"A man is iron, food is steel; if you skip a meal, you'll feel weak."
If this saying holds true for ordinary people, it applies even more to Veigar, who has already begun refining chakra. Given his current stage of development, where his body craves large amounts of nourishment, he was already feeling the gnawing pangs of hunger.
The salmon was grilled to crispy perfection on the outside while remaining tender inside. Veigar devoured it with great relish, satisfying his hunger with a hearty meal. After taking a brief rest, he settled under a tree to resume his chakra refinement.
Although the amount of chakra he refined this time was minimal and showed no significant increase compared to the previous night, Veigar could clearly sense a difference.
The chakra within him felt denser—heavier, even.
Because his current chakra reserves were still limited, absorbing that wisp of enigmatic black energy allowed him to distinctly perceive the qualitative change.
In the game, Phenomenal Evil Power was designed to enhance ability power, not mana.
Now, in this reality, after merging with Veigar, the ability retained its core effect—enhancing the potency of his chakra.
After ten minutes, Veigar could no longer maintain his meditative state. He understood well that excessive exertion could be counterproductive.
The path of chakra refinement was not something that could be rushed; rather, it was a slow, persistent grind. As long as one remained diligent, chakra would gradually accumulate until it reached the limits of one's natural potential.
Exiting his training, Veigar smiled with satisfaction and thought to himself:
"With Phenomenal Evil Power, as long as I have enough time to grow, I will undoubtedly stand at the pinnacle of this world—the strongest ninja."
"No… I will surpass everything."
"Immortality? Perhaps it's not just a dream."
Though he was still weak at this moment, Veigar had already begun envisioning his future after discovering the true effects of Phenomenal Evil Power.
As for the enigmatic black energy he had absorbed, he decided to call it Life Essence.
The benefits granted by Phenomenal Evil Power spurred Veigar to continue experimenting. He turned his attention toward the remaining small fish and shrimp, but as he slaughtered them, he realized that the Life Essence they released was minuscule—so little that it dispersed in an instant.
If he hadn't been holding onto them tightly, he wouldn't have been able to absorb anything at all.
By the time he finished processing his catch and reset the fish traps in the river, the afternoon had already arrived. With the remaining fish in tow, he made his way home.
...
In the blink of an eye, Veigar had been attending the Ninja Academy for an entire month.
Under the guidance of Tomohisa Ishikawa, he had gained a solid understanding of the many applications of chakra.
From increasing physical bursts of power to accelerating wound healing and alleviating post-training fatigue, chakra proved itself to be an incredibly versatile energy source. If he hadn't personally experienced it, Veigar would never have imagined that chakra could function as an all-purpose remedy for the body.
During this time, he also mastered the twelve hand seals required to perform jutsu.
Upon arriving at the classroom, Veigar took his seat and pulled out his notes, reviewing them meticulously.
"To review the old is to understand the new."
In this moment, an aura of scholarly diligence radiated from him, and despite the chaotic antics of his classmates, he remained entirely undisturbed.
Suddenly, a tap on his shoulder interrupted his studies. Turning around, he saw Keiichi Takayama behind him.
"Keiichi, what is it?" Veigar asked.
Keiichi grinned. "Veigar, when do you think Tomohisa-sensei will start teaching us actual ninjutsu?"
"I've already mastered all the hand seals."
He punctuated his words with a smug expression.
"That's it?"
Veigar shot him a deadpan look, his response casual. "No idea. He'll teach us when the time comes."
"If you're really curious, why don't you ask him when class starts?"
Keiichi, oblivious to Veigar's unimpressed tone, became even more excited. "Great idea! I'll ask Tomohisa-sensei when we can start learning real ninjutsu. Once I do, I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage!"
Veigar merely wanted to say: "Whatever makes you happy."
But instead of voicing his thoughts, he simply turned back to his notes.
Though he acted indifferent, the truth was, he was just as eager to start learning ninjutsu.
After all, chakra's greatest purpose was to perform jutsu, and the strength of a shinobi was largely measured by the power of their techniques.
However, since he was aware of future events, Veigar knew that the Ninja Academy only taught the basics—particularly the three fundamental techniques known as the Three Basic Jutsu:
Clone Jutsu, Transformation Jutsu, and Substitution Jutsu.
More advanced jutsu, such as Fire Release and Water Release, were not taught in the academy.
Only after graduating as a Genin would students have the opportunity to learn more powerful techniques—either from their Jonin instructor or through resources provided by the village.
And even then, there were no guarantees.
The only other way was through clan inheritance—a privilege reserved for those born into powerful shinobi lineages.
In this world, ninjutsu was one of the most heavily restricted forms of knowledge.
Thus, Veigar had no expectations of learning high-level jutsu anytime soon.
Instead, he had already planned out his entire academy training regimen, ensuring he built a solid foundation.
....
Before long, class was about to start. Tomohisa Ishikawa entered the room.
The moment he appeared, the once noisy classroom fell silent, and everyone hurried back to their seats.
Seeing this, Tomohisa stood at the podium and began speaking. "Since everyone is seated, let's begin today's lesson."
Just as he finished his sentence, Keiichi Takayama immediately shot to his feet.
"Sensei!" he called out loudly.
Tomohisa turned to him with a gentle smile. "Yes, Keiichi? What is it?"
Keiichi didn't hesitate. "Sensei, when will you start teaching us real ninjutsu?"
"I've already mastered all the hand seals!"
Tomohisa maintained his patient smile as he replied, "Keiichi, please take your seat first."
Hearing this, Keiichi nodded and sat back down.
Tomohisa then turned his gaze to the rest of the class, noticing the same eager anticipation reflected in most of their eyes.
As both a teacher and a former student who had once held the same dreams, he couldn't help but chuckle softly to himself.
Then, with a knowing smile, he finally said:
"Today's lesson will be…"
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