The Paralyzed Man's Revenge

Step Out

This is impossible," Dr. Graham whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at the tablet screen displaying the latest scan results. "Arthur, can you feel it? Can you really move your knee?"

Arthur took a deep breath, pretending to be surprised while slowly lifting his right leg a few centimeters off the bed. "A little, Doc. It feels like... a stinging electric current, and then suddenly there's power."

"Nerves that should have been dead for years... this is a complete medical anomaly!" Dr. Graham paced the room, ignoring the fact that there had been a bloody message on the corridor wall that morning. "I have to report this to the board of directors. You could be an extraordinary research subject."

"No, Doc," Arthur cut him off quickly. He stared at the doctor with an intensity that made him stop in his tracks. "I want to go home. Lily and I are not safe here."

"But this progress of yours..."

"You saw what happened last night, didn't you? Someone broke in here to kill me. The police can't guarantee our safety," Arthur pointed toward the door. "Sign our discharge papers. I have a private nurse and adequate facilities at home."

Dr. Graham sighed, guilt reflecting on his face. "You're right. This hospital is no longer conducive after last night's incident. But where did you get the funds for a private nurse?"

"My mother had secret savings," Arthur lied smoothly. "Please, let us leave before they come back."

An hour later, with the documents signed in a hurry, Arthur was already inside a private ambulance he had rented under the pseudonym Ian Fraser. Arthur watched the Glasgow General building shrink in the distance from the rear window. Beside him, Lily lay on a stretcher, her large eyes staring at Arthur with silent curiosity.

"We aren't going back to our old house, Lily," Arthur whispered while holding her tiny hand. "We're going somewhere much more beautiful."

System, make sure there are no trackers on this vehicle.

[Scanning... Vehicle is clear of illegal GPS tracking devices. Ian Fraser's identity encryption has been verified on the public network.]

"Good," Arthur muttered.

Two days later.

The air at Loch Lomond felt very different from the polluted air of Glasgow. Here, the scent of wet pine and mountain soil filled Arthur's lungs. He stood in front of an old wooden cabin hidden behind a row of lush oak trees, about five hundred meters from the misty lakeshore.

Arthur no longer needed a wheelchair, though in public he would still pretend to limp. His body felt lighter, stronger.

"The cabin is beautiful, Brother," the voice was soft, almost like a breath of wind.

Arthur startled and turned around. Lily stood at the car door's threshold, holding onto the door frame. It was her first sentence since that night in Glencoe. Arthur's eyes welled up hearing it.

"Yes, Lily. And most importantly, no one will be able to hurt you here," Arthur approached her, lifting her small body with ease and carrying her into the cabin.

Inside, simple yet warm wooden furniture awaited. Arthur laid Lily down on the sofa in front of the fireplace he had already lit. Once she was comfortable, Arthur stepped into the spacious center room, where several boxes of supplies he had sent ahead had already arrived.

System, status of the evacuation mission.

[Mission Complete: Safe Evacuation. Location: Central Highland Hideout.]

[Reward: 500 Vengeance Points.]

[Bonus: Lily McAlister's loyalty has increased. Lily's motor nerves are beginning to regenerate passively.]

"Show me the equipment box," Arthur commanded internally.

Suddenly, in the middle of the room, a blackish-purple light exploded softly, forming a decorative iron chest with ancient runes that glowed reddish. The chest was not part of the items Arthur had ordered. This was a gift from the system.

"What is this?" Arthur asked.

[Combat Gear Set: Sovereign's Shadow Starter Pack.]

Arthur approached, feeling the cold aura emanating from the chest. His hands trembled as he touched its heavy lid. With one push, the chest opened, revealing a weapon that made the hair on his neck stand up.

It was a pair of daggers with pitch-black blades that seemed to absorb the light in the room. The handles were made of finely carved black bone, fitting perfectly in Arthur's grip.

[Item Detected: Black Highland Dagger.]

[Attributes: Drains target energy (Life Steal), Shadow Strike, and undetectable by any metal sensors.]

Arthur lifted one of the daggers. It felt incredibly light, yet he could feel the weight of every grudge he harbored within it. The tip of the dagger glinted sharply, reflecting the shadow of Arthur's eyes, which were now filled with a deadly determination.

"Alistair, Evelyn, Julian..." Arthur called out their names one by one. "You thought I would rot in a gutter. You gave me darkness, so I will use that darkness to swallow you all."

Arthur swung the dagger through the air, slicing through the cabin's silence with a sharp whoosh. Outside, thunder rumbled over Loch Lomond, as if nature itself were welcoming the rise of the new highlander executioner.

Suddenly, the system screen flashed red with an emergency warning Arthur had never seen before.

[Warning! Detected the presence of another 'Vengeance User' within a 10-kilometer radius. You are not the only one holding a contract with this system.]

Arthur's heart stopped for a moment. He gripped the handle of the Black Highland Dagger tightly.

"What?" Arthur hissed. "Who is it?"

[Identity: Unknown. Target is moving toward your location.]

Arthur turned toward the fog-covered window. In the distance, among the dark trees, he saw a flash of a shadow moving far too fast for a normal human. Someone was hunting him, and they possessed the same power he did