Cosmo Cultivation in the Marvel Universe (Seeking Collections!!)

Marvel Universe.

June 15, 2012.

Friday.

New York City, Midtown High School.

Hawk, seventeen this year, was sweating profusely in the old gymnasium.

"Bang!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

A series of impactful sounds echoed continuously. As Hawk struck the black sandbag hanging in mid-air, the iron chain suspending it let out a piercing shriek the moment the sandbag was hit.

Hawk's hair was already soaked with sweat.

Sweat trickled down his prominent cheekbones, flowed past his taut jawline, and finally dripped onto the collar of his old T-shirt, which was also drenched.

But Hawk's gaze never left the sandbag.

Undistracted.

At this moment, the sandbag before him was his entire world.

"Nine thousand nine hundred fifty-one!"

"Nine thousand nine hundred fifty-two!"

"..."

Hawk adjusted his stance, counting silently in his mind as he nimbly sidestepped the sandbag's returning swing. Without pause, he threw left hooks and right swings... each punch landing with a solid thud. Under his storm-like assault, the sandbag swayed violently. The leather surface of the sandbag, under the repeated impacts, appeared even more worn and torn.

Punch.

Retract.

Punch again.

With each punch thrown, Hawk's movements seemed to gradually quicken.

Faster and faster.

Until...

"Ten thousand!"

"Bang!"

The flames deep within Hawk's eyes flared up instantly. His retracted fist shot out like lightning, like a viper striking, precisely hitting the sandbag as it fell. The sandbag caved in sharply, emitting a muffled groan of pain. The chain connecting the sandbag finally couldn't bear the strain and snapped.

Freed from the chain, the sandbag flew backward, letting out a mournful cry in the air before crashing heavily onto the floor with a deafening sound.

"Boom!"

"Hoo!"

With the completion of ten thousand punches for the day, Hawk watched the torn sandbag lying on the floor. Only then did he exhale the breath he had been holding, his chest rising and falling slightly as he steadied his breathing.

Sweat streamed down his face, gathering at his chin before dripping onto the legs of his cheap sweatpants.

Of course.

"Cheap" was relative.

To others, these pants, worth twelve dollars, might be considered cheap, even very cheap.

But not to Hawk.

After all...

He was an orphan in this life, an orphan who had transmigrated and been reborn into the Marvel Universe.

If his grades weren't so good in this life, earning him a scholarship to Midtown High School, let's just say that the tens of thousands of dollars in tuition fees each semester would have been something he absolutely couldn't afford.

But even with the scholarship, Hawk still lived frugally.

It wasn't because he had a good habit of saving, but because although he received a scholarship, it wasn't the highest tier.

At least, it wasn't like the one received by the student assistant from his grade, Gwen Stacy.

Gwen Stacy's scholarship was the top tier.

Not only did she not have to pay for her studies, but the school even gave her money each semester, not to mention the various academic competitions with exceptionally generous prizes.

Hawk's scholarship was the most common type, which was tuition exemption.

After all, his grades were only considered excellent, not outstanding.

However, Hawk was content with this.

Midtown High School waived his tuition fees, and for federal orphans like him, who were over sixteen and under eighteen, a period known as the 'independent transition period,' they provided a monthly subsidy of eight hundred dollars.

Then, because he was admitted to Midtown High School, an elite school in New York State, New York State also provided a subsidy of five hundred dollars per month.

Adding it all up, he had an income of thirteen hundred dollars a month.

This amount might not be enough for an adult living in New York City, but for Hawk, who was still receiving federal orphan benefits and attending school tuition-free, it was currently sufficient.

It was even more than enough.

After all, he ate at school and slept in a cheap apartment provided by the Federation's welfare program.

With a monthly subsidy of $1,300, minus $500 for basic living expenses, he could still save $800 each month.

What?

$500 isn't enough?

As I said before.

It might not be enough for an adult, but it was enough for Hawk.

Every afternoon, he would complete his "Daily Ten Thousand Punches" routine at the gym. After showering there, he would wash his clothes, then take the last free school bus home. Once home, he'd sleep, and the next day, he'd take the earliest school bus back to school.

He didn't even have utility bills, let alone phone or internet charges.

He was an orphan.

When one person eats, the whole family doesn't go hungry.

Who would he call, and who would call him?

As for internet fees?

Heh.

He didn't even have a computer. Whenever he needed to use the internet, the school library had public computers, and printing was even free.

So...

Although he was reborn as an orphan in this life, Hawk felt he was doing alright.

He saved $800 every month, and every now and then, he could even go to the equally cheap fried chicken joint and order a large platter of fried chicken, supplementing his energy.

By now, he had saved over $30,000.

Blissful.

Of course.

It would be even better if the fried chicken joint had fewer dark-skinned people.

After a while.

Standing still, Hawk slowly opened his eyes, which had been slightly closed. He looked at the sandbag that had fallen to the floor, seeming lost in thought.

It wasn't the sandbag he was looking at, but a prompt box that had appeared before his eyes.

To be precise, it was his cheat.

"Cosmo Cultivation!"

"Current Status: 'Inactive'"

"Activation Condition: 'Ten Thousand Punches Daily for a Thousand Consecutive Days'"

"Activation Progress: '999/1000'"

"So close!"

"So close."

"I'll be able to activate it tomorrow."

Hawk looked at the activation progress displayed on the prompt box, which only he could see. His heart warmed, and he wished time could fast-forward directly to tomorrow.

This cheat had gone online when he was fifteen years old in this life.

To be precise, it went online on September 10, 2009.

He remembered it very clearly.

Because that was the day Hulk and Abomination battled in New York City.

So he didn't slack off at all.

He trained as soon as the cheat appeared!

He couldn't help it.

Who told him to transmigrate into the Marvel Universe, where "superheroes were everywhere, extraordinary beings were worthless, and cosmic deities roamed freely"?

Before he had the cheat, he could just lie around.

But now that he had a cheat, should he still lie around?

Wouldn't that be a waste of the cheat?

So...

From the day the cheat went online, Hawk had maintained the habit of punching ten thousand times daily.

Not a single day missed.

Rain or shine.

Unwavering.

In short, just one sentence.

Food can be skipped.

Fists, however, must be trained.

To this day.

He has maintained the habit of throwing ten thousand punches daily for nine hundred and ninety-nine consecutive days.

Now...

The dawn of victory is finally in sight!

A new author's new book, begging for your collection. Twenty thousand words in storage, a decisive battle awaits!!