A couple of hours later, about three hours, a sharp knock on Nova's door woke him from his sleep. He had fallen asleep again with all the kittens resting on him, almost as if he were experiencing some kind of jet lag.
Another knock followed, louder than the first.
"Alright, alright. I'm coming," he muttered, although he doubted whoever was outside could hear him.
He carefully picked up the kittens one by one and placed them back inside their cardboard box. Most remained asleep. Nova got to his feet, stretched, and heard a couple of bones crack.
The apartment was still empty, apart from the few things he had brought in and the box of kittens. Talia had mentioned that his furniture would arrive either the following day, which was today, or sometime within the week. He half-expected to see the delivery workers, and half-expected Talia herself to be standing outside.
He hoped it was Talia. She had already done so much for him, even offering to bring food until he found a job, so neither he nor the kittens would have to go hungry. He appreciated her kindness, especially since she had so little reason to help him.
The knocking came again.
"One moment!"
Nova crossed the room and pulled open the door. Two men in brown work uniforms stood outside. Behind them sat a trolley carrying several neatly wrapped pieces of furniture.
"Furniture delivery," the taller one announced. "This is the apartment Talia gave us?"
"Yes, that's the one," Nova answered, stepping aside. "Come in. There's plenty of room, as you can see."
The shorter worker glanced past him at the empty living room and chuckled. "You weren't kidding. We'll get everything inside first, then arrange it."
"Sounds good to me."
The men began moving the furniture into the apartment with practiced efficiency. Nova picked up the cardboard box and carried it into the kitchen, away from their path. The kittens stirred at the noise, but settled down again once he placed them somewhere safe.
He watched the two workers for a while. The taller one handled the heaviest pieces so easily that Nova suspected he had awakened an ability. In the Inner Heaven, he would have known without having to think about it. Here, he was left observing and guessing like everyone else.
I'll have to get used to that, he thought.
While the men continued their work, a familiar face appeared in the doorway.
"Talia!" Nova exclaimed, his mood brightening immediately.
A small part of that excitement came from the possibility that she had brought food. His broke ass still couldn't afford anything, and he had several little mouths to feed. Naturally, he had to be polite.
"How are you?" he asked, smiling.
"Good! I've been good, actually," Talia replied enthusiastically. She stepped into the apartment, looking pleased with herself. "Yesterday turned out to be a great day. I rented out a couple more apartments, and then I decided to buy a lottery ticket. Guess what happened?"
Nova tilted his head. "You won?"
"I won!" she said, laughing. "I couldn't believe it. It feels like ever since I met you, all my luck has finally resurfaced. So I suppose I have to thank you for that."
"Well, I'm glad something good happened to you," Nova said. "Though I don't think I had anything to do with it."
"You never know. Maybe you're my good-luck charm."
He smiled at that. He had no intention of telling her about his divinity.
"I see all the furniture is moving in," he said instead, gesturing toward the workers. "So I have to thank you again for your kindness. You really didn't have to do all this."
"Oh, don't mention it. You're flattering me too much." Talia laughed and glanced at the growing collection of furniture. "Besides, you need somewhere decent to sleep. I wasn't going to leave you on that floor forever."
"It wasn't so bad."
"Nova, you were sleeping on bare wood."
"I've experienced worse."
"Somehow, I believe you," she replied, still smiling. "But a bed is better, trust me."
One of the movers passed between them carrying a chair. Talia stepped aside to give him room, then suddenly remembered something. Her expression changed, and she reached for the phone in her pocket.
"Oh! I nearly forgot. I have something important to tell you. You know the American Guild I was talking about?"
Nova nodded. He remembered her mentioning it, especially the possibility of becoming an Adventurer and earning money by completing guild assignments.
"Well, they're holding a tournament," she continued. "It's for people who haven't awakened yet but have the potential to do so. If they awaken, the guild will offer them an F-rank badge. Then, once they start taking the quests the guild assigns, they can earn some serious money."
"A tournament?" Nova repeated, immediately interested.
"Yes. And since you're looking for a job, I thought this might be a good opportunity. You'd have a chance to awaken and maybe join the guild. It seems like something you'd enjoy, too."
Nova fell silent for a moment, thinking about everything she had said.
A tournament for the unawakened. A chance to prove himself, awaken an ability, and enter the guild as an F-rank Adventurer. He loved the idea. He had wanted to begin earning money as soon as possible, but he hadn't expected an opportunity like this to appear so early in his mortal life.
There was another reason the news excited him. He would have to compete against people who wanted the same thing. Some of them might be stronger, faster, or more experienced than him. Others might have spent years preparing for an opportunity like this. For the first time, he couldn't assume that victory would be his simply because he was Nova.
He smiled.
Talia noticed his expression. "You're interested, aren't you?"
"Extremely," he answered. "But I have a question. When is this tournament, exactly?"
"Let me check." She unlocked her phone and searched through the announcement. "It's on August twentieth, two weeks from now."
"Two weeks," Nova repeated quietly.
He looked down at his hands. His mortal body was still fragile, and although he understood the principles of combat better than nearly anyone alive, understanding them and performing them were two different matters. He needed to build strength and stamina before facing opponents who might already have an advantage.
Still, it was enough time to begin.
"I see," he said. "Then I'll start training from tomorrow onwards. Five to ten hours a day, every day. After that, I'll study."
Talia blinked. "Study?"
"Yes. I need to get accustomed to this realm, so I have to study."
"Right, but what exactly are you studying for? There's no written exam for the guild tournament, as far as I know."
"I'm not studying for an examination," Nova explained. "There are many things about this world I don't understand yet. How the guild operates, the rules people follow, the way ordinary people earn their living. I need to learn those things if I'm going to live here properly."
Talia stared at him for a moment, trying to decide whether he was joking.
"You make it sound like you've never lived in this country before."
"I haven't," he said truthfully.
"Well, I figured you were new to Boston, but you talk like you're from another planet sometimes."
Nova chuckled. "Something like that."
She gave him a confused look, but decided not to press him. There were already enough strange people in the world, especially after the appearance of dungeons and awakened individuals.
"Anyway," she said, "please don't overdo the training. Five to ten hours sounds like an awful lot for someone who hasn't started yet."
"I know my body has limitations. I'll have to learn how far I can push it."
"Good. Because if you injure yourself before the tournament, all that training won't do you much good."
Nova considered that. She had a point. He wanted to compete, not arrive injured.
"I'll keep that in mind," he replied.
"And eat properly while you're doing all this. Speaking of which, I brought food for you and the kittens." Talia placed a box on the kitchen island. "You should eat before it gets cold."
"Thank you, Talia. I mean it."
"You're welcome." She checked her phone again, and her eyes widened. "Oh, damn it. I'm going to be late for my meeting. I have to go."
"Already?"
"Unfortunately, yes. Enjoy the food, and good luck with the training. I'll see you around."
"I'll see you," Nova replied, waving as she hurried out.
He remained in the kitchen for a moment, listening to her footsteps fade down the hallway. Then his stomach growled, reminding him of something considerably more urgent than the tournament.
"Well, I suppose that's enough thinking for now."
He opened the food box and found a generous serving of rice, roasted vegetables, seasoned chicken, and a small dessert tucked into one corner. The smell alone was enough to make his hunger worse. He hadn't eaten a proper meal since arriving, and he was beginning to understand why mortals talked about food so often.
He sat cross-legged on the bare floor and started eating, taking his time with each bite. It was simple food, but warm and satisfying.
The kittens began mewing from their box.
Nova turned toward them. "Alright, alright. You get to eat, too."
Talia had included a smaller container of soft food for them. He divided it into a shallow dish and placed it near the box. The kittens climbed over one another, their little noses twitching as they rushed toward the food.
"Little monsters," Nova said affectionately, watching them eat with the determination of soldiers preparing for war. "You haven't even learned to be patient yet."
They paid him no attention.
For the next thirty minutes, the apartment remained busy but peaceful. The movers continued carrying furniture through the narrow hallway, occasionally asking Nova where he wanted something placed. He generally told them to put it wherever they thought best. He had never furnished a mortal home before, and their judgment seemed more reliable than his.
Finally, the taller worker eased a small couch into place beside the living room window. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave Nova a thumbs-up.
"That's all of it," he said. "You're set."
Nova looked around. There was a bed now, along with a couch, chairs, a small table, and the other necessities Talia had arranged for him.
"Thank you for your work," Nova told them.
"No problem. Enjoy the place."
The men collected their equipment, waved goodbye, and left. Nova locked the door behind them before turning back toward the room.
The apartment no longer looked quite so empty. The furniture wasn't fancy, but it gave the place shape and made it feel more comfortable. There was somewhere to sit and sleep, with room for the kittens to explore.
For someone who had once possessed almost everything he could ever want, it was strange to feel so pleased by such ordinary things.
Nova glanced at the kittens, now curled together in a satisfied little pile. He had promised himself that he would take care of them, and the prospect of earning money through the guild gave him a way to fulfill that responsibility through his own efforts.
He walked toward the living room window and looked out over Boston. Other unawakened people were preparing for the same opportunity. He knew nothing about his opponents or the tournament's challenges.
But that was precisely what made it exciting.
Two weeks. All he had were two weeks to prepare and prove himself.