The Paralyzed Man's Revenge

Oath by the Lake

"Who are they, System? What's the distance now?"

[Warning: Vengeance user detected at coordinates 56.13, -4.67. Distance: 7.8 kilometers. Status: Moving away toward the North.]

"Moving away? Is he unaware of my presence?" Arthur gripped the hilt of the black dagger, his eyes warily scanning the mist over the lake.

[Analysis: Most likely, the target is on another elimination mission. The Host's current Synchronization Level is too low for a direct confrontation.]

"Too low? Are you kidding me?"

[Fact: The Host has just recovered from total paralysis. Your physical stats are still below the average of a professional athlete. If you encounter them now, the survival probability is only 12%.]

Arthur exhaled sharply. The coldness from the Black Highland Dagger crept up his arm, as if agreeing with the system's words. "Then don't let me waste any more time. Give me the most brutal training menu you have. I don't want to just survive. I want to dominate."

[Opening Menu: Hell's Training Protocol. Cost: 100 Vengeance Points per session. Do you agree?]

"Do it. Start right now."

One month later.

The sun rose over Loch Lomond in shades of orange that pierced through the thick mist. Arthur stood in front of a small, weathered wooden pier, shirtless in the biting morning air. On his shoulders, a massive wooden beam hovered, pressed down by artificial gravity manipulated by the system.

"Increase the pressure, System! This isn't enough!"

[Current load: 150 Kilograms. Increasing to 180 Kilograms. Warning: Muscle damage detected.]

"Keep going! Don't stop!" Arthur shouted. The muscles in his back tensed, sweat pouring off him even though the surrounding temperature was near freezing. Every fiber in his body screamed, but the anger burning in his chest was far hotter.

"Arthur?"

The voice was small, nearly drowned out by the howling wind, yet it was enough to stop Arthur's breath and movement instantly. He lowered the weight using the system's control, letting it fall silently onto the wet grass. Arthur turned around.

Lily stood there. She was wearing an oversized, thick wool jacket, her hand gripping the edge of the cottage door. Her legs were still wrapped in medical braces, but she was standing on her own strength.

"Lily? You... you're speaking again?" Arthur's voice trembled. He ran to her and knelt before her.

"Don't... don't leave again," she whispered. Her clear eyes welled up with tears. "I get scared when you're out here being so quiet like that, Big Brother."

Arthur reached for her tiny hand, kissing her cold fingers. Guilt hit Arthur like a sledgehammer. He had dragged a girl this small into hiding, into a world that was now full of blood and a life-hungry system.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm just... getting ready. So that no one will ever dare touch you again."

"Mommy... Mommy wants us to be safe too, right?" she asked softly.

Arthur fell silent. The image of Eleanor lying on the asphalt of Glencoe flashed through his mind. "Mommy wants us to pay them back, Lily. She wants justice."

"But I just want you to stay here," Lily hugged Arthur's neck tightly.

Arthur returned the hug, breathing in the scent of baby soap that still clung to her. For a moment, his humanity tried to return. He wanted to stop. He wanted to forget Alistair and live peacefully here with Lily.

[Warning: Target Alistair McAlister's emotions are detected as remaining stable. He has just signed a land acquisition contract in Glasgow that should have belonged to Eleanor McAlister.]

The cold voice of the system shattered the moment. The warmth in Arthur's chest turned into a freezing chill. No. Peace was a luxury he did not have. If he stopped now, Alistair would find them and finish what he started.

"Lily, go inside. I'll follow after I clean up," Arthur said gently as he released the hug.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

After Lily went inside, Arthur looked back at the lake. The face reflected in the water was no longer that of a weak young man. His jaw hardened, his eyes sharp with a deadly glint.

"System, show me my latest stats."

[Name: Arthur McAlister]

[Level: 5]

[Strength: 55 (Above human average)]

[Agility:48]

[Intelligence: 70]

[Vengeance Points: 1,250]

[Skills: Shadow Walk (Level 2), Telekinesis (Level 2), Shadow Blade (Level 1).]

"Enough to begin," Arthur hissed.

Arthur entered the cottage, heading toward a small room he had turned into an operations center. In the center of the wooden table, a digital map synchronized by the system displayed the sprawling network of McAlister Enterprises across Scotland.

A month of physical training and digital hacking had given him a clear picture. Alistair's empire wasn't just about money; it was about pride. And to destroy that pride, Arthur had to start at its weakest point.

Arthur picked up a digital pen and pressed the screen. A red circle appeared over the name he hated most after Alistair.

"Julian Vance," Arthur uttered the name as if spitting in his face. "You're first, brother. You like breaking people's legs, don't you? Let's see how you feel when you no longer have a reason to stand."

[New Main Mission: The Fall of the False Heir.]

[Target: Julian Vance.]

[Location: Luxury Yacht Launch 'The Sovereign', Leith Docks.]

[Reward: 5,000 Vengeance Points & 'Shadow Execution' Skill.]

"The Sovereign? What an ironic name," Arthur smirked darkly. He grabbed the Black Highland Dagger and tucked it inside his new black suit jacket. "System, prepare the departure route. Tonight, a storm from the highlands will reach Edinburgh."

[Route prepared. Is the Host ready to begin the true vengeance?]

"I've been ready since the night I died in Glencoe," Arthur replied coldly.

Arthur glanced briefly toward Lily's room. He knew this path would lead him away from the humanity he hoped for, but he would become a monster so that she could remain an angel. With a steady step, he walked out of the cottage, leaving the peace of Loch Lomond behind for the fires of revenge he had long waited to ignite.