One thousand days.
Two years, nine months, and five days.
Having completed today's task, Hawk, who was showering in the stadium's locker room, once again summoned the system interface visible only to him.
Looking at the progress bar that was just one day away from completion, from activating 'Cosmo Training,' he still felt like he was dreaming.
After all...
Punching ten thousand times a day, continuously for one thousand days – it sounds easy, but it's incredibly difficult to do.
Sometimes Hawk didn't even know how he managed to persevere.
Perhaps it was because he inherently had an unyielding personality?
Or perhaps, it was related to this being the Marvel Universe.
Hawk didn't know either.
But...
One thing was for sure.
"One day."
"Just one day left."
Once today was over, he could activate his cheat system tomorrow.
"Cosmo Training..."
"I wonder if it's the one I'm thinking of."
Hawk thought to himself.
In his memory, there was only one thing that could be linked to 'Cosmo Training.'
If it truly was what he was thinking of...
Then...
The future was promising!
According to the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus, everything is composed of atoms, and a miniature universe also exists within the human body.
That is, the Cosmo!
And cultivating the Cosmo means constantly stimulating one's vital energy, successfully activating the hidden Cosmo within one's body, continuously training to enhance one's Cosmo, and then burning one's Cosmo to gain combat power that transcends the laws of physics.
Hawk remembered an anime from his previous life that depicted the Cosmo.
The name of that anime was—
Saint Seiya!
Bronze Saints who mastered the first five senses and touched upon the Sixth Sense.
Silver Saints who comprehended the Sixth Sense and touched upon the Seventh Sense.
And Gold Saints who comprehended and fully mastered the Seventh Sense.
But above the Seventh Sense, there was also the Eighth Sense, and even the Ninth Sense...
Hawk's mind recalled fragmented scenes from Saint Seiya in his previous life.
The next second.
Hawk snapped back to reality, and as if thinking of something, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
He wasn't even sure if the Cosmo from his system was the one from his memories; why think so much?
Moreover...
He had no thoughts of punching Odin or kicking Zeus.
The most important point.
He had been transmigrated to this world for seventeen years, and even before he was fifteen, before his system came online, he had already mentally prepared himself to face this brutal world without any cheats.
So...
"Mindset is very important."
"The greater the expectation now, the greater the disappointment if it turns out not to be what I thought."
Hawk thought this, dispelling the distracting thoughts in his mind.
He wrung out his washed T-shirt and put it with his freshly washed pants into a plastic bag nearby.
Then, wrapping himself in a bath towel and drying his hair with a smaller towel, he pushed open the cubicle door.
Thud!
The shower room door was pushed open, and then a somewhat slender figure seemed to be shoved in from outside.
The slender figure stumbled a few steps, then landed on his backside, falling onto the tiled floor of the shower room.
"This is..."
"Peter?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow, looking at the original Spider-Man who had been shoved in from outside and was now sitting on the floor.
Peter also saw Hawk emerging from the shower room at that moment.
His expression was a little awkward.
Just as he was about to greet Hawk, who was in the same grade but whom he'd never really interacted with, laughter erupted from outside the door.
Immediately after, Flash Thompson, known by the nickname 'Flash,' also called the 'Midtown Bully,' a tall and well-built captain of the school's football team, walked in from outside, carrying a football and accompanied by his three laughing cronies.
The next second.
The laughter abruptly stopped.
Hawk, who had just stepped out of the cubicle, one hand wiping his wet hair, the other holding a plastic bag with his washed clothes, and his lower body wrapped in a bath towel, also fixed his gaze on Flash Thompson after the latter entered.
Flash Thompson was tall and well-built.
Hawk was no slouch either.
Hawk, who had continuously persevered for nine hundred and ninety-nine days, maintaining a daily routine of ten thousand punches, also possessed a body of lean, powerful muscles.
And these weren't like the muscles sculpted in gyms with technology and harsh training methods.
His arm lines were full of power, not an exaggerated bulkiness, but a refined look that contained explosive strength.
The bath towel was tied around his waist, creating a shallow indentation above his hip bones, further emphasizing his narrow waist and abdomen.
The outlines of his abdominal muscles were clearly visible, eight-pack abs neatly arranged, like meticulously carved armor.
Their eyes met.
The air seemed to solidify at that moment.
As everyone knew.
In American schools, there existed a very clear chain of contempt, or rather, bullying.
Logically speaking, Hawk, starting as an orphan with no parents, would, purely based on his family background, be in the bullied camp.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
It wasn't because he had previously dealt with the school bullies, making them aware that he was not someone to be trifled with.
The reason why the school bullies didn't bother him was also simple.
After all...
Whether judged by his looks or his physique, he, Hawk, would in no way be associated with the words 'easy to bully.'
Of course.
In these three years, the school bullies hadn't bothered him, and naturally, he had no intention of sticking up for others.
No one was anyone's savior.
This time was no different.
Hawk averted his gaze, took a clean T-shirt and pants from his backpack on the bench, put them on, then placed the plastic bag back into his backpack.
Slinging it over one shoulder, he walked towards Flash Thompson, who was standing at the shower room's entrance.
Flash Thompson frowned, watching Hawk walk up to him.
He knew Hawk.
After all, it would be hard not to know someone who had continuously punched ten thousand times every day in the corner of the gym for over two years.
But as for being familiar, not at all.
Hawk never participated in any gatherings or parties; although he was seen at school every day, it was as if Hawk lived in a parallel world by himself.
Flash Thompson watched Hawk stop in front of him.
"Haw—"
"Excuse me, please."
"..."
Flash Thompson instinctively moved aside.
His three cronies behind him originally wanted to say something, but the moment their eyes met Hawk's azure gaze, which seemed indifferent to everything, they also complied with their inner instinct and moved to the side.
"Thank you."
Hawk looked at Flash Thompson, who had moved aside, thanked him calmly, and then left the shower room without further ado.
Flash Thompson watched Hawk's disappearing back, frowning, lost in thought.
Just then.
The three cronies let out a cry of alarm.
"Holy crap."
"Boss, Peter ran off."
"What?"
Flash Thompson snapped back to attention, saw Peter Parker, who had slipped away behind Hawk when he wasn't looking, and immediately reacted, letting out a roar.
"Quick, chase him!"
"Nerd Parker, stop right there!"
"..."
(End of this chapter)
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