Marvel Cosmos.
June 15, 2012.
Friday.
New York City, Midtown High School.
Seventeen-year-old Hawk was sweating profusely in the old gymnasium.
"Bang!"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
A series of resounding thuds kept echoing, as the black sandbag suspended in midair was continuously struck by Hawk. Each time the black sandbag rose, it made piercing noises as the chain suspending it strained.
Hawk’s hair had long been soaked with sweat.
Sweat slid down his prominent cheekbones, flowed over his tense jawline, and eventually dripped onto the collar of his old T-shirt, which was already soaked with sweat.
But Hawk’s gaze never left the sandbag.
His mind was unwavering.
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 steps, muttering to himself, while deftly sidestepping the sandbag’s swinging counterattack without any pause. Left hook, right swing... each punch hit firmly, the sandbag swayed violently under his storm-like onslaught, and the leather on its surface became more worn and torn from the repeated impacts.
Punch.
Withdraw.
Punch again.
As punch after punch was thrown, Hawk’s movements seemed to gradually accelerate.
Faster and faster.
Until...
"Ten thousand!"
"Bang!"
The fire in the depths of Hawk’s eyes surged at that moment, and his just-retracted fist shot out like lightning, as agile as a snake flicking its tongue. It hit the descending sandbag accurately, causing it to collapse backward with a painful thud. The chain holding the sandbag finally couldn’t bear the strain and snapped.
Free from the chain’s restraint, the sandbag flew out and emitted a whimper in the air before it crashed heavily on the floor with a loud boom.
"Boom!"
"Huff!"
With today’s ten thousand punches completed, Hawk finally exhaled the held breath, his chest heaving slightly as he steadied his breathing while watching the torn sandbag on the floor.
Sweat flowed unabated down his face, gathering at his chin, then dripping onto the legs of his cheap sweatpants.
Of course.
Cheap is relative.
For others, these twelve US dollar pants might be cheap, even very cheap.
But for Hawk, it was not the case.
After all...
In this life, he was an orphan who had also crossed over and been reborn in the Marvel Cosmos.
If it wasn’t for his good grades in this life, earning him a scholarship at Midtown High School, let’s just say, he could never afford the tens of thousands in tuition each semester.
Even with the scholarship, Hawk still lived frugally.
Not because he had the good habit of thrift, but because even though he had a scholarship, it wasn’t the highest tier.
At least not like that student assistant Gwen Stacy’s.
Gwen Stacy’s scholarship was of the highest tier.
Not only was her tuition free, but the school even gave her money each semester, not to mention the exceptionally rewarding knowledge competitions.
Hawk’s scholarship was the most common type, which was a tuition waiver.
After all, his grades were only excellent, not outstanding.
However, Hawk felt content with this.
Midtown High School waived his tuition, and for someone without a foster family in the so-called "independent transition period" of federal orphans aged sixteen to eighteen, there was an eight hundred US dollar monthly allowance.
Moreover, because he was admitted to Midtown High School, an elite school in New York, he also received a five hundred US dollar monthly stipend from New York State.
So, his monthly income was thirteen hundred US dollars.
This amount might not be enough for an adult living in New York City, but for Hawk, who was still receiving a federal orphan subsidy and paid no tuition, it was sufficient.
Even more than enough.
After all, he ate at school and slept in a cheap federal welfare apartment.
With a thirteen hundred monthly stipend, deducting five hundred US dollars to cover basic expenses, he could still save eight hundred US dollars each month.
What?
Five hundred isn’t enough?
Again.
It might not be enough for an adult, but for Hawk, it was sufficient.
Every afternoon, he completed his "daily ten thousand punches" routine in the gym, then showered and washed his clothes, then caught the last free school bus home to sleep, and took the earliest bus to school the next day.
He didn’t even have to worry about water or electricity bills, let alone phone or internet fees.
He was an orphan.
One person eats their fill, the whole family isn’t hungry.
Who could he call, and who would call him?
As for internet fees?
Heh.
He didn’t even have a computer; anyway, when he needed the internet, the school library had public computers, and even printing was free.
So...
Though he started this life as an orphan, Hawk felt he was doing alright.
Each month he could save eight hundred US dollars, and even treat himself to a large bucket of fried chicken at a similarly low-cost joint often to replenish his energy.
By now, he had saved over thirty thousand US dollars in total.
Satisfying.
Of course.
If only the fried chicken joint had fewer black folks.
After a while.
Standing in place with his eyes slightly closed, Hawk slowly opened his eyes to look at the sandbag that had landed on the floor, lost in thought.
Because he wasn’t seeing the sandbag, but the prompt box floating before his eyes.
To be precise, his cheat.
"Little Cosmos Cultivation!"
"Current status: ’Inactive’"
"Activation condition: ’Ten thousand punches daily for a thousand consecutive days’"
"Activation progress: ’999/1000’"
"Almost there!"
"Almost there."
"Tomorrow, it will be activated."
Hawk felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at the activation progress shown on the prompt box that only he could see, eager for time to jump directly to tomorrow.
This cheat came online when he was fifteen in this life.
To be precise, September 10, 2009.
He remembered it very well.
Because that day coincided with Hulk and Abomination’s battle in New York City.
So he did not slack off at all.
The cheat comes, you train!
No choice.
After all, he had transmigrated to a world of "superheroes everywhere, extraordinary beings not as valuable as dogs, and divine spirits roaming the cosmos" in the Marvel Cosmos.
Before the cheat, he could slack off.
But now that the cheat had come, still slacking?
Wouldn’t that make the cheat pointless?
So...
From the day the cheat came online, Hawk maintained the habit of ten thousand punches daily.
Not missing a single day.
Come rain or shine.
Unshakeable by thunder.
In short, just one sentence.
Food, optional.
Training, mandatory.
As of today.
He had maintained the habit of ten thousand punches daily for nine hundred ninety-nine consecutive days.
Now...
The dawn of victory was finally near!
...