Chapter 22 - Playtime is Over

[ Machiavellian Criminality Fully Assimilated ]

[ Tutorial Quest #3 : Unlocked ]

Matteo looked at the notification. He opened the system interface and saw that there was one more notification that he had missed while he was deep in thought.

[ Notorious Deed Accomplished : Murder : Obtained 2 Notoriety Points ]

He then looked at the other notification. 'So the requirement of unlocking the third tutorial was to accept committing crimes, huh? I guess when I changed and accepted my new self, the mentality was fully assimilated.'

╔══════════════════════════╗

║ - Tutorial Quest #3 - 

╠══════════════════════════╣

║ As you have now completely accepted 

║ your new self, it's time to commit your 

║ first crime. 

║ 

║ Task: Commit a Crime. e.g. - Theft, 

║ Murder, Extortion etc. 

║ 

║ As soon as you start the quest, you will 

║ get: 

║ => Body Modification 

║ 

║ Rewards:  

║ => Unlock Hierarchy and Influence 

║ => Unlock Main Quest 

║ 

║ - Start - 

║ - Back to Main Window - 

╚══════════════════════════╝

'Well, there you have it. That's why I needed to accept committing crimes. Makes sense now. Didn't I already kill Fritz though.' Matteo thought as he pressed the start button.

[ Quest Started : Tutorial Quest #3 ]

[ Warning! Warning! Starting Body Modification!! ]

"Arrrrrgggghhhhh!!" Matteo screamed loudly and passed out on the bathroom floor.

After an unknown amount -

[ Body Modification Successful ]

Matteo woke up with a start, his eyes wide open as the system notification shined in front of him. The bathroom was kind of dark, but Matteo felt a burst of energy. He moved around on the floor his body touching the cold floor that was not warmed by his body.

As he sat up, Matteo sensed a cool vibe in the air. His body felt more in sync, like everything was working perfectly. He checked himself out in the mirror and noticed subtle changes – his movements were smoother, and he felt stronger.

Standing up, Matteo felt light on his feet. It was like he was part of a well-tuned machine. Looking in the mirror, he saw himself, but it was a better version. He saw his body it was more defined, more evolved, more...…..perfected. His eyes sparkled, and he couldn't stop smiling.

[ Quest Complete : Tutorial Quest #3 ]

[ Generation Rewards...…... ]

[ Hierarchy : Unlocked ]

[ New Questline : Main Quest ]

'So, killing Fritz and Gustav still counts as crimes.'

He was curious about the rewards but first he moved out of the bathroom. It was already dawn outside. He walked inside and got dressed and made a coffee, sat on his couch and opened the interface.

*ssslllluuurrrppp*

(Author : You knew it was coming 😁)

Matteo first opened the status and asked Quirk to explain hierarchy. There were 6 levels in the system hierarchy.

[

Lv0 : Common Criminal ( Reward : none )

Lv1 : Street Boss ( Reward : System Augment - Intimidation )

Lv2 : Turfwar Specialist ( Reward : Artifact - Broomhandle Mauser )

Lv3 : Mafia Boss ( Unlock '???' )

Lv4 : Mafia Kingpin ( Reward : System Augment - Absolute Leadership )

Lv5 : Godfather ( Reward : Artifact - The CTOS )

]

Matteo then opened the the main questline in the objectives -

╔═══════════════════════╗

║ - Main Quest #1 - 

╠═══════════════════════╣

║ Playtime is over, time to grow up. 

║ Ascend to Street Boss. 

║ 

║ Tasks: 

║ => Establish and Train a small crew 

║ => Establish an Extortion Racket 

║ => Collect 100 Influence Points 

║ 

║ Rewards: 

║ => System Augment: Intimidation 

║ 

║ - Start - 

║ - Back to Main Window - 

╚═══════════════════════╝

"You said it! Playtime is over!" Matteo grinned excitedly.

After some thinking and planning in his notebook Matteo got up got dressed grabbed some cash and his gun and went out shutting off the main switch behind him. He planned to visit the St. Maria Orphanage today.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Near an abandoned warehouse -

The parking lot was bustling with activity. It looked like a crime investigation. You can see yellow ribbons stretched around the area, creating a kind of border. These ribbons mark the space where the detectives and experts are doing their work.

There are two people in suits lying on the ground. Both of them got shot in the head, and one has an extra gunshot wound on the leg, like they tried to fight back. Two detectives in special outfits are carefully looking at everything. They stay a bit away from each other, and they seem serious.

There's a black Opel Insignia parked not too close. The detectives are checking it to see if it has anything to do with what happened. They take pictures and mark important things to remember.

The detectives are working hard to understand what happened and to find clues that can help them solve the case. It's a serious and important job they're doing.

Detective Russo, the lead investigator, approached Forensic Specialist Schmidt and Junior Officer Leclerc near the crime scene. The atmosphere remained tense as Russo inquired, "Alright, what have you found so far?"

Schmidt sighed, "I hate to say it, Detective, but we've got close to nothing. Ran ballistic fingerprinting on the bullets we found, and all we got was the caliber – 9mm. A handgun, but no other leads."

Leclerc nodded in agreement, "Yes, nothing else significant. It seems like a back alley deal gone wrong. The person they were meeting didn't hesitate to use deadly force."

Russo rubbed his forehead, "Any idea who we're dealing with here?"

Schmidt shook his head, "No names yet. Both victims were armed, so there's a good chance there were others on the opposing side. It's messy."

Leclerc added, "Two bullets were fired from one of the victim's guns, but we couldn't find the bullets, just the shells."

Russo muttered, "So, we're dealing with professionals. Keep digging. We need names, connections, anything that can lead us to the people responsible."

Detective Russo's attention was diverted by a commotion coming from the direction of the black Opel Insignia. He briskly walked over, his curiosity piqued. Officer Bonnet, a vigilant member of the team, called out to him, "Detective Russo, you need to see this."

As Russo approached, Bonnet opened the trunk of the car, revealing a stash of weapons neatly arranged inside. Russo's eyes widened in shock as he took in the sight. "Are you telling me there's a small armory in the trunk?"

Bonnet nodded, "Yes, Detective. We've got short swords, knives, and what looks like claws. And here come the surprise - they are Viable weapons, and it certainly complicates things."

Russo furrowed his brow, "This just went from a back alley deal to something bigger. Check for any serial numbers, see if we can trace these weapons. We need to find out who these belonged to and how they connect to the victims."

The discovery added a layer of complexity to the investigation, raising more questions about the nature of the crime and the individuals involved. The previously straightforward scene now hinted at a deeper and more intricate web of connections. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Hundreds of Miles away in a dark room -

Two men casually sat on opposite side of a office table in what looked like a personal office.

"Brother, There is news from Verbindung. Fritz is dead. Murdered."

"*sigh* He was an important chess piece. Who killed him?" the other person asked.

"We don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" there was slight impatience in his voice.

"He left to make a deal, but was found dead the next morning. Our informants in the police department found nothing more."

There was silence of a brief amount of time "Investigate everything related to this, every single detail. We can't afford to be complacent with this."

"Yes, Brother."

"Tell the 'Krasnaya Ruka' that the plans in Verbindung will be pushed forward indefinitely."

"They won't be happy."

"They don't have a choice. This not like their country. There are rules here, even to the Underworld."