a beard, swung his fist at Carrick. But Carrick was too fast. He moved out of the way just in time. Then he punched the guard in the nose. The guard was shocked as his eyes rolled back and he fell down unconscious. The strength behind that punch was terrifying. These guards were level 4 each, so to Carrick, they were a bit weak.

The second bodyguard, a man with a shaved head, tried to tackle Carrick. But Carrick was too quick. He dodged the tackle and grabbed the man's arm. He twisted the arm and made the man fall to the ground. Face first to the concrete floor, he too was knocked out cold.

The third bodyguard, a mean-looking guy with a big grin, swung his fist at Carrick again. But Carrick was ready. He ducked down low and then with the force of a tsunami, he gave the guard an uppercut. The guard was out cold before he landed on the cold floor.

The fourth bodyguard, the biggest of all, grabbed Carrick and tried to hold him down. But Carrick was strong too. He wrapped his legs around the big guy's head and squeezed tight. The big guy tried to shake him off, but Carrick held on. Then with a punch at the back of the neck, the guard slumped and was unconscious.

Carrick then focused his attention on the crates. He possessed a pocket dimension, a secret space where he could store the crates. He quickly moved the crates into the pocket dimension, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

But now, it was time to rescue his mother. Carrick made his way to her room, his heart pounding with anticipation. He burst through the door, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

But the room was empty. Carrick's mother was nowhere to be found. His eyes narrowed. This was Domino's doing. He knew it.

"Domino, you coward!" Carrick shouted, his voice echoing through the empty room. "I'll find you, and I'll make you pay!"

But there was no response. Carrick knew he had to move fast. He quickly made his way to the ballroom, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of Domino or his guards.

The music and laughter of the guests masked the tension, but Carrick could sense the danger lurking beneath the surface. He knew he had to be careful.

As he made his way through the crowd, Carrick spotted Victor, his eyes locked on him with a mixture of concern and admiration.

"Carrick, what happened?" Victor whispered, as Carrick approached him. "We were worried sick about you."

Carrick shook his head. "No time to explain. I have to get out of here now."

Victor nodded, understanding. "Go. We'll cover for you."

Carrick nodded, and quickly made his way out of the mansion, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he had left his mother behind.

But he vowed to return, to rescue her and bring Domino to justice. This was far from over.