"Don't just stand there! Get to skinning and butchering! This beast should be enough to feed the whole village for several days!"
Houma called out energetically.
"Uh… right."
A nearby villager instinctively turned to fetch tools for butchering, but as soon as he did, something felt off , wait a second! Was that really the most important part of what just happened?
"Asta-nii is a hero!"
A little blond boy suddenly gathered the courage to shout. His voice ignited a wave of emotion through the crowd.
"That's right! Asta's a hero, he saved the future of our entire village!"
Another villager echoed loudly. Even some of those who used to badmouth Asta started feeling ashamed. Who would've thought that the boy they once used as the poster child of failure… would be the one to save them all today?
"Haha, it was just a wild boar. No need to fuss over it."
Houma waved it off casually. Then he looked toward the priest and grinned, "Father, don't forget to slice off some extra meat for everyone at the church!"
Before the villagers could swarm him in celebration, Houma bolted straight toward the mountains.
After all, youth waits for no one , and with his golden finger, he had the power to multiply his effort a hundredfold!
"No problem!"
The priest beamed, watching Asta run off. This kid was starting to look more and more pleasing to the eye , like a husky that finally stopped tearing up the house. And those blazing eyes of his… maybe he did have some real fire in him after all.
[System Notification: Host has slain a standard wild boar. Gained 5 Points!]
"Five points?!"
Houma's eyes lit up. He glanced toward the dense forest in the distance with a sharp glint. Hunting boars? Not only could he eat well , he could rack up points too!
"Open the shop!"
He pulled up the system store. All the Naruto gear was still way too expensive, so he settled for four healing potions and ten kunai.
"Long time no see, old friend."
Houma gently traced a kunai's sharp edge. His gaze sharpened. He casually tossed it at an angle , it spun through the air with a whoosh, embedding itself deep in a nearby tree trunk. A venomous spider, about the size of a clenched fist, was blown to bits by the force.
"I need to speed up my training. I have to reach the level where I can unlock [The Gate of Opening] before March."
Houma arrived at the now-familiar demon skull cave. His cultivation path was clear: physical training and chakra accumulation , twin engines, galloping side by side. Once he truly picked up momentum, he would become unstoppable.
As for magic? Too elusive and unreliable. For now, he'd put it aside. Still, he'd keep drinking that disgustingly bitter leaf juice. Who knows , maybe one day it'd trigger a miracle. What mattered most was that he'd never bow to fate.
"Alright, today's training menu:
600 thumb push-ups,
500 index finger push-ups,
400 middle finger push-ups,
300 ring finger push-ups,
200 pinky push-ups!"
Houma flipped over into a clean handstand, resting on just his thumb. His body stayed straight as a spear. Every bend of his arm transferred the full weight of his body through that single thumb. Thanks to yesterday's adjustment period, the pain wasn't nearly as bad anymore.
Plip. Plap.
Sweat of youth rained down in sheets.
Outside the skull cave, footsteps echoed , hesitant, but determined.
"How long is this kid going to loiter out there? At this rate, he'll never finish today's regimen."
Houma muttered. He'd already crafted a detailed and realistic training plan based on Nash's physical condition. Now it was just a matter of whether Nash had the hunger , the desire , to chase after his youth.
"Asta, I'm here!"
Nash finally summoned the courage and stepped into the cave. He knew the moment he crossed that threshold, his life was about to change forever.
"Good. Just like me, start with ten handstand push-ups."
Houma instructed without missing a beat.
"What?!"
Nash was stunned. That was impossible! In a world ruled by magic, physical training had long been neglected. Even elite mages in the Magic Knights probably couldn't do ten handstand push-ups!
"If you really want to break out of your shell, then show me your grit. Show me your sweat. Otherwise, just keep dreaming."
Houma barked coldly.
"Fine!"
Gritting his teeth, Nash began trying. Again and again, he attempted to balance upside down , only to fall flat on his back each time. It just didn't seem like something an ordinary person could do!
"You can use the cave wall to support yourself. Lean into it, bit by bit, and find your balance. Once you've got that, then start the reps. You have one hour. If you can't even complete this challenge… then go crawl back into your shell and keep letting fate walk all over you."
Houma's voice was cold, unrelenting.
"I will not accept fate!"
Nash remembered Houma's words from the day before:
"Even if it costs me my life, I'll leave behind proof that I lived as a man!"
That line lit his blood on fire. He too wanted to leave behind proof of his manhood!
"Seven…
Eight…
Nine…"
"Just one more!"
Half an hour later, Nash was trembling like a newborn calf. His arms shook as he struggled to complete the tenth push-up. His eyes were bloodshot from being upside-down, salty sweat dripping into them and stinging like acid , but he couldn't quit!
Because…
He…
Was a man with resolve!