It was said to possess computational power countless times more terrifying than a quantum computer. It was nothing short of a miracle.
But the truly frightening part was still to come!
Just imagining what the future held made Lei Dou's lips curl uncontrollably upward. He could barely contain his excitement.
Although [Great Sage] had yet to evolve into the legendary [Wisdom King], the power it displayed was already outrageously formidable.
[Great Sage: Calculation program initiated.]
Lei Dou took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and began drawing on the energy inside him to extract chakra as he always did.
Meanwhile, [Great Sage] acted like a precision supercomputer, monitoring every minute movement Lei Dou made and every path his energy took in real time while conducting extensive, in-depth simulations.
Its objective was clear: to calculate the optimal solution from countless possibilities-a perfect extraction method tailored exclusively to Lei Dou.
[Calculating...] [Progress: %] [Progress: %]
Watching the progress bar crawl across his retina like a snail, Lei Dou twisted his lips in frustration.
This is ridiculously slow. How long am I supposed to wait?
[Great Sage: Only % of the system's computational capacity has currently been restored. Please be advised, host.]
Although the mechanical voice was utterly emotionless, Lei Dou felt as though the system was talking back to him. It almost seemed a little prickly.
Lei Dou could not be bothered to argue. Quality took time. As long as the final product was good, what harm was there in waiting a little longer?
At last, this full cycle of chakra extraction came to an end.
Lei Dou slowly opened his eyes, immediately focusing on the translucent panel in his field of vision.
[Current calculation progress: %]
He had worked himself to the bone completing an entire extraction cycle, and the progress bar had moved less than %?
Apparently, he would not be getting a free ride. He would have to keep grinding.
At his current pace, a complete chakra extraction cycle took Lei Dou roughly thirty minutes.
That was only because his recent surge in physical constitution and mental strength had shortened the process from its original forty minutes.
One cycle every half hour was lightning-fast efficiency by the standards of the entire Shinobi World.
And that was while pursuing absolute perfection, without daring to overlook a single detail.
Settling his mind once more, Lei Dou began another round of tedious extraction. This time, he even deliberately slowed his breathing to ensure every detail was precise.
By the time Lei Dou finished again, minutes had slipped quietly by.
That amounted to nearly an hour of grueling cultivation.
His eyes snapped open, a sharp gleam flashing through them.
[Calculation complete.] [Successfully derived the optimal solution for the host's current physiological state-Perfect Chakra Extraction Technique.] [Update skill data immediately?]
Obviously! Of course I want the update!
Only an idiot would refuse.
"Update it now! Let's see just how incredible this so-called Perfect Chakra Extraction Technique really is!"
The moment he gave the command, a warm current seemed to spread through his entire body. Lei Dou stared intently at the system panel, sparing a glance at the clock on the wall.
Another four minutes slipped quietly by, and the system notification sounded right on schedule, announcing the process had ended.
At that instant, Lei Dou distinctly felt the chakra surging inside him like a raging river.
His eyes flew wide, his pupils contracting sharply. Disbelief and shock filled his face.
"This efficiency... it's more than three times better than my previous version?!"
The cultivation efficiency he had once been so proud of was apparently nothing but flaw-riddled garbage in the system's eyes.
What he had believed was the ceiling turned out to be no more than the floor.
This was the true limit-the ultimate release of the human body's potential!
"This skill is absurdly powerful!"
The "optimal state" he had painstakingly discovered had soared to a whole new level after a single optimization from the system.
[Great Sage: Once this unit's computational capacity is fully restored, the estimated enhancement may exceed tenfold.]
Tenfold?
Are you kidding me?
Even this threefold boost was frightening enough. Barring any surprises, Lei Dou's total chakra reserves would undergo a terrifying surge tomorrow.
They would multiply several times over from their current level!
When that happened, even Naruto, whose chakra reserves were supposedly comparable to a Tailed Beast's, would probably have to admit defeat in a contest of sheer chakra volume.
"I've squeezed everything I can out of the Chakra Extraction Technique. At least for now, there's no room left to improve."
"What about other ninjutsu or Taijutsu?"
[Great Sage: In theory, all skills can undergo similar computational optimization.]
Without another word, Lei Dou snatched up the slightly worn Ninja Blade beside him. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's test it on Konoha Style: Swordsmanship first!"
[Preparing calculation...]
Lei Dou turned his wrist, his blade flashing as he began demonstrating Konoha Style: Swordsmanship, one move at a time.
The system's background data streams began scrolling furiously as well.
This time, the progress bar raced along, nothing like its earlier constipated crawl.
Less than ten minutes later, Lei Dou lowered his blade after completing a full sequence of sword moves, and a crisp notification rang out.
[Calculation complete.] [Current swordsmanship skill effects optimized. Power increased by approximately one-third. The host may choose to conduct another in-depth calculation.]
"You can keep stacking calculations? Didn't you say each one reached my current limit?"
[Great Sage: Skill characteristics differ. Certain skills are constrained by the objective conditions of the host's physical body and possess physical limits. Other technique-based abilities theoretically have no upper limit, or are not restricted by the host's current constitution.]
The explanation sounded convoluted, but Lei Dou was quick on the uptake and understood immediately.
Chakra extraction squeezed energy out of his cells; once his body could no longer handle it, he had to stop. Swordsmanship, however, was a matter of technique-an art without end.
Even an entire lifetime might not be enough to explore every variation of a sword move or every subtlety of its application.
[Load updated swordsmanship data?]
Of course! Why else would I have gone to all this trouble?
[Skill data update complete.]
This update felt entirely different from the warm currents that had accompanied the chakra extraction update.
No energy rushed through his body. Instead, a vast amount of muscle memory and knowledge of how to apply force suddenly appeared in his mind, as though etched into his bones.
"So this move can change direction and apply force like that!"
Although the numerical improvement was only one-third, the impact on Lei Dou's understanding was nothing short of a revelation!
It felt incredible. Lei Dou's enthusiasm for swordsmanship instantly blazed to its peak.
"Don't stop! Keep calculating!"
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A mere one-third improvement had made Lei Dou feel as though he had opened the door to an entirely new world.
It had nothing to do with absolute strength or speed, but with a profound, almost mystical elevation of his mastery.
[New calculation cycle initiated.]
The blade in Lei Dou's hand began to tremble faintly. As it cut through the air, a clear, ringing note rose from it, almost like a dragon's cry.
It was a strange feeling, as though the cold steel in his hand had come alive and become an extension of his own flesh and blood.
After another calculation finished, the illusion of being one with his blade grew even stronger. A fierce, chilling glint emerged in Lei Dou's eyes, making them almost impossible to meet.
His gaze had become razor-sharp.
Like the blade in his hand, it seemed capable of cutting through the air.
"Incredible!"
So this was how the [Calculation] cheat was really meant to be used!
Its purpose was to take unremarkable basic skills and force them into terrifying realms capable of destroying heaven and earth.
If the passive skill panel was for grinding proficiency and accumulating experience, then this calculation function was for forcibly raising the ceiling of his mastery.
In that case, could he use this mechanism to develop entirely new skills from nothing?
Lei Dou lowered his head and studied the cold, gleaming edge in his hand.
After several rounds of radical modification, Konoha Style: Swordsmanship had become absurdly powerful, more than enough to crush anyone his age.
But!
For a ninja, it still lacked something essential-chakra nature transformation!
Konoha Style: Swordsmanship relied purely on physical attacks. It did not incorporate the explosive power of elemental chakra.
What if he could blend elemental chakra into it perfectly?
"No, the real question is which chakra nature would suit it best!"
With a thought, Lei Dou conjured a ball of flame in his left palm and gathered a mass of water in his right. These two entirely different forms of Chakra Nature Transformation were effortless for him.
Fire chakra was wild and volatile. Coating his blade with it would be lethal, but it was too difficult to control. One mistake, and he might singe his eyebrows.
Water chakra, on the other hand, could be both supremely soft and supremely hard. It seemed better suited to the flowing nature of swordsmanship.
This was research and development, after all. Lei Dou had no desire to repeat his mistakes from developing Boil Release and keep blowing himself into a soot-covered mess.
A combination of swordsmanship and Water Release!
An idea flashed through Lei Dou's mind. He suddenly remembered a signature sword technique from an action-packed anime in his previous life. Could the system's computational power recreate that legendary fictional technique?
On a dark, windy night, a secluded grove stood outside Konoha.
This was one of Lei Dou's old haunts.
Carrying his Ninja Blade, Lei Dou slipped inside with practiced familiarity. It had long since become his secret training ground.
Normally, not a soul came here. No one would disturb him.
With a metallic ring, Lei Dou drew his blade and casually tossed the sheath aside.
Thud!
With a heavy crash, the wooden sheath drove deep into a thick tree trunk like a cannonball.
Lei Dou's physical strength was downright inhuman now. Even a casual movement carried tremendous force.
Calling his formidable constitution ten times stronger than an ordinary ninja's would have been an understatement.
In sheer durability and strength, his body could probably rival that shield-wielding Captain America.
Holding his cold, gleaming Ninja Blade, Lei Dou walked to the center of the clearing. His training had long since worn away all the surrounding grass.
Only a bare patch of gravel remained, looking rather desolate beneath the moonlight.
It was undeniable evidence of the sweat Lei Dou had poured into this place day after day.
Clear moonlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering patches of light and shadow.
Lei Dou's shadow stretched long across the gravel, looking somewhat lonely.
He held his blade in one hand, its tip angled toward the ground, and gently exhaled as he adjusted his breathing.
"Then let's do this for real! Show me whether this calculation ability can actually bring the godlike technique in my imagination to life!"
[Great Sage: Host intent detected. Activate "Thought Acceleration" mode?]
Thought... Acceleration?
Lei Dou's mind stalled again.
"Wh-when did this new function appear?"
[Great Sage: This is one of this unit's basic built-in functions. It was previously offline due to system damage and has now been repaired.]
Lei Dou sighed helplessly, feeling like a fool who had been kept in the dark. "Are there any other repaired functions you haven't told me about?"
[Great Sage: None at present.]
"Next time you repair some amazing function, please tell me immediately. Don't leave me guessing like an idiot!"
[Great Sage: Command received.]
Previously, he had practically needed to file an application just to use a little of its power. Now it would not even say a word when something was repaired.
Sometimes, the Great Sage System's level of intelligence truly left Lei Dou speechless.
"Explain Thought Acceleration to me!"
[Great Sage: As the name suggests, it increases the speed of the host's sensory perception to one thousand times its normal rate while substantially enhancing logical computational ability. It provides significant assistance in developing new techniques.]
A thousandfold increase in perception speed!
What kind of godlike concept was that? It meant a beam of light that flashed past in someone else's eyes would look like a slow-motion replay to Lei Dou.
He could even count how many strands the light split into and determine the order in which each strand struck his retina.
Such extraordinary insight into the microscopic world would be the ultimate cheat for developing new skills.
[Calculation officially initiated.] [Reading the host's conceptual brainwave data and constructing a preliminary model using the existing skill library...] [Current fusion components: Konoha Style: Swordsmanship + Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation.] [Progress: %]
It's started already?
So it really is fully automated and foolproof? I don't even have to do anything myself?
[Great Sage: The host is advised to guide Water Release chakra into the blade as fully as possible while performing swordsmanship. This unit will collect and analyze the resulting empirical data in real time, significantly reducing the calculation cycle.]
Watching the motionless progress bar, Lei Dou felt a surge of impatience.
Standing around staring at it was not his style. Who knew how long the calculations would take?
Better to get to work myself!
As he activated "thought acceleration" mode, the world instantly changed before Lei Dou's eyes.
The wind stopped, leaves hung motionless in midair, and even the frequency of the distant insect calls became clearly discernible.
Lei Dou began practicing Konoha Style: Swordsmanship again and was surprised to discover that the movements he had thought were already perfect still had so many tiny flaws he could correct.
He executed the sword techniques with effortless fluidity while dividing his attention to control his chakra's nature transformation, yet he felt completely at ease, without the slightest strain.
Blue chakra spread down his arm to the blade. Instead of dissipating as it usually did, it clung obediently to the steel.
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