PATH OF THE SYSTEM AWAKENED

Chapter 5: Fractured Loyalties

**Body Path: stage 1 (Exp): 0/100 Stats: 3% Greater Human**

Riley planned to check his status with the system and visit the orphanage to see if he had been there.

He attempted to sit up quietly to avoid waking the sleeping couple. Unfortunately, he barely dodged Jones's punch aimed at his face. Fury flashed in his friend's eyes. Meanwhile, Maya began to cry softly.

“Dude, let’s keep it down,” Riley said, trying to calm the situation. As a seasoned Body Awakener, he easily evaded Jones's attacks but did not want to escalate things further.

“Relax? How can I relax?” Jones replied, seething with anger. “You played the hero and put yourself in danger! We could have fought together and avoided this mess. If we hadn’t arrived on time, you’d be dead!” After venting, he grabbed a nearby pillow and started hitting it.

“Calm down, man! Why did you have to act like a hero? We could have fought together! If we were just a little late, you would have died!” Jones continued to pound the pillow in frustration.

Riley watched as Jones let out his anger. He felt no regret for his choice, especially after seeing Jones willing to sacrifice himself for them. If they had fought together, Maya would have been hurt first, then Jones. Despite being the weakest, Riley would have come out with fewer injuries. He had to make a choice: sacrifice his friend or risk his own life.

“Did I miss something?” a gruff voice interrupted. Arthur stood at the entrance of the ward, grinning.

Maya managed a small smile and shook her head. “Nothing.”

Riley noticed Arthur. As an Awakener, he sensed Aura more clearly. Arthur’s Aura was stronger than his own. About Arthur’s teammates…

“Even though bad things happened, you did what you set out to do,” Arthur reassured Riley. “My team is fine. We dealt with the stage 1s who got away.”

“No. You saved me. Thank you,” Riley said, bowing slightly. “I’ll repay you someday.”

Arthur just laughed.

“Why did the Bysteds come to the Crypt? Aren’t they supposed to stay in the Abyss?” Jones asked.

Riley glanced at Arthur, sensing he was hiding something about the Bysteds using Cross Tunneling.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?” Riley asked seriously.

Arthur chuckled. “You’re sharp. I had my suspicions, but now you’ll find out.”

Maya and Jones looked confused as a man in a black suit entered the room.

He introduced himself as an Inspector from the Crypt Bureau and demanded they sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement or face treason charges.

“What?” Maya exclaimed. “You put my friend's life at risk and now threaten us with treason?”

Jones remained silent, contemplating the situation.

Riley stared at the Inspector. “You’ve done this before. The government wants to prevent panic and keep low-stage Awakeners in check. Crypts are crucial for training. If they shut down, our strength diminishes, which could hurt us in a war with the Bysteds.”

The Inspector raised an eyebrow. “You still have to sign.”

The room grew cold. Maya and Jones shivered, and Riley felt it, too.

Arthur stepped closer to the Inspector and placed a hand on his shoulder, dispelling the cold.

The Inspector appeared unsettled. He recognized Arthur's strength. Hierarchies existed everywhere, even in this situation.

“There’s speculation. In the Crypts where their appearance was recorded, we sent adventure teams. They found nothing. It was as if they vanished without a trace. They had no presence for ten days, and we believed Bysteds had returned to their respective Abysses. Then, out of nowhere, many promising Awakeners who were training for the entrance were killed on the same day. That’s when it hit us. Bysteds figured out a special way to hide in the Crypts.”

As he recalled the moment of realization, the Inspector inhaled deeply. He transitioned from disbelief to denial and finally to acceptance. This truth left him feeling powerless. He looked at the young people who had just escaped death and continued, “Their motives are even scarier. By killing today's geniuses, they are eliminating tomorrow's powerhouses. But not every genius who entered was targeted. They were very specific.

“They are more cunning than we realized. They avoided several traps set by the Bureau. We could do nothing to stop the Bysteds. They cross-tunnel into Crypts at will, conceal their tracks, and strike at the most opportune moments. As a result, officials are increasingly convinced that Crypts are dangerous. The Federation is taking this very seriously.

“There are rumors that Cadets from Raiders Academy will be sent to investigate this situation. We’re hopeful it will be resolved soon, but… don’t venture into any low Crypts until there is closure.”

Arthur remained silent while the Trio nodded. The Inspector left with unnatural steps, leaving behind a heavy atmosphere in the room.

Everyone consciously chose to avoid bringing up the Byssted's plan. Riley felt powerless in front of the power of a whole race. He didn't have any plans to visit the Crypt in the near future, not after this accident.

Even though Crypts were an integral part of an Awakener's combat eExperience, they weren't the only part. There were other locations. 'Raiders Academy… Trish's Academy.' Riley thought, and the images of the strange dream once again flashed in his mind.

"I thought we wouldn't be so unlucky. But who knew," Arthur said as he shot a glance at Jones. Riley and Maya also looked at Jones.

Jones was famous for having good luck, however, his worries mostly came true.

Whether Jones was the source of bad luck or a victim himself, no one was sure.

But he was isolated and finished high school a year early, like Riley.

They met in Astral Grove Training Hall when Jones wanted to learn some basic fighting skills. Due to their own eccentric natures perhaps, Jones and Riley soon became good friends.

Jones's luck seemed to turn around for the better once when he saved a girl his age from hooligans. The girl was Maya and soon they started dating.

Riley looked at Jones who buried his face in his neck and refused to look at them. He sighed in defeat. There was no point in blaming Jones. It was not like he was responsible for the Byssted attack. They were already happening. Plus, if Jones and Maya never came, Riley would've likely died.

"I'll take my leave," Arthur reached the door and paused, "Mr. Bigg asked me to inform you're no longer the Hall's trainer." The door opened, and he left. 'Clever Old Man.' Riley smiled.