The Price of Vengeance

The agent's sneer was sharp, his fingers clamping down on Akira's collar like a vice. The man's breath reeked of arrogance, his voice dripping with mockery as he leaned in closer.

"I know I've seen you before," the agent spat, his grip tightening. "Does the name… Eri sound familiar?"

The moment her name left the agent's lips, something inside Akira snapped. It was as if a dam had burst, flooding his mind with memories he had tried to bury.An anger so immense he feels something primordial and combustible courses through his veins.

Akira's calm facade shattered. His face twisted into something feral, something lethal. The air around him seemed to vibrate, charged with an energy that made the agents step back instinctively. His voice, when it came, was low and venomous, each word dripping with barely restrained fury.

"Here I was, making a fool of myself, willing to let you live… for the future."

Akira wasted no time. With a surge of will, he activated his Soul Infusion. The air crackled and hissed as raw power coursed through his veins. His eyes flashed a brilliant, unsympathetic white, and jagged arcs of lightning erupted from his fingertips, illuminating the clearing in a blinding, otherworldly glow.

The agents stumbled backward, their shields of arrogance crumbling into pure terror. The first agent screamed, his voice trembling with panic.

"Retreat! Get back!"

But it was too late. Far too late.

Akira moved like a storm, his rage blinding him to everything but the need to destroy. He lunged forward, his movements a blur of speed and precision. The second agent barely had time to raise his weapon before Akira was upon him. A white arc of lightning lanced from Akira's hand, striking the man with unrelenting force. The agent's body seized, his mouth opening in a silent scream as the electricity coursed through him, frying his nerves and locking his muscles in place.

Akira's Panthoblade followed in one swift, merciless motion. The blade gleamed in the eerie light as it cut through the agent's throat with surgical precision. Blood sprayed, painting the ground crimson as the agent crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The first agent stood frozen, his face pale as the reality of his situation sank in. He was alone now, face-to-face with a walking tempest of wrath. His voice shook as he stammered,

"How… how are you still alive? She told us you were dead!"

Akira stepped closer, the white lightning crackling around him like a living thing. The air grew heavy, suffocating, as his aura of vengeance enveloped the clearing. His gaze locked onto the agent, piercing through him like a predator sizing up its prey.

A wicked smirk played on Akira's lips as he tilted his head, the terrifying glint in his eyes intensifying.

"If she killed me, would I still be standing here?" he asked, his voice low and sharp. He chuckled darkly, the sound sending a chill down the agent's spine.

"Looks like their 'certainty' was nothing but wishful thinking."

He took another step closer, his voice dropping to a cold, venomous tone.

"Dead men don't hold grudges. Lucky for me, I'm very much alive."

In a single, swift movement, Akira raised his hand. Pure white lightning crackled along his fingers, casting sharp shadows across his face. The agent's eyes widened in terror as Akira closed the distance between them, his last words hanging in the air like a death sentence.

"You brought this on yourselves."

The lightning surged from Akira's fingertips, engulfing the agent's body in a blinding flash. His agonized scream was swallowed by the crackling energy as his body convulsed, and with a final, shuddering gasp, he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

Akira stood there, his breath shallow, fists clenched as the faint hum of residual electricity danced around him. The air was thick with the metallic scent of scorched flesh and burnt ozone. He stared down at the lifeless agents, their stillness a grim reminder of the fury he had unleashed.

For a moment, the weight of what he had done pressed against him. A flicker of something foreign stirred deep within—a sickening mix of satisfaction and disbelief. His chest tightened as his mind fought to process the reality of taking a human life.

He was no stranger to death. He had seen it, touched it, been shaped by it. But this was different. This was his hand. His will.

Then, the ghostly flicker of the status window materialized before his eyes, casting an eerie glow in the dim light:

Ding!

[The user has taken the first step toward revenge.]

[Congratulations.]

[+5 Stat Points awarded.]

[Perfected Symmetry in effect. Allocating stat points equally across all attributes: Strength, Agility, Stamina, Endurance, and Intelligence increased by +1 each.]

[Since the user's level has increased, the body will be restored to peak condition.]

A warm, energizing flow coursed through his body, mending his fatigue and strengthening his muscles. Akira clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he read the message.

"Even the system… wants me to go down this path," he muttered, his voice dark and bitter.

He glanced at the bodies, the weight of his actions settling in his chest. He had killed monsters, slain creatures in dungeons, but this was different. This was personal. A line had been crossed, and there was no going back.

Akira exhaled sharply, forcing the storm within him to settle. His voice was steady, resolute, as he whispered to himself,

"This was your choice, Shoto Akira. No regrets."

His eyes burned with a mix of anger and determination as he stared at the lifeless forms before him.

"If I couldn't bring those two down, I'd never bring down the rest."

He paused, his tone heavier, almost a plea to himself:

"I didn't survive just to hesitate. If I falter now, everything they took from me will remain theirs."

His fists clenched tighter, nails digging into his palms as he thought of the faces of those he had lost—his family, his dreams, his life.

"This is more than revenge. It's for them. And if the price is my soul, so be it."

"They took everything from me. Now, I'll take everything from them—starting with their hope, and ending with their lives."

Akira's gaze lingered on the agents' bodies, the sight stirring an urge to erase all traces of his actions.

"But how should I deal with the bodies?" he muttered, his mind racing.

"Burying them would leave traces. I can't take that risk."

A dangerous thought struck him.

"Then I have no other choice."

He sighed, lifting his hand and focusing his newfound ability. White lightning crackled to life around him, casting an unforgiving glow across the clearing. The energy built, swirling with lethal intent.

"White Lightning… Engage."

He extended his arm, and the lightning surged forward, striking the bodies with merciless precision.

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

The air filled with the acrid smell of burning flesh as the electricity arced through them, reducing everything to ash. The ground blackened, and the wind scattered the remnants, leaving no trace behind.

"That will do it," Akira muttered, though a lingering sense of disquiet remained in his chest.

This wouldn't be the last time he had to do this.

Akira turned and walked away, his footsteps steady and deliberate. His mind was already honing, preparing for the battles ahead. The first step had been taken, and there was no turning back now.

He stumbled through the door of his small, concealed home, the weight of the day's events pressing down on him like a heavy blanket. Collapsing onto his bed, he stared up at the ceiling, his breathing gradually stabilizing.

"I just… need to sleep," he whispered.

"Forget about all of it, even if just for tonight."

Exhaustion claimed him, and he drifted into a restless sleep, the echoes of his rage and resolve swirling in his mind.

When Akira woke, the dawn light filtered softly through the window. He sat up, a strange sense of renewal washing over him. The memory of what he had done lingered, but it no longer weighed him down. Instead, it fueled his determination.

Day after day, he plunged into the dungeons near Seoul, reserving them through StarNet. Each foray took him deeper, each battle honed his skills further. Weeks blurred into months as he sharpened himself against every monster that crossed his path, all the while cloaking his presence from a world that had already taken so much from him.