The rain from the previous night had washed over Hage Village, leaving the fields damp and cool in the morning. The grass around the church still carried small drops of water, and the dirt path leading toward the forest was darker from the moisture.
After breakfast, the children of the church ran outside like usual.
Some chased each other through the grass. Others argued over a worn cloth ball. Laughter filled the yard while Sister Lily watched them from near the entrance of the church.
Asta wandered toward the edge of the field.
He wasn't planning to go far. The small breakfast of bread and soup had disappeared from his stomach almost immediately, and the familiar hunger had already returned.
His body needed more food now.
Over the past week he had confirmed something important.
Every day he trained.
Every night he slept.
And every morning his body improved slightly.
At first he thought it was just normal progress, but after several days the pattern became clear.
Recovery happened too quickly.
Faster than it should.
Asta looked at his hands while flexing his fingers.
"…So it really is something like a cheat."
It wasn't a magical system or anything dramatic.
Just a simple effect.
Train during the day.
Sleep at night.
Wake up a little stronger.
A body that adapted faster than normal.
Asta quietly gave the ability a name in his head.
Limit-Break Physique.
It fit perfectly.
But that ability had a cost.
The more he trained, the hungrier he became.
Which meant he needed to find more food.
As he walked closer to the forest, a voice called out.
"Asta."
He turned around.
Sister Lily stood near the church steps with her arms folded gently.
"Don't go too deep into the forest," she said. "The outer edge is fine, but stay where we can still see you."
Asta nodded quickly.
"Okay, Sister!"
That was enough for her. She returned to watching the other children while Asta continued toward the trees.
---
The forest near the village was quiet.
Asta didn't go very far inside. The outer area still had plenty of sunlight, and villagers sometimes gathered things like berries or firewood there.
The rain from the night before had helped new plants grow.
Near the base of a tree, Asta spotted several mushrooms pushing through the damp soil.
He crouched down and examined them carefully.
Back in his previous life he had studied agriculture and spent time around farms. While he wasn't an expert in wild plants, he knew that mushrooms often appeared after rain.
These looked harmless.
Still, he only picked a few.
Better to be cautious.
A little farther away he found a bush covered in small red berries. He picked one and tasted it carefully.
Sweet.
Not amazing, but good enough.
He gathered a handful and ate them slowly.
The small snack helped calm the worst of the hunger.
As he continued walking, he looked up into the trees.
Birds chirped among the branches.
And then he spotted it.
A small nest hidden between two branches.
Inside were several tiny eggs.
Asta blinked.
"…Well, that's convenient."
He looked around the forest floor.
The tree wasn't very tall.
After testing the bark for grip, he began climbing carefully.
His body was still small, but the past week of training had made him slightly stronger and more stable.
He slowly reached the branch where the nest rested.
Inside were four small eggs.
Asta carefully picked up two of them.
"Sorry," he muttered quietly to the birds.
He left the other two behind before climbing back down.
Eggs meant protein.
Protein meant better recovery.
And better recovery meant better training.
---
A little later, Asta returned to the open field near the giant skull.
The massive bone structure sat silently in the grass, just like always. The area around it had become his training ground.
But first…
Food.
Asta gathered a few dry sticks and small branches scattered around the field. The rain had passed during the night, so some of the wood under the skull was still dry.
After collecting enough sticks, he arranged them into a small pile.
Starting a fire wasn't easy without tools, but after several tries he managed to create a small flame by striking stones together and feeding the sparks into dry grass.
Soon a small fire crackled quietly beneath the skull.
Asta placed a flat stone near the flames.
He cracked the bird eggs carefully and let them cook on the warm surface. Then he placed the mushrooms beside them.
The smell wasn't amazing.
There was no salt.
No seasoning.
Nothing fancy.
But when the eggs turned solid and the mushrooms softened from the heat, Asta didn't hesitate.
He ate everything quickly.
The food was simple and plain, but to his hungry body it felt perfect.
Warm.
Filling.
Exactly what he needed.
Asta wiped his hands on the grass and stood up.
Now he could train.
---
He started with running.
The damp grass made the ground slightly slippery, but he kept a steady pace around the skull.
His breathing became heavier, yet compared to his first day the difference was clear.
His stamina had improved.
After several laps he slowed down and rested for a moment before lowering himself to the ground.
Push-ups.
One.
Two.
Five.
Ten.
His arms began to burn, but the exhaustion arrived slower than before.
Fifteen.
Twenty.
Twenty-two.
Twenty-three.
Twenty-four.
Twenty-five.
Finally his arms gave out and he collapsed onto the grass.
Asta lay there for a moment, breathing heavily while staring at the cloudy sky above.
"…Twenty-five."
A week ago he could barely reach fifteen.
Now he was pushing past twenty.
Slow progress.
But reliable.
Asta sat up and looked at his hands again.
His ability was simple.
Train.
Sleep.
Improve.
The cycle repeated itself every day.
And if his Limit-Break Physique continued working the same way…
Then every night of sleep would quietly push his limits a little further.
Asta glanced toward the forest.
The berries.
The mushrooms.
The bird nest.
A small smile appeared on his face.
Training alone wouldn't be enough.
If he wanted to grow stronger, he would also need to solve the problem of food.
And the forest might be the perfect place to start.