After Vega assassinated Grifn, he immediately relocated to a safer hideout—one tucked near a bar secretly operated by the Shelby family.
This bar wasn't just for drinks—it served as one of the Shelby family's minor strongholds.
Hidden in a shadowy corner, Vega was carefully watching the building, closely monitoring their movements. He needed to predict the Shelby family's next steps.
The stronghold seemed calm for now, which gave him a moment to focus on a more urgent problem:
"How can I maximize the use of the system and destroy the Shelby family quickly?"
At the moment, Vega only had a few dozen experience points. But that, combined with his aura (or "Nen"), was enough to enhance a few good items.
Still, he needed to think things through carefully.
He had succeeded in killing dozens of Shelby gunmen earlier, but that was thanks to a meticulously set trap. It worked because the Shelby family had grown arrogant after wiping out the Pengele family. They never expected anyone to strike back.
But things were different now.
The Shelby family was on high alert, and Vega knew they wouldn't leave any more openings for him.
From what Vega calculated, Tom Shelby—the head of the family—was likely furious. After all, Grifn was his brother.
Vega was certain Tom had already mobilized every man he had, turning the city upside down in search of him.
And Vega had predicted this.
Tom Shelby couldn't afford to ignore this. The number-three figure in the family had been assassinated. If Tom didn't retaliate swiftly, the Shelby family's reputation would crumble.
Worse yet, Vega was a member of the Pengele family. If he used this moment to rally the remaining loyalists under the Pengele banner, it could completely derail the Shelbys' plan to unify Nacro City.
So of course, Tom would act—and act hard.
Vega had already mapped out multiple countermeasures for every move Tom might make.
Still, Vega sighed. He lacked the strength for a direct confrontation. And he didn't dare trust the scattered remnants of the Pengele family—some of them may have already defected to the Shelbys.
If he made the mistake of recruiting a traitor, it could cost him everything.
For now, he had to operate solo.
So instead of striking directly, Vega decided on a more strategic route—"Operation Clipped Wings."
This plan involved gradually weakening the Shelby family through small, surgical strikes.
Even though Vega was just one man against an entire organization, he had the system on his side. Every kill, every successful move, earned him experience points. And the system allowed him to grow stronger at a pace no ordinary human could match.
More importantly, he was fast, ruthless, and efficient. He didn't need brute force—just precision.
As long as he avoided direct confrontations and focused on one-hit kills, he could whittle the Shelbys down piece by piece.
"What I need now is loyal help," Vega muttered, leaning against a wall in deep thought."I'm part of the Conjurer lineage—so is there a way to create completely obedient subordinates?"
He briefly considered summoning beasts.
"No, not viable," he shook his head. Although Nen Beasts were completely loyal, they consumed an immense amount of mental energy. In his current state, freshly awakened, he wouldn't even be able to manifest one.
Even if he did, it would be too weak to be useful. Sure, he could strengthen it with the system, but that would drain too many experience points—not worth the investment.
Then suddenly, his eyes lit up.
He remembered something—an item from an old show, Jackie Chan Adventures.
The Shadowkhan mask.
Yes—that was it.
The ghost mask summoned a powerful army, the Dark Shadow Warriors. Loyal, capable, and scalable.
Of course, with his current Nen, there was no way he could conjure a powerful ghost mask. But he had the enhancement system.
That changed everything.
Vega could start by creating a weak version of the mask—just enough to summon basic Ghost Warriors. It didn't matter how weak they were at the start.
As long as the mask existed, it could be upgraded—just like a seed that could grow.
All it needed was experience.
"If that's the case," Vega whispered with determination, "then it's time to test it out."