Rise of The Virel Absolute Revenge Cultivation

Shadows in the Black Market

The sky on Oakhaven's eastern horizon began to fade, leaving a cold, purplish-gray hue. The dawn light, which should have brought hope, felt instead like a death sentence for the thirty people now forced to kneel in the Dawn Tower square. The stone floor, damp with morning dew, reflected the shadows of the gallows and the chopping block standing arrogantly in the center of the square.

Sergeant Galdor, an old man who usually had eyes as sharp as an eagle's, now sat with his head bowed, one eye swollen shut. His hands were chained behind his back. Beside him, Uncle Hali coughed repeatedly, his chest tight from an asthma flare-up caused by the biting morning air and prison dust.

"Lift your heads, you Virel dogs!" barked a Volkov soldier, slamming the butt of his spear into Galdor’s back.

Galdor looked up, spitting at the soldier's feet. "You can kill us, boy. But you cannot kill our loyalty. The Virel family will always be the true lords of this land."

"Your master is already worm food in the ravine!" Captain Kren stepped forward. He was a giant of a man in polished black armor. At his waist hung a massive axe that had often tasted blood. "Today, your history ends. Oakhaven belongs only to the wolves."

Kren signaled the black-masked executioner. The large man stepped forward, raising his executioner's axe, which gleamed coldly in the first rays of sunlight.

"Galdor, do you have any last words? Or do you wish to beg Lord Volkov for mercy?" Kren asked with a mocking smirk.

"The only thing I pray for is that the Gods take my soul before I see a traitor like you rule this city any longer," Galdor answered loudly. His voice echoed through the square, which was beginning to fill with commoners watching with terrified faces.

"Very brave," Kren muttered. "Executioner! Do it!"

The executioner took a breath, his arm muscles tensing as he raised the axe high into the air. The watching crowd turned their faces away; some women began to sob. Galdor closed his eyes, whispering a short prayer for Arka’s safety in the afterlife.

Whoosh!

A sharp gust of wind sliced through the silence. The axe never fell. In the blink of an eye, a black shadow streaked like lightning from the roof of a building on the side of the square.

Crack!

The executioner froze. His head suddenly tilted at an unnatural angle before finally rolling off onto the wooden stage. Blood sprayed, drenching the stunned face of Captain Kren. A figure in a black cloak with a terrifying silver mask now stood there, gripping a short sword that was still dripping with black blood.

"Who are you?" Kren screamed, stepping back while drawing his great axe.

Arka, in his identity as the Shadow Hunter, did not answer. Behind his mask, his eyes flashed red as the system rang in his head.

Mission Started: Rescue of the Loyal Blood.

Target: Captain Kren and the Execution Squad.

Status: Controlled Overload activated. Speed increased by 40%.

"Kill him! Quickly!" Kren ordered the dozens of guards surrounding the stage.

Arka moved like smoke. He vanished from sight just as five spears thrust toward his original position. A second later, he appeared behind the line of guards. Every swing of his sword was precise severing tendons, piercing armor gaps, and shattering nerves. In just ten seconds, ten Volkov soldiers fell without even a groan.

"Demon!" Kren raged. He stomped his foot onto the floor, releasing a wave of Earth-level cultivation energy that cracked the wooden stage. "You think you can disrupt this execution?"

Kren swung his axe with a force capable of splitting a boulder. Arka parried it with the greatsword he had now drawn from his back. The clash of metal created sparks and a deafening clanging sound.

Target Analysis: Captain Kren. Cultivation: Peak Earth Level. Weak Points: Right knee and left armpit gap.

Arka felt a violent vibration in his arm, but his fury was far greater than the pain. "These people will not die today, Kren. But you... you have exceeded your lifespan."

"That voice..." Galdor murmured, staring at the back of the mysterious figure with teary eyes. It was impossible. But the fighting style...

"Don't daydream, old man!" Arka shouted, kicking Kren in the chest so hard the giant man was thrown back into the gallows.

Kren rose, his face flushed red. He chanted a short spell, and his axe began to glow with searing fire energy. "I will roast you inside that black cloak of yours!"

Kren lunged again, his axe strikes becoming more brutal and rapid. Arka had to keep dodging, letting the system map his opponent's every move. Arka's black cloak was slashed in several places, yet he remained calm.

"System, activate Burst of Retribution!" Arka thought.

Command accepted. Consuming 150 Retribution Points. Destructive power increased by 100% for one strike.

Arka intentionally let Kren get close. As the giant axe swung toward his neck, Arka ducked sharply. He spun his body, concentrating all the deep red energy into the tip of his sword, and thrust it directly into Kren's left armpit, which was exposed as he raised the axe.

The sword pierced the iron armor as if it were wet paper. Kren's eyes widened. He tried to take a breath, but only blood came out. Arka pulled his sword out violently, then slammed his palm into Kren's chest, detonating internal energy that destroyed the captain's heart from within.

Kren fell to his knees, the light fading from his eyes before his massive body collapsed onto the wooden floor, now soaked in his own blood.

The square suddenly fell silent. The remaining Volkov guards stood frozen, trembling as they saw their commander killed so easily. They looked at each other, and then, without a word, they threw down their weapons and fled the execution area in a panic.

Arka stood tall, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He turned toward the thirty prisoners who were still chained. With a few quick slashes, he severed the iron chains.

"You are free," Arka's voice sounded raspy behind the mask.

Uncle Hali crawled forward, trying to kiss the hem of Arka's cloak. "Thank you, Sir... Who are you? Why did you risk your life for us?"

Arka looked at them one by one. A pang of emotion pierced the black box in his heart, trying to break through the cold walls built by the system. He wanted to take off his mask, to hug Galdor and tell him he was still alive. But he knew doing so would only make them bigger targets for Volkov.

"You don't need to know my name," Arka replied, his voice turning cold again. "Go to the West District; there is an empty warehouse with a 'V' marked on the door. There are weapons and supplies there. Take your families and hide underground for a while."

Galdor stood up slowly, looking at Arka with a profound gaze. "Your fighting style... that sword... you remind me of someone we loved very much. Someone who was unjustly accused."

Arka froze for a moment. "That man is dead. But his grudge lives on. And today, you are proof that darkness will not win forever."

"We will follow you," Galdor said firmly, followed by murmurs of agreement from the other prisoners. "We don't know who you are, but if you fight Volkov, then you are our leader. Give us your orders, Shadow Hunter."

Arka felt the loyalty he thought had been lost forever flare up once more. They weren't loyal to his new identity; they were loyal to what he represented—resistance against injustice.

Loyalty Detected: 30 new followers. Bonus Retribution Points received: 500.

"Stay alive. That is my first order," Arka said. He looked toward the palace gates in the distance, where warning bells had begun to toll loudly. "A larger force will be coming soon. Go, quickly!"

Galdor nodded in understanding. "Come on, everyone! Move!"

As the prisoners began to disappear into the city's narrow alleys, Arka leaped back onto the roof of a building. He looked at the sun, which had now fully risen, illuminating the blood-stained Dawn Tower.

"This is only the beginning, Kael," Arka whispered to the wind. "Every person you tried to kill will return as a thorn in your side."

Suddenly, the system in his head vibrated with an urgent tone.

Warning! Warning! King-level energy signal detected moving rapidly toward your location.

Identity: Kael Virel and the Black Wolf Elite Unit.

Arka narrowed his eyes. He could see dust rising on the city's main road as a group of armored riders spurred their mounts at a breakneck speed. At the front of the group, a man in a shimmering gold cloak looked absolutely furious.

Arka did not run. Instead, he stood on the edge of the roof, letting his black cloak flutter defiantly against the dawn. However, as he prepared to fight, a blue energy arrow suddenly streaked from an unexpected direction, exploding right in front of Kael's line of horses and creating a massive wall of fire.

"What was that?" Arka muttered.

In the distance, atop the old cathedral's bell tower, he saw the silhouette of a woman wearing a white hooded cloak, holding a glowing longbow. The woman gave him a brief salute before vanishing into the shadows of the tower.

Arka was stunned. Who is she? And why is she helping me?