The First Challenges

Will entered the old building, and the place felt frozen in time.

The air was nearly lifeless, except for the sound of his footsteps echoing through the vast space.

Despite the darkness, there was something in the atmosphere that made him feel threatened.

The walls were covered in markings and old writings, expressions of an unknown history.

A strange sensation tightened in his chest, as if this place had witnessed violent events in the past.

Suddenly, voices emerged from behind him.

He turned quickly to find a group of men standing in the shadows, their eyes gleaming like those of scorpions.

They wore dark clothing, and there was something distinct in their demeanor—something resembling a hidden threat.

"So, you're here now? The new leader?" one of them asked in a rough voice.

The sound rang in Will's ears, but he showed no sign of hesitation.

"Yes. I am," Will replied with confidence.

The man who had spoken first took a step closer.

"It won't be that easy. You need to prove you're a true leader."

"Prove?" Will thought as he watched the man carefully.

"We don't trust outsiders easily," another said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"You tested me before choosing me. What do you want from me now?"

His question was sharp, but Will knew this game was far from over.

Their eyes followed his every move.

The first man smirked, but it wasn't a friendly smile.

"Nothing. Just a test of loyalty. If you're going to lead us, you need to show you're not weak."

"And how do I prove that?" Will asked, trying to steady himself.

"This room is full of tests. If you're real, you'll pass. If you're weak, you'll leave."

At that moment, the lights went out completely, plunging the place into total darkness.

Then, suddenly, the lights flashed back on, revealing an image in front of Will—a massive man holding a sharp knife.

It was a still image, but it carried a real sense of threat.

"Now, you must make a decision," the first man said.

"A decision?" Will hesitated.

The man gestured toward the image. "You either face him or run. There are no other choices."

Will felt his heartbeat quicken.

He knew this test was about his inner strength, not just physical power.

"I'll face him," he finally said, trying to mask his tension.

The men around him nodded in approval but continued watching him closely.

Then, the image disappeared, replaced by another.

This time, it was a different man holding a gun, his face marked with signs of betrayal.

"You must choose. Decide who is worthy of staying," the leader of the group said.

"Why these tests of loyalty?" Will wondered to himself.

He knew he couldn't hesitate now.

"I'll face him too," he said, feeling his confidence grow.

The leader nodded. "Good. This is your first trial."

But before Will could process what had just happened, the man vanished, and another figure appeared before him.

This time, it was a real test. The man standing in front of him was larger and more intimidating than before.

"You can't run now," the leader said, his smile unsettling.

Will took a moment to think as he faced this final challenge.

"I can't back down. This is the first true test," he decided.

Standing firm, he locked eyes with the man before him, ready for whatever was about to happen.

"What happens now?" he asked with a steady voice.

But before anyone could answer, the massive man lunged at him.

Will was faster than expected.

With a swift movement, he dodged the knife at the last possible moment.

"I can't let him take control," Will thought, planting his feet firmly with newfound confidence.

Will stood his ground, trying to analyze his opponent, but he barely had time to think.

The massive man lunged at him with surprising speed, gripping his knife tightly, his eyes gleaming with brutality.

At the last moment, Will leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the stab, but he felt the sharp air brushing past his body.

"This isn't just an ordinary test… They really want to kill me!" he realized, staring into his opponent's eyes.

There was no room for mistakes—any slip-up could cost him his life.

The men watching from behind showed no reaction, as if they didn't care whether he lived or died.

"If you don't take this fight seriously, you won't leave here alive!" the giant man roared as he charged again.

Will braced for the next attack, but he knew he couldn't match his opponent's strength.

"He's faster than I expected… but I can still use my speed!" he thought quickly.

As the man attempted to stab him again, Will tilted his body to the side, dodging the attack with a swift movement.

He slid back gracefully, then threw a direct punch at the man's side, but it barely fazed him.

The opponent laughed loudly, almost mocking his attempt.

"Not bad, you've got some skill, but that won't be enough to take me down!" he said confidently.

Within seconds, he attacked again, this time rapidly switching between stabbing motions and heavy punches with his free hand.

Will barely managed to evade the strikes, but exhaustion was creeping in.

He knew that constantly retreating wouldn't work—if he wanted to win, he had to attack.

As the man lunged at him again, Will skillfully ducked and then leaped to his side, aiming a precise strike at his knee.

His hit landed, making the man stumble for a moment, but it wasn't enough to bring him down.

"Damn you…!" the man muttered, but he was slowing down slightly.

"If I can't overpower him, I'll wear him out!" Will decided.

He began moving in a circular pattern, dodging attacks at the last second, forcing the man to burn through his energy quickly.

Frustration started to show on his opponent's face, making his attacks less coordinated.

This was the opening Will needed—he just had to wait for the right moment to strike.

When the man attacked again, Will used his momentum, sidestepping before shoving him with full force into the wall.

The man crashed hard, losing his balance for a few seconds, giving Will the chance to land a solid punch to his face.

It wasn't enough to knock him out, but for the first time, he showed signs of damage.

"You… you're not just some rookie, are you?" the man said, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

Will felt a mix of excitement and tension—he knew the fight wasn't over yet.

He never wanted to fight in the first place, but now he realized he had no other choice.

"Is this enough?" he asked, trying to gauge if he had passed the test.

The giant man laughed loudly. "Ending the fight isn't my job—it's yours."

That was a clear signal—Will needed to assert full dominance.

He knew that any hesitation now would make him look weak.

Focusing his breathing, he made his decision—he had to end this now.

He dashed forward, leaping at his opponent before he could recover.

Wrapping his arms around the man's neck from behind, he tightened his grip with all his strength, attempting to choke him out.

The man thrashed violently, trying to resist, but Will gave him no chance.

He used all his weight to apply more pressure, cutting off his opponent's air.

The man struggled fiercely, but his strength was fading fast.

Seconds later, he stopped resisting entirely, conceding defeat.

He wasn't unconscious, but he had accepted that Will had won.

Will slowly raised his hands, watching his opponent gasp for breath.

"Alright… looks like you've got what it takes," the man said, his voice ragged.

The other men, who had been watching silently, now showed genuine interest.

"Will, you've passed the first test," one of the leaders said in a calm but authoritative voice.

Will felt a wave of relief, but he didn't allow himself to relax completely.

He knew this was just the beginning of his journey in this new world.

"What's next?" he asked, ready for the next step.

For the first time, the leader smiled and said, "Now, the real journey begins."

"So this was only the first step…" Will thought, realizing his path would be much longer and harder than he had imagined.

He wasn't afraid—he was excited for what was coming.

Looking at the men around him, he understood that he was beginning to build something far greater than he had ever envisioned.

A mafia unlike any other… An organization led by a man who had died and returned to rewrite his fate.

Despite the hardships he had faced tonight, he knew this was just the beginning.

The next step would be even more dangerous, and he had to be ready—no matter the cost.

Will had no time to process his victory. The leader who announced his success gave him only a few seconds before speaking again.

"Don't expect things to be this easy all the time. This was just an introduction," the leader said, his gaze cold.

"And now, you have your first real mission… Let's see if you can handle the real world."

Will wasn't surprised. He had known from the start that things wouldn't stop at just fighting.

He glanced at the massive man he had just defeated. The man had gotten up, clearly in pain, but he wasn't angry.

Instead, he gave Will a look filled with respect before stepping back silently.

"Alright, what's the mission?" Will asked in a steady voice, trying to conceal any hint of tension.

The leader smirked slightly, as if he had been waiting for that question.

"There's a group trying to expand into our territory. They think we're weak."

"Your job is to stop them… without causing too much noise."

The leader's tone was calm, but it was clear that failure wasn't an option.

"How many are there?" Will asked, trying to gather as much information as possible.

"Only five men, but they're armed."

The number itself wasn't intimidating, but dealing with armed opponents was completely different from hand-to-hand combat.

"What makes them dangerous?" Will continued questioning, refusing to walk into a situation he didn't fully understand.

"It's not their numbers—it's their connections. If we kill them all, we might create a bigger problem."

"So we have to deal with them without killing them?"

The leader nodded. "Or at least, make it look like they left on their own."

"A mission like this requires planning, not just strength," Will thought, already trying to form a strategy.

"Where are they now?"

"In an old warehouse south of the district. They're using it as a temporary base."

"And when does this need to be done?"

"Before sunrise."

Will realized he didn't have much time.

He had to move quickly, but rushing in without a clear plan wasn't an option.

"Will I be going alone?"

"Not exactly. I'm sending one man with you. Jack, step forward."

From among the gathered men, a tall figure stepped forward. He had short brown hair and sharp eyes.

"Jack, this is Will. He'll be in charge of the mission, and you'll assist him."

Jack studied Will silently for a moment before offering a slight smirk. "Alright, let's see what you can do."

It was clear that Jack wasn't a rookie, but he also didn't carry the same arrogance as some of the others.

"We have a car waiting outside. Let's move," Jack said, motioning toward the door.

"I want to review the location details before we proceed," Will said, unwilling to charge in blind.

The leader tossed him a small map. "This is all the available information. Do what you think is best."

Will caught the map and turned to Jack. "Let's go, but we'll stop before we get there to finalize our plan."

Jack nodded, and the two of them stepped out of the building, where a black car was waiting.

Will got into the car, feeling the night's cold air seep into his skin, but he ignored it.

Everything was happening fast, but he didn't have time to hesitate.

He settled into the front seat as Jack drove in silence.

The streets were nearly empty, with streetlights casting long shadows on the asphalt.

"So, what's your plan?" Jack asked after a few moments of driving.

"What do we know about these guys?"

"Not much, but they're not the type to run easily."

"Then we need to give them a reason to run."

Jack smirked slightly. "I like the way you think."

"But we need to understand how they use the warehouse and where its weak points are."

"We have a few minutes before we arrive. We can stop at the corner and observe from a distance."

"That's what I was thinking."

Jack turned right, driving into a side alley before parking the car quietly.

From this distance, they could see the old warehouse, its lights dim, with shadows moving inside.

"Five men. At least three visible weapons," Jack noted as he observed through a scope.

"But they're not expecting an attack, so we might have an advantage."

"We won't rush in. We'll make them think staying here is no longer a good idea."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Will smirked confidently. "I have an idea…"