159 TARGET OF VENGEANCE
She watched, her desperation morphing into a strange mix of curiosity and relief as the program installed. 100%.
A new window popped up:
"Welcome to the Realm of Sins. Choose your Starter Gift."
Farah hesitated, scrolling through the virtual gift boxes until one caught her eye. "Wrath of Buddha's Fire."
"That one, I feel wrath," she said, clicking eagerly.
Suddenly, her room began to shake. The walls trembled, and the ceiling seemed to cave in. Panicked, she dove under her bed, clinging to the floor.
"My life sucks, but I don't want to die!" she cried, squeezing her eyes shut.
When she opened them again, she wasn't in her room.
A stranger stood over her, draping a blanket across her shoulders. Instinctively, she thrust her hand out, and a surge of power erupted from within her, knocking him back.
"What the hell?" she whispered, staring at her hands and her naked body.
Looking around, she saw others watching her warily. Soldiers. "Perverts."
She screamed bitterly, the anger she had bottled up for years finally finding an outlet. "You all shall burn," she said, flames erupting from her hands and consuming them in an instant.
As the ashes settled, an ethereal figure appeared before her, cloaked in white fire.
"I am Old Flame, your handler in the Realm of Sins. You may ask me anything," he said calmly.
Farah blinked, realization dawning on her. "This isn't just a fucking dream?" she muttered. "It's real. It must be. This is the world for me now. A new beginning."
And for the first time, she smiled—not with happiness, but with the thrill of a new purpose.
"You may choose your username now what will it be?" Old Flame asked her.
"Vengeance", she replied.
-----
"Lilleo, what you did to Vreena is unacceptable," Lillye said, his voice strained with a mix of frustration and disappointment at his son.
"She's the granddaughter of your grandfather's closest friend. They arranged your marriage when you were just toddlers. This behavior disgraces our family."
Leo leaned back, his expression cold and unyielding. "She came here to break off the engagement—to humiliate us. I'm simply returning the favor. Those who live by the sword must be prepared to die by it."
Lillye's brows furrowed, his voice rising with emotion. "What has become of you, Lilleo? I was away on an expedition for a few months, and when I returned, I found you like this—an unruly, rebellious youth."
Before Leo could respond, Kasshyek, Leo's loyal confidant, interjected with a smirk. "This 'unruly youth' has made more money than the entire family combined."
Lillye turned his glare toward Kasshyek. "And you, Kasshyek! You're encouraging him in this madness?"
Kasshyek shrugged, his tone calm but resolute. "The young master's methods may be unorthodox, but they work. Under his leadership, my men became disciplined, efficient, and more skilled in magic than ever before. He's built something powerful here in Sodom City, something frankly you or the whole family could never achieve in your lifetime."
"Even so," Lillye insisted, his voice tinged with desperation, "those in the family hall are your relatives, your elders. They deserve respect. You must preserve your humanity."
Leo's eyes darkened, his lips curling into a faint sneer.
"Respect? They don't deserve it. They leech off me, demanding what they haven't earned. This house in Sodom City was built with my effort, my ingenuity—not their generosity or grace. They should be grateful I even let them stay here, feeding them like the fucking animals they are."
Lillye's shoulders sagged, his voice trembling. "What has become of you, Lilleo?"
Leo sighed, his tone dismissive. "Enough of the lectures, Father. Just enjoy the fruits of this new family. The old ways are gone."
With that, Leo turned and walked away, Kasshyek following closely behind.
Lillye sank back into his chair, his heart heavy with despair.
His only son—his pride and hope—had become someone he barely recognized, someone who had turned his entire world view upside down.
-----
"Warning: You have been targeted by a player for vengeance," Vanessa's holographic form materialized before him, her tone neutral but her expression hinting at mischief.
"What the hell is that?" Leo demanded, his voice sharp.
Vanessa appeared. Her tone was calm but tinged with amusement. "It's a new feature. Some players can now target others for vengeance in specific storylines as fatal enemies."
Leo groaned. "Fuck it. Who is it this time? Agathae? The KGB?"
A sly smile tugged at Vanessa's lips. "Neither. She's a new player. Called Vengeance."
Leo's eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering across his face. "And why are you telling me this?"
"Because," she said, crossing her arms and leaning back, "this is the game's way of maintaining balance. When a player gets targeted as a fatal enemy the system evens the odds for the victim."
Leo's jaw tightened, and his gaze hardened. "Great. Just great."
As she spoke, a notification flashed on his screen, followed by a list of items materializing in his inventory:
Potion of Healing ×3Potion of Mana ×3Antidote to Tier 5 Svad Poison ×1Temporary Strength Increase (50%) ×1Temporary Speed Increase (50%) ×1
A new feature was also unlocked: Warning on Approach of Fatal Enemy.
Leo's brow furrowed. "What's this warning thing about?"
Vanessa's lips curled into a knowing smile. "It alerts you when fatal danger comes within 50 meters of you. This feature makes sure the player seeking vengeance on you won't be able to ambush you."
He chuckled darkly. "Cool feature. Wait," Leo called after her. "This warning feature—it works for all fatal threats against me, right? Not just from Vengeance?"
"Yes," she replied with a reluctant nod.
"Any enemy with 100% hostility toward you will be flagged, and their position will appear on your mini-map. Explore the new features at your leisure," she added and with that, she vanished.
Leo leaned back, a cocky grin spreading across his face. "Finally, the bloody System gave me something useful."
-----