Elliot had no idea that he was being followed.
After getting kicked out of both the Martial Arts Center and the Gym, he took a series of solitary routes—paths he had memorized from the time he worked with the Misfits—and quickly made it back to his apartment without drawing attention. Fortunately, everything was relatively close by.
'It seems that registering is a must. If they don't let me train there and the dungeon access is limited, joining a guild might be my only option.'
In this city, the guilds are the ones who control most of the dungeons. They controlled everything from Open and Closed E-Rank Dungeons all the way to the highest, C-Rank dungeons, in the city.
They also have specific facilities—far superior to standard martial arts centers—that were designed for training their members. What's more, if you prove yourself enough, you are allowed to take part in tournaments and undergo intensive training under qualified instructors, learning everything from combat to tactics.
For those at the top, being part of a guild was even better than attending a prestigious academy since their learning was more extensive. The awakeners were under the direct mentorship of real professionals, and in rare cases, some were lucky enough to be taught by a Saint.
But the problem in all this was getting into one. Guilds had high standards and strict recruitment processes when it came to choosing their members. On top of that, Elliot had to be careful. He needed to align himself with a guild that opposed the Clark Family. That way, he won't get betrayed so easily.
Even so, for now, he wasn't in a hurry. He still had some time before the Tournament, so he had a bit of breathing room to take some time to prepare and, most importantly, to register.
Back in his apartment, Elliot opened his system interface. He had 5 stat points available to add.
'I was able to clear that E-Rank dungeon with ease, but the reward points decreased considerably compared to before. I used to gain more than 15 points… now barely 5. How is it possible that there is such a difference?'
He frowned.
'Maybe if I had logged in again before moving up to the Awakened Rank…' He let out a soft sigh. 'There's no way, if the system could be fooled so easily, this world would be full of roses and not so dark.'
He closed the system without allocating the points and glanced around his sparsely furnished room. He needed to buy a lot of essential things. Thankfully, money wasn't an issue for him now. Without wasting time, he started to equip his new house with everything he needed.
Though he would be busy for a few days dealing with boring issues, he had to do it if he wanted to live comfortably.
_____
A few days later, on September 10th.
His apartment was now completely filled and organized with everything he would need. It looked much better and seemed tidy—something his mother had always insisted on when he was a child. Her scoldings had paid off in the end.
Right now, Elliot sat at his newly purchased computer.
When he was young, he had one, although they didn't allow him to use it often. But now that it had been more than four years since he had used one, he realized that he had forgotten how to use it, but at least he knew how to use the search engine and do some searches on the local internet network.
There he spent hours browsing through various topics until he finally got bored. He had researched as much as he could think of.
'A week has passed since I awakened. I guess it's time to register.'
With all his errands done, he was now finally ready to register with the Association of the Awakened.
After leaving his apartment, he hailed a taxi and headed for the Association.
The building was nothing short of majestic—tall, modern, and gleaming with luxury. It stood out as the tallest and most imposing skyscraper in the city.
The Awakened Association was a special place, a little unique and interesting. It was a power created by the Global Awakening System itself, yet it was under the nation's (most powerful guild) control.
Despite being under the state jurisdiction, it held unmatched influence and respect. This was also why the government ensured it was well-funded, and even the guilds had to pay periodic fees for it since it was a power created by the System.
In terms of wealth and power, the Association was unmatched. Yet it maintained a strict policy of neutrality in every situation.
Since it was early, the building was already buzzing with activity. Many hunters moved in and out of the building with purpose. Businessmen and headhunters prowled the long, spotless corridors and the main lobby, scouting for talents and making deals.
Even so, no one got in the way of the awakened or those who were heading in to register. A few approached the awakened, but only to offer them work or something similar. The more 'normal' awakened often ended up with contracts that paid them handsomely, thanks to these interactions.
Elliot, however, didn't care about any of this.
He went straight to the registration counter.
Only a few people were registering today, so he didn't have to wait long.
When he finally reached the person who was going to attend to him, he frowned.
The person looked up and made the same face as Elliot.
"You... Elliot Clark? What the hell are you doing here?"
Elliot frowned and sighed. 'I didn't know the Clarks were working for the Association now…' In the end, he shook his head, ignoring the guy's reaction, and took out his ID.
"I'm here to register."
The attendant took his ID with a stunned look. "You? To register with the Awakened Association? Are you an idiot?"
Elliot sighed again, then turned to the person standing next to the idiot before him and asked, "Are the employees allowed to insult an awakened person in that way?"
The man he addressed was another attendant, who was currently off duty but more experienced. He knew the rules far better than the rookie at the desk.
But even so, he simply shrugged. "The Awakened are supposed to be treated with respect. But as far as I remember, Elliot Clark is a famous misfit in the city."
His tone hardened when he said the word 'famous', wanting to emphasize the kind of ridiculous fame Elliot had.
In the end, Elliot shook his head, exasperated. "Fine. If that's the case, I'll invoke the system's rules."
He looked slightly upward and spoke clearly:
"Rule Number 3 of the Association: The Awakened Association, under the rules of the system, is obligated to register anyone who wishes to register, regardless of the name, background, or status of the Awakened. This rule can be invoked by anyone approved by the System."
The moment the words left his mouth, the Global Awakening System activated in front of him. Like the neon light, a pale blue glow washed over the entire room, leaving everyone stunned.
There was no mistaking what had just happened.
This only meant one thing.
'Did that bastard really awaken?' The Clark family member nearly fell out of his chair, and the other man, the one who had mocked Elliot before, spat out his coffee before running out of the place, leaving all the work to his partner.
Elliot didn't mind. But this drew quite a lot of attention to him since it was the first time in a long while that an Awakened one had activated the system's rules.
'They didn't want to register him, but now they have no choice… The members of the association brought this upon themselves.' Some of the awakened ones around sighed and left, while others stayed to see if anything else would happen, and the rest simply went back to their business.
"I guess you have nothing else to say now, right?" Elliot said calmly.
The man tried to refute, but the words didn't come out. He finally clicked his tongue. "Tsk…Fine. Follow me."
Elliot followed him toward the back room.
But before they could get far, a loud shout echoed through the hall, stopping him in his tracks.
"Bastard Elliot, stop right there!"
It was John Clark.
Elliot turned, his expression unreadable.
'He looks furious. Did he lose his mind upon realizing that I'm an Awakened One now?' he thought.