The night was thick with anticipation. The slums of the Underworld, usually filled with the sounds of scurrying demons and whispered deals, had grown eerily quiet. In the stillness, Mikhael could feel the tension building—like a string pulled taut, ready to snap. His avatars were embedded in the gangs, his skills had been sharpened, and now, everything was in place. The chaos was about to begin.
Mikhael stood on the edge of an abandoned building, watching the flickering lights of the gang territories in the distance. Below, the slums were dark, the streets deserted, but he knew it wouldn't last. Word had spread. The larger factions were moving, preparing to strike at the smaller gangs and claim what little power they could grasp.
His eyes gleamed with crimson light as he opened the system interface, checking on his stats. It had become a habit, one that grounded him in the chaos of the underworld. He allocated his points carefully, planning his next moves.
[System Interface]
Name: Mikhael
Race: Demon
Level: 2
Experience: 40/200
Stats
Strength: 20
Durability: 19
Agility: 18
Intelligence: 13
Dexterity: 13
Wisdom: 12
Abilities:
Shadow Step, Dark Pulse, Mana Sense, Sin Drain, Sin's Whispers, Dash, Charge
The slums were a battlefield waiting to erupt, and Mikhael intended to use it to his advantage. His avatars, Vince Moray and Jin Sparrow, were already in position, working their way through the underworld gangs. Vince had infiltrated the larger faction planning to raid, and Jin was gathering information from a rival group. It was all coming together.
He closed his eyes, focusing on the mental link he had with his avatars. He felt the buzz of their presence in the back of his mind. They were his tools, his extensions. Through them, he could act without revealing himself.
Vince's Perspective
Vince leaned against the stone wall inside a makeshift headquarters—an old abandoned warehouse repurposed by the gang as a command center. The air was thick with the scent of sweat and fear, demons pacing the room as they prepared for the raid. Their leader, a hulking demon with a jagged scar across his face, barked orders, his voice rough with anticipation.
Vince smirked. It was easy to blend in here. The demons were desperate for power, but blind to the true dangers lurking in the shadows. They saw the smaller factions as easy prey, but they had no idea what was coming.
The leader turned to the group, his blood-red eyes gleaming. "Tonight, we hit the western territories. We'll take everything—resources, territory, everything. Those weaklings won't know what hit them."
Vince listened closely, absorbing the details. The plan was crude but effective. A full-scale assault on a smaller faction, meant to overwhelm them in a single, devastating blow. It would work, if not for the fact that Mikhael was already several steps ahead.
"Let them think they're winning," Vince thought, his grin widening. "Let them exhaust themselves."
Back to Mikhael
Mikhael opened his eyes, pulling back from the link with Vince. The gang was preparing to strike. Perfect. He could use the raid as a distraction, slipping into the chaos unnoticed. He needed to drain more power, gain more experience. The battle would provide him with plenty of opportunities.
His connection to Jin Sparrow pulsed next. Mikhael focused, reaching out to his second avatar. Jin had been moving through the rival faction, spreading rumors and gathering critical information about their movements. Mikhael's plan wasn't just to exploit the gang war—he intended to turn both sides against each other while he picked off the survivors.
Jin Sparrow's Perspective
Jin strolled casually through the slums, his long coat flaring in the wind. He had just returned from a meeting with one of the rival faction's key members, a sly demon who believed that Jin was simply another mercenary looking for a quick payout. He couldn't have been more wrong.
Jin smirked as he recalled the conversation. The gang was making preparations of their own. They weren't fools; they knew the raid was coming. But they had no idea how much information Mikhael had gathered. Through Jin's infiltration, Mikhael was now aware of both factions' plans.
The rival faction's leader had boasted about their defenses, but Jin had seen the cracks. They were ready for a fight, but they weren't ready for a betrayal. And that's exactly what Mikhael had planned.
"Let them tear each other apart," Jin muttered, his grin widening as he moved back into the shadows.
The Night of the Raid
The ganglands erupted in violence, just as Mikhael had anticipated. The larger faction launched a full-scale assault on the smaller gang's territory, their forces flooding the narrow streets like a tidal wave of chaos. Demons clashed in the streets, weapons drawn, magic crackling through the air as the two factions fought for dominance.
Mikhael moved through the chaos like a ghost, his Shadow Step keeping him hidden in the darkest corners. He watched the battle unfold, his crimson eyes gleaming with cold calculation. Vince was with the attacking faction, fighting alongside them while feeding Mikhael valuable information through their mental link. Jin had slipped into the rival faction's ranks, spreading misinformation and sowing doubt among their ranks.
It was perfect.
As the battle raged, Mikhael activated Dash, his speed increasing as he darted through the carnage. His targets were clear—he needed to pick off the weakest fighters, the ones on the verge of death, and drain their essence with Gluttony. Every kill would make him stronger.
He spotted his first target: a demon who had fallen behind, his body battered from the fighting. Mikhael wasted no time, appearing behind the demon in a flash of movement. Before the demon could react, Mikhael placed his hand on the back of his neck, activating Gluttony.
A dark, swirling energy enveloped the demon's body, and Mikhael felt the familiar rush of power as the demon's essence drained into him.
[You have absorbed the essence of a demon.]
Experience Gained: 20
Mikhael's body surged with energy, his muscles tightening as the power flowed through him. He had to move quickly—there were more demons to drain, more experience to gain.
He activated Charge, feeling his damage output increase as he prepared for the next wave of enemies. The longer the battle dragged on, the more dangerous he became.
Another demon rushed toward him, but Mikhael was ready. He unleashed a Dark Pulse, the burst of dark energy slamming into the demon and sending him crashing into the wall. Before the demon could recover, Mikhael was on him, draining his essence with Gluttony once again.
[You have absorbed the essence of a demon.]
Experience Gained: 25
The battle continued to spiral into chaos, and Mikhael moved through it like a shadow, picking off demons one by one. His avatars were playing their roles perfectly, keeping both factions distracted while he grew stronger.
But even as the experience points rolled in, Mikhael knew this was only the beginning. The gangs would destroy each other, but that wasn't enough. He needed to control what came next. As both factions weakened, Mikhael would step in, positioning his avatars to take control of the remnants.
Later That Night
The battle had ended, the streets littered with the bodies of the fallen. Both factions had suffered heavy losses, but neither had gained any real ground. The raid had been a bloodbath, just as Mikhael had predicted.
He stood on the roof of a building, watching the aftermath with a cold, calculating gaze. His body hummed with power from the demons he had drained, and the system flashed in his mind.
[Experience: 150/200]
Almost enough to level up again. Mikhael felt the familiar hunger gnawing at him. He needed more—more power, more control.
His avatars had done their job well. Vince had managed to survive the raid, his position within the attacking gang now stronger than ever. Jin, on the other hand, had managed to convince several members of the rival faction that their leader had betrayed them, further sowing chaos within their ranks.
Everything was falling into place.
As the surviving demons limped back to their respective territories, Mikhael knew it was time to make his next move. The gang war was far from over, but now, he had the upper hand. The factions were weakened, their leaders distracted, and soon, Mikhael would strike from within—through his avatars, through the chaos.
The slums would be his, and no one would even see it coming.
He turned, disappearing into the night with a quiet whisper.
"Let them fight. When they're done, I'll take what remains."