The next day.
Taking advantage of Saturday, Hawk arrived early at the apartment across from Queensboro Bridge Park.
His new apartment is here.
Finding it didn't take much time.
After all, it's hard to find a cost-effective apartment, but there are plenty of cheap ones.
Even a cheap apartment wouldn't be rented to a minor, especially when he couldn't provide any guarantor.
However...
When Hawk quickly explained he had applied for independence through the court, the landlord finally relented.
And so, Hawk came first thing in the morning.
After seeing Hawk's confirmation of independence from the court, the landlord didn't say much. He directly signed the lease agreement with Hawk and, after Hawk paid six months' rent upfront, handed him the apartment keys, completing the transition.
After the landlord left, Hawk closed the door and looked at his new apartment.
The size of the new apartment is similarly small.
To speak in exaggeration, it resembled a box flattened by life.
Worn-out carpet, mottled walls.
The living room was pathetically small; after placing a second-hand sofa and folding dining table, one had to turn cautiously.
The bedroom was similarly cramped; after placing a bed, there wasn't any extra space left.
However...
Despite its size, it has everything within.
Most importantly.
This new apartment, like his previous one, had a fire escape ladder outside the window leading directly to the rooftop terrace.
This was the reason Hawk asked the landlord for time to handle his court independence affairs.
Also.
An apartment for seven hundred US dollars a month, what more could one ask?
Hawk spent two days cleaning and reorganizing his new apartment.
Reorganizing basically just meant buying a new mattress and replacing the showerhead in the bathroom, which looked quite worn-out and even slightly yellowed.
He opened the windows to let the apartment air out for two days to disperse the curry smell lingering in the room.
Certainly.
Hawk didn't forget, and during the night, he went to his secret stash to retrieve his spoils, the five Chitauri weapons, and brought them back.
Using the bedsheets that originally came with the apartment bedroom, he wrapped them up and threw them under the bed.
Come evening.
Just like in the previous apartment, Hawk bought a burger and a cola downstairs, and using the escape ladder, arrived at the new apartment's rooftop, surveyed the surroundings, found a clean spot, and sat down.
While eating the burger in hand, he gazed at the stars overhead.
With a few stars twinkling in the night sky, the stars in Hawk's Little Cosmos were also sparkling.
Hawk had already decided which Bronze constellation he would illuminate first.
Not Pegasus.
Not White Bird.
Nor Celestial Dragon.
But—
Phoenix!
Constellations are not only vessels of Saint Warrior powers but also imprints of inheritance.
A Saint Warrior who awakens their Little Cosmos can inherit the properties of their respective constellation.
And to Hawk, among the forty-eight Bronze constellations, none have attributes surpassing the Phoenix's.
Because the Phoenix has an attribute even the Zodiac lacks.
Phoenix Undying, only Nirvana.
If the core of the Dragon is 'Dragon's Ferocity' and 'Dragon's Guardian', then the Phoenix's core is 'Immortal' and 'Nirvana'.
The bad news.
Due to the Phoenix BUG core, the conditions to become a Phoenix Saint Warrior are overly harsh.
In memory, since the first Holy War, Athena planned for eighty-eight constellations of Saint Warriors, and Phoenix never appeared until the SS arc.
The good news.
This isn't the Saint Warriors Cosmos, so the Phoenix here isn't as aloof as the Phoenix in the Saint Warriors Cosmos.
As long as he illuminates the Phoenix Constellation Map in his Little Cosmos one second, he can possess the Phoenix core the next.
Phoenix Undying, only Nirvana.
His life force would reach a terrifying level; even if someone killed him, he wouldn't truly die. As long as the Phoenix exists, he would undergo nirvana and return in a blaze of glory.
So...
Unless Hawk went mad, he'd never pass up illuminating the Phoenix Constellation Map to activate other constellations.
After all, his original intention had never changed.
To live, if possible, a comfortable and prolonged life.
Once deciding on his first constellation, Hawk didn't hesitate. He harnessed the twelve stars in his Little Cosmos illuminated by defeating the Chitauri, and began constructing the Phoenix Constellation Map according to its form in his Little Cosmos.
The Phoenix consists of one second-magnitude star, two third-magnitude stars, and six fourth-magnitude stars.
When Hawk defeated the Chitauri soldiers, the stars he illuminated in the Little Cosmos were the smallest fourth-magnitude stars.
Two fourth-magnitude stars combine to form a third-magnitude star, two third-magnitude stars combine to form a second-magnitude star.
So...
"Two more to go."
"Not bad."
"Beautiful."
Hawk, smiling, drank his drink while gazing at the Phoenix Constellation Map already partially illuminated in his Little Cosmos, just two stars short of completion.
At that moment.
The remaining forty-seven Bronze constellations' shadows flickered in his Little Cosmos.
For reasons unknown.
Hawk suddenly felt some resentment in the accusing voices from the other forty-seven Bronze constellations.
Yet among these forty-seven voices' accusations, a Phoenix cry was also heard, after which the flashing accusations of the forty-seven Bronze constellations disappeared.
Uh...
Hawk blinked, looking at the Phoenix Constellation Map in his Little Cosmos.
The illuminated Phoenix resembled a proud phoenix, suspended above, overlooking the other forty-seven Bronze constellations.
Clearly.
As Hawk's first choice of constellation, the proud Phoenix faced the other forty-seven Bronze constellations with even greater pride at this moment.
Look.
Phoenix is the coolest!
Hawk's mouth twitched, he thought for a moment, didn't linger, and left his Little Cosmos directly, returning to his new apartment via the escape ladder.
After a while.
Lying on the bed, Hawk, taking advantage of not being sleepy yet, closed his eyes and pondered the matter of Holy Armor once more.
Illuminating Phoenix allows him to obtain the Phoenix's immortal core.
And forging the Phoenix Holy Armor, once worn, can grant him the constellation's unique power and skills.
For instance...
The Phoenix Illusion Demon Fist that shatters enemies' spirits instead of their bodies.
A direct invasion of the enemy's spiritual world, disassembling the spiritual body with great spiritual power.
And then.
Transforming into a phoenix and unleashing a powerful scorching airflow like the phoenix spreading its wings, wielding ultimate destructive power, the unique secret of the Phoenix.
Phoenix Wing Flight!
...