The glow faded, but the interface lingered—its presence as real as the cold wind biting into Eliar's skin.
[Stage 1 Objective: Survive. Rise. Be remembered.]
[System Calibration: Complete.]
[Welcome, Forsaken.]
Forsaken. The word rang in his chest like a funeral bell. Heavy. Final. And yet… something in him stirred. Not sorrow. Not even fear.
Something ancient.
Something cold.
He stood, knees shaking, one hand still gripping the rusted metal wall to steady himself.
"I'm… Forsaken," he whispered, as if saying it aloud would break the illusion.
[CLASS – FORSAKEN]
One who was abandoned by blood, society, and destiny itself.
You do not rise by fate. You climb by clawing through the corpses of those who wronged you.
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Vengeful Memory]
Every scar. Every humiliation. Every name. Recorded.
Damage dealt to past abusers increased by 25%.
A chill ran down his spine. The system was not nurturing. It wasn't a kind teacher or a gentle guide.
It was rage, given form.
He opened the Revenge Chain menu. Four names floated in blood-red font. He stared longest at the last.
Garan Thorne – Target Level: Unknown – Relation: Father – "The one who left you to rot."
He didn't even remember what the man looked like. All he had were vague childhood flashes—his mother crying, calling his name in the dark, begging someone not to go.
Eliar didn't cry.
He clenched his fists.
---
The system pulsed again.
[Initial Reward Available – Chosen Path Package]
Accept?
He paused only for a moment before nodding.
The air shimmered before him. A small portal opened with a sharp hiss, dropping three items into the muddy ground:
A black crystalline shard, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
A pair of tattered gloves wrapped in cloth.
A single coin, strange and dark, with runes that shifted when looked at.
[Item: Shard of Echo]
Allows access to one past memory at will. Warning: Memory may be traumatic.
[Item: Gravedust Gloves]
+15% stealth, +10% strength in low morale state
[Item: Coin of Binding]
Allows creation of a blood pact with a chosen ally. One-time use.
He picked up the shard first. It felt… familiar.
The moment his skin made contact, it dissolved into his palm like smoke.
Suddenly, the world blurred.
---
Flashback – 7 Years Ago
His mother's voice, clear and warm, filled his ears.
"Hold my hand, Eliar. Don't be scared."
They were running—through the same alley where her body now lay beneath the dirt.
Men shouted behind them. Guns, cloaks. Elite guards.
She clutched something in her hand. A small cube glowing with light. She pushed it into Eliar's pocket. "Don't lose this. No matter what."
Then came the explosion.
Dust. Blood. Screaming.
She stood between him and the blast.
He watched her body fall in slow motion—her eyes still wide, her lips mouthing something. A single name.
Garan.
---
The memory shattered like glass.
Eliar stumbled back, hand over his chest. He gasped, breath ragged. The pain wasn't just emotional—it was physical, like the system had carved the memory into him.
He collapsed onto his knees.
But when he rose, his eyes weren't wet.
They were burning.
"Who were you, Mom…?" he muttered.
He checked his pocket.
The cube. It was still there.
---
[System Update – Hidden Item Detected]
[Synchronizing Unknown Device…]
The cube glowed faintly.
A voice spoke—his mother's again.
"If you're hearing this, Eliar… it means I failed to protect you. You were never meant to be powerless. The world took everything from us. But there is a path now. Not through mercy… but through power. Take it. Use it. Burn them all."
His hands trembled—but this time, from something unfamiliar.
Purpose.
---
The system interface blinked.
[Quest Unlocked – The First Mark]
Target: Kyren Vellore
Status: Local
Threat Level: Low
Reward: 1 System Point + Ability Slot Unlock
Tracking… Target located in Sector 5 Elite Dorms. Time-sensitive.
Kyren Vellore.
The first person to laugh when Eliar's mother died.
The one who made him eat out of a dog bowl.
He didn't hesitate.
---
Midnight. Sector 5. Elite Dorm Block.
The building was guarded by cheap bots—mass-manufactured surveillance junk. Eliar crouched in the shadows, pulling the Gravedust Gloves tighter over his hands.
[Passive Activated: Low Morale Boost – Stealth Increased]
He moved through the shadows like fog. The gloves seemed to absorb sound. A door creaked open and closed behind him without a whisper.
Inside, luxury reeked in every corner.
Kyren's room was on the upper floor—records said he shared it with no one. Rich daddy's little weapon-in-training.
Eliar climbed the wall. No hoverboard. No grapple tech. Just rage and ruined fingers.
He reached the window.
Inside, Kyren lay asleep. Perfect hair. Designer implants. A charging pulse blade on the desk beside him.
Eliar raised the coin.
[Use Coin of Binding?]
No. Not yet.
[Engage First Mark?]
Yes.
---
He stepped inside.
The air grew cold. The lights dimmed without touch. The system's aura flowed through him.
Eliar stood over the boy who used to spit on him, his shadow cast like a reaper's.
Kyren stirred. "Wh—?"
But he never finished.
One punch—gloved in Gravedust—sent him into the wall.
"Who—Eliar?! Wha—?!"
The system buzzed.
[Target Engaged. Ability Locked: Feral Imprint]
Mimic last 10 minutes of your target's skills/abilities at 50% efficiency.
Kyren tried to reach the blade.
Eliar moved first. Fast. Faster than he had any right to be.
His fist struck again—ribs cracked.
Then again—nose shattered.
"Say it," Eliar growled, voice low. "Say her name."
"I-I don't—"
"Say it!"
"...Lyra. Your mom. S-she was trash—"
The room fell silent.
The last thing Kyren saw was the glow of the system in Eliar's eyes before it all went dark.
---
[Quest Complete: First Mark Eliminated]
Reward Unlocked: Ability Slot +1 | System Point +1]
Target Kyren Vellore: Status – Dead]
Memory Fracture Applied. Target will not recall attacker clearly.
[New Title Gained: First Mark]
Eliar stood over him, breathing hard.
Not dead.
But broken.
It was enough.
For now.
---
As he disappeared into the shadows of the slums again, the rain began to fall.
But this time, it didn't sting.
It felt like ashes washing away.
And somewhere deep in the system's code, a new path lit up:
[Approaching… Ally Candidate #001: Selene Varis – Heir of House Varis]
And so it began.