Night had fallen over Tokyo, the streets flickering with neon lights and the distant hum of traffic. James Lee stood atop a tall building overlooking the city, his recruits gathered around him, each tense but ready. Valhalla had grown fast, but now it was time to reach higher—stronger fighters, more strategic allies, and city-wide influence. His system pulsed faintly, projecting potential targets, challenge levels, and optimal recruitment paths.
The first targets were main cast members who weren't in Toman: strong, skilled, and capable of making a difference in Valhalla's trajectory. He approached one after another with calculated precision. Atsushi, Takuya, and Makoto had already been integrated, but James Lee now focused on skilled fighters whose loyalty could be earned through demonstration of power and strategy. Each approach was deliberate, showcasing Valhalla's strength through small, controlled skirmishes that left no room for underestimation.
In a quiet alley, he encountered a highly skilled fighter working independently. James Lee engaged him, moving with fluid precision, every strike calculated, every maneuver executed with tactical foresight. The fight was intense, the opponent fast and strong, but James Lee's system-guided strategies and the support of his trained recruits ensured victory. With the fight won, he extended an invitation: "You have skill, but potential is wasted without direction. Join Valhalla, and your strength will grow beyond what you can imagine."
Recruitment success bolstered the gang's power exponentially. Each new member added to the network of influence, multiplying tactical options, strategic reach, and social leverage. Within days, Valhalla's influence expanded beyond school grounds into city streets, alleyways, and rooftops. Challenges arose naturally: rival gangs, territorial disputes, and independent fighters tested the gang's cohesion, but each encounter became an opportunity for growth, experience, and system-guided leveling.
James Lee then initiated advanced dungeon simulations, far more complex than before. Multi-level challenges combined combat, strategy, and environmental hazards. Each completed stage granted rare perks, powerful skill cards, and permanent stat boosts. The simulations tested every recruit simultaneously, requiring team coordination, tactical foresight, and rapid adaptability. Through these trials, recruits unlocked abilities such as Rapid Strike, Countermaster, Tactical Manipulation, Group Flank, and Strategic Command, while James Lee gained higher-tier perks like Supreme Tactical Vision, Leadership Dominance, and Influence Amplification.
While expanding in combat and strategy, James Lee maintained careful observation of Takemichi and his allies. Loyal to Toman, they remained outside direct influence, yet their actions provided invaluable insight into the timeline, allowing James Lee to anticipate rival movements, avoid unnecessary conflicts, and strategically position Valhalla for maximum advantage. Every choice, every interaction, every subtle shift in loyalty or power was recorded, analyzed, and incorporated into his growth plan.
By the end of the week, Valhalla had become an unstoppable force across the city. James Lee's recruits were fully trained, their loyalty unshakable, and their combined abilities made the gang's reputation unmatched. The city itself seemed to bend around Valhalla's rising influence; rivals hesitated, potential allies took notice, and the balance of power began to shift. Every fight, every dungeon, every recruitment, and every perk unlocked accelerated James Lee's growth, both in combat skill and strategic mastery.
Standing on a rooftop at dawn, James Lee surveyed the city below, feeling the weight of every decision, every victory, and every recruit gained. Valhalla was no longer a fledgling gang—it was an empire in formation, growing faster, stronger, and more organized than any force in Tokyo. With each new recruit, each unlocked perk, and every skill card mastered, James Lee's rise was inevitable.
"Every challenge, every recruit, every victory," he whispered, "is another step closer. Valhalla will not just exist—it will dominate, and the city will know our name."