1996 – New York City, USA
Inside a small supermarket on Arthur Street in the Bronx, a man burst through the exit doors clutching merchandise he hadn't paid for. His face was flushed with adrenaline—until the cold press of a gun barrel touched his temple.
"Easy, man… don't shoot!" he stammered, raising both hands.
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a tall, well-dressed white man with sharp features and a composed expression.
Luca Greco.
Calm. Relaxed. Almost bored.
Luca tilted his head toward the entrance of the store.
"Back inside."
The man swallowed and obeyed.
Luca kept the gun lightly against his head as they walked to the checkout counter.
"You pay for what you take," Luca said casually. "So tell me—are you paying? Or should I break your hand and pay for you?"
The man blinked in disbelief. He had expected some rival gang member, maybe a cop. Not this.
All this… over unpaid groceries?
"Alright, alright! I'll pay!" he said quickly, fumbling a wad of crumpled bills from his pocket. "This is everything I've got."
"That's nice," Luca replied mildly. "But why are you giving it to me?"
Under Luca's steady gaze, the man hurriedly pulled out his wallet. In front of the utterly indifferent cashier, he slapped the money down on the counter.
"Keep the change!"
Luca offered him a gentle smile that held no warmth.
"Next time, remember: this supermarket stands on Lucchese family territory. If I catch you 'shopping for free' again, you can save your money for your next life."
The man nodded frantically and stumbled out of the store. Only after running several blocks did he dare look back at the supermarket's sign.
He swore never to return for another "free shopping spree."
__________________________________________________________________________
[You upheld peace within Lucchese territory.]
[Skill Points +3]
__________________________________________________________________________
Inside the owner's office, Luca glanced briefly at the translucent panel visible only to him, then calmly sipped tea across from a middle-aged Chinese man with a warm smile.
"Luca, I truly can't thank you enough," Uncle Biao said gratefully. "Ever since you warned those thugs, hardly anyone dares cause trouble here. Without you, I would have shut this place down already."
Running a business in New York without backing was a nightmare.
Two months ago, Uncle Biao had planned to sell the supermarket and move to the countryside with his girlfriend. Then Luca had stepped in—publicly beating down a gang of freeloaders who tried to loot the store.
After that, thugs and thief vanished.
"I should pay you," Uncle Biao insisted nervously. "I can't let you help for free."
He had made this offer before. Luca had refused every time.
After all, Luca belonged to the Lucchese family—one of New York's Five Families.
Luca waved dismissively. "Talking about money ruins friendship. Since I was young, my father taught me one thing: harmony creates prosperity. I simply like standing up for the weak."
Uncle Biao gave him a strange look. "You're Sicilian. Since when do you talk about harmony?"
But actions mattered more than words.
Luca never collected protection money.
He paid for everything he bought.
He prevented riots.
He was more disciplined than half the NYPD.
"Fine," Uncle Biao laughed. "No more talk about money. Tonight, dinner's on me. We drink until we can't stand."
"Then I won't leave until I'm drunk."
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Unlocked: Uncle Biao]
Rank: D
Source: Rumble in the Bronx
Skill: None
Bond: Close Friend
__________________________________________________________________________
Luca Greco
Skills:
• Firearms Mastery LV5
• Assassination Mastery LV6
• Combat Mastery LV5
• Driving LV4
• Fishing LV2
Current Skill Points: 5
Skill Fragments: 18
__________________________________________________________________________
A year ago, Luca awakened the Peace Ambassador System—along with memories of a previous life.
The rules were simple.
Defend peace.
Gain rewards.
Skill points.
Ability fragments.
Character cards ranging from D to SSR.
Stronger characters meant stronger abilities.
D-rank cards rarely offered anything useful.
SSR cards, however… were legends.
Uncle Biao had a nephew in Hong Kong.
If Luca remembered correctly, that nephew was a walking war god.
Definitely SSR.
That was one reason Luca had carefully cultivated this friendship.
Bond levels unlocked abilities.
And Luca was patient.
---
After leaving the supermarket, Luca noticed a tall man entering—a figure in a trench coat, round hat, sunglasses, and carrying a heavy suitcase. His movements were ghostlike. Silent.
Luca didn't linger.
He spent the afternoon driving through half of New York, collecting high-interest debts from gamblers—routine family business.
On his way back, his car passed a towering building at a three-way intersection.
The Continental.
A sanctuary for assassins.
The hotel answered to the High Table—twelve crime lords ruling the global underworld.
In this world where underground forces dominated society, the High Table stood at the apex.
Even John Wick bowed to its authority.
John Wick.
"Baba Yaga."
"The Boogeyman."
"Kill His Dog, He Kills Your Entire Lineage."
Without question—SSR tier.
Luca had never met him. But his reputation echoed through every shadowed alley in New York.
There was also Kane. The blind assassin. Another likely SSR.
These were prizes worth collecting.
Luca eventually stopped outside a bar owned by the Lucchese family.
Inside, he found Caporegime Marigio waiting at a corner table overlooking the room.
Luca handed over a thick stack of collected cash.
Marigio weighed it in his palm without counting and skimmed Luca's cut.
"You're late," Marigio said. "Trouble?"
"Stopped some idiots from stealing groceries."
Marigio stared at him.
"Why don't you join the police if you love justice so much?"
Over the past year, Luca's reputation as a "Peacemaker" had spread across the Bronx. Rival gangs even asked him to mediate disputes.
Businesses willingly paid Lucchese protection fees.
Because when Luca promised peace—
Peace held.
Crime dropped.
The family's public image improved.
Marigio still found it surreal.
After decades in organized crime, this was the first time he'd gained goodwill.
"How long have you been with me?" Marigio asked.
"Twelve years. Since my father went to prison."
Luca's father had been a Lucchese soldier—killed behind bars. His mother had left when he was four.
Before prison, his father entrusted Luca to Marigio.
"Make him someone," he had said.
Marigio exhaled. "Twelve years… You've proven loyalty and ability."
He slid a photograph across the table.
"If you complete this job, I'll recommend you as a made man."
Luca's pulse steadied.
Formal membership meant protection.
Anyone who touched him would answer to the entire family.
He wanted more than protection.
He wanted power.
One day, he would rise high enough to sit at the High Table itself.
Wasn't maintaining underworld order… a form of peace?
He looked at the photograph.
An obese man. Sharp eyes. Brutal expression.
"Kahn Jones," Marigio said coldly. "Out-of-town dealer. Shipping drugs on our turf. Won't listen."
"Kill him?"
"Too messy. Just… persuade him."
Luca nodded.
Marigio called out, "Jimmy! Henry! Over here!"
Two tall, thin men approached.
The system panel flickered.
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Discovered: Henry Hill – Rank C]
Source: Goodfellas
Skill: Shameless Scoundrel
– +10% police trust during communication
– +40% police trust when testifying as an informant
Bond: Stranger
[Character Card Discovered: James 'Jimmy' Conway – Rank C]
Source: Goodfellas
Skill: Greedy One
– +5% conversion rate of illicit income
– −10% probability of police investigation
– +15% bonus conversion rate after eliminating accomplices
Bond: Stranger
__________________________________________________________________________
Luca's expression shifted slightly.
Oh.
You sent these two?
He almost laughed.
Backstabbing specialists… assigned as his support?
This mission was about to get interesting.
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Advanced chapters ahead.