Chapter 4: chapter 4
Lucas stood over Dante, a smug grin plastered on his face as he watched him struggle to move after being discarded like a piece of trash. The moment was bitterly satisfying, and he savored it.
"Look at you," Lucas sneered, bending down just enough to whisper in Dante's ear. "You're nothing. Just like your father, in the end. I poisoned him, Dante. Did you ever wonder why he died the way he did? It was me. Your old man thought he was dying of some illness. Too bad, right? He never saw the real enemy."
Dante's vision blurred, not just from the pain, but from the shock of hearing Lucas's confession. His chest tightened, the betrayal weighing heavier than his physical injuries. His father... poisoned by Lucas? The world felt like it was spinning out of control.
"What... what do you mean?" Dante gasped, his breath coming in short, painful bursts. He couldn't grasp the depth of what Lucas was saying. It made no sense. It couldn't be true.
Lucas chuckled, his voice dark and mocking. "He thought he was dying of a heart attack, right? But no, I made sure he didn't live long enough to figure out who really killed him. And guess what, Dante? I took everything from you. Your father, your future... and Mia. She was just a distraction for me. I've already moved on, and you? You're just a weak little pawn in the game, discarded when you've outlived your usefulness."
Dante's chest burned with anger, but it was mixed with disbelief. This was too much. His father... poisoned by Lucas? Mia, taken by him? His life, his legacy, shattered in one cruel moment.
He tried to push himself up, his arms trembling with the effort, but the guards were quick to grab him. They yanked him back down, one slamming his knee into Dante's back, pinning him to the cold asphalt. Lucas stood over him, towering, relishing every moment of Dante's helplessness.
"You really think you've got a chance, huh?" Lucas said, his tone thick with disdain. "You're just a burden now, Dante. Time to get rid of you for good. Let's throw you in the trash where you belong."
Before Dante could respond, the guards hauled him to his feet and began dragging him toward the alley's exit. He tried to resist, but the force was too much. His body screamed in agony with every step.
With a final grunt of effort, they tossed him into the street, leaving him crumpled on the pavement like discarded trash. The impact rattled his bones, and the world around him seemed to fade. His head spun, and his breath came in ragged, painful gasps.
But as he lay there, the anger simmering beneath the surface, something unexpected happened. A strange, almost imperceptible glow flickered in the corner of his vision. At first, Dante thought it was just a result of his dazed state—maybe a hallucination from the pain or the blood loss.
But the light grew stronger, pulsing gently in the darkness, until it filled his field of vision completely. It was as if the very air around him had changed, crackling with an energy he couldn't comprehend.
And then, a voice.
[Initialization Complete.Welcome to the Mafia Overlord System.]
Dante's pulse raced, his chest tightening as the strange voice pressed on, explaining his new reality. It wasn't a hallucination. It was real. The world around him shimmered, and the air hummed with a strange, powerful energy.
[You have been chosen. You've lost everything—your family, your power, your dignity. But through the Mafia Overlord System, you have been given a chance to reclaim what you've lost.]
"What do you mean, chosen?" Dante rasped, still struggling to process the shock. His head was spinning with the weight of the betrayal, but now, this... system... it was offering him something he couldn't ignore.
[The Mafia Overlord System is designed to help you rebuild your empire. It grants you power, resources, and missions that will guide your rise from nothing. You will face challenges, defeat enemies, and complete assignments. Each victory will allow you to level up, grow stronger, and restore what was taken from you.]
Dante's thoughts raced. A system. Power. Revenge. Could this really be happening?
[Your first step is to understand your current state. Below are your current stats. You will begin at the bottom, as a Street Thug, with nothing but your will to fight.]
Suddenly, a holographic screen materialized in front of him, glowing with an eerie blue light. Dante's eyes focused, and he saw:
---
System Interface:
Name: Dante
Level: 1
Class: Street Thug
Reputation: 0%
Resources: 0
Territory: None
Loyalty: 0%
---
[This is where you begin, Dante. You are weak now, just like a common thug on the streets. But every mission you complete, every enemy you defeat, will help you grow. As you level up, you will unlock new abilities, gain resources, and start to rebuild your reputation. The system will guide you with objectives, challenges, and even new skills. Your enemies will be powerful, but so can you—if you are willing to fight for it.]
Dante's eyes flicked over his stats, disbelief settling into his bones. Street Thug? Was this all he was now? A lowly criminal with nothing? He clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the system's words. But... the potential. The chance to get everything back. Revenge. The power to destroy Lucas. To rebuild his empire.
[Are you ready to rise? The system has already assigned your first mission. Do you accept?]
The words echoed in his mind, and Dante felt a fire stir inside him. He had nothing left to lose. His empire was gone, his name shattered. But now, the possibility to reclaim everything... To destroy those who had wronged him...
Dante took a deep breath. "I'm ready," he said, voice trembling with fury and resolve. "Give me the mission."
[Congratulations, Dante. Your first mission has been assigned. Are you prepared to begin?]
"Yes I am"
[Mission Assigned: Assassinate Marley Sinclair.]
Dante's heart skipped a beat as the mission details flashed before him, the weight of the name hitting him like a punch to the gut. Marley Sinclair.
The system's voice echoed, but Dante couldn't focus on the words—it was the name that consumed his thoughts. Marley Sinclair. It was all too familiar. The same last name as Lucas and him. The same bloodline.
Dante stared at the holographic image that appeared in front of him. The man's sharp features, the hardened eyes that seemed to pierce right through Dante. Marley Sinclair.
His uncle