Marvel Cosmos.
June 15, 2012.
Friday.
New York City, Midtown High School.
Seventeen-year-old Hawk is sweating profusely in the old gymnasium.
"Bang!"
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The sound of persistent strikes reverberates as the suspended black sandbag is continuously hit by Hawk, and as it rises, the chains holding it make a sharp noise.
Hawk's hair is already soaked with sweat.
Sweat slides down his prominent cheekbones, flows past his tense jawline, and finally drips onto the collar of his old T-shirt, which is soaked with sweat.
But Hawk's gaze never leaves the sandbag.
Focused.
At this moment, the sandbag before him is his entire world.
"Nine thousand nine hundred fifty-one!"
"Nine thousand nine hundred fifty-two!"
"..."
Hawk adjusts his steps, silently counting in his mind, skillfully dodging the sandbag's swinging impact, without pausing, delivering left hooks, right swings... every punch lands solidly, causing the sandbag to sway violently under his storm-like assault, with its surface leather becoming more worn and torn from repeated impacts.
Punch.
Withdraw punch.
Punch again.
With each punch, Hawk's movements seem to gradually accelerate.
Faster and faster.
Until...
"Ten thousand!"
"Bang!"
The fire deep in Hawk's eyes suddenly erupts; just retracted, his fist shoots out like lightning, striking the just-fallen sandbag with precision, causing it to cave inwardly with a painful groan, and the chain holding the sandbag finally gives way, breaking open.
The sandbag, freed from the chain's restraint, flies backward, mournfully echoes in mid-air, then crashes heavily to the floor, making a loud noise.
"Boom!"
"Huff!"
Having completed ten thousand punches today, Hawk looks at the fallen and torn sandbag and finally exhales the pent-up breath, his chest rising and falling slightly, calming his breathing.
Sweat streams down his face, pools at his chin's tip, and drips onto the cheap pants at his feet.
Of course.
"Cheap" is relative here.
For others, these twelve US Dollar pants may be cheap, even very cheap.
But not for Hawk.
After all...
In this life, he's an orphan, and moreover, one reborn into the Marvel Cosmos.
If it weren't for his decent grades this life, earning him a scholarship at Midtown High School, put it this way: the tuition, amounting to tens of thousands each semester, would have been utterly unaffordable for him.
But even with the scholarship, Hawk still lives frugally.
Not necessarily due to good habits of frugality, but because although he has the scholarship, it isn't the highest.
At least not like the student assistant Gwen Stacy's type.
Gwen Stacy received the highest level of scholarship.
Not only did she study for free, the school also gave her money each semester, not to mention the richly awarded academic competitions.
Hawk's scholarship is the most common one, simply waiving the tuition.
After all, his grades are only considered excellent, not extraordinary.
Still, Hawk feels content.
Midtown High School waived his tuition, and for a federal orphan over sixteen, under eighteen, in what they call the 'Independent Transition Period', he receives an eight hundred US Dollar monthly stipend.
And since Midtown High School is a New York elite school, New York also provides a five hundred US Dollar monthly stipend.
Adding it up, he has a monthly income of thirteen hundred US Dollars.
This amount might be insufficient for an adult living in New York City, but for Hawk, still receiving the federal orphan subsidy and tuition-free schooling, it's currently sufficient.
Even abundant.
Since he eats at school and sleeps in the federal welfare cheap apartment.
Every month with the thirteen hundred stipend, after covering basic living expenses of five hundred US Dollars, he can still save eight hundred US Dollars.
What?
Five hundred isn't enough?
As I said.
Maybe not for adults, but it's enough for Hawk.
Every afternoon, he completes the 'Daily Ten Thousand Punches' routine in the gym, then showers at the gym, washes his clothes, rides the last free school bus back home, sleeps, and takes the earliest bus to school the next day.
He doesn't even have utility bills, let alone phone or internet bills.
He's an orphan.
One person eats, the whole family doesn't starve.
Who could he call, who would call him?
As for internet fees?
Haha.
He doesn't even have a computer; whenever he needs internet, the school library has public computers, and printing is even free.
So...
Although starting this life as an orphan, Hawk feels he's doing alright.
He can save eight hundred US Dollars monthly, and occasionally visit the cheap fried chicken place for a big bowl of fried chicken, replenishing energy.
So far, he's saved over thirty thousand US Dollars.
Sweet.
Of course.
If only there were fewer dark-skinned people at the fried chicken place.
After a while.
Standing still, with eyes slightly closed, Hawk slowly opens them, looking at the sandbag on the ground, seemingly lost in thought.
Because he's not actually looking at the sandbag, but at the prompt floating before him.
Specifically, it's his cheat.
'Little Cosmos Cultivation!'
'Current status: "Not Activated"'
'Activation Condition: "Consecutive Thousand Days, Ten Thousand Punches Daily"'
'Activation Progress: "999/1000"'
"Almost there!"
"Almost."
"Tomorrow it can be activated."
Hawk looks at this progress display, visible only to him, in the prompt window, his heart surging, wishing time could instantly leap to tomorrow.
This cheat went live when he was fifteen in this life.
Specifically, on September 10, 2009.
He remembers it clearly.
Because that day was when Hulk battled Abomination in New York City.
Hence, he spared no slack.
As soon as the cheat arrived, he began training!
Couldn't help it.
Who asked him to transmigrate into this world of 'Superheroes roaming around, extraordinary lives less than canine, cosmic divine spirits everywhere' of Marvel Cosmos?
No cheat before, he could relax.
But now with the cheat, still relax?
Wouldn't the cheat be futile then?
So...
Since the cheat went live, Hawk has kept the habit of punching ten thousand times daily.
Every single day.
Rain or shine.
Unwavering.
Basically one phrase.
Meals, he could skip.
Punches, he couldn't skip.
To this day.
He has consistently maintained the daily ten thousand punches habit for nine hundred ninety-nine days.
At present...
He's finally about to witness the dawn of victory!
...