The journey back home needed Michael to take another taxi, and he didn't hesitate to pay for it. While he felt like his body had gotten stronger since his awakening, it didn't mean he had to push himself unnecessarily.
His house was nowhere near the Supers Association, and the trip from his school alone was a 30-minute walk. Adding the Supers Association's location to the mix, the total journey would have taken him at least an hour and a half if he walked back home.
Now that he had money in his account—and was soon going to receive much more—Michael saw no reason to be frugal.
After settling into the taxi, he sent his aunt a message to let her know he had completed his registration at the Supers Association and was on his way home. It was also around this time that a bank notification popped up, informing him that $15,000 had been transferred to his account.
'I'm rich! I'm rich!'
Although Michael had seen larger sums in his previous life, it was easy to forget that he was now an 18-year-old—a role 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 her a portion of the money he received but decided against it. 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.
Instead of being dropped off directly at his house, Michael asked the driver to stop at a mall near his community.
He hadn't forgotten Aunt Mia's request to buy something for himself and his cousin. However, he decided to use the money he had received from the government rather than the money she had sent him a while ago. When his aunt returned later in the evening, he planned to return her money, along with a little extra.
By the time he left the mall, Michael was laden with several shopping bags. This round of shopping had cost him about $500 and although it might seem excessive to spend money like this, Michael didn't regret it in the slightest. For now, it was time for his family to enjoy life a little more. After all, what was the point of having money if one could not spend it on themself and their loved ones?
Of course, Michael kept a mental limit on his spending. He didn't know much about the government's motivations yet, but he suspected that the generous benefits provided to the new Awakeners weren't purely out of goodwill. He had a feeling that part of the money was likely intended to be used as a resource for growth.
'There's no need to overthink it.' He thought. 'I'll understand better once I check the emails from the Supers Association.'
By the time Michael reached home, the sun had already set. The Awakening ceremony was held at 12:30 p.m., and now it was a little past 4 p.m.
'Lily will be back from school soon. I should use this time to get things in order.'
And with that, Michael got to work. 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 finished, hunger gnawed at him. He had only had a light breakfast that morning, so he decided to cook a hearty meal for himself using some of the fresh ingredients he had bought from the mall. The meat was definitely on the menu!
Thanks to living with an aunt who was a talented chef, Michael had picked up some decent cooking skills over the years. He prepared rice and fried meat, finishing just as his cousin, Lily, arrived home.
Lily, much like her mother, had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a petite frame. In contrast, Michael stood out in their family with his black hair, green eyes, and tall build. It wasn't surprising to the family of three since they knew he wasn't a direct relative. Outsiders, however, would often get puzzled and assume otherwise—at least until they noticed the differences in their surnames.
"Good evening, big brother!" Lily chirped, poking her head through the kitchen door.
"What are you cooking? Is that meat? It smells so amazing!" Her wide eyes and the faint drool made Michael chuckle helplessly.
"Go wash up first before thinking about eating. I'll have a place ready for you by then."
"Okay, big brother!" The foodie immediately spun around to leave without saying anything else but stopped a second later. Hesitating, she turned back to him, his gaze unsure.
"What happened?" Michael asked, confused.
"Big brother," Lily began softly, her hands clasped behind her back and her head lowered, "how was the Awakening ceremony?"
"Oh, so that's what this is about," Michael murmured, recognizing her timidness.
He couldn't help but let out a sigh thinking how similar the mother-daughter duo was. Lily's worry mirrored her mother. Neither of them wanted to hurt his feelings but couldn't bring themselves to ignore them either.
Hearing Michel let out a sigh, bitterness gripped Lily's heart as she thought he had failed to awaken.
"Don't be too upset, big brother. Even if you didn't awaken, it's not the end of the world! I believe you can still become a powerful Cultivator and explore those mysterious realms, even if you can't access the Land of Origin. Your future is still bright!"
Michael blinked, momentarily turned speechless upon hearing her words.
'When did I say I failed to awaken? What's going on in this 15-year-old's mind?'
Her earnest attempt to comfort him was so unexpected that Michael burst into laughter until tears welled in his eyes.
Lily was stunned, watching in growing alarm. Has the sadness driven him mad? Maybe that explained why he had been so unusually calm earlier.
Noticing her worried expression, Michael couldn't bear to see the look on his cousin's face and waved her concerns away.
"Who said I failed to awaken, silly? Why do you think we're having meat if there isn't something to celebrate?"
"Wait…what?" Lily gaped.
Michael then quickly gave her a summary of the events that happened that afternoon, omitting some details about the Supers Association but mentioning the money he had received.
"Wow! Big brother, you're rich now!"
"What are you thinking? Stop looking at me like that!"
"Big brother~"
"Hey, hey, hey!"
"Give me some money~"
It took several promises to redirect her focus off his account, but eventually, Lily skipped away, humming with delight. Watching her retreat in excitement, 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.
After taking a deep breath and steeling himself, Michael carried a plate of food to his room.
He had delayed for long enough. It was time to finally dive deeper into the mysteries of this Awakening business.