The moment Tomiyasu Saburo instructed Osako Yuya to slaughter another pig, Veigar was already thinking of a way to offer his help. His attention remained fixed on Yoshida Shou as he stepped into the pigpen.
However, this sudden turn of events presented Veigar with an opportunity—a chance to absorb a wave of Life Essence, enhancing his chakra reserves.
It was also an opportunity for him to find an excuse to indirectly or even directly participate in live slaughtering from now on.
Seated on a small stool, carefully separating the pig's internal organs, Veigar suddenly stood up, grabbing the longest small knife beside him. Chakra surged explosively from within his tiny frame.
With a burst of incredible speed, his diminutive body shot straight toward the charging, oversized pig.
Osako Yuya, witnessing Veigar's reckless move, turned pale with shock.
"Damn it!"
The others also blanched in horror.
When Veigar was less than five meters away from the massive pig, he leaped into the air, tightly gripping the sharp knife with both hands. With all his might, he drove the blade straight into the pig's skull.
The twenty-centimeter-long knife pierced cleanly through the pig's head from above. Before the animal could react violently, Veigar, still suspended midair, stomped forcefully on its head, channeling his full strength.
Boom!
The enormous pig collapsed onto the ground, instantly rendered weak and barely conscious.
With a graceful backflip, Veigar landed steadily.
"Veigar, how could you just charge in like that? Do you have a death wish?!"
Osako Yuya, still gripping the butcher's knife, swiftly shielded Veigar behind him, eyes locked onto the now-motionless pig with the knife still embedded in its skull. His voice carried both reprimand and concern.
Understanding that Yuya was genuinely worried about him, Veigar felt touched and quickly reassured him, "Osako-ojisan, don't worry! I'm fine!"
Despite his words, he knew that the whole encounter had been dangerously close.
"Yoshida Shou, what are you standing there for? Get over here and help!"
Yuya had no time to continue scolding Veigar, instead shouting at Yoshida Shou.
"Yes!"
Snapping back to reality, Yoshida Shou grabbed a rope and rushed over, swiftly tying up the pig's legs.
With the crisis resolved, everyone let out a sigh of relief before their gazes settled on Veigar, standing behind Osako Yuya.
Only then did Yuya turn to face Veigar, his anger boiling over.
"That was reckless! Do you even understand how dangerous that was?"
"What if something had gone wrong?"
"With your small frame, you wouldn't have survived a single hit!"
…
Veigar, smiling, interrupted Yuya's scolding. "Osako-ojisan, you don't have to worry."
"I may not have graduated yet, but I'm strong."
"After all, I'm going to become a shinobi and protect everyone."
Looking at the faint smile on Veigar's youthful face, Osako Yuya's frustration gradually faded. With a heavy sigh, he warned, "Next time you find yourself in danger, run. Do you understand?"
"You're still a kid. Leave these things to us adults."
With that, Yuya turned back toward the now-immobilized pig, preparing to haul it onto the slaughter table for the final process.
"You were amazing, Veigar!"
"Brave little Veigar! You're sure to become a great ninja one day!"
…
The surrounding workers gave him thumbs-ups, showering him with praise.
Trailing behind Osako Yuya as they carried the pig, Veigar watched as it was laid onto the slaughter table. The moment its lifeforce completely faded, the Life Essence began to dissipate from its body.
Seeing this, Veigar quickly stepped forward and placed his hand on the pig.
Instantly, a powerful warmth surged into his body.
The Life Essence of a pig was incomparable to that of a mere fish. The difference was like a cup of water versus an entire barrel.
After fully absorbing the Life Essence, Veigar felt his previous exhaustion from exertion completely vanish, replaced by a renewed surge of strength.
Yuya, who was in the midst of draining the pig's blood, glanced up and saw Veigar standing behind the slaughter table. His voice carried a sharp reprimand.
"Veigar! Get back to work already!"
"Got it! I'm on it!"
Veigar quickly scurried away.
The busy morning eventually passed, and it was time for a break. After having a bowl of stewed meat soup at the slaughterhouse, Veigar grabbed a small stool and leaned against the wall, entering a state of chakra refinement.
As soon as he began refining new chakra, he immediately noticed a significant improvement. The density had increased by at least ten to twenty percent, comparable to his gains over the past three months combined.
Osako Yuya originally intended to lecture Veigar again, but upon seeing the boy meditating against the wall with his eyes closed, he assumed Veigar was simply resting and left him be.
After a while, Veigar remained motionless, deep in thought.
"As expected, choosing to work at the slaughterhouse was the best decision I've made."
Following the break, a new round of slaughter began. However, when Veigar eagerly volunteered to help, Osako Yuya sternly refused.
Even when Veigar argued logically, using his earlier show of strength as justification, he was still denied any opportunity to participate.
Whenever Veigar brought up his feat of bravery, Osako Yuya's temper flared, leading to another round of reprimands and completely shutting down Veigar's plans.
Yet, Veigar was not one to give up so easily. He planned to gradually ease Yuya into the idea, like slowly boiling a frog in warm water, until he was eventually allowed to take part in the process.
Before long, half a month had passed. It was now the first of the month.
Today wasn't just the day Veigar collected his village stipend; it was also payday at the slaughterhouse.
Over the past few days, Veigar had managed to get Yuya to accept his assistance in the slaughtering process.
Seeing Veigar's persistence, Yuya even began instructing him on proper slaughter techniques while working.
Thanks to this, Veigar had absorbed a considerable amount of Life Essence. While he could only take in about one-fifth of a full portion since he wasn't the one directly performing the slaughter, every bit accumulated over time.
With the fatigue-mitigating effects of Life Essence, Veigar was full of energy each morning, both for work and for attending class. Unlike before, when he often felt drained and distracted in lessons, he now remained focused and alert.
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