Refusing to Forge to Build Slacking Value, Encountering a Villager Hiding His True Strength

When the morning light shone into the blacksmith shop's backyard for the second time, Tang San was awakened by the chatter and laughter of villagers passing outside. He stretched, sat up slowly, and rubbed his eyes—the six-year-old body needed far more sleep than he had as an overworked office drone in his previous life. He had fallen asleep the moment he hit the bed last night and had even forgotten to check the system panel again.

He had barely put on his cloth clothes when there came two soft knocks on the door. Tang Hao's voice came through the door, less hoarse than yesterday but carrying a hint of hesitation. "Little San, are you feeling better today? Can you get up and lend me a hand?"

Tang San leaned against the door, his mind racing. According to the system rules, "actively reducing high-intensity training" could earn Slacking Value, but saying he simply did not want to go would be too deliberate and might make Tang Hao suspicious. He cleared his throat and deliberately made his voice sound weak with sleep. "Dad, I'm still a little dizzy. Maybe I caught a chill in the wind yesterday. Forging takes strength, and if I smash my hand, that'll only cause more trouble. How about I rest for another day?"

Avoided high-intensity physical labor. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 3.

Silence fell outside for a moment before Tang Hao gave a low "Got it." Then came the heavy, slow sound of his footsteps as he picked up the Iron Hammer and headed toward the blacksmith shop. Tang San let out a breath and quietly cracked open the door to peek outside. Tang Hao was bent over, lighting the forge. His back looked even more stooped than in the anime from Tang San's memories. Tang San suddenly felt a little guilty, but when he thought of his goal of growing stronger through slacking off, he suppressed that feeling.

After washing up, Tang San carried yesterday's little stool into the yard. This time, instead of basking in the sun, he leaned against the wall and opened the system panel. Only he could see the pale-blue virtual screen. Beneath the words "Slacking Value: 3," the "Exchange Shop" button glimmered faintly. He tapped it and took a look. The lowest-tier reward was "Minor Soul Power Increase (requires 10 points of Slacking Value)." Above that was "Blue Silver Grass Basic Toughness Enhancement (requires 20 points)," along with emergency options such as "Temporary Stamina Recovery (requires 5 points)."

"Only 3 points. That's not even enough for the most basic Soul Power Increase. Looks like I need to find more chances to save up." Tang San smacked his lips and closed the panel. Just as he was about to shut his eyes for a nap, a head suddenly poked in through the courtyard gate. It was Huzi from next door—a sturdy boy half a head taller than Tang San, with a wooden sword in his hand.

"Little San, why aren't you forging with your dad again?" Huzi bounced into the yard, his voice booming. "My dad said you're going to become a Soul Master someday. How can you do that without building strength? Come on, go to the back mountain with me and practice chopping firewood!"

If he agreed, not only would he gain no Slacking Value, he might even lose points for "actively increasing physical training." Tang San hurriedly waved his hands and shrank back against the stool. "I don't feel well. I was still dizzy yesterday, so I can't chop wood. Besides, there are wild beasts on the back mountain. What if we run into danger?"

Avoided meaningless outdoor training. Slacking Value +1.

Avoided a potential safety risk. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 5.

The system notification had barely faded when Huzi frowned. "What wild beasts? I saw rabbits there yesterday! You're just being lazy!" As he spoke, he reached out to drag Tang San away.

Tang San quickly dodged backward and happened to spot Old Jack passing outside the courtyard with a basket in hand. He hurriedly called out, "Grandpa Jack!"

Old Jack stopped and poked his head in. "What is it, Little San?"

"Huzi insists on dragging me to the back mountain, but I don't feel well and don't want to go." Tang San hurriedly tattled, sounding aggrieved. Seeing Huzi's stance, Old Jack immediately pulled a stern face. "Huzi! Little San isn't feeling well, and you're still pestering him? How can the back mountain be somewhere you just go whenever you want? Get home and help your mother feed the pigs!"

Huzi hung his head after being scolded. He glared at Tang San, then left unwillingly. Old Jack stepped into the yard and handed Tang San two sweet potatoes from his basket. "Take these. They were just steamed. You should rest properly if you don't feel well. Don't go running around with Huzi. Oh, right—the deacon from Spirit Hall will arrive the day after tomorrow. You'll go with the other children to the ancestral hall at the village entrance to awaken your martial souls. Don't forget to get up early."

"Got it, Grandpa Jack. Thank you." Tang San accepted the sweet potatoes and began calculating in his heart. Martial soul awakening was a pivotal event in the original story. He could not afford to mess it up, but he also needed to find a way to earn some Slacking Value from it.

Old Jack gave him a few more reminders—"Don't be nervous during the awakening," "Listen to the deacon"—before carrying his basket away. Tang San held the warm sweet potato and took a bite. It was wonderfully sweet. He had just finished one when a loud clang came from the blacksmith shop, like the sound of an Iron Hammer falling to the ground. His heart tightened, and he hurried over to look.

Tang Hao was crouched on the ground, clutching his chest. His face was pale, and his forehead was covered in sweat. Tang San quickly supported him. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing. An old problem." Tang Hao waved a hand, his voice weak. "I'll be fine after resting a while." As he spoke, he tried to get up and retrieve the Iron Hammer. Tang San quickly held him down. "Dad, sit here. I'll pick it up for you."

He bent over and lifted the Iron Hammer, weighing it in his hand. It was incredibly heavy—far heavier than the dumbbells at the gym in his previous life. Tang Hao swung this thing every day to forge iron. No wonder his health was poor. Tang San set the hammer aside, then went inside and poured Tang Hao a cup of warm water.

Tang Hao took a drink, and his complexion improved a little. He looked at Tang San with a complicated expression. "You didn't go forge today, but you've learned how to care about people."

Tang San scratched his head, not daring to say too much in case he gave himself away. "I'm your son. Dad, don't forge today either. Rest for a day. Your health comes first."

Actively suggested that another person reduce high-intensity labor. Avoided the risk of overexertion. Slacking Value +2. Current total: 7.

Tang Hao froze for a moment. He looked at Tang San's earnest expression and remained silent for a long time before finally nodding. "All right. We'll rest today."

Tang San breathed a sigh of relief. He helped Tang Hao back inside and made the bed for him. Tang Hao fell asleep soon after lying down, and his breathing gradually became steadier. Sitting by the bed, Tang San looked at Tang Hao's callused hands and felt a little uncomfortable. In his previous life, his parents had also worn themselves down working. Seeing Tang Hao like this inevitably reminded him of home.

But that feeling did not last long before the system panel's prompt pulled him back to his senses. He only needed 3 more points of Slacking Value to exchange for "Temporary Stamina Recovery." If Tang Hao felt unwell again later, it might come in handy.

That afternoon, several other children from the village came looking for Tang San. Some invited him to raid bird nests, while others wanted to catch fish by the river. Tang San turned them all down, citing reasons like "I don't feel well," "I'm afraid of catching a chill," and "I'm afraid my parents will scold me." He earned another 3 points of Slacking Value, bringing the total to 10.

Looking at the "10 points of Slacking Value" displayed on the panel, Tang San did not exchange them immediately. Instead, he first opened the description for "Minor Soul Power Increase." It read: Consume 10 points of Slacking Value to slightly increase the host's current Soul Power. No side effects. The degree of improvement varies according to the host's current Soul Power Level.

"This is just right. I'll raise my Soul Power a little first, so no one notices anything strange when I awaken my martial soul." Having made up his mind, Tang San tapped "Exchange."

The moment he did, a warm current rose from his dantian and spread through all four limbs and every bone in his body. His entire body felt pleasantly warm, and much of the exhaustion caused by his frail condition disappeared. The system notification sounded in his mind again: Successfully exchanged "Minor Soul Power Increase." Current Soul Power Level: Level 10 (minor increase). Remaining Slacking Value: 0.

"Level 10 can still be raised slightly? This system is more capable than I expected." Tang San felt delighted. Leaning against the bedside, he began planning for the martial soul awakening the day after tomorrow. He needed to awaken Blue Silver Grass successfully without exposing his strength, and he still had to figure out how to earn Slacking Value during the process. This required careful planning.

As the sun set, Tang Hao woke up. His complexion looked much better, and he even went to the kitchen on his own to cook porridge. Father and son sat at the table drinking porridge. Tang Hao did not mention forging again. He merely glanced at Tang San from time to time, his eyes holding emotions Tang San could not understand.

After finishing the porridge, Tang San took the initiative to clear the dishes. Once he had washed them, he returned to his room to sleep. Lying in bed, he touched his chest and could clearly feel that his Soul Power was more abundant than it had been that afternoon.

"Tomorrow, I need to save up more Slacking Value and try to raise my Soul Power one more time before awakening my martial soul." Tang San yawned and soon drifted into sleep. After all, he had the body of a six-year-old. Even without doing much physical labor, the day had still been tiring enough.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the sleeping boy's face and the entirely different path to the pinnacle of slacking off beneath his feet.