Rise of The Virel Absolute Revenge Cultivation

The price of power

Cold. That was the first thing Arka felt as his fractured consciousness tried to piece itself back together. The stench of rotting flesh and damp earth assaulted his senses. Beneath his back, he didn't feel level ground, but rather a pile of hard, sharp, and brittle objects that crunched every time he tried to breathe.

Arka opened his swollen eyes. The darkness at the bottom of the Tomb of the Traitors was almost absolute, save for a razor-thin sliver of moonlight seeping from the mouth of the abyss far above a hole that now looked as small as the eye of a needle.

"Cough!" Arka spat out a glob of black blood. Every breath felt like thousands of needles piercing his lungs.

He tried to move his right hand, but all he heard was the sound of crushing bone. His legs were numb, twisted at an unnatural angle. He was utterly broken. Arka Virel, the once-revered young noble, was now nothing more than a heap of flesh atop a pile of skulls belonging to those who had shared his fate.

"So... this is how it ends?" he whispered, his voice hoarse, nearly swallowed by the silence. "Elara... Mia..."

Suddenly, a red dot appeared in the darkness, right in front of his face. The dot pulsed, sending out waves of energy that made the hair on the back of Arka's neck stand up.

Subject Analysis: Arka Virel.

Status: Dying. Vital organ damage: 88%. Bone structure damage: 92%.

"Who’s there?" Arka whispered, his eyes widening as he searched for the source of the cold voice echoing directly inside his head. "Kael? Have you come to make sure I’m dead?"

Not Kael. Not human. I am the answer to a hatred that has reached its absolute limit.

The voice had no tone. It was cold, mechanical, and felt ancient. A transparent red light panel appeared before Arka, refracting light onto the bones scattered around him.

Absolute Cultivation System: Vengeance Mode has detected a suitable host.

Do you accept this contract?

"A contract?" Arka laughed bitterly, a movement that caused him to vomit blood once more. "I’m already dead. What kind of contract can you offer a corpse?"

The power to tear apart those who betrayed you. The power to bring down the heavens if necessary to claim your revenge.

Arka fell silent. The word 'revenge' triggered something deep within his chest. Memories of Kael’s smirk, Elara’s pale face, and Mia’s fading cries burned through the remnants of his humanity.

"The price... what is the price?"

Your humanity. Your empathy. Every step toward power is a step away from the light. You will become a monster so that you may kill demons.

Arka stared at the red panel with eyes flashing with pure rage. "A monster? I’m already dead in the eyes of the world. If becoming a monster is the only way to make them beg for death at my feet... then do it!"

"I agree! Give me that power!" Arka screamed with the last of his strength.

Contract Accepted.

Initiating System Integration Process...

Warning: Body restructuring will begin immediately. Pain level: Maximum.

Instantly, Arka’s world exploded into red. He had thought falling from the cliff was the ultimate pain, but he was wrong. This was true hell.

"ARGHHH!"

Arka shrieked as he felt his broken bones begin to shift forcibly. Cracks and pops echoed through the silent cave. His torn muscles were forced to knit back together by threads of black-red energy snaking out from his chest.

Bloodline Synchronization: 10%... 25%...

Arka’s blood boiled. Literally. Hot steam rose from the pores of his skin as the system purged his 'weak blood' and replaced it with an essence far denser and darker. He could see the torn skin on his arms closing at an impossible speed, leaving behind glowing red scars before they finally vanishad

"Stop... it hurts..." Arka gripped the pile of skulls beneath him until the old bones crumbled into dust.

Endure, Subject. This pain is the foundation of your new power.

Synchronization 50%... Heart and Lung restoration complete.

Every time his heart beat, Arka felt a shockwave vibrate through his entire body. It felt as if someone were striking every inch of his nerves with a white-hot sledgehammer. Yet, amidst the torture, he began to feel something else.

Power.

His senses began to sharpen. He could hear the heartbeat of a rat at the far end of the cave. He could smell the scent of calcium from the bones beneath him. And most terrifyingly, he began to feel... cold. Not a cold caused by temperature, but a cold that enveloped his soul. His love for Elara, his fear of death—everything felt as though it were being pulled into a black box in the depths of his heart and locked tight.

Synchronization 90%... 100%.

Integration Complete. Welcome, Arka Virel.

The pain vanished as quickly as it had arrived, leaving Arka in a suffocating silence. He panted, his body drenched in sweat and residual blood. Slowly, he moved his hand. It was whole. Strong. It felt even more powerful than when he was at the peak of his glory as a young Virel knight.

Arka stood up. His movements were light, as if gravity no longer held full sway over him. He stared at his own palms. No more trembling. No more doubt.

"I... I’m alive," he muttered. His voice sounded different now—deeper, more authoritative, and incredibly sharp.

Your status has been updated, the system’s voice returned. You are now at the Early Stage of Absolute Cultivation. Vengeance Points: 0.

"How do I get out of here?" Arka asked, looking up at the towering cliff walls, slick with moss and moisture.

Your current strength is not yet enough to climb out. This tomb is filled with death energy that will drain the soul of an ordinary human within hours.

Arka narrowed his eyes. "But I’m not an ordinary human anymore, am I?"

Correct. You are the vessel for the Vengeance System. But you still require nutrients and energy to grow.

Suddenly, another red panel appeared, this time with flickering text emitting a thick aura of darkness.

First Mission Detected: The Hunter’s Initiation.

Objective: Survive in the Tomb of the Traitors for 7 days. Kill at least 5 dark entities inhabiting the bottom of the abyss.

Reward: Shadow Movement Technique and 100 Vengeance Points.

Failure: Permanent death and soul erasure.

Arka went silent for a moment. All around him, in the darkness deeper than where he stood, he began to hear strange noises. The sound of claws on stone, low growls that sounded like no animal he had ever known, and pairs of green eyes beginning to emerge from the shadows.

"They’re coming," Arka whispered.

Instead of fear, he felt the corners of his lips curl into a thin, terrifying smirk. He reached for a human femur that was sufficiently long and sharp near his feet, gripping it as if it were the finest sword in the world.

"You said I have to become a monster to kill demons?" Arka stared at the green eyes closest to him. "Let’s see how fast I can stop being human."

The growling grew louder, and a gaunt creature with pale skin and long claws leaped from the darkness, lunging straight for Arka’s throat.

Mission Started: Survive and master the darkness.