Lyra Pov
The poison burned through my veins like liquid fire, but what hurt more was watching my beloved sister smile as she handed me the teacup.
"Drink up, dear sister," Princess Violetta said sweetly, her perfect face glowing with false concern. "This special tea will help with your... condition."
My condition. That's what everyone called my inability to cultivate spiritual energy. In a world where power meant everything, I—Princess Lyra, third daughter of the Dragon Empire—was nothing more than trash.
I should have known better than to trust her. Should have seen through the fake sisterly love she'd been showing me for weeks. But I was so desperate for family affection that I ignored every warning sign.
The poison was working fast. My vision blurred as I collapsed to the floor of Violetta's luxurious chambers, her silk carpets soft against my cheek.
"Why?" I whispered, tasting blood on my lips.
"Oh, Lyra. Sweet, stupid Lyra." Violetta crouched beside me, no longer bothering to hide her contempt. "Did you really think Father would let the trash princess live to embarrass our family forever? Tomorrow, I marry Crown Prince Damien. I can't have a worthless sister ruining my perfect image."
Tears burned my eyes. Not from the poison—from the crushing weight of betrayal. My own family wanted me dead. My own sister had been planning this for who knows how long.
"Don't worry," Violetta continued, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "We'll tell everyone you died from your weak constitution. So tragic. So... fitting for someone as pathetic as you."
My heart was slowing down. Each beat felt like it might be my last. But just as darkness began to claim me, something impossible happened.
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of my dying eyes.
[DIVINE REVENGE SYSTEM ACTIVATING...]
[HOST DETECTED: PRINCESS LYRA - BETRAYED BY FAMILY, MURDERED BY SISTER]
[INJUSTICE LEVEL: MAXIMUM]
[REVENGE QUALIFICATION: PERFECT]
[SYSTEM BINDING INITIATED...]
What... what was this?
[BINDING COMPLETE]
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN BY THE DIVINE REVENGE SYSTEM!]
[MISSION: DESTROY THOSE WHO WRONGED YOU]
[REWARD: UNLIMITED POWER AND PERFECT REVENGE]
[EMERGENCY HEALING ACTIVATED...]
Suddenly, the burning poison in my veins turned to ice-cold relief. My heart, which had nearly stopped, began beating strong and steady. The weakness that had plagued me my entire life simply... vanished.
I sat up so quickly that Violetta shrieked and stumbled backward.
"Impossible!" she gasped. "You drank the entire cup! The Crimson Death poison should have killed you in minutes!"
I looked at my hands—hands that had never been able to channel even a spark of spiritual energy. Now, golden light danced around my fingers like living flames.
[SYSTEM GIFT: DIVINE PHOENIX BLOODLINE AWAKENED]
[SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION: HEAVEN RANK - PEAK LEVEL]
[COMBAT POWER: INCREASED BY 1000%]
[SPECIAL ABILITIES: UNLOCKED]
[REVENGE POINTS: 100 (GAINED FROM SISTER'S BETRAYAL)]
Heaven Rank cultivation? The highest level in the empire? I had gone from worthless trash to peak expert in seconds.
"Sister dear," I said, standing up with fluid grace I'd never possessed before. My voice was different too—stronger, more commanding. "That was a very, very stupid thing to do."
Violetta pressed herself against the wall, her face white with terror. "This is impossible! You're just trash! You can't cultivate! You can't—"
I raised my hand, and golden flames erupted from my palm. The spiritual energy radiating from my body made the entire room shake.
"Can't what?" I asked pleasantly.
The door to Violetta's chambers burst open, and three people rushed in—Father, Mother, and my eldest sister Princess Morgana. They must have heard Violetta scream.
"What's happening here—" Father began, then stopped dead when he saw me standing there wreathed in divine flames.
"Lyra?" Mother whispered, her face pale with shock. "How are you... that spiritual pressure... that's impossible..."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: FAMILY MEMBERS DETECTED]
[EMPEROR ALDRICH - BETRAYAL LEVEL: HIGH (ORDERED YOUR DEATH)]
[EMPRESS CELESTIA - BETRAYAL LEVEL: MEDIUM (AGREED TO YOUR DEATH)]
[PRINCESS MORGANA - BETRAYAL LEVEL: HIGH (SUGGESTED POISON METHOD)]
[REVENGE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE]
So it wasn't just Violetta. My entire family had planned my murder.
"Hello, dear family," I said, letting my newfound power fill the room until they could barely breathe from the pressure. "I think we need to have a little talk."
"This is impossible," Father—Emperor Aldrich—sputtered. "You're cultivation-less trash! You've been examined by every expert in the empire!"
"Was," I corrected sweetly. "I was trash. Now?"
I gestured casually, and my spiritual energy slammed into him like a physical blow. The mighty Emperor—a King Rank cultivator feared throughout the continent—was forced to his knees.
"Now I'm your worst nightmare."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: REVENGE ACTION DETECTED]
[+50 REVENGE POINTS FOR HUMILIATING EMPEROR]
[TOTAL POINTS: 150]
[NEW MISSION UNLOCKED: DESTROY VIOLETTA'S ENGAGEMENT]
[REWARD: +500 REVENGE POINTS, NEW ABILITIES]
[TIME LIMIT: 24 HOURS]
Perfect. Tomorrow was Violetta's engagement ceremony to Crown Prince Damien. The whole empire would be watching as she was officially betrothed to the most powerful man in the kingdom.
It would be the perfect stage for her complete and utter humiliation.
"Violetta," I said, turning back to my poisoner sister who was still cowering against the wall. "About your engagement tomorrow..."
Her face went from white to green. "Lyra, please, I can explain—"
"Oh, don't worry, sister dear. I wouldn't dream of missing it." I smiled, and even I could feel how terrifying the expression must look. "In fact, I'm planning to make it absolutely unforgettable."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: HOST MENTAL STATE - PERFECT FOR REVENGE]
[UNLOCKING ADVANCED FEATURES...]
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THE REVENGE SHOP!]
A new screen appeared, filled with incredible items and abilities I could purchase with Revenge Points. Cultivation techniques that could make me invincible, divine weapons that could cut through anything, pills that could transform my appearance, skills that could read minds and manipulate emotions.
This system was going to help me destroy everyone who had ever wronged me.
And I was going to enjoy every single second of it.
"Sweet dreams, family," I said, walking toward the door with perfect confidence. "Tomorrow is going to be a very special day."
As I left them frozen in shock and terror, the System chimed one final time:
[REVENGE QUEST INITIATED: THE TRASH PRINCESS'S RISE]
[FINAL GOAL: BECOME EMPRESS AND DESTROY ALL ENEMIES]
[ESTIMATED DIFFICULTY: CHILD'S PLAY FOR A PHOENIX-BLOODED GENIUS]
[GOOD LUCK, HOST. TIME FOR YOUR ENEMIES TO LEARN WHY THEY SHOULD NEVER BETRAY A PRINCESS.]