Buffing Up

Chapter 5 — Buffing Up

The next day.

At the blacksmith shop.

"First, a proper blacksmith needs to have a sufficiently strong physical body with abundant blood essence flowing throughout the veins. However, you clearly lack that basic first step."

Hu Yu started the next day by giving me a lecture about my body.

"Now, I will ask you this question that you must answer truthfully."

"Are you eating properly?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm poor."

"I thought so!" Hu Yu began nodding while looking at me pitifully. "Then how are you gonna build a strong body if you're not even eating properly? Apprentice, you're such a pain!"

"Your recruitment poster said you give food benefits…"

"You! So you joined here just to eat!?"

I then added.

"And earn money."

"Fine! I'll give you food everyday, so let's go and eat now!"

I nodded my head while following her to the dining room. On the table, I saw lots of dishes already prepared.

"I somewhat already knew this would happen again, so I prepared a bunch of extra portions!"

Sitting on the chair, I started to eat to fill my empty stomach.

I ate a lot.

Really.

I finished the whole fat chicken and some other side dishes.

"You sure are hungry. Are you an orphan that doesn't have a family?"

Hearing those words, I slowly ate as I remembered my family.

Hu Yu realized she had misspoken.

"Ah, forget it. That doesn't matter anymore now. You can continue eating." said her with a small smile.

"Mnn."

A few minutes later, I got full before realizing I was the only one who ate everything.

"...are you not gonna eat?"

"I have stuffed myself already before you came here. I'm full, so don't worry."

Hu Yu waved her hands to tell me that I didn't need to worry.

"Anyways, you reek of rotten trash. Go wash yourself to clean away the filth in my washroom. You can freely use the water, soap, spare toothbrush, and unused towel inside there. After you finish, I'll bring a set of clean clothes, not that ragged short without a top. Aren't you cold?"

"Thank you."

I went to the washroom, remembering that I really haven't taken a bath for a long time now.

Sniff. Sniff.

…I really smell bad.

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"I don't really know his situation, but I find this boy to be pitiful."

After seeing the boy go wash, Hu Yu noticed him wearing the ragged shorts from yesterday. He was shirtless, revealing his whole bare skinny body that was dirty and smelly. And vaguely, she had noticed the terrible burnt marks left on his chest.

Hu Yu went to her bedroom to take out some small clothes.

"It has already been six years… I didn't expect keeping them would have some uses…"

As she caressed the old small clothes for a child, Hu Yu bitterly smiled while remembering her son.

The boy vaguely reminded Hu Yu of her own terrible son. Thinking of that, her face flashed with pain and sadness.

Hu Yu returned back with a set of clean clothes. She was then surprised to see the true appearance of the boy that was hidden from all dirt and filth.

A towel wrapped around his waist, the boy looked very cute and even feminine. He had long curly red eyelashes with a messy black hair frame. Underneath it, there was a pair of dead red eyes that looked extremely cold. His skin previously covered with filth was hiding his smooth white skin.

Overall, despite having a cute face with the prosperity of being a handsome man in the future, his dead red eyes made him look scary along with his expressionless face.

What captured her attention the most was the horrible burnt skin on his chest that looked like a hideous sun.

Upon seeing it more clearly, Hu Yu grew more curious about the mysterious past of the boy. However, the boy himself was reluctant to talk about it.

So, she didn't push and respected the boy's decision.

All she knew was that she must now treat the boy carefully and properly.

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After taking a shower to thoroughly clean my body, I was now completely clean without smelling badly. I even smell good like nature.

My body was cleansed from all filth. Yet I didn't particularly find myself refreshed and cleaned.

Instead, I just found myself growing more uncomfortable. I didn't deserve to look so clean.

All I saw in the mirror was my body being covered with blood. Particularly, my mouth was dripping with blood along with some pieces of flesh and organs.

I ate Tang Jin…

I was reminded.

"Here's your clothes."

I got a set of simple clean clothes from the granny and wore them.

Hu Yu nodded in satisfaction after seeing me wearing them.

"I think you look better on it than my own son, so you can have it. Besides, I have no use for it now."

"Are you sure..?"

"It's fine."

I then nodded my head before asking another important question.

"When do I start working?"

"For now, watch and learn from how I work with the hammer and the metal. Also, you can't handle the two for one month. First, I will make your body and mind fatter respectively with food and knowledge."

"You might be strong despite being all bones, but the foundation of your body really sucks. The worst I have seen. You lack the necessary stamina and muscles to forge. So first, I'll buff you up. And to have muscles, you must exercise on your own."

"How about my salary? If I don't work, how do I earn money?"

"Haa, look at this ungrateful bastard. Fine, you can still work by helping me with some small tasks I can't bother like cleaning the entire shop. You'll only receive the basic monthly salary payment."

"That's enough."

And thus, I started working everyday at the Blacksmith Shop for 3 hours in the early morning. At first, I worried about food, but the granny said I could eat freely at her place.

The kindness she showed made me feel weird and uncomfortable.

Still, within the depths of my heart, I felt very thankful.

Not only at the Blacksmith Shop, I also applied for other part-time jobs where I could get hourly pay. I worked as a cleaner in a restaurant, helped with minor tasks in a tailor shop, and then as a janitor in an ordinary boxing dojo.

While I worked, my dead eyes silently watched how they did their jobs.

I watched how the granny forged, how the chef cooked, how the tailor sewed clothes, and how the instructors and kids practiced boxing.

Silently, I slowly learned from them with my dead eyes.

My eyes began to slowly grow keen and my perception improved, helping me understand and learn deeply by just watching.

I began to push my body and mind to earn money to live.

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One Month Later.

"Hmm, your body looks good now compared to when you first arrived. I can see your fats and muscles visibly instead of bones."

Hu Yu smiled satisfied while closely observing my bare upper body.

As she instructed, I focused on eating a lot and working out everyday. Hu Yu told me to rest when working out to achieve the best results. I didn't know what she meant because nothing changed even when I started resting.

I later learnt that my body recovered much faster than normal, so I didn't need to rest compared to other people when training the body.

As a result of my daily workout in the morning, I found myself gradually becoming bigger and taller. There was no more of my past self that was skinny like a skeleton.

As I mentioned before, I realized that I recovered much faster than normal, so rest wasn't necessary when working out my body. That's the reason for my astonishing rate of improvement. But It came at the cost of having an astonishing appetite that gradually grew. As much as I was afraid of eating, I couldn't handle the hunger I felt and gradually overcame my fear.

I didn't know the reason for my astonishing recovery speed, but I guessed it was due to my new heart that currently kept me alive.

The heart I received from Tang Jin was surging with so much lifeforce that it was comparable to a healing potion. It pumped my blood with abundant blood essence that was also rich and pure with energy. It was the one that granted me strength when I first forged to pass Hu Yu's apprentice trial. This heart was the only reason why my weak, skinny body could lift the hammer hundreds of times.

It was also the only source of warmth that drove away the darkness of my already dead body. A representation of my will to survive and live.

Aside from my transformed body, my array of skills also increased. I learned how to cook after constantly watching the chef while I washed the dishes. That's why I replaced Hu Yu. I was able to cook more healthy and nutritious dishes for both of us than her. It also significantly helped when working out. And as I cooked and explored more about it, my cooking skills gradually improved to surpass the chef whom I secretly learned from. And to accomodate my busy workout schedule, I quit the job.

I learned how to make and sew my own clothes. It reduced my expenses since I can just make my own clothes for my growing body. To get the fabric, I didn't quit it.

As self-defense, I also secretly imitated how the dojo's instructor does his boxing moves. After observing and working for one month, I also decided to quit.

"Oh, here's your first payment." Hu Yu handed me a thick amount of cash.

I took it from her with my heart slowly beating faster.

Finally!

It took a long time, but I managed to saved up enough money to buy the two spirit poisons I needed.

And there's one more important thing…

"Will I finally be able to handle the hammer and metal?" I asked curiously after stuffing the cash into my hidden pocket.

Since my body now reached the proper standards, I looked forward to starting to forge to earn more money.

I have already learned a lot of theoretical knowledge after diligently watching Hu Yu for one month, but it was useless without practical experiences.

"You can. Want to try now?"

"Mn."

And thus, I started to forge for the second time.

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