The Paralyzed Man's Revenge

First Mission: Cleanup

The sound of footsteps stopped right in front of Arthur’s door. He held his breath, hiding the small bottle of black liquid deep beneath his pillow. His heart pounded wildly, thudding against his ribs in sync with the soft knock on the wooden door.

"Arthur? Are you still awake?"

It was Nurse Sarah. Her voice was soft, but to Arthur, it sounded like an unwanted intrusion.

"Not yet, Nurse," he replied, trying to steady his voice to sound as weak as possible. "Just... a bit of a headache."

The door creaked open slightly, allowing a beam of light from the corridor to spill in and illuminate Arthur’s pale face. Nurse Sarah entered, carrying a tray with a glass of water and a few pills.

"This is your sedative. Doctor Graham said you need total rest. Inspector Miller will be back tomorrow morning to get your signature," she said as she placed the tray on the bedside table.

"A signature to close my mother’s case, you mean?" Arthur asked with a bitterness he couldn't hide.

Nurse Sarah let out a long sigh, her eyes reflecting genuine sympathy. "I know this is hard, Arthur. But you have to be strong for your sister. Lily needs you."

"I know, Nurse. Thank you," Arthur said curtly.

"Take your medicine. I’ll be back in an hour to check on you," she said before turning and closing the door, leaving Arthur alone in the silent darkness.

As soon as the sound of her footsteps faded, Arthur sat bolt upright. The warmth in his legs grew stronger a sensation that should have been impossible for a paraplegic. He summoned the system inside his head.

System, show me the location.

A blood-red screen appeared before Arthur’s eyes, emitting a dim, eerie glow.

[Main Mission: Purging the False Witness.]

[Target: Angus McGregor. Occupation: Truck Driver.]

[Location: East End Apartments, Block C, 4th Floor. Distance: 2.5 Kilometers.]

"Angus McGregor," Arthur hissed. "So that’s the name of the bastard who took Alistair’s money."

[Warning: Host has limited time before the next nurse patrol. Use 'Shadow Walk' ability to exit undetected?]

"Yes. Do it," Arthur commanded.

[Activating Shadow Walk. Duration: 15 Minutes. Cost: 20 Vengeance Points.]

Instantly, the darkness in the corner of the room seemed to come alive. Shadows crawled up onto Arthur’s bed, enveloping his body like a shroud of cold, thick silk. He felt his body become light, almost incorporeal. Slowly, he lowered his feet to the floor. For the first time in years, Arthur stood.

"Incredible," he whispered, staring at his hands, which now appeared transparent and surrounded by a black mist.

Silent as a ghost, Arthur stepped through the bedroom door. He passed Nurse Sarah, who was writing at the duty desk, completely unaware of his presence. Like a vengeful spirit, Arthur glided out of the hospital and into the darkness of the Glasgow night.

It took only a few minutes for the system to guide him to a grimy apartment complex that reeked of trash and cheap alcohol. He stood before door number 402. From inside, he heard coarse laughter and the clinking of glass bottles.

"Hahaha! What did I tell you, Jim! Alistair McAlister is a money machine!" a man’s voice boomed from within. "Just for hitting that old car, I got fifty thousand pounds! Fifty thousand!"

"But Angus, didn't a woman die?" another man’s voice replied, sounding somewhat hesitant.

"Ehh, she would’ve died sooner or later anyway! What matters now is I can buy a new truck and move out of this rat hole!" Angus laughed again, followed by the sound of a heavy gulp.

Arthur passed through the wooden door as if it were nothing but smoke. Inside the cluttered room, a portly man with a coarse beard was clutching a stack of cash over a filthy wooden table. That was him. Angus McGregor.

Arthur deactivated Shadow Walk. The darkness enveloping him faded, revealing his figure standing tall in the center of the room.

"Fifty thousand pounds for my mother’s life, Angus? I think that price is a bit too cheap," Arthur said coldly.

Angus choked on his drink. He lunged backward until his chair toppled over, his eyes bulging as he stared at Arthur as if he were seeing a demon. "Wh-who are you?! How did you get in?!"

"You saw me on the asphalt in Glencoe, Angus. You looked into my eyes as you steered your truck toward our car," Arthur stepped forward, each stride heavy and full of intimidation.

"You... that paralyzed kid?! Impossible! You shouldn't be able to walk!" he screamed, his voice trembling violently. His hands fumbled across the table, searching for something to use as a weapon.

"God gave me what the doctors couldn't," Arthur drew closer, a black aura beginning to seep from his fingertips. "Now, tell me. Who gave you that money? Alistair? Or Evelyn?"

"I-I don't know! Someone contacted me by phone! Please, just take the money! All of it!" Angus pushed the pile of cash toward Arthur with shaking hands.

"I don't want your money, Angus. I want justice," Arthur hissed.

[Sub-Mission: Execute Target. Are you prepared to lose the remainder of your humanity?]

The system’s question echoed in Arthur’s head. He looked at Angus’s filthy hands the hands that had helped Evelyn fabricate a story. A moment of doubt flickered for a single second, but the image of his mother’s blood-stained face and Lily’s screams erased it instantly.

"Humanity won't bring my mother back," Arthur answered internally. "Do it."

"No! Please! I have a family!" Angus screamed, attempting to bolt for the door.

"Your family will stay alive, Angus. Unlike mine," Arthur said flatly.

Arthur thrust his hand forward. The black mist from the system shot out like a whip, coiling around Angus’s thick neck and hoisting his heavy body into the air. He thrashed wildly, his face turning purple as oxygen stopped flowing to his lungs.

"Please... sor... ry..." his voice was nothing more than a strangled whisper.

"Tell my mother you're sorry in hell," Arthur said coldly.

With one powerful jerk, Arthur snapped his neck. A sharp crack filled the room, followed by a haunting silence as Angus’s body thudded to the floor, lifeless.

[Mission Complete. Reward: 200 Vengeance Points added.]

[Skill Unlocked: Shadow Blade.]

[Level Up: Vengeance Sovereign System Level 2.]

Arthur stared at the corpse at his feet. There was no nausea. No regret. There was only a cold satisfaction beginning to creep into his heart. He had become an executioner, and this was only the beginning.

"One gone. Three to go," he whispered.

Arthur immediately reactivated Shadow Walk before any neighbors could grow suspicious. He glided back through the city's darkness, through the hospital corridors, and into his room through a slightly ajar window.

Just as Arthur laid his body back on the bed and pulled up the covers, the door opened.

"Arthur? Are you still awake?"

Nurse Sarah entered with a small flashlight in her hand. She approached Arthur’s bed, shining the light on his face. Arthur closed his eyes, regulating his breathing to sound like someone in a deep sleep.

"Strange... why is it so cold in here?" Nurse Sarah muttered. She felt Arthur’s forehead. "And you’re in a cold sweat, Arthur. Did you have a nightmare?"

Arthur didn't answer. He continued to feign sleep while beneath the pillow, his hand gripped the bottle of Shadow Mending tightly. Nurse Sarah adjusted his blanket one last time before finally leaving the room.

As soon as the door closed, Arthur opened his eyes. The red light of the system flickered before his vision again, but this time, a new message appeared in a warning yellow.

[Warning: Your presence has begun to be detected by a third party. Someone is heading to the hospital to ensure your death.]

Arthur’s heart raced. He glanced at the wall clock. Two in the morning. Who would be coming at an hour like this?

"They won't even let me breathe, will they?" he whispered to the darkness.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass echoed from Lily’s room at the end of the corridor, followed by a brief scream that was instantly silenced.