BEYOND BETRAYAL: WAR WITHOUT END

Carrick and his team were thrown into a dark cell in the basement. They heard water dripping and faint screams. Domino sneered at them, his eyes shining with victory.

"You're fools," Domino said. "You thought you could sneak into our mansion and steal from us?" He laughed. "We knew you were coming."

Carrick's eyes narrowed. "How did you know?" he asked.

Domino smiled. "Victor thought he was clever, but we caught his spy. We turned them against you."

Carrick's anger grew. "Who was it?" he demanded.

Domino leaned in, grinning. "Someone very close to Victor. They gave us information and led you into our trap."

Carrick's mind was racing. Who could the traitor be? One of Victor's trusted friends?

Carrick's anger flared, but he kept his cool. He knew he had to stall for time. Perhaps Victor will attempt a rescue operation.

Domino leaned in, his voice dripping with malice. "After I kill you, I'll make sure your mother suffers too. One of our loyal servants will poison her, and she'll die a slow, agonizing death."

Carrick's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't let that happen. With a surge of adrenaline, Carrick made a split-second decision. He would pretend to cooperate, gather information, and wait for an opportunity to escape and protect his mother. He now wish he had killed Domino during that raid.

"Domino, you win," Carrick said, feigning defeat. "I'll tell you everything. Just spare my mother."

Domino's smile grew wider. "Oh, Carrick. You're no match for me. But I'll enjoy watching you beg."

Carrick's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't let Domino harm his mother.

"Please, Domino," Carrick begged, trying to sound desperate. "Have mercy. My mother has nothing to do with this."

Domino laughed, the sound echoing off the cold walls. "Mercy? Do you want mercy? You should have thought of that before you crossed me, Carrick."

And with that, Domino left the cell, leaving Carrick and his team to their fate. But Carrick's mind was already racing with plans, determined to outsmart Domino and save his mother. He was handcuffed and also chained to a chair, there was no way he could escape.. unless..

'System, is there a way to boost my attributes without leveling up?'

«Yes. Host just needs to use gold coins. 10 gold coins will give you 1 point in any attribute you wish to allocate it. This is not a temporary boost. 10 gold coins can also give you 100XP. Nevertheless, you can only use this method once every thirty days.»

'That means my five hundred gold coins will only amount to fifty points. I accept. Convert it all and add twenty points to Strength, twenty points to Agility, and then ten points to endurance. I need to be fast and overwhelm the guards with strength if I am to succeed.'

«Ding! 500 gold coins have been converted to Attribute points.»

«Ding! Congratulations! Host's Strength is now at 55 points.»

«Ding! Congratulations! Host's Agility and Speed is now at 55 points.»

«Ding! Congratulations! Host's Endurance is now at 50 points.»

«Ding! Host is now comparable to a level 5 individual. With active skill Undying Resolve, Host will become comparable to a level 10 individual.»

Carrick felt his body tingling, and then he could feel the handcuffs could not hold him any longer. With a slight yank, the handcuff broke in two and he was a bit free. With a hundred points in strength, he was able to break free from the chains. Now his next plan was to free his teammates, steal the crates, and if possible.. take his mother away from here to the Alistair family mansion.

Carrick's eyes shone with determination as he assessed his situation. He had broken free from his restraints, and now it was time to free his teammates.

"Alright, guys, let's get out of here!" Carrick exclaimed, his voice low and urgent. "Leave the basement and return to the ballroom. From there, make your way back to the Alistair mansion. I'll take care of the crates."

His teammates stared at him in awe, still trying to process how Carrick had broken free. "How did you...?" one of them started, but Carrick just shook his head.

"No time to explain. We need to move, now!"

With his 100 points in strength, Carrick quickly freed his teammates, who nodded and quickly made their way out of the basement.

"Be careful," Carrick called after them. "Domino will stop at nothing to get what he wants."

As his teammates disappeared into the darkness, Carrick turned his attention to the crates.

He sprinted to the next room where the crates were kept. The moment he opened the door, he came face to face with four burly Mafia guards, the whirlwind symbol was embroidered on their breast pocket, that was the Gale family's symbol.

Carrick stood facing the four big bodyguards. They were guarding the crates. Carrick was not afraid. He was ready to fight. He was already pissed at Domino's antics, perhaps he will use these guys to quell his anger.

The first bodyguard, a really big guy with a beard, swung his fist at Carrick. But Carrick was too fast. He moved out of the way just in time. Then he punched the guard in the nose. The guard was shocked as his eyes rolled back and he fell down unconscious. The strength behind that punch was terrifying. These guards were level 4 each, so to Carrick, they were a bit weak.

The second bodyguard, a man with a shaved head, tried to tackle Carrick. But Carrick was too quick. He dodged the tackle and grabbed the man's arm. He twisted the arm and made the man fall to the ground. Face first to the concrete floor, he too was knocked out cold.

The third bodyguard, a mean-looking guy with a big grin, swung his fist at Carrick again. But Carrick was ready. He ducked down low and then with the force of a tsunami, he gave the guard an uppercut. The guard was out cold before he landed on the cold floor.

The fourth bodyguard, the biggest of all, grabbed Carrick and tried to hold him down. But Carrick was strong too. He wrapped his legs around the big guy's head and squeezed tight. The big guy tried to shake him off, but Carrick held on. Then with a punch at the back of the neck, the guard slumped and was unconscious.

Carrick then focused his attention on the crates. He possessed a pocket dimension, a secret space where he could store the crates. He quickly moved the crates into the pocket dimension, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

But now, it was time to rescue his mother. Carrick made his way to her room, his heart pounding with anticipation. He burst through the door, ready to face whatever lay ahead.

But the room was empty. Carrick's mother was nowhere to be found. His eyes narrowed. This was Domino's doing. He knew it.

"Domino, you coward!" Carrick shouted, his voice echoing through the empty room. "I'll find you, and I'll make you pay!"

But there was no response. Carrick knew he had to move fast. He quickly made his way to the ballroom, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of Domino or his guards.

The music and laughter of the guests masked the tension, but Carrick could sense the danger lurking beneath the surface. He knew he had to be careful.

As he made his way through the crowd, Carrick spotted Victor, his eyes locked on him with a mixture of concern and admiration.

"Carrick, what happened?" Victor whispered, as Carrick approached him. "We were worried sick about you."

Carrick shook his head. "No time to explain. I have to get out of here now."

Victor nodded, understanding. "Go. We'll cover for you."

Carrick nodded, and quickly made his way out of the mansion, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he had left his mother behind.

But he vowed to return, to rescue her and bring Domino to justice. This was far from over.