Zunzun, who had been loudly chanting incantations and striking dramatic poses in the deserted woods, had no way to explain himself. In the end, his Trap Sister completely misunderstood and assumed he had finally awakened as a true chuunibyou.
But when he thought about it carefully… maybe that wasn't so bad.
After all, everyone in the Crimson Demon Clan was a chuunibyou. If you acted too normal, people would think you were the weird one. Being chuunibyou was actually endearing here.
He got his New Year's money every year by performing chuunibyou monologues in front of his parents. He was already a seasoned performer.
Besides, most people who work in mental hospitals are a little crazy themselves. Isn't Harley Quinn the perfect example?
In short—
It was time to put more energy into cultivation.
Unfortunately, the shortcut to becoming a Great Mage before the age of twelve was blocked. The clan chief was too stubborn. No matter what, he had to take responsibility for making sure Zunzun didn't become another "filler baby."
But that didn't mean Zunzun had no path forward.
Magic was one thing, and mana was another.
If he couldn't practice magic, why not cultivate mana instead?
A new idea took root.
The so-called mana was an energy source innate to every person—not something you only got after unlocking your profession card. When you think about it, mana was no different from chakra, spiritual energy, qi, or even nen. As long as you found the right training method, you could raise it just like any other stat.
Which meant: there were no restrictions on how he trained it.
And not just mana—he could train his body too!
Basic training would involve 100 sit-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run. Intermediate training would be chakra control exercises like tree climbing and water-walking. Advanced level? Ten thousand straight punches while making a prayer of gratitude.
His imagination soared.
It was like his brain had grown wings and taken flight through a sea of delusions.
Then—he snapped back to reality.
Why should he ask anyone else for help on the path of cultivation? He had every possible method stored in his own mind already! That was his innate advantage.
No one... knows cultivation... better than me.
Zunzun couldn't help but pose with the confidence of a certain bald king.
And don't forget—he had a cheat.
He'd thought Aqua had scammed him, especially after being reincarnated as a baby who had to grow up all over again. He assumed the promised cheat had been lost in translation.
But then, after spending a full day slashing a mountain wall with a tiny wooden sword and going to bed sore and numb, he woke up the next morning... completely refreshed.
No soreness. No stiffness.
Instead, he was bursting with energy.
The dumb goddess hadn't abandoned him after all.
The cheat had successfully loaded.
——God's Body.
It had been love at first sight when Zunzun picked it from the list of selectable cheats. The reason was simple: it was the only cheat that explicitly mentioned resistance to meteorites.
That was all he needed to hear.
By the way, cheats weren't randomly assigned. When he was reincarnated, Aqua handed him a stack of papers to choose from. Some were flashy, like [Magic Sword Gram], but he didn't pick them.
Why? Because even the Magic Sword probably couldn't stop a meteorite.
And swords have limits. Bodies don't. Not if they're divine.
The cheat's description was: [Possess a godlike body. Gradually attain perfection.]
Short. Vague. But the vagueness hinted at infinite potential.
Zunzun grinned smugly.
Of course, there was a catch. The cheat wouldn't fully activate on its own. He had to awaken and refine his body over time—probably because he started as a baby.
…Well, that's fine. He had a cheat. That was already a win.
Thank goodness he didn't pull a Kazuma and pick Aqua herself as a cheat. Otherwise, everything would definitely be a disaster right now.
Thank you, past me, for choosing wisely.
Now, it was time to start his training plan and begin his rise to power!
Training was hard. You couldn't grow stronger just by talking about it. Especially physical training—every day left him on the brink of collapse.
But there was a silver lining.
Each day granted him a [+1 All Attributes] boost.
It was a rare reward that made him feel a little stronger each morning. Without it, even with his cheat body's recovery, Zunzun might've developed a mental block toward training.
After all—
Not everyone is the perverted female knight Darkness, who gets more excited the more exhausted she is, and ends up with absurdly defined abs after every training arc.
Wait a minute…
Does that mean he could train abs too?
With renewed passion, he ramped up the training.
Morning: Saitama-style calisthenics and 10,000 straight punches.
Noon: chakra control—tree climbing and water walking.
Afternoon and evening: more punches. Nighttime? Sword practice with Sister Soketto.
In the long run, he was sure he'd become the strongest Crimson Demon, defeat the Demon King, inherit the clan, marry a rich and beautiful wife, and reach the absolute pinnacle of life.
…That was the plan.
Zunzun thought he'd soar all the way up from there.
But trouble came anyway.
It happened a week into his new training regime.
After a full day of pushing his limits, Zunzun returned home utterly exhausted and ravenous. The smell of Sister Soketto's home-cooked dinner nearly brought tears to his eyes.
Without waiting for the final dish, he sat down and wolfed everything down like a starving beast.
In just a few minutes, the table was spotless.
When Sister Soketto walked in holding a bowl of thick soup, she was stunned to find the table already cleared. She hadn't even picked up her chopsticks.
She stared at her brother—slumped in his chair, belly bulging, panting like a beached whale—with deep concern.
"Zunzun, are you okay…?"
"Huh? Oh. Yeah?"
"You've been eating a lot more lately. Don't you feel uncomfortable? What's going on?"
"Ah... well, it's because the food you made, Sister Soketto, is just so good... I couldn't help myself..."
Zunzun scratched his head, embarrassed.
But deep down, he understood.
Training needs fuel. Especially physical training.
Even Superman needs sunlight to recharge. How could he get stronger without nutrients?
Everyone knows—the stronger the body, the more energy it consumes. Even if this was a fantasy world, you had to respect the law of conservation of energy, right?
"I'm glad to hear that," said Soketto, smiling. "But I've made extra food for the past few days, and it's still not enough."
"Really…? Sorry…"
"It's okay. You're still growing. It's good to eat more. I'll prepare extra dinner tomorrow. And don't worry—of course it'll taste just as good."
"Thanks, Sister Soketto… Hehe…"
He smiled sheepishly.
But inside, Zunzun made up his mind.
He couldn't let this continue.
He needed that food to grow stronger, but he couldn't keep burning through the household budget. His parents had decent jobs and some savings, but high-protein meals day after day would drain that quickly.
Look at Goku. That gluttonous Saiyan practically bankrupted the Ox King's entire royal treasury.
Zunzun's parents might not say anything, but he had his pride. Even in his past life, he hated being a freeloader.
He couldn't let himself eat his family into poverty.
He couldn't let Sister Soketto end up homeless because of his training diet.
There was only one solution.
He was six years old. Too young to become an adventurer. Too weak to earn money.
So—
Self-sufficiency through farming.
Yes.
Zunzun, who once dreamed of leveling up, defeating the Demon King, and reaching the peak of another world...
…was now preparing to become a full-time farmer to afford his protein intake.
-End Chapter-
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