The Iron Rats' headquarters squatted in the ruins of an old temple like a cancer eating away at forgotten holiness. Alex studied the building from a rooftop three blocks away, his enhanced vision picking out details that would have been invisible to normal eyes.
Twelve guards visible on the perimeter. Heavy crossbows and short swords—practical weapons for close-quarters fighting. The building itself showed signs of magical reinforcement: glowing runes carved into the stone foundation, wards that shimmered faintly in his Mana Sight.
More importantly, Alex could see the heat signatures of at least thirty people inside the main structure. The Iron Rats were the largest of the three gangs, built around military discipline and overwhelming numbers rather than individual strength.
In his old life, taking on a fortified position with thirty defenders would have required careful planning, superior firepower, and probably a few casualties among his own people.
In this life, Alex was a one-man army with a system that turned trash into treasure.
He pulled out a handful of pebbles he'd collected from the street—worthless chunks of granite worn smooth by countless feet. Perfect raw material.
**[GRANITE PEBBLE DETECTED]**
**[CURRENT STATS: Weight 0.02kg, Hardness: 6/10, Value: 0]**
**[UPGRADE AVAILABLE]**
**[PROCEED? Y/N]**
"Yes."
**[UPGRADE COMPLETE]**
**[MULTIPLIER ACHIEVED: 89,342x]**
**[GRANITE PEBBLE → VOID ANNIHILATION SPHERE]**
**[NEW STATS:]**
- Weight: 1,786kg (auto-adjusts to user's strength)
- Damage: Ignores all physical defenses
- Special: Devours matter on contact, creating expanding void zones
- Range: User's throwing distance
- Area Effect: 50-meter radius disintegration
Alex hefted what looked like an ordinary pebble but felt like it contained the weight of a collapsed star. His enhanced strength made the impossible mass manageable, but he could sense the raw destructive potential contained within the seemingly innocent stone.
One throw would erase the Iron Rats' headquarters and everyone inside it. Clean, efficient, and thoroughly intimidating to anyone watching.
But dead criminals couldn't pay taxes or provide information. Alex needed subjects, not corpses.
He pocketed the Void Annihilation Sphere and pulled out a different pebble.
**[GRANITE PEBBLE DETECTED]**
**[UPGRADE AVAILABLE]**
**[PROCEED? Y/N]**
"Yes."
**[UPGRADE COMPLETE]**
**[MULTIPLIER ACHIEVED: 23,891x]**
**[GRANITE PEBBLE → PARALYSIS DISRUPTION ORB]**
**[NEW STATS:]**
- Effect: Complete nervous system shutdown in 100-meter radius
- Duration: 6 hours
- Targets: All living creatures except thrower
- Recovery: No permanent damage
- Penetration: Ignores all magical protections
Much better. Alex smiled as he palmed the upgraded pebble. Non-lethal but absolutely incapacitating—perfect for a hostile takeover.
He stood on the rooftop's edge, calculating trajectory and wind resistance with the enhanced mental processing his evolved body provided. The throw would need to arc over the temple's defensive walls and detonate above the central courtyard for maximum coverage.
Alex drew back his arm and let the Paralysis Disruption Orb fly.
His enhanced strength launched the projectile like a railgun shot. The pebble traced a perfect parabola through the night air before detonating in a sphere of silver light above the Iron Rats' stronghold.
The effect was immediate and total. Guards collapsed mid-step. Sentries tumbled from watchtowers. Even the rats scurrying through the ruins went rigid and toppled over.
Alex dropped from the rooftop, landing in the courtyard with barely a sound despite the three-story fall. His enhanced physiology absorbed the impact easily.
The temple's interior was a maze of converted chambers filled with unconscious criminals. Alex moved through them methodically, checking faces against the original Alex's memories until he found his target: "Iron Mike" Torrino, the gang's leader.
Torrino was a mountain of a man even while paralyzed—easily six and a half feet tall with arms thick as tree trunks. Scars covered his visible skin like a roadmap of violence, and his magical aura suggested he was close to breaking through to the Rare tier.
Alex dragged the unconscious gang leader to the temple's main altar, then pulled out another pebble.
**[GRANITE PEBBLE DETECTED]**
**[UPGRADE AVAILABLE]**
**[PROCEED? Y/N]**
"Yes."
**[UPGRADE COMPLETE]**
**[MULTIPLIER ACHIEVED: 1,247x]**
**[GRANITE PEBBLE → AWAKENING CATALYST STONE]**
**[EFFECT: Instantly ends all status effects and mental influences on target]**
Alex crushed the upgraded pebble and blew the resulting powder into Torrino's face. The big man's eyes snapped open immediately, confusion giving way to rage as he registered his surroundings.
"What the fuck—" Torrino tried to surge to his feet, but Alex's hand on his shoulder kept him seated with casual ease.
"Easy there, Mike. We're going to have a civilized conversation."
Torrino's eyes focused on Alex's face, and recognition dawned. "You're that dead kid. Alex whatever-his-name. But you're supposed to be—"
"Dead? Yeah, I got better." Alex perched on the edge of the altar, positioning himself to look relaxed while maintaining perfect striking distance. "More importantly, I just put your entire organization to sleep with a pebble. Your guards, your lieutenants, your attack dogs—all of them are taking an involuntary nap."
The gang leader's eyes darted around the paralyzed temple, taking in the scope of what had happened. Alex watched him process the implications: if one person could neutralize thirty armed criminals without breaking a sweat, traditional gang politics had just become obsolete.
"What do you want?" Torrino asked quietly.
"Smart question. I want your territory, your people, and your operations. In exchange, you get to keep breathing and maintain a management position in my new organization."
"And if I refuse?"
Alex pulled out the Void Annihilation Sphere, letting Torrino see the impossible weight of it resting casually in his palm. "Then I throw this, and there won't be enough left of this place to fill a shoebox. Your choice."
Torrino stared at the innocuous-looking pebble, his survival instincts clearly screaming warnings his conscious mind couldn't fully process. After thirty seconds of tense silence, he nodded slowly.
"What are your terms?"
"Forty percent of all revenue flows to me. Your people follow my strategic direction. When I need muscle for larger operations, the Iron Rats provide it without question." Alex pocketed the Void Annihilation Sphere. "In return, you keep day-to-day operational control and a bigger slice of the pie than you'd get working for anyone else."
"Forty percent is high."
"Forty percent of something is better than one hundred percent of nothing. Which is what you'll have if the Gray Serpents and Coin Collectors decide to carve up your territory while your entire gang is taking a dirt nap."
Torrino grimaced, clearly recognizing the truth of that statement. "What about protection? Other gangs, the nobles, the academy brats who come slumming?"
Alex's smile was all predator. "Anyone who moves against my interests will learn why that's a bad idea. Personally and permanently."
"And my boys? They're not going to like taking orders from some kid they remember as a Level 8 nobody."
"Then you'll explain the new reality to them. Use small words if necessary." Alex gestured at the unconscious criminals scattered throughout the temple. "I think the demonstration speaks for itself."
Torrino was quiet for a long moment, weighing his options. Finally, he extended a scarred hand. "Alright, kid. You've got yourself a deal. But I want a guarantee that my people get treated fairly."
Alex shook the offered hand, careful not to apply enough pressure to crush bones. "They produce results, they get paid. They cause problems, they get replaced. Same rules that have always applied, just with better management."
"Fair enough." Torrino looked around the paralyzed temple. "How long before the boys wake up?"
"About six hours. Plenty of time for you to figure out how to explain the new organizational structure." Alex stood up from the altar. "Oh, and Mike? Send word to your contacts in the merchant quarter. I'll be expanding operations soon, and I want to know who's interested in forming partnerships."
"What kind of partnerships?"
"The profitable kind. Details later." Alex moved toward the temple's entrance, then paused. "One more thing. That letter your people intercepted from Marcus—the one about watching the 'dead kid' for signs of hidden backing? I want copies of any similar communications."
Torrino's expression sharpened. "You knew about that?"
"I know about a lot of things. The question is whether you're smart enough to be useful or dumb enough to be a liability." Alex's tone remained conversational, but something in his eyes made the gang leader's face go pale.
"I'll get you copies by tomorrow night."
"Excellent. Welcome to the new management structure, Mike."
Alex left the paralyzed temple behind and made his way toward the Coin Collectors' territory. Two gangs down, one to go, and then he could start building something more sophisticated than petty street crime.
Marcus's operation was different from the Gray Serpents' drug trade or the Iron Rats' military approach. The Coin Collectors were information brokers and loan sharks, dealing in secrets and leverage rather than direct violence. Their headquarters was a converted banking house in the merchant quarter's shadow—close enough to the legitimate financial district to attract real business, far enough away to avoid official scrutiny.
Alex approached the building with more caution than he'd shown at the previous locations. Information brokers survived by knowing things others didn't, and Marcus had reportedly survived three separate gang wars through superior intelligence gathering.
But no amount of information could prepare someone for the impossible.
The banking house's front door was guarded by two men in expensive clothing who looked more like accountants than thugs. Their weapons were concealed but present—Alex's enhanced senses could detect the outlines of daggers and crossbow bolts hidden beneath tailored jackets.
"Gentlemen," Alex said as he approached. "I'm here to see Marcus about a business proposition."
The guards exchanged glances. The taller one—a thin man with predatory eyes—stepped forward.
"Marcus doesn't take meetings without appointments. Especially not with—" He paused, recognition flickering across his features. "Wait, you're that orphan kid. Alex something. Word is you died yesterday."
"Greatly exaggerated," Alex replied cheerfully. "Though I did have a profound life-changing experience. Hence the business proposition."
"Look, kid," the second guard said, "Marcus knows all about your little tantrum at Quinn's place tonight. Impressive, sure, but this isn't Gray Serpent territory. We've got real security here."
Alex pulled out another pebble—his last ordinary one. "You know what this is?"
Both guards stared at the unremarkable piece of stone. "A rock?"
"Smart men. Now watch what happens when I improve it."
**[GRANITE PEBBLE DETECTED]**
**[UPGRADE AVAILABLE]**
**[PROCEED? Y/N]**
"Yes."
**[UPGRADE COMPLETE]**
**[MULTIPLIER ACHIEVED: 344,127x]**
**[GRANITE PEBBLE → REALITY ANCHOR DISRUPTION CORE]**
**[EFFECT: Disables all magical effects within 500-meter radius for 24 hours]**
**[TARGETS: Wards, enchantments, magical items, spell effects]**
**[EXCEPTION: Items bound to user's soul remain functional]**
Alex crushed the upgraded pebble between his fingers. Immediately, every magical defense in the banking house went dark. Protective wards fizzled out, alarm enchantments died, and the guards' concealed magical weapons became inert hunks of metal.
"Still feeling confident about your security?" Alex asked mildly.
The guards' faces had gone white as they processed the implications. Marcus's entire operation depended on magical surveillance and protection. Without those advantages, the Coin Collectors were just well-dressed thugs with fancy furniture.
"I think Marcus will want to see me now," Alex continued. "Don't you?"
The taller guard nodded frantically and practically sprinted toward the building's interior. He returned moments later with a small, nervous-looking man in expensive robes who radiated the controlled panic of someone watching his world collapse in real time.
Marcus was nothing like what Alex had expected. Instead of a criminal mastermind, he looked like an accountant who'd stumbled into the wrong profession—soft, pale, with ink stains on his fingers and the posture of someone who spent his days hunched over ledgers.
But his eyes were sharp, calculating, already working through the angles of this new situation.
"Alex Chen," Marcus said, his voice surprisingly steady despite the circumstances. "I have to admit, your reputation preceded you by about ten minutes. My people in Gray Serpent territory reported some very interesting developments."
"Just a change in management philosophy," Alex replied. "I believe in hands-on leadership."
"Indeed. And now you've neutralized every magical defense I've spent five years building." Marcus gestured at the dark runes carved into the banking house's walls. "A rather expensive demonstration."
"Consider it a down payment on future cooperation."
Marcus studied him for a long moment, professional curiosity warring with survival instincts. "What exactly are you proposing, Mr. Chen?"
"A merger. Your information network, my enforcement capabilities. Your financial expertise, my expansion resources. Fifty-fifty partnership with shared decision-making authority."
"That's... generous. Suspiciously so."
Alex shrugged. "I need partners I can trust not to stab me in the back the first time someone offers them a better deal. You're smart enough to recognize a profitable arrangement and practical enough not to let pride get in the way of good business."
"And if I decline?"
"Then you're betting that your information network can find me a replacement before I decide you're more valuable as an example than as a partner." Alex's smile never wavered. "Your call, Marcus."
The information broker was quiet for nearly a minute, visibly calculating odds and outcomes. Finally, he nodded slowly.
"Partnership it is. Though I insist on maintaining separate operational chains for sensitive intelligence work."
"Agreed. Your people, your methods, your client relationships. I just want access to information that affects our mutual interests."
"Fair enough." Marcus extended his hand. "Welcome to the information business, Mr. Chen."
As they shook hands, Alex felt the Celestial Fortune Coin grow warm in his pocket. Somewhere in the city, probability was shifting in his favor.
"One more thing," Alex said. "I'll need a complete dossier on the academy admission process. Timelines, requirements, political considerations."
Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Planning to go legitimate?"
"Planning to go everywhere opportunities present themselves. Crime is profitable, but education opens doors that even unlimited violence can't budge."
"Wise. I'll have the information ready by tomorrow evening."
Alex nodded and turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Marcus? The magical defenses will be back online in twenty-four hours. I'd suggest upgrading them while you have the chance."
As he walked back into the Lower District's maze of alleys and tenements, Alex allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. Three gangs, three different approaches, three successful acquisitions. More importantly, he now controlled the criminal infrastructure of an entire district.
But territory was just the foundation. Real power came from legitimacy, connections, and the kind of influence that couldn't be taken by force alone.
Time to start building something bigger.
**[STATUS UPDATE]**
**Host:** Alex Chen
**Level:** 12 (Elite Rank)
**Experience:** 1,120/1,300
**Territory Controlled:** 23 blocks (complete Lower District criminal network)
**Subordinates:** 1 gang leader, 2 lieutenants, 47 dealers/enforcers, 1 information broker
**Daily Income:** ~200 gold (projected)
**Assets:** Shadowsteel Assassin's Blade, Celestial Fortune Coin, various upgraded consumables
**[NEW OBJECTIVES UNLOCKED]**
- Establish legitimate business fronts
- Infiltrate Crimson Tower Academy
- Identify and eliminate threats from higher-tier powers
- Expand operation beyond Lower District