Three days into the assessment, Shangguan Mo and his group of more than ten students had been traveling for half a day. Their instructor, Inoshita Rino, took out a map and gathered them around. His face was grim as he looked at their young faces, the pressure on him immense. His goal was no longer to complete the mission perfectly, but simply to bring these children, who were barely over ten, back to the village safely.
"Our target location is Spring Grass City, over a hundred li away. We've heard that followers of Jashin have been sighted there. Our mission is to track them down. It's a long journey for you all, so we need to conserve the supplies the village has given us."
Shangguan Mo nodded in agreement and subconsciously checked his gear. Their food consisted only of some compressed biscuits. Expensive items like soldier pills were not provided to students who weren't even official ninja yet. Besides the biscuits, his backpack contained two bottles of water and a roll of bandages. His leg pouch held one real kunai and several shuriken. Feeling the gear on his body, he felt a little more at ease, but then smiled bitterly. This was the tragedy of a small ninja village; their resources were pathetic.
"We need to head northwest," their instructor said, pointing at the map.
Murakami Rin asked, confused, "Sensei, isn't our mission location Spring Grass City to the north? Why are we going northwest?"
Shangguan Mo, however, was staring at the map with a frown. "The north is sparsely populated. It's unlikely the Jashinists would linger there. The west of the Land of Hot Water, however, is full of farming regions. It's likely that's where they'll strike next..."
Hearing his muttering, the other students looked at him in surprise. They were all third-year students, but how could Shangguan Mo think of so much? Still, they turned their gazes back to their teacher.
Inoshita Rino looked at him with some surprise, then nodded. "Shangguan Mo is right. That's the reason. This was also the village's plan. From now on, everyone needs to stay alert. We are far from the village, and those Jashinists could appear at any time!"
"Yes, sir!"
Except for their instructor and a few other rational students, most of the group was excited about their first trip outside the village. They had no idea what kind of existence the Cult of Jashin truly was. But a deep sense of crisis was growing in Shangguan Mo's heart. The desperate cries of the villagers of Clear River Village were a nightmare he couldn't shake. He had personally experienced the cultists' cruelty.
This lingering sense of danger was deeply unsettling. He had just barely escaped death, and he cherished this second life. So he decided to synthesize another summoning beast. He, who didn't even know the Three Basic Jutsu, had no idea how to face the inhuman followers of Jashin.
"I have an attack-type summon and a support-type. For the upcoming battle, it's time to get a defensive type," he muttered to himself. "Right now, survival is the top priority. And the Land of Hot Water is mostly plains... Defense... earth..."
He looked at Li beside him. "Li, what animal do you think has the strongest defense?"
The sudden question caught her off guard. After a moment's thought, she said uncertainly, "Probably... a pangolin...?"
Shangguan Mo nodded. He thought so too, but he wasn't sure if he could find one. "If that doesn't work, I could try a beetle."
He mentally called for the Earth Dragon Beast, which was moving through the soil beneath his feet. "Little Dragon, go find me a pangolin." He felt the small iron chunk in his pouch, already planning his next synthesis. "Iron might have better defense, but earth probably has higher compatibility with a pangolin..."
While the teacher and other students were resting, Shangguan Mo discreetly moved away from them. He felt a faint vibration from the ground beneath him, but paid it no mind. A few seconds later, the Earth Dragon Beast emerged from the ground in front of him. It seemed to understand his expectant gaze and wiggled its body. Shangguan Mo understood immediately. "Couldn't find one."
Slightly disappointed, he opened the system.
[Iron] + [Beetle] = ???[Compatibility] 50%
"No, the compatibility is too low. The success rate probably won't be high either." He had high hopes for this synthesis and couldn't afford to fail. He put the iron chunk back in his pouch and grabbed a handful of dirt, looking at the system again.
[Earth] + [Beetle] = ???[Compatibility] 90%[Material: Earth, Quality (White)][Creature: Beetle, Rank (E)][Synthesis Success Rate] 100%
"A 100% success rate. That's a first." Shangguan Mo was speechless, but he had no other choice. He immediately clicked [Confirm Synthesis]!
Visibly, the dirt in his left hand vanished, and the black beetle in his right was gradually covered in a brown layer, forming a small cocoon that emitted a yellow glow. A few seconds later, the glow faded, revealing a small brown creature.
[Summoning Beast · Earth Beetle]
Rank: E
Species: Coleoptera Insect
Attribute: Earth
Abilities:
Earth Wall: The Earth Beetle has a natural affinity for earth and possesses the ability to simply manipulate soil, quickly gathering and compacting it to form a defensive earth wall.
Invisibility (Passive): On the ground, it can hide its body to avoid being detected by predators, blending in perfectly with the surrounding soil.
System Evaluation: Small and efficient!
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