The Swift Release Puppet handed over a specially made glass tube.
Hoshino precisely cut open the vein in the corpse's wrist with a scalpel, and dark red blood slowly flowed into the tube.
In the Sharingan's vision, countless tiny specks of Chakra floated in the blood.
Those are dormant Kikaichū.
" Chakra Activation Experiment."
He dripped the blood sample onto the prepared Chakra Crystal.
Ripples immediately spread across the crystal surface, and the insect eggs in the blood awakened at a visible speed, beginning to frantically devour Chakra energy.
In just a few seconds, the thumb-sized crystal was completely devoured.
"Amazing conversion efficiency..."
Hoshino quickly jotted down the information.
Even more surprisingly, after consuming the insects, the swarm began to secrete a grayish-black mucus that formed a net-like structure in the petri dish.
When he brought his fingers close, the threads actually wrapped around him, trying to absorb the Chakra from his body.
"Symbiotic instinct?"
Hoshino immediately began dissecting the corpse's chest cavity and discovered a nest of insects filled with Chakra channels near the heart.
This method connects the host and the swarm into a unified whole.
Hoshino stared at the wriggling gray-black network in the petri dish, his pupils slightly contracting.
An unprecedented idea gradually took shape in his mind.
He doesn't know the secrets of insect control.
Therefore, instead of going to great lengths to control these Kikaichū, it would be better to refine them directly into magical treasures.
The essence of Divine Machine Hundred Refinements lies precisely in transforming all things into one's own power.
We did it right away.
Divine Machine Hundred Refinements flowed through his mind, and his Qi seeped into the swarm of insects in the petri dish like a gentle stream.
The little creatures that greedily devoured Chakra suddenly froze, as if they sensed a higher-level power calling to them.
The grayish-black slime began to boil, and the insect eggs emitted subtle popping sounds as they were refined by Chakra.
Hoshino could feel his spiritual imprint being imprinted, bit by bit, on the life essence of each Kikaichū through these cracking sounds.
This process is far more difficult than refining ordinary magical artifacts.
With his current cultivation level, he can't directly refine items into magic weapons, but it won't take long either.
We've already achieved initial wholesale of magical artifacts.
But living things are ultimately different from dead things; every insect instinctively resists the fate of being refined.
Hoshino had no choice but to increase his Qi output, and sweat slid down his forehead.
Fortunately, there weren't many insect eggs left in the body after the corpse died.
When the last egg stopped struggling, a strange telepathic connection was established.
With his eyes closed and mind focused, he could clearly perceive the location and state of each Kikaichū, as naturally as he could perceive Human Puppet.
But that's not enough.
Hoshino took out several Chakra Crystal and carefully placed them into a petri dish.
The refined swarm of insects immediately attacked the Chakra Crystal, devouring them completely, and then began to reproduce.
The most surprising thing is...
When these refined Kikaichū began to reproduce, the new generation naturally carried the same spiritual imprint.
Hoshino watched as the second-generation insect eggs hatched on the Chakra Crystal.
They establish a spiritual connection with him from birth and are completely obedient to his will.
This means that he created not just a set of tools, but a self-sustaining family of magical artifacts.
I never expected that.
What was expected to surprise him was the research on the Shikotsumyaku.
In retrospect, this Kikaichū was his greatest gain from his trip to Konoha.
Hoshino's fingertips gently traced the edge of the petri dish, and the new generation of Kikaichū affectionately wrapped around it.
These small, grayish-black creatures are no longer simple tools, but a completely new existence somewhere between living beings and magical artifacts.
It retains the Kikaichū's instinct to devour Chakra, and perfectly inherits the obedience bestowed by the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements.
This way, we can also try out the idea we just had.
Hoshino stared at the puppet in front of him, and with a light tap of his fingertip, a swarm of gray-black insects surged into the gaps between the puppet's joints like a tide.
Within the Sharingan's microscopic vision, tens of millions of Kikaichū were spreading out in an orderly fashion along the Chakra circuits inside the puppet.
On the experimental table, a puppet arm fused with the swarm of insects suddenly moved.
Hoshino could clearly feel that each of the Kikaichū had become an extension of his perception.
This seamless and integrated control experience is a level that traditional Puppet Technique can never reach.
Unfortunately, these micrometer-sized individuals can never perfectly simulate neurons.
When Hoshino attempts to transmit complex commands, the puppet's movements are delayed by a considerable amount of time.
Not to mention the original plan to have them travel along the Chakra circuits, repairing every tiny damage, and even adjusting the energy flow path according to instructions.
never mind!
You can't get fat overnight; you have to take it slowly.
Hoshino designated a sterile area in the southeast corner of the laboratory, where specially designed culture chambers were neatly arranged in a constant temperature chamber.
At the same time, the frequency of Chakra Crystal release is adjusted.
Watching the gray-black swarm of insects form regular tidal movements inside the transparent container.
After setting up the automatic feeding system, Hoshino turned and walked to the other end of the laboratory.
Research on the Shikotsumyaku should also be advanced.
The experimental notebook lay open on the desk, Hoshino's pen scratched across the paper, recording new experimental ideas.
The laboratory's cold fluorescent lights cast a pale, white glow on the metal walls.
The last rays of the setting sun faded.
Grandma Chiyo, leaning on her cane, stood in front of her mottled wooden door, a complex expression flashing across her wrinkled face.
She hasn't been back to this house for almost half a year.
To complete that procedure, she practically neglected sleep and meals, and paid no attention to changes in the outside world.
If it weren't for his younger brother constantly urging him, and his confidant sending a message saying that Hoshino had been looking for him, he would have succeeded.
She might still be in that place, and won't come out until the surgery is completed.
Grandma Chiyo pushed open the creaking wooden door.
At this moment, Hoshino was kneeling in the center of the tea room, the hem of her gray-white kimono spread out on the tatami mat.
Hearing the sound, he looked up and said with a gentle smile.
"Grandma, you're back."
His voice was soft, like the child who had always quietly waited for her to come home over the past few years.
Grandma Chiyo's gaze swept across the room.
The teapot was steaming, and her favorite yokan (sweet bean jelly) was laid out on the low table. Even the cushion where she usually sat had been warmed up in advance.
Everything was the same as before, as if the six months of separation had never happened.
"I've made your favorite buckwheat tea," Hoshino said softly, picking up the steaming teapot.
The old man slowly sat down on the warm cushion, his cane resting within easy reach.
She noticed the dish of yokan (sweet bean jelly) on the tea table, cut into her usual small pieces, with a pinch of salt on the side.
These small acts of thoughtfulness allowed my nerves, which had been tense for the past six months, to relax without me even realizing it.
Hoshino quietly poured the tea, his movements fluid and graceful.
The lamplight cast dappled golden shadows on his lowered eyelashes, and the profile of his face still retained the features of his youth.
Grandma Chiyo vaguely recalled how little Hoshino had stood on tiptoe trying to reach the teapot ten years ago.
"What have you been busy with lately?" the old man asked casually, picking up his teacup.
"Just busywork, I'll tell you all about it tonight!"
Hoshino stood up and said, "Let's eat first. I've made stewed radishes for dinner!"
Grandma Chiyo watched his retreating figure as he walked towards the kitchen, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up in a smile.
No matter how long you're away.
This home will always remain the most reassuring place for her.
The aroma of tea wafted through the air, the night was gentle, and there was that child who would always leave a light on for her.