14. The phoenix does not perish; it only undergoes rebirth through fire! (Please keep reading!)

The next day.

Taking advantage of the fact that it was Saturday, Hawk arrived early at the apartment across from Queensbridge Park.

This was his new apartment.

Finding it hadn’t taken much time.

After all, finding a good apartment at a reasonable price was difficult, but cheap apartments were plentiful.

Still, even for a cheap apartment, landlords wouldn’t rent to a minor, especially one who couldn’t provide any guarantor.

However...

Once Hawk hurriedly explained that he had already petitioned the court for emancipation, the landlord finally relented.

So here he was, arriving early in the morning.

After the landlord saw the court confirmation of Hawk’s emancipation, he wasted no time and directly signed the lease agreement with Hawk. After Hawk paid six months’ rent upfront, the landlord handed him the keys and completed the handover.

Once the landlord left, Hawk closed the door behind him and looked around his new apartment.

The new apartment wasn’t large either.

To exaggerate, it resembled a box crushed under the weight of life.

Old carpet, chipped walls.

The living room was pitifully small; after placing a secondhand sofa and a folding dining table, there was barely room to turn around without caution.

The bedroom was the same — after fitting in the bed, there was no extra space left.

However...

Though small, it had all the essentials.

Most importantly, like his previous apartment, this new one had an emergency staircase outside the window that led directly to the rooftop terrace.

This was why Hawk had begged the landlord for time to handle the court emancipation issues.

Besides, a $700-a-month apartment — what did he expect?

Hawk spent two days cleaning and furnishing his new place.

“Furnishing” was a generous term — he simply bought a new mattress and replaced the old, yellowed showerhead in the bathroom.

He also opened the windows to air out the apartment for two days, finally dispelling the lingering smell of curry.

Of course...

Hawk hadn’t forgotten that at night, he went to his secret stash and brought back his prized spoils — the five Citadel weapons he had hidden away.

He wrapped them in the original sheets from the apartment’s bedroom and tucked them underneath the bed.

That evening...

Like before, Hawk bought a burger and a soda downstairs, then took the emergency staircase to the rooftop terrace of his new apartment.

After looking around, he found a relatively clean spot and sat down on the ground.

He ate his burger while gazing up at the stars hanging overhead.

As the stars twinkled in the night sky, the stars within Hawk’s small cosmos shimmered as well.

Hawk had already decided which bronze constellation to light up first.

Not Pegasus.

Not Cygnus.

Not Draco.

But Phoenix!

A constellation was not only the vessel of a Saint’s power but also the mark of their legacy.

Once a Saint awakened their cosmos and possessed their own constellation, they could inherit its attributes.

In Hawk’s view, among the forty-eight bronze constellations, none had attributes surpassing Phoenix.

Because Phoenix held a power even the Zodiac’s twelve signs lacked.

The phoenix does not die; it only undergoes rebirth.

If Draco’s core was “dragon’s ferocity” and “dragon’s protection,” then Phoenix’s core was “immortality” and “rebirth.”

Bad news:

Due to the core of Phoenix’s unique power, the conditions to become a Phoenix Saint were extremely harsh.

From the first Holy War, Athena’s plan for the eighty-eight constellations’ Saints never included Phoenix — it only appeared for the first time in the Saint Seiya chapter.

Good news:

This was not the Saint Seiya universe; here, Phoenix was not as aloof as in the Saint Seiya world.

As long as Hawk lit up the Phoenix constellation in his cosmos, he would immediately gain its core power.

The phoenix does not die; it only undergoes rebirth.

His life force would reach a terrifying level. Even if he were truly killed, he would not truly die. As long as the Phoenix constellation remained, he would be reborn from the ashes, returning stronger.

So...

Unless Hawk went insane, he wouldn’t leave the Phoenix constellation unlit to pick another.

After all, his fundamental goal hadn’t changed.

To survive, and if possible, to live comfortably and long.

Having confirmed his first constellation choice, Hawk no longer hesitated.

He summoned the twelve stars he had lit by defeating Citadel soldiers and began constructing the Phoenix constellation’s pattern within his cosmos.

Phoenix was formed by one second-magnitude star, two third-magnitude stars, and six fourth-magnitude stars.

The stars Hawk had lit from fighting Citadel soldiers were all the smallest fourth-magnitude stars.

Two fourth-magnitude stars combined to form one third-magnitude star; two third-magnitude stars combined to form one second-magnitude star.

So...

“Just two more stars to go.”

“Not bad.”

“Beautiful.”

Hawk sipped his drink, smiling as he gazed at the Phoenix constellation almost fully lit above his small cosmos, missing only two stars to be complete.

At that moment,

The faint images of the remaining forty-seven bronze constellations flickered in his cosmos.

For some reason,

Hawk suddenly sensed the grievances and complaints emanating from the other forty-seven bronze constellations.

But amid their voices was a phoenix’s cry, and after that, the flickering complaints of the forty-seven constellations faded away.

Uh...

Hawk blinked, looking at the Phoenix constellation above his cosmos.

The nearly complete Phoenix hovered proudly like a true majestic phoenix, gazing down upon the other forty-seven bronze constellations.

Clearly,

As Hawk’s first choice, the proud Phoenix was now even prouder facing the other forty-seven bronze constellations.

Just look.

Phoenix was truly the mightiest!

The corner of Hawk’s mouth twitched. After a moment’s thought, he didn’t linger but left his small cosmos and returned to his new apartment via the emergency staircase.

A little later,

Lying on his bed, Hawk hadn’t yet fallen asleep. With his eyes closed, he pondered once more about the Saint Cloth.

Lighting up Phoenix would grant him the constellation’s immortal core.

Forging the Phoenix Cloth and wearing it would allow him to wield Phoenix’s exclusive powers and skills.

For example...

The Phoenix Illusion Fist, which shatters the enemy’s spirit rather than their body.

The ability to invade an enemy’s mental world directly, using his own powerful spirit to tear their mental form apart.

And one more thing.

Transforming into a phoenix, unleashing a powerful burning airflow like the wings of a phoenix in flight, possessing the ultimate destructive power — the exclusive secret technique of the Phoenix constellation.

Phoenix Wings Soar!

...