Chapter 2: Pitiful and Helpless, But Can Really Eat
The Great Love Immortal Venerable Achievement System is divided into active achievements and passive achievements.
Yumei Shiki's achievements are all passive, triggered randomly based on his specific actions.
For others, like Hinata Hyuga, they have a current active achievement.
Upon completion, a new active achievement will refresh.
These achievements are closely tied to the individual.
Yumei Shiki feels it's like a wish-fulfillment system, making him a dream granter.
Wuu wuu wuu!
So delicious!
Hinata Hyuga eats tonkotsu ramen, her small eyes sparkling.
She's not sure if it's because she's hungry or Yumei Shiki's cooking skills, but it's incredibly tasty.
She quickly finishes a bowl.
Hinata exhales softly.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she doesn't drink all the broth.
That would be too impolite.
If her father found out, he'd surely be disappointed.
"Hinata."
Yumei Shiki returns, holding another bowl of tonkotsu ramen.
"I'm here," Hinata instinctively responds.
"Eat."
Yumei Shiki takes her empty bowl and places the new, steaming bowl in front of her.
Hinata wants to speak but stops, then tries again but hesitates.
She wants to say she's full, but… wasting food is wrong.
Convincing herself, she happily starts eating again.
Yumei Shiki nods with satisfaction.
My cooking's pretty good, huh.
While Hinata isn't looking, he heads back to the kitchen.
Two bowls are definitely not enough.
In the original story, Hinata ate a whopping forty-six bowls during a big eater contest.
She's younger now, but seven or eight bowls should be fine.
Hinata puts down her chopsticks.
She finally feels a hint of fullness.
"Eat."
Yumei Shiki swaps her bowl for another.
"I… I…"
Hinata freezes, timidly looking up, stammering.
Eating more would seem abnormal.
Her sister Hanabi always stops after one bowl.
Her father eats two.
"What's wrong?" Yumei Shiki asks, looking at her. "This one's char siu rib flavor. Don't like it?"
"N-no… it's not that."
Under his gaze, Hinata panics and lowers her head, her cheeks flushing.
She inexplicably finds Yumei Shiki mysterious.
He's about her age but exudes a calm aura.
And he's so impressive.
She's a little envious.
After finishing the third bowl, before she can speak, another bowl appears.
Her face shows confusion and conflict.
Does he think I'm a big eater?
"New flavor, tomato egg," Yumei Shiki says calmly. "The tomatoes are from my garden, all-natural, no pesticides."
He even grows tomatoes?
She vaguely recalls seeing a vegetable patch behind the moon orchids.
Hinata feels like she's dreaming.
She picks up her chopsticks, thinking, This is the last bowl, definitely the last.
But when the fifth bowl appears, she's dumbfounded. There's more?
Her bewildered, adorable expression makes Yumei Shiki chuckle.
Seeing his smile, Hinata shyly lowers her head.
She wants to muster the courage to refuse but can't.
So, she eats.
Hinata's in a great mood.
For the first time in ages, she understands what it means to be truly full.
The next four bowls? She accepts them without hesitation.
After the ninth bowl, she lets out a satisfied burp.
Realizing her rudeness, her face turns beet red, as if she might steam and faint.
Yumei Shiki wonders if she'll pass out.
[Achievement Unlocked: Hinata Hyuga's 'Pitiful and Helpless, But Can Really Eat.' Reward: Black Boar Gu.]
[Black Boar Gu: Rank 1 Gu worm. Enhances the user's physique, fundamentally increasing their physical strength.]
A passive achievement triggered?
Black Boar Gu—great stuff! This is a huge win.
Physical strength is incredibly useful.
It's a rare permanent boost, too.
Even if the Black Boar Gu dies, the effect remains and can be used on others.
Ninjas without chakra become powerless.
Gu masters without true essence are the same.
But with physical strength, you can keep fighting with fists and feet.
It's like a wizard smacking someone with a staff.
The only hassle is that every five days, the Black Boar Gu demands a feast—three mouthfuls, one pig.
With a thought, Yumei Shiki sinks into his aperture.
The aperture, akin to a dantian or purple mansion, is where true essence gathers.
As a Rank 1 Gu master, his aperture is a vibrant cyan, a bronze sea.
Each drop of seawater is true essence, the fruit of years of effort.
Three Gu worms bask in the sea: Healing Hand Gu, Moonlight Gu, and the new Black Boar Gu.
Gu worms typically have their own will, and taming them involves erasing it—a dangerous process.
But system-given Gu worms lack will, functioning as pure tools.
"Full?" Yumei Shiki asks, eyeing the nine empty bowls.
"F-full!" Hinata says, instinctively raising her voice.
She's truly stuffed, her little belly noticeably rounder.
"Gotta eat more to grow strong," Yumei Shiki says with a faint smile.
Especially in the right places.
It's all about nurturing from a young age.
Criminal, so criminal.
Hinata buries her head again.
At home, she'd never dare eat this much.
"I'll walk you back."
Yumei Shiki stands.
A missing Hyuga clan heiress? He can imagine the chaos.
He doesn't want to deal with their Byakugan glares.
Hinata's small hands instinctively tighten.
For some reason, she feels a sudden pang of loss and reluctance.
But she says nothing, following Yumei Shiki out of the cabin toward the grove.
"Lady Hinata!"
As they enter the grove, an anxious voice approaches.
A figure appears before them.
"Tokuma, I'm fine," Hinata says, shaking her head.
She turns to Yumei Shiki, but he's already walking away.
In the heavy snow, his figure gradually vanishes.
Hinata purses her lips, suddenly realizing something, her face filled with regret.
She forgot to ask his name.
Yumei Shiki doesn't return to the cabin.
He stands before an unnamed tree.
After receiving the Black Boar Gu, he felt his strength increase.
But how much? He's not sure.
Now, he plans to emulate a certain priest and punch a tree.
Yumei Shiki clenches his fist and swings.
He gasps.
Pain! So much pain!
He forgot force works both ways.
Newton's coffin remains undisturbed.
The tree, struck, merely trembles in respect.
Yumei Shiki feels disappointed.
That's it?
A creaking sound interrupts.
The tree, thick as an adult's waist, snaps and falls backward.
Yumei Shiki glances at his fist, much smaller than a sandbag.
One punch from me, and they'd cry for days.
In a great mood, he returns to the cabin, opens the fridge, and plans to snack.
But… no food left.
Raising Hinata sure isn't easy.