Riley dashed through the muddy terrain, feeling like a gust of wind, freer and faster than ever before.
"Is this what being an Awakener feels like every time?" he pondered, leaping effortlessly to a treetop.
With an adventurous smile, he removed his gauntlets and dove headfirst into the ground, channeling his strength into the impact.
Dust filled the air as Riley landed, astonished to find his hands unscathed save for a few scratches.
"I would have surely fractured something before awakening," he mused, slowly adapting to his newfound abilities.
Despite not mastering his path's powers, he could already sense the flow of aura transforming into something new within him — chi.
Riley felt a surge of power, earning him "+5 Exp" and a sense of satisfaction.
Suddenly, a distant sound caught his attention — the growl of murlocs. Equipping his gauntlets with a thought, Riley charged towards them, swiftly dispatching the creatures with deadly precision.
Riley got better at fighting after battling all day, earning him "+10 Exp" and a stronger connection to his chi.
"Combat's the best way for me to train," he thought, ready to take on tougher foes. But, he soon faced a tough peak stage 1 Murloc.
They fought hard, each landing blows. But Riley started to struggle against the relentless attacks. "I gotta figure something out," he gasped, seeing a sneaky look in the murloc's eyes.
The murloc was fast, it tossed a spear that went into Riley's body, missing his heart by a bit. Because it was moving so fast, it went through and came out his back, making a big hole.
"Ahh," Riley cried from the pain and quickly grabbed the tail that hit his head.
The murloc screamed and tried to punch him in a panic. But Riley wanted it to do that. The murloc's arms were shorter, so it took longer to reach him than the spear.
Riley took advantage of that tiny moment and grabbed the murloc's neck super fast, crushing it.
He broke its neck while its fist hit his stomach.
Riley held his stomach, feeling the pain. Then, he coughed hard, spitting out blood. He could feel his insides shaking because of the hole...
Looking down, Riley observed the gaping hole in his chest, drenched in blood and chaos.
"System, how am I?" Riley inquired, seeking an update on his condition.
Riley's status displayed "Exp +30, Body Path stage 1: 50/100, 5.5% Greater Human".
The status panel blinked, and Riley sensed his body's chi increasing. He felt stronger, and his bleeding slowed. Though he couldn't see it, he sensed his healing getting better.
For a moment, Riley was thrilled, but then the pain from the battle reminded him of the struggle he just endured. "Curse you, system," he grumbled, frustrated by the uneExpected encounter with a peak stage 1 Murloc.
According to the island's records, only stage 1 Murlocs inhabited it, none reaching the peak of stage 1. That's why Riley chose this island for training—to improve without risking his life. However, luck—or perhaps misfortune—led him to face a murloc that had just reached the peak.
When the murloc targeted him, Riley had no escape. Fight or die—it was his only option.
Perhaps this was what the system meant by facing danger to "pay" for the opportunities it offered. The price of growth was constant peril.
"But... no matter what this world throws at me, I'll emerge stronger," Riley vowed, gritting his teeth as he stood up.
Despite the excruciating pain, Riley knew his wound wasn't fatal. "Surviving after defeating your enemy... that's impressive. Am I overpowered?" he mused, attempting to smile despite the pain.
"Isha, take me to the nearby emergency healing center," he commanded his comm and AI.
"Yes, sir. We'll arrive in 5 minutes," Isha replied promptly.
The hover bike descended, and Riley boarded, heading to the emergency healing center. As darkness enveloped him, the pain lessened, replaced by a nagging itch that eventually subsided.
Upon waking, Riley found the medi bot leaving his hover bike and entering the floating emergency treatment complex.
"How long has it been?" he inquired.
"2 hours, sir. I instructed the medibot to treat you here to avoid disturbing your rest," Isha informed him.
Riley checked himself and found no signs of injuries. "Medical technology is truly remarkable. In the old Earth's days, it would take months to heal such wounds, but now it's done in a few hours," he remarked, feeling rejuvenated yet disheartened by the hefty bill.
"Unfortunately, their bills... are terrible," Riley lamented, recalling his depleted savings. I must earn more points," Riley resolved, acknowledging the necessity of bolstering his resources.
Before The Crypt Dud, Old Earth was a time when people still used 5G and worried about AI domination. It was idealized by historians and the public, despite its outdated technology.
Riley couldn't help but ponder the irony of longing for Old Earth's simplicity while facing financial struggles in the present. "The grass is always greener on the other side, eh?" he muttered, shaking his head.
As he lamented his dwindling funds, Riley considered the option of transmigrating to Old Earth, as depicted in novels. "Since entry is free, I can't profit from selling murloc corpses... curse these regulations," he sighed, feeling the burden of poverty.
"Sir, cadets at any military academy receive stipends," Isha reminded him.
Realizing his impending enrollment, Riley affirmed, "Right, I'll be heading to the academy, to the Earth Raiders Academy," he emphasized, both for Isha's benefit and his own conviction.
Glancing at his status panel, Riley calculated his progress towards his goal. "I'll need to reach at least stage 2 to enter the Imperial Academy. Today is the 28th, and the test is on the 4th... it's not a dream," he concluded, determined to achieve his aspirations.
He couldn't believe he had already reached halfway through stage 1. Opening his status panel, Riley exclaimed, "Is this some kind of prank? I've gained so much Exp in such a short time!"
Typically, an average person awakened at 14 or 15 years old and took about 3 years to reach the peak of stage 1. Most only reached the peak at 19 years old and broke into stage 2 by age 20. Geniuses awakened at 13, peaked at 16, and broke into stage 2 by 17.
Ordinary individuals aimed for the Imperial Trooper Academy, requiring a maximum age of 18, stage 1, and outstanding performance in the entrance test. Geniuses targeted the Raiders Academy, requiring a maximum age of 18, at least stage 2, and outstanding performance.