The next morning, Michael woke up feeling refreshed. Although his mind felt clearer after Awakening, the mental exhaustion wasn't that easy to be shaken off.
Fortunately, a good night's sleep had worked wonders.
Not quite ready to get up from his bed, Michael sat on the edge, as his thoughts drifted back to the events of the previous day.
'It's amazing how quickly life can change,' Michael mused, a smile tugging his lips. Yesterday had been a turning point, and he couldn't have asked for a better outcome.
And the best part was yet to come.
'Today's the day I enter the Land of Origin! I wonder what I'll encounter!' Excitement bubbled up as he imagined the possibilities that waited for him in the new day ahead.
After shaking off the last traces of drowsiness, Michael stood and pulled open the window shades, letting the morning light flood in, brightening and invigorating the room.
'It's quite bright. What time is it now?'
He grabbed his phone from the desk and glanced at the screen. It was just past 8 a.m.
He really had gotten a good night's sleep.
'Aunt Mia has probably gone to work by now and Lily should also be at school.'
With that thought, Michael left his room to confirm if anyone else was still in the house. As expected, it was just him.
Although the delivery from the Supers Association wasn't due until noon, there was a chance that it might arrive early, so Michael decided to freshen up and wait. And he didn't want to leave the apartment without being prepared.
Besides, once he received his order, he planned to enter the Land of Origin immediately. He really couldn't wait any longer.
Since he had some time, Michael decided to clean up the house to pass the time.
'My classmates would probably never believe that even an Awakener still has to clean,' Michael thought, amused.
Awakeners were celebrities of sorts, even though little was known about them except through a few clips of them in action. Just like celebrities back on Earth, there were some overzealous fans who probably couldn't imagine their favourite person doing something as mundane as using the toilet.
While a few mischievous thoughts crossed his mind, a chuckle escaped Michael's lips as he happily cleaned up whatever he could around the house.
After finishing his chores, Michael brushed his teeth, showered, and got dressed. Since the delivery still hadn't arrived, he reheated some leftover rice from the previous day and ate it while browsing the Supers Association forum on his phone.
Never in either of Michael's lives had he been so invested in studying. It was understandable though—while the information was somewhat complicated it was fascinating, it felt like it had been pulled straight from a fantasy novel. It was worlds apart and far more immersive than the academic subjects he had to endure.
Time passed quickly, and a little over 11 a.m., his phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number.
Curious but a bit wary, Michael answered.
"Is this Mr. Norman?" a voice came through. Hearing the question, Michael immediately guessed who was on the other end.
"Yes, I am," Michael replied, already standing up.
"Great. Mr. Norman, I'm here with your delivery. I'm currently in front of your apartment building, but I am not sure which floor you live on."
"Don't worry, I'll meet you downstairs. Please wait for me," Michael said, already stepping out of his apartment and locking the door behind him.
Perhaps because the apartment building was old, or because the landlord was too cheap, there was no elevator—residents had to use the stairs to reach their floors. While it was inconvenient, it was probably for the best, because if there was an elevator, the rent would have likely been higher, resulting in it not being as affordable to the many residents living in the building right now.
Luckily, Michael's apartment was on the second floor, so it didn't take him long to meet the delivery man from the Supers Association.
As Michael approached, he couldn't help but be momentarily taken aback by the man's appearance.
The delivery man, who seemed to be in his late thirties, had an imposing physique. But what truly caught Michael's attention was the man's right hand—or rather, the mechanical limb that had replaced his right hand.
In this world, advanced technology has made the loss of a limb a manageable inconvenience, enough that losing a limb isn't considered a serious issue anymore. One could easily get a mechanical replacement that functioned almost like the real thing, except for lacking a sense of touch—and, of course, being expensive.
However, most people with such mechanical limbs also purchased artificial skin to cover them, which was both realistic and far cheaper than the limb itself.
There were generally only two types of people who went without artificial skin covering on their mechanical limbs: those who couldn't afford it and those with a particular sense of style.
Judging by the delivery man's choice of clothing that deliberately exposed his mechanical arm, he likely fell into the latter category.
However, Michael couldn't deny that the man had pulled it off well. The exposed mechanical limb looked quite cool, giving him a rugged, almost heroic look.
"Are you Mr. Norman?" the delivery man politely asked as he saw Michael approaching.
"Yes, I am. I assume you have my order?" Michael replied, also nodding in response to the delivery man's partner's greeting, who remained seated in the van.
After confirming Michael's identity, the delivery man quickly began unloading Michael's order. There were quite a few packages, and Michael knew that even with the improved stats granted by his awakening, lugging everything upstairs to his apartment would be a challenge. To his relief, the delivery man with the mechanical arm offered to help, which Michael greatly appreciated.
Once everyone was inside his apartment, Michael stood in the living room, staring at the pile of packages on the floor with a mix of excitement and dread.
"Four thousand dollars! Four thousand dollars!" Every time he muttered how much he had spent to buy them, it felt like a knife was stabbing into his heart. Yet his hands moved eagerly, tearing open the boxes.
Michael hadn't splurged recklessly while placing his orders from the Supers Association store just because he had some money in his account. He had carefully followed the recommended list of essentials for first-time entrants to the Land of Origin, selecting only those that suited his needs.
Half an hour later, Michael had opened every delivery package and placed their contents neatly in the spatial inventory of his Mark of Origin.
As a new Awakener, the spatial storage in Michael's mark wasn't particularly large, but it was more than enough for his current requirements.
He didn't bother changing into the leather armour he had bought or equipping the weapons he had purchased. According to the forum, anything worn or held by the Awakener wouldn't follow them into the Land of Origin. Only items that were stored within the Mark of Origin would make the journey, so everything Michael thought he needed was already stored there.
Taking several deep breaths, Michael made his way into his room, feeling anticipation, excitement, and a bit of nervousness. According to the forum, connecting one's consciousness with the Land of Origin meant leaving it behind in the real world, so his body had to be placed in a suitable position before leaving.
And so, Michael decided that lying down on his bed was the safest option.
'Let's do this!'
He concentrated on the mark on his hand, trying to connect his consciousness with the Land of Origin. Since it was his first time, it wasn't easy, but thankfully, the Land of Origin was an innate part of every Awakener. It didn't take long for him to finally succeed.
Michael's right hand, which was raised in the real world, slowly fell as his body began to softly snore.