Chapter 35: Treasure Hunting
Once the topic was broached, Watanabe Musashi didn't feel quite so tired anymore and started chatting casually with Kael.
"What's the overall situation looking like now?" Kael asked. Wandering endlessly through the Land of Hot Water was exhausting for both body and mind, and it was significantly hindering his own training progress.
"Based on the intel gathered from contact with other squads, Jashinist activity within the country has drastically decreased over the past half-month. Our forces have also observed that the remaining cultists are converging on their old stronghold in the northern part of the country. However, we still haven't encountered any high-ranking ninja capable of leading them. The Jashinists are essentially scattered and disorganized right now..."
"A high-ranking ninja..." Kael murmured. "If I may ask, Captain, how strong is the Village Leader?"
"A bit stronger than me," Watanabe replied calmly.
"I see..." Kael nodded. So, the Hidden Hot Water Village's strength is about what I expected. Even the Leader is just a Jonin, maybe not even Elite Jonin level. And the Jashinists haven't revealed any truly powerful shinobi yet either. It feels like this operation is nearing its end. Maybe... there's one big battle left.
Lost in thought, Kael made a decision. Tomorrow, I'll track down a black market merchant. See if I can get my hands on some decent materials.
The next day, northern Land of Hot Water. Winterfall City.
Kael found the town's garbage dump and prepared to issue orders. He looked at his summons, all lined up neatly before him, a sense of accomplishment filling his chest.
"Little Wind, go find some high-intelligence animals. Remember, they can't be dumber than you were before!"
"Chirp, chirp, chirp! That's actually a very difficult task!" the Wind Eagle grumbled before turning and flying off.
Kael then looked at the second in line, the Earth Dragon, lying obediently on the ground. "Little Dragon, go find anything in the trash heap that interests you, wash it off, and bring it back to me."
Earth Dragon: "..." Wash it with what, boss? My pee? Just taking advantage because I can't talk back... it thought resentfully.
"Little Spike, Little Shell, you two go too. Bring me back some junk."
Half an hour later.
Maiden's Charm!!!
Staring at the tattered pornographic manga lying innocently in front of the Earth Dragon, Kael was speechless. The cover depicted a busty girl in a Japanese schoolgirl uniform, but certain... areas... had been scratched and torn beyond recognition. It was a tragic, lewd, yet strangely stimulating sight.
"Little Dragon! Is this... your type?" Kael asked with a strained smile, the muscles in his face twitching uncontrollably.
Poof!
The Earth Dragon instantly burrowed into the ground and vanished.
Kael rubbed his forehead, feeling dizzy. "Forget it. I'll just go myself..."
In the garbage dump, mountains of trash, some over ten meters high, dotted the landscape. A young figure could be seen walking among them, stopping frequently.
Kael held one hand over his nose, his lips pressed tightly together, while using a stick in his other hand to rummage through the piles. He had decided to thoroughly investigate the system's quality standards for materials. Every item his stick touched triggered a system prompt.
[Material: Broken Lightbulb]
Quality: White
...
[Material: Used Battery]
Quality: White
...
[Material: Magnifying Glass]
Quality: White
Kael paused, pulling a magnifying glass from the heap. He stared at it, frowning in thought. Perhaps... the strength of a summon isn't solely determined by the material's quality. Maybe its function is important too...
He gestured for the sullen-looking Ironclad Hedgehog to pick it up. The hedgehog struggled, awkwardly hugging the magnifying glass, which was half its size, with its front legs. Walking only on its hind legs, it looked rather comical. It waddled over to the Earth Dragon and placed the magnifying glass into a fertilizer sack slung over the larger creature's back.
Kael continued his search, followed by his miserable-looking summons. "Evil Foreman!" they all thought.
[Material: Old Walkie-Talkie]
Quality: White
"This one's not bad. Little Spike... Little Spike? Little Spike!" Kael's voice went from calm to confused, then quickly to furious. He spun around.
The Ironclad Hedgehog was mimicking a nearby stray dog, lifting its leg to pee.
"WHAT! ARE! YOU! DOING!" Kael roared, practically seeing red. Why were his summons always doing such bizarre things? The seemingly simple but actually sly Earth Dragon, the self-roasting Earthen Beetle, the dog-imitating Ironclad Hedgehog, the suicidal Explosive Flies obsessed with "art," and finally, the arrogant tsundere Wind Eagle!
Kael felt utterly exhausted. If it weren't for their absolute loyalty and the bond they'd developed, he would have kicked these embarrassing creatures to the curb long ago.
"What are you looking at?" Kael snapped, turning his glare on the big yellow stray dog, which had paused its peeing to stare curiously at the hedgehog. "Haven't you ever seen a hedgehog pee before? What's wrong with copying you? Are you the only one allowed to lift your leg? Get lost!"
The Ironclad Hedgehog had disgraced him in front of a dog! He raised his stick threateningly.
"Woof, woof, woof!"
"Hey! You damn mutt! Don't run!" Kael's eyes widened. The dog dared to bark at him? That pushed him over the edge. He whirled around to the Earth Dragon. "Little Dragon! Catch that mutt! My next summon is going to be him, no matter what!"
Bullying dogs was the Earth Dragon's favorite pastime. Without a word, it dove into the ground.
THUMP!
The next moment, the big yellow dog ran headfirst into the Earth Dragon's rock-hard body as it erupted from the earth.
"Whimper, whimper, whimper..."
The dog yelped in panic as its head was caught in the Earth Dragon's maw. A twisted smile slowly spread across Kael's face. "Let's see what happens when I fuse a magnifying glass and a dog!"
[Magnifying Glass]+[Big Yellow Dog]= ???
[Compatibility]99%
"Huh?" Kael's eyes practically bulged out of his head. He stared in disbelief at the dog and the magnifying glass.
"THIS!!! Big Yellow, I choose you! I even have your name ready! This item is destined for you!"
A surge of excitement filled him. He could already picture his first E+ rank Summoning Beast being born!
[Magnifying Glass]+[Big Yellow Dog]= ???
[Compatibility]99%
[Material: Magnifying Glass, Quality (White)]
[Creature: Big Yellow Dog, Rank (E)]
[Synthesis Success Rate]120%
[Chakra Required]100
[Confirm Synthesis]
As the dog finally stopped struggling, Kael felt a thrill of anticipation. This synthesis, born from a random whim, had turned out to be a match made in heaven!
E-rank synthesis was much faster than D-rank. In just three seconds, the intense white light surrounding the dog faded, revealing... a tiny, adorable yellow puppy.
"A puppy?" Kael blinked, stunned. "Did it... de-age or something?" he murmured in disbelief.
Strange things happened every year, but today was particularly weird. It was the first time a synthesis had resulted in a smaller summon.