PATH OF THE SYSTEM AWAKENED

Chapter 3: The Last Stand

Riley stood alone in the shadows of the Crypt, panic rising as he faced the Byssted. The sounds of battle echoed nearby, but Arthur’s team struggled against their opponents.

The Byssted sneered, its sharp teeth glinting. “You should just give up, little Human. End your life to avoid the pain.”

Riley clenched his fists, feeling the weight of despair. He understood the truth: Bysteds and Humans were sworn enemies. Surrendering would only lead to torture.

“No way,” he muttered to himself. He took a deep breath and made a swift decision to flee.

As he turned to run, the Byssted lunged, its claws swiping at him. Riley dodged just in time, adrenaline kicking in. He glanced back to see the creature’s eyes filled with malice.

“You can’t escape! You’re too weak!” the Byssted taunted, chasing him through the dim corridors.

Riley's heart raced as he pushed himself harder, fatigue from previous battles weighing him down. He spotted an opening ahead, a narrow passage that could lead to safety. “I have to make it!” he thought.

But the Byssted was relentless, leaping to block his path. “You’re too slow. Just give in!”

Riley skidded to a halt, feeling the urge to turn back. “Never!” he shouted defiantly, eyes blazing with determination. He realized he had to analyze the situation quickly. The Byssted was injured but still dangerous.

With a deep breath, he thought of his options. “I need a plan.” He felt the fatigue creeping in again. “If I don’t win soon, I’ll be finished.”

Riley charged at the Byssted, using every ounce of strength left in him. He feinted to the left, then rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding another claw swipe.

“Run all you want, but you can’t escape your fate!” the Byssted laughed, taunting him as it followed closely.

Riley spotted a loose rock on the ground. He quickly grabbed it and hurled it at the Byssted, hoping to buy himself some time. The rock hit the creature’s face, causing it to stumble back.

“Now’s my chance!” Riley thought as he sprinted toward the narrow passage.

He felt the rush of air as he dashed through the opening, narrowly avoiding the Byssted's grasp. He emerged into a wider area, breathing heavily but feeling a spark of hope.

“I won’t let you win!”

Riley continued to dodge the Byssted’s powerful blows, his heart racing. He knew he had to think fast. His stamina dwindled, and he couldn't let the creature tire him out first.

He calculated his next move. “I need to time this right,” he whispered to himself, focusing on the Byssted’s eyes.

Riley lunged forward, aiming a strike with his gauntlets. Just as he approached, the Byssted retaliated with a fierce swipe. The clash sent pain shooting through Riley’s arm, but he pressed on.

“I won’t back down!” he shouted, pushing through the pain.

In that moment, he managed to land a hit, striking the Byssted in the neck. The creature roared in fury, blood spilling from the wound.

“Is that all you got?” it taunted, glaring at him with rage.

Riley felt the weight of despair creeping in, the pain from his own injuries stinging with each breath. “I can’t lose now,” he thought, remembering his mother’s last wish. “I have to survive.”

With every ounce of strength left in him, Riley prepared for another attack. “I’m not done yet!” he yelled, determination fueling his next move. He understood that he needed to find a way to win, not just for himself, but to honor her memory.

The Byssted charged again, and Riley braced himself. “This is for you, Mom,” he thought, ready to fight with everything he had.

Just when Riley felt his strength slipping away, a blue screen appeared in his vision. It showed his progress toward awakening.

“Is this it?” he gasped, glancing at the screen. “I can’t give up now!”

Pushed to his limits, he took a deep breath and sacrificed his right shoulder to block a powerful punch from the Byssted. Pain shot through him as he felt the impact. “This hurts,” he muttered, but he refused to back down.

In the moment of vulnerability, he struck the Byssted again, hitting it hard. The creature staggered back, and Riley saw the glint of determination in its eyes.

“Is that all you’ve got?” the Byssted taunted, but Riley felt a fire growing inside him. He pushed through the pain of broken bones, refusing to let despair take over.

“I’m not done yet!” he shouted, gathering every ounce of strength for one final move. With a swift motion, he executed a powerful kick that incapacitated the Byssted. The creature fell to the ground, defeated.

As the Byssted lay dying, it looked up at Riley with a mix of respect and disbelief. “You… are a formidable human,” it gasped, realizing it had underestimated him.

Riley panted heavily, pain coursing through his body, but a wave of relief washed over him as he saw the blue screen confirming his awakening. “I did it,” he whispered, a sense of pride filling him even as he faced the brink of death.

Riley felt a shock ripple through him when the System spoke. "No Aura Source found in your body," it announced coldly.

“What do you mean?” he gasped, looking around at the Aura surrounding him. It shimmered in the air, but he felt powerless to grasp it.

The System continued, “Redistributing limited Aura strands from your body.”

“No! Stop!” Riley cried out, panic rising within him. But he felt the System pull at his very essence, drawing out the strands of Aura he had.

As the energy flowed, something fundamental began to shift inside him. The dying Byssted watched in confusion, eyes wide.

“What’s happening to you?” it muttered, its voice weak.

Riley's injuries began to heal, the pain easing as he felt a surge of power. His senses heightened, and he could see every detail around him with sharp clarity.

“I feel… alive,” he murmured, astonished at the change.

The Byssted looked more bewildered than ever. “How can this be?”

But as Riley reveled in his newfound abilities, a dark realization crept in. “This doesn’t change anything,” he thought. “I’m just delaying my death.”

Despite feeling reborn, he understood that this transformation would only buy him a few more minutes. “I need to make this count,” he whispered to himself, determination rising within him.

“I won’t waste this chance!” he declared, turning his focus back to the Byssted.

Riley crawled toward the Byssted, pain shooting through his body with every movement. He looked up at the creature, which still clung to life.

“Thank you,” he managed to say, his voice shaky. “Thank you for helping me awaken.”

The Byssted's eyes widened with fear. “You shouldn’t be able to do this,” it gasped, realizing the threat Riley now posed.

Ignoring the pain, Riley summoned all his strength. “This ends now!” he shouted, launching himself forward.

With a desperate final attack, he slammed his head into the Byssted’s neck. The impact was brutal, enough to kill it.

As the creature fell limp, a blue screen flashed in front of Riley. “Awakening confirmed,” the System announced.

Riley felt a rush of pride, but it quickly faded. Drowsiness washed over him. “Stay awake,” he whispered to himself, but the darkness began to creep in.

His heart pounded painfully, and exhaustion dragged him down. “I can’t… I can’t give up now,” he thought, fighting to stay conscious.

Riley fought to keep his focus as darkness threatened to pull him under. He thought about Trish and her desperate plea for him to save her. “Why did she ask for my help?” he muttered to himself, doubts creeping in.

He blamed himself for not pursuing his Awakener path earlier. “If I had started sooner, maybe I could have helped her,” he said, frustration filling his voice.

He wanted to be a hero, to end the war with the Bysteds. “But what if I die here?” he whispered, fear gnawing at him.

Thoughts of Trish filled his mind. “Who are you really, Trish? Why did you matter so much?”

As he struggled with these questions, the pain from his injuries became too much. His eyelids grew heavy. “I can’t… I can’t think anymore,” he thought, succumbing to the weight of his exhaustion.

He closed his eyes, feeling the darkness close in around him.