chapter 6

Chapter 6: The First Mission

The air in the lavishly furnished room was thick with tension as Xander sat at a massive, gleaming oak desk. The Mafia System had called him here. The holographic screen floating above the desk flickered to life with a cold, mechanical hum, revealing a sleek, black interface that glowed ominously.

"Your first mission has been assigned," the voice of the system echoed in his mind, its tone impersonal and devoid of emotion. "A small rival clan has been causing trouble in the territory that you're trying to establish. They must be eliminated to pave the way for your growth. Failure to act will hinder your progression. Proceed accordingly."

Xander leaned forward in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk as he tried to process the sudden shift in his reality. Eliminate a clan? This was it—the moment where the gravity of the world he had entered began to press against him, heavy and suffocating. He had known that power would come with a price, but hearing the Mafia System's words made the reality of it all feel so much more real.

"How... do I proceed?" he asked aloud, though he wasn't sure if he was speaking to himself or to the system.

A moment of silence passed before the response came. "Your target is the Shadow Gaze clan. They have been disrupting the flow of business in your designated territory, and they are weak. Their leader is known to be ruthless but unstrategic. Your task is simple: eliminate their leader, claim the clan's assets, and absorb their members into your growing family."

Xander swallowed hard. His heart pounded in his chest as he thought about what that actually meant. He wasn't sure what he had expected his first mission to be, but this—this felt wrong. He didn't know anything about the Shadow Gaze clan, other than that they were a nuisance to his rise in the Mafia world. Were they really deserving of death? He had no doubt that the system would continue to assign him these kinds of tasks, but was he ready for this?

"Can I… can I negotiate with them? Or maybe—" Xander's voice faltered. He had no idea what kind of negotiation he could possibly offer a clan that was already in his way, but he hated the thought of just blindly killing them. The Mafia world had made him feel like a cog in a machine, like his humanity was something he could no longer afford to hold onto. But wasn't that what this world demanded? Efficiency, ruthlessness, and power above all else.

The system's voice cut through his internal struggle with its cold, emotionless response. "Negotiation is not an option. They are a threat to your ascension. Eliminate them quickly to avoid complications. The quicker you act, the quicker you climb."

A chilling silence filled the room after the system finished speaking. Xander stared at the holographic display in front of him, but his mind was elsewhere. This was real. This wasn't a game. Lives were at stake, and it wasn't just the Shadow Gaze clan that would pay the price. He, too, would be changed by what he was about to do.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and steadied himself. The path ahead would be fraught with moral compromises. To climb the ranks in this brutal world, he would have to make decisions that went against everything he had once believed in.

---

Later that night, Xander stood on a rooftop overlooking the Shadow Gaze clan's hideout. The hideout was tucked away in a dilapidated corner of the city, a place where the rich and powerful wouldn't bother looking. It was a tactical decision—small, nondescript, and under the radar.

Beside him, Selene and Leo stood silently, their presence comforting yet foreboding. They were his allies now, but that didn't mean they shared his hesitation. Xander could feel their eyes on him, waiting, expecting him to make the first move. He could feel the weight of their gaze like a physical thing.

Selene broke the silence, her voice cool and measured. "This is your first real test, Xander. The Mafia System doesn't care about your feelings. It cares about results. You've already been given the tools to succeed. Now, it's up to you to use them."

Leo's voice was quieter, but just as insistent. "Do what you have to do. It's not personal. This is the only way to grow in this world. If you hesitate, you'll get yourself killed."

Xander felt the weight of their words settle around him. He had been preparing for this moment, in a way, but nothing could have prepared him for the emotional toll it took. Killing wasn't something he had ever thought of as an easy solution. It felt wrong—yet here he was, about to take that step.

The roof was quiet now, the sound of distant city traffic the only thing breaking the silence. Xander glanced at his companions, and for a fleeting moment, he thought of asking them what they felt about this mission, about the weight of it. But he knew better. In this world, asking about feelings was a luxury he couldn't afford.

Taking a deep breath, Xander turned his focus to the task at hand. The hideout was heavily guarded, and he could see the faint outlines of several figures moving around the perimeter. Shadow Gaze was prepared for trouble, but they didn't know they were about to face a force far beyond what they could handle.

"Let's do this," Xander said, his voice steady despite the turmoil within.

Selene's smile was faint, but approving. "Lead the way."

---

The attack was swift. Xander's powers had grown in strength since the trial, but using them in a real-world situation felt different. He wasn't just sparring with fellow recruits anymore—this was life or death.

With Selene's ability to manipulate shadows and Leo's time-manipulation powers, they made quick work of the guards. The shadows swallowed them whole, turning them into silhouettes that moved with deadly precision. Xander focused on the task at hand, using his enhanced speed and strength to strike at the weak points of the hideout's defenses.

They moved through the compound with quiet efficiency, systematically taking down each layer of security. The clan members were surprised, but it didn't take long for the realization to settle in: they were being attacked.

Xander's heart pounded in his chest as he reached the final room—the leader's quarters. The door was locked, but Xander's enhanced strength made short work of it. The moment the door crashed open, Xander's eyes locked onto the figure inside: the leader of the Shadow Gaze clan.

A man in his mid-forties, with a wild, untamed look to him, stood at the center of the room. His eyes flickered with surprise and fear, but there was also a glimmer of defiance.

"You're here for me, aren't you?" the leader spat, his voice hoarse. "You're just another rat climbing the ladder, stepping over anyone you can. But you'll fail."

Xander stepped forward, feeling his pulse quicken. His hands clenched into fists, his mind racing. The system had ordered him to kill, but looking into the man's eyes, he saw something more. The leader wasn't a faceless enemy—he was someone who had fought to build his own power, just as Xander was doing now.

But there was no turning back. Not now.

With a swift motion, Xander grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him against the wall. His heart beat in his ears as the weight of what he was about to do settled on his shoulders.

The system had made it clear: this was the way forward. To rise, to take control, and to build an empire, he needed to eliminate threats. And in this world, the threats didn't care about mercy.

Without hesitation, Xander let the power surge within him. The leader of the Shadow Gaze clan struggled, his hands clutching at Xander's grip, but it was no use.

Xander squeezed harder, his vision narrowing as the sound of the man's breath grew weaker. For a moment, the weight of the world felt too much to bear.

Then, it was over.

The room fell into silence.

Xander stood over the body, his chest heaving as he tried to regain his composure. He had done it. He had killed. The first of many, perhaps.

Selene and Leo entered the room, their faces unreadable.

"Well done," Selene said, her voice detached. "You've made the right choice."

Leo's expression was more thoughtful. "This is just the beginning, Xander. Don't let it change you."

But Xander couldn't hear them. All he could hear was the pounding in his chest, the echo of the life he had just taken.

The door to his future had been opened. But at what cost?