The interior of the Supers Association branch buzzed with activity, catching Michael off guard. From outside, the building seemed quiet, so he expected it to be the same, but to his surprise, it wasn't. The space was crowded, and most of the people appeared quite young.
It didn't take Michael much long to figure out why. These people were likely new Awakeners, just like him. With only two Supers Association branches in Woodstone City, it made sense that many Awakeners would gather here despite their rarity. Today marked the nationwide Awakening ceremony, and most of the young people in the Supers Association building were likely the new Awakeners from Woodstone City.
By the end of today, the influx of new Awakeners registering would likely rapidly taper off, leaving the next two days much quieter.
Michael scanned around and made a quick estimate that there were at least thirty students present—a considerable number, given all came from just the nine public and private schools across Woodstone City.
As he observed the bustling crowd, Michael joined behind one of the shorter lines leading to a reception table.
Though uncertain about what lay ahead, seeing the presence of others around his age—likely fellow New Awakeners—gave him a rough idea.
Fortunately, the wait wasn't too long. After waiting for twenty-eight minutes, Michael now stood at the front, with just one person ahead of him. Behind him, the queue had grown as more people continued to join the line.
As Michael stood waiting, his phone in his pocket vibrated. He fished it out and saw a new notification:
[$300 has been transferred to your account 27******78, XXXX Bank International, from Mia Grace! Your current account balance is $461!]
Michael's eyes widened. 'Three hundred dollars? That's quite a lot!'
He felt a pang of discomfort along with surprise seeing just how much money his aunt had sent. His aunt Mia's monthly salary was only about $3,000, excluding occasional bonuses, which was modest by any standard. Sending him a tenth of her income was no small gesture, especially considering it was mid-June and Mia's salary typically arrived at the beginning of the month, this $300 could very well be a quarter of what she had left for the month.
Even back on Earth, $3,000 wasn't much if you had a family to live with. The $161 balance he had earlier was the remainder of his $300 monthly allowance Aunt Mia gave him.
Though Michael was concerned, he couldn't help but feel a warm sensation enveloping his chest and a surge of determination filled him. He was truly loved in this world—something he had rarely experienced back on Earth. There, he had faced his battle with cancer alone, with no one to support him.
As he thought of his family, Michael secretly clenched his fist and made a silent vow to transform their lives and take care of them.
However, a wave of uncertainty crept into his mind.
'Is becoming an Awakener truly life-changing for the average person as everyone believes?'
To be honest, everyone had been raised to believe that becoming an Awakener was a guaranteed one-way ticket to the top, but the specifics were elusive. Beyond the promise of power, the exact reasons and ways it transformed a life remained shrouded in mystery for most.
Still, one thing was clear: power brought wealth. And for someone like Michael, who had barely lived his adult years, was well aware of it.
While various thoughts consumed his mind, Michael didn't realize that it was his turn until the receptionist's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Good day, sir. What can I do for you?"
The receptionist, a composed woman in her late twenties, greeted him with a professional smile.
Her calm demeanor eased Michael's troubled mind a little, allowing him to reply calmly, "I'm here to register."
"As?" the lady inquired, her gaze flickering briefly at his school uniform.
Usually, there were only two types of students who came to register: new Awakeners or those talented enough to reach Rank One as Cultivators while still in school. Today was the National Awakening Ceremony day, but she preferred not to jump to a conclusion right away.
"Yes, I'm here to register as an Awakener," Michael confirmed.
"Oh, I see," the lady replied, not surprised by his response.
After confirming his purpose, she proceeded to ask Michael a series of questions. Most were about his personal details, like his name, age, and address. She even asked for his bank account number for some reason, which Michael provided without hesitation. Thankfully, the process was quicker and surprisingly straightforward than he had expected.
"Aren't you going to ask about my class?" Michael asked, curious.
"There's no need for that, Mr. Michael. Your school will send us that information directly," the lady replied in her signature smile.
"Ah, I see," Michael said and nodded in understanding. 'I thought she might have forgotten to ask, but it makes total sense. Even if the Supers Association had a way to verify one's class, doing so for every new registrant would take quite some time, rendering the registration impractical.'
After pressing his fingerprint against the tool the lady provided and signing his name on a freshly printed document, she addressed him again, this time her tone shifting to a more formal one.
"Congratulations on your awakening, Mr. Michael."
"As of today, you are officially a proud warrior of the Federation, the people, and the Aurora Realm. As a newly awakened member of the Federation, a set of military cultivation techniques and martial techniques will be sent to your email. You will also receive a link to a specially designed platform for supernaturals. Your password will be your full name written in all caps, followed by this year's number, '228,' with no spaces in between."
"You can customise it however you like after logging in."
She paused briefly before continuing, her voice steady but firm. "Also, as a new Awakener, you are eligible for a monthly payment of $15,000. However, this amount will be halved if you fail to reach Rank One within six months and revoked if you fail to achieve Rank Two within a year. Of course, on the bright side, the monthly payment will also increase as you advance."
Michael was a little overwhelmed by the sudden flood of information, but one detail immediately caught his attention: money!
It wasn't just the money; but the other benefits that came with it, too!
Though the conditions seemed strict, it didn't change the fact that he was soon going to have a significant income.
Michael's heart raced slightly, but before he could sink deeper into his thoughts, the lady behind the counter spoke again.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask about, Mr. Michael?"
He was about to reflexively say 'no,' since he had grasped most of what she explained. But then someone occurred to him. Feeling suddenly bashful, his face reddened as inquired in a low tone, "When will the monthly benefit arrive, miss?"
"Ah," the lady was visibly taken aback, but after regaining her composure, her smile grew even brighter, a glint of amusement in her eyes. She seemed to be struggling to suppress a laugh and her reaction only deepened Michael's embarrassment, but thankfully, she didn't dwell on it.
"It should arrive within an hour at most, sir," she replied.
Michael nodded slightly, muttering a quick thank-you to the woman before quickly hurrying his way out of the Supers Association building. Though he didn't regret asking about the money, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had come across as a bit too eager about the money than anything else—which, if he were honest, wasn't far from the truth.
'Anyway, with this, the house shouldn't be low on funds for a few months. Aunt won't have to work so hard, and she and Lily can finally take better care of themselves.'
The thought filled Michael with joy, though he didn't let this happiness carry him away. He knew nothing in this world came free. Even as an Awakener, the Federation wouldn't just hand out money without expecting something in return.
'Though it seems complicated, according to that lady, all I have to do to keep the benefits—and even increase them—is to get stronger.'
Michael clenched his fist, determination surging through him. He now had a clear goal: to grow stronger quickly and make life better for himself and his family. Successfully awakening was just the beginning of the journey and there was much more that was to come.
But before anything else, he needed to get home and dig into the information the Supers Association would send. There was still so much to learn about being an Awakener.