The journey back home required Michael to take another taxi, which he didn't hesitate to pay for. Though he felt his body had gotten stronger since his awakening, it didn't mean he had to push himself unnecessarily. His home was nowhere close to the Supers Association. From his school to his house was a 30-minute walk, and with the Supers Association's location added in, it would take him at least an hour and a half to get home.
Now that he had money in his account and was soon going to receive much more, Michael didn't see any reason to be frugal.
While in the taxi, he sent his aunt a message letting her know he was done registering at the Supers Association and was on his way home. It was also around this time that a bank notification arrived, informing him that $15,000 had been transferred to his account.
'I'm rich! I'm rich!'
Though Michael had seen larger sums in his previous life, it was easy to forget that he was currently playing the role of an 18-year-old—something he had fully embraced.
Unlike earlier, when Aunt Mia had responded immediately, there was no quick reply this time, which didn't surprise Michael.
He had considered sending Aunt Mia a portion of the money he received, but knowing her, she would probably panic and it might affect her work. Since there was no need to rush, he decided to wait until she got back home.
Michael didn't have the taxi drop him directly at his house but rather at a mall near the community where his house was located.
He hadn't forgotten his aunt's request to buy something for himself and his cousin, though he decided to use the money he received from the government instead of the amount she had given him. When his aunt returned later in the evening, he planned to return her money, along with extra.
By the time Michael left the mall, he was carrying several bags. This round of shopping had cost him about $500. It might seem excessive to spend money like this, but Michael didn't regret it. For now, it was time for his family to enjoy life a little more. After all, what was the point of having money if not to spend it on oneself and loved ones?
Of course, Michael had a limit to how much he would spend. He didn't know much yet, but he suspected that the government didn't provide benefits to new Awakeners purely out of goodwill. He had a feeling that part of the money was meant to be a resource for growth.
'There's no need to overthink it. I'll understand better once I check the emails from the Supers Association.'
By the time Michael finally got home, the sun had already set. The Awakening ceremony had been held at 12:30 in the afternoon, and now it was a little past 4 p.m.
'Lily will be back from school soon. Let me use this time to get things in order.'
And Michael did just that. He put the food products in their respective places and organised the rest of his purchases accordingly.
'Ah, I'm so tired!'
By the time Michael was done, he was famished. He had only had a light breakfast that morning, so he decided to cook something for himself using some of the ingredients he had bought from the mall. Meat was on the menu, too!
Thanks to living with an aunt who was a chef, Michael's cooking skills weren't bad at all. He made rice and fried meat, and just as he finished, his cousin, Lily, arrived home.
Lily, like her mom, had blonde hair blue eyes, and a short stature. Michael, on the other hand, stood out in their family with his black hair, green eyes, and tall build. It wasn't surprising to the family of three, as they knew he wasn't an immediate relative, but it often puzzled outsiders who assumed they were directly related—at least until they heard their different surnames.
"Good evening, Brother Michael!" Lily greeted as she poked her head through the kitchen door.
"What are you cooking? Is that meat? It smells so good!" Watching his cousin drool, Michael smiled helplessly.
"Go wash up first before you think of eating. I'll serve you a plate in the meantime."
"Okay, Brother Michael!" The foodie immediately turned to leave without saying anything else. However, she came back a few seconds later and stared at Michael hesitantly.
"What happened?" Michael asked, confused.
"Brother Michael," Lily began, her hands behind her back and her head lowered, "how was the Awakening ceremony?"
"Oh, so that's what this is about."
Michael sighed at how similar the mother-daughter duo was. They didn't want to hurt his feelings, yet they didn't pretend to ignore them.
Lily heard Michael sigh and thought it was because he had failed to awaken.
"Don't be too sad, Brother Michael. Even if you fail to awaken, it's not like the world has ended. I believe you can also become a powerful Cultivator and enter those mysterious realms, even if you can't access the Land of Origin! The future is still bright!"
Michael was speechless when he heard this.
'When did I say I failed to awaken? What's going on in this 15-year-old's mind?'
However, soon Michael burst into laughter, clearly amused.
Lily was stunned when she saw Michael laugh until tears formed in his eyes. She wondered if he had gone mad from sadness. Maybe that explained why he had been so unusually calm earlier.
Michael couldn't bear to see the increasingly worried look on his cousin's face, so he addressed her.
"Who said I failed to awaken, silly? Why do you think we're having meat if there wasn't a special occasion?"
"Huh?"
Michael then gave her a brief summary of the events that happened that afternoon. He didn't go into much detail about the Supers Association but did mention the money.
"Wow! Brother Michael, you're rich!"
"What are you thinking? Stop looking at me like that!"
"Brother Michael~"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"Give me some money~"
Michael spent some time getting his sister's focus off his account balance with a few promises. Watching her hum and skip away in happiness, a gentle smile appeared on his face.
Though it seemed like she was more excited about the money, he knew she was genuinely happy about his successful awakening.
Michael took a deep breath and steeled himself before carrying a plate of food to his room.
He had delayed for long enough; it was time to finally learn more about this Awakening business.