After nearly five years of development, no matter how haphazardly built or how crooked the members, Raphael's gang had become a mainstay in the city.

Being near the capital of Romulus, far away from the city, Raphael also requested a few members to be stationed near for convenience and, being recluded in the research facility most of his time, delegated a lot of power to Judas.

His methods becoming more and more refined, even a few commands here and there to a mindless flesh puppet were enough, even if barely.

Sure, their development time in the capital wasn't enough to establish themselves there and in the first place any gang that could survive there was many tiers higher that Raphael's one with ties with many high ranking people, but they wouldn't have even ever dared to approach it if it wasn't for Raphael, so their main business was still in the city and any activity near Romulus was as much legally spotless as possible by killing enough members as scapegoats but being affordable enough to not decimate them all.

Well, no one said a newly recruited member wasn't an actual member, so this part of the cleaning project hadn't really dealt that heavy of a blow once the members adapted to it after the first few times.

Of course, to the original members that is.

Miserable people were in abundance in the capital, but that also meant they couldn't accomplish anything great on their own as a mature system had long been standing in place.

Because of that, they hadn't been sculpted by the adversity in dangerous stones or amazing diamonds in need of just a bit of polish, instead their spirits had been ground to fine dust with a hint of putrid.

It was difficult for someone great to emerge from them, but what the capital didn't lack was the number of people.

Adam was the only new member of the gang that had survived for more than a month, with an impressive record of half a year.

He had been worked like a mule, using every bit of spare time to rest and nap, but still, he didn't leave the gang.

Well, no one that left it had a good ending, after all the gang needed a spotless image, but that wasn't his reason, even if just that was already really damn convincing.

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Adam had seen Raphael with his own eyes.

Living by begging on the streets and sleeping in public spaces didn't increase physical fitness nor knowledge or active thinking, but judging the expression of the pedestrian was an essential skill to recognize who to beg to the end and who to avoid least they suffered from a collapsed lung.

And Raphael was one of the people that would be surrounded by many gentlemen with well fed bellies and a sharp look in their eyes, and they were the very ones that when away would give commands left and right.

The plan was simple really, become the best leader of the gang Raphael could dream of.

If the development of the gang continued like this, they would become a full fledged criminal organization with a backing, which Raphael despised with all his heart.

Instead, he wanted a group of organized fanatics that would bring glory to their master in the name of the All Father.

Adam didn't know that the meeting with Mara had created the prejudice against traditional criminal organizations, but the decision was objectively right.

First of all, he still had to obey orders for now.

----

Screams of fear, horror and pain were everywhere.

Left or right, ahead or behind, it seemed like hell as the cries of the damned were only met with cold and resolute stares at best or wicked smiles at worst.

The village people were powerless, seeing as their feeble starved armed hands couldn't stop even the barehanded members of the gang.

Before long, Adam found himself on top of a young boy that had long stopped resisting his punches.

Even bloodied, the boy wasn't crying.

This much was probably nothing in comparison to what he probably felt when his dad often rightfully educated his own son.

Remembering his purpose, Adam stopped his beating and said in a rightful tone:

"Do you know why we are strong while you are weak?"

Without waiting for a reply, Adam pressed on.

"It's all thanks to the almighty hand of God that guides our every move."

The unresponsive eyes of the boy suddenly gained a hint of expression, as if calling bullishit.

While it was technically true as the official members of the Church such as Raphael were supposed to be God's representatives on earth, sneaking a peek to his surroundings not even Adam could force himself to believe this was what God really wanted.

But Adam didn't care.

"You don't believe me don't you? But it doesn't matter.

What does matter instead is if you are willing to follow God's Word and join us."

This immediately interested the little fellow.

Struggling to speak from the soreness of his injured jaw and the lack of air from the blood sliding down his throat from his bloodied nose to his lungs, a sharp pain assaulted the boys senses as soon as the adrenaline filled automatic response stopped to put his mind to work.

"Of course I will. For... God!"

In the end, a faint and bubbling voice finally emerged, desperate sounding as if the boy knew this was really the last straw he could grab to save his miserable life he often though about throwing away.

A smile couldn't help but creep onto Adam's face.

Glancing to the side he saw Raphael, accompanied by Judas and the gang leader exiting from one of the most on fire buildings before it crumbled on its own weight.

His gaze on the gang leader was especially intense.