Having a single fish for dinner barely scratched the surface of Asta’s massive appetite.
I’m short because there’s barely any meat around here, not because of any other reason, Asta grumbled to himself mentally.
I’m definitely going to have to find some wild game out in the forest soon to get proper nutrition.
To actually feel full and support his muscle growth, he needed at least three pounds of beef or mutton, or ten large carp every single meal!
There’s still a long way to go.
Let me fix this food problem starting tomorrow!
After finishing dinner, Asta lay back on his bed.
He appeared to be asleep, but internally, he was focusing on molding his chakra.
Even though he couldn’t mold chakra into ninjutsu yet, building up his physical energy was essential.
Hage Village might be a peaceful border settlement on the surface, but unexpected danger could strike at any moment.
This wasn’t just a manga anymore—he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.
The next morning, long before dawn, Asta habitually threw off the warm covers.
It was still chilly at this time of year, and most kids his age would linger in bed as long as possible.
But after years of enduring Might Guy’s intense training discipline in his second life, Asta had developed the iron habit of springing up the instant his eyes opened.
“Today’s workload is going to be massive!”
As Asta got dressed, he organized his plans for the day.
Aside from being exhausted yesterday, another reason he had gone straight to sleep was the church’s living conditions.
The church housed several people, but only possessed two crude wooden bathtubs.
Usually, the boys and girls had to alternate days to bathe—generally only bathing on Wednesdays—meaning Asta couldn’t even soak in a proper hot bath to heal his aching muscles when he wanted to.
Renovating the church’s facilities had to be put on the agenda immediately.
The original Asta had never focused on actually changing the church’s environment—he just sent all his money back to the church, which Father Orsi simply hoarded away, saving it for his future marriage of all things.
What a joke!
With his superhuman physical abilities, Asta could easily improve their actual living conditions right now.
His goal for today was simple: first, catch a dozen large fish in the river to fill his stomach, then go into the forest to chop down timber.
He was going to build a brand-new, proper bathhouse with separate sections for boys and girls!
“Alright!
Let me do this!”
As Asta finished dressing, Yuno opened his eyes across the room.
His dark eyes flared with subtle surprise at Asta’s silent, composed efficiency, but he quickly closed them again without uttering a word.
What a stoic, repressed guy…
classic Sasuke type, Asta thought with a mental smirk.
But then he corrected himself—No, he might act a bit like him on the surface, but Yuno is completely different from Sasuke.
Even after learning the heavy truth about his lineage and his mother, he didn’t go down a dark path of revenge.
He stayed calm and handled it like a real crown prince—a true king.
Asta slipped out into the storeroom, grabbed an axe, a flint, and a thick coil of rope, and quietly left the church toward the river outside the village.
“Good morning, Asta!
Up early again today?” a villager cooking breakfast called out with a warm smile.
“Good morning!
Yeah, got a lot of work to do today!” Asta replied with a bright wave as he passed by.
The distance from the village entrance to the river stream was roughly three kilometers, and Asta handstand-walked the entire distance, making every moment count.
Arriving at the river bank, Asta sat down on the grass, his forearms throbbing and swollen from the intense handstand run.
Exercises targeting wrist and finger endurance were areas the original Asta had never explored, meaning he was opening up entirely new physical potential.
Asta pulled out a jar of soothing Healing Ointment and carefully applied the balm directly onto his swollen, aching forearms.
The ointment immediately went to work, absorbing through the skin to repair damaged muscle fibers and restore his vitality.
“Ah…
that’s the stuff!”
Asta gritted his teeth against the sharp initial burn.
Despite the sting, the relief was instant, and the swelling in his forearms visibly subsided.
This Healing Ointment is a lifesaver.
With this and my chakra, I can double my daily training load without tearing my muscles!
Satisfied, Asta set about making fishing tools.
He picked up a sharp, diamond-shaped stone by the riverbank, scraped the edge until it was razor-sharp, and securely bound it to his rope, creating an improvised stone kunai.