Chapter 5: Experiments and Attempts
Over the past six months, Kael had successfully mastered the basics of chakra extraction and now had his own pool of chakra to draw from. He had also caught up to the third-year curriculum in jutsu-casting, which amazed his instructors at the academy. They all agreed he was a child with remarkable talent for the shinobi arts.
But it wasn't just talent; it was hard work. Kael trained for more than twelve hours a day. While he couldn't compare to obsessive training maniacs like Rock Lee, he was far more diligent than any of his peers.
Once Kael had extracted his own chakra, his Synthesis System unlocked his personal status panel, displaying his information for him to see.
[Host: Kael Cross]
Race: Human
Summoning Beast: Earth Dragon (E)
Life Force: 200
Chakra: 98
The panel was incredibly basic. Other than giving him a clear visual representation of his chakra training progress, it was practically useless.
While the instructor lectured enthusiastically at the front of the class, Kael was only half-listening, the words going in one ear and out the other. To anyone watching, he looked like he was just staring blankly into space, but he was actually studying the status panel in his mind.
Phew... After training hard late into the night, I finally got my chakra up to 98. If I push myself a little more after school today, hitting 100 shouldn't be a problem. Based on the Earth Dragon synthesis, a common-quality summon seems to require exactly 100 chakra...
The Earth Dragon's main ability is burrowing, so it's not really a combat-type summon. It's more of a support tool. The Shinobi World is dangerous, so my next summon should be a combat-type. The question is... what kind of materials and creatures do I need to fuse a combat-type?
The thought troubled him. His first synthesis had been a complete accident. He had no real experience and would have to think carefully if he wanted to create the fighting summon he envisioned.
Even during the ten-minute break between classes, Kael remained quiet and withdrawn. He wasn't particularly popular, which was mostly due to his reserved nature. The joke he'd made in class earlier was just a rare moment of curiosity. He simply had no desire to interact with these kids, whose mental age was less than half his own.
To his classmates, who had spent the last three years together, Kael was the transfer student who was a head taller and several years older than them. They didn't exclude him, but they generally didn't approach him either unless they had a reason. They would exchange a few words if they passed in the hallway, and that was about it.
The only person he was close to was Rei, the girl who sat next to him, who was also an orphan.
Rei was a war orphan from the Hidden Hot Water Village. Both of her parents had been shinobi who died on a mission when she was very young.
The day passed quickly. For the first time, Kael rushed home, not even stopping to eat. He shut his door and immediately began extracting chakra.
Late at night.
The Hidden Hot Water Village fell into a deep, dead silence. The darkness was absolute, broken only by the faint, milky-white glow of the moon fighting a losing battle against the endless night.
Kael quietly opened his door, slipped out, and closed it behind him. He walked past rows of houses until he reached a relatively remote forest on the edge of the village.
At this hour, even the chirping of insects had mostly ceased. The dense canopy blocked the already dim moonlight, plunging the entire forest into darkness.
Kael's heart pounded in his chest, but the allure of a new Summoning Beast was too strong to resist. He began his search for suitable materials.
"The rank of the final summon depends on the quality of the material and the rank of the creature. The biggest factor for success seems to be the 'compatibility' between the two. The higher the compatibility, the higher the success rate."
Kael tried his best to recall the system prompts from the Earth Dragon synthesis, piecing together useful information from the limited data he had.
"With my current chakra level, I can probably only attempt to synthesize the lowest-rank summons. Anything higher than an E-rank creature or a material better than common-quality is likely beyond my reach. Besides, I don't have access to high-quality materials or creatures right now. A higher-ranked creature could probably wipe the floor with me as I am now!"
A frustrated look crossed Kael's face as he wracked his brain.
"If I want a combat-type, my options are limited. The most suitable materials would be common things like steel or iron. As for the creature... I'll have to do some experiments."
He pulled out two iron nuggets he had prepared earlier and began scanning the forest floor. Although most birds and insects were quiet at night, nocturnal animals like rats, cockroaches, and bats were still active. These omnivorous, and sometimes carnivorous, creatures were perfect candidates for his combat-type summon.
[Iron]+[Rat]= ???
[Compatibility]30%
[Material: Iron, Quality (Common)]
[Creature: Rat, Rank (E)]
[Synthesis Success Rate]50%
[Chakra Required]100
[Synthesize?]
Kael shook his head at the system prompt. Just as he'd expected, the success rate was too low. He had no idea if a failed synthesis would refund his chakra, and since it took so long to recover, he wasn't willing to risk it.
He lifted his foot, releasing the rat he had pinned to the ground, and gave it a swift kick. The rodent went spinning through the air, a look of utter confusion in its eyes.
"Squeak squeak squeak—You chase me all over the forest just to kick me? Fine, we're playing that game, are we! Fine!"
Kael paid no mind to the resentful rodent and immediately started searching for his next target.
A few minutes later.
[Iron]+[Bat]= ???
[Compatibility]10%
[Material: Iron, Quality (Common)]
[Creature: Bat, Rank (E)]
[Synthesis Success Rate]30%
[Chakra Required]100
[Synthesize?]
Without a second thought, Kael opened the net and released the struggling bat.
"What the hell? This is giving me a headache," he muttered in frustration, holding his head. "Maybe I shouldn't be so fixated on a combat-type. Maybe I should gather more common materials and focus on the compatibility between the material and the creature. I might get some unexpected results that way."
He had already tried all the nocturnal creatures he could catch, and their compatibility with iron was just too low. It was a complete waste of his chakra, which would take days to recover.
Just as he was about to give up on his dream of a combat-type summon, an idea flashed in his mind. He smacked his forehead, annoyed with himself.
"A hedgehog! A hedgehog! A hedgehog would have extremely high compatibility with iron!"
"And I'm an idiot," he said to himself. "If I can't find an animal, I can just have the Earth Dragon catch one for me!"
With renewed hope, Kael reached out with his mind and called for the Earth Dragon.