NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Chapter:12
The skill bar had already delivered countless surprises to Gekkō Ishisaki, but its potential seemed limitless.
As he stood by the artificial lake, drenched from his earlier Water Style demonstration, the system chimed once again:
[Detecting that the host has completed a skill release beyond the fixed skill quality.]
[Would you like to update the skill status?]
Ishisaki grinned. The Water Style: Water Colliding Wave he had just released was leagues beyond the original. It was no surprise the system recognized it as surpassing the previous standard.
Yet, as excited as he was by the prospect of infinitely upgrading his ninjutsu, a problem loomed large.
"The Water Style just now consumed more than half my chakra," Ishisaki muttered, his earlier grin fading.
The power was undeniable, but the strain it placed on his chakra reserves made the technique unsustainable. Sure, he could tone down the jutsu's output to conserve energy, but that defeated the purpose of hanging the skill on the bar.
"The core of a ninja is chakra," Ishisaki realized aloud. "If I can't maintain sufficient reserves, what's the point of having powerful techniques?"
Resolving to address this fundamental issue, Ishisaki reconfigured his passive skill bar:
[Passive Skills 1–6: Chakra Refining Technique]
[Passive Skill 7: School-Level Taijutsu]
With the majority of his focus now on enhancing chakra, Ishisaki decided to update the state of his Chakra Refining Technique—a cornerstone of his growth.
Returning home, Ishisaki changed into fresh clothes. For the first time in years, he donned a sleek black long-sleeved jacket adorned with silver chains along the cuffs and chest pockets. Coupled with black pants and casual white undershirts, the outfit accentuated his lean, handsome features. His messy black hair, half-covering his eyes, added a melancholic yet confident aura.
This was a new Ishisaki, one who no longer needed to hide in mediocrity.
Cross-legged in his room, Ishisaki began refining chakra with a singular goal: perfection.
Under normal circumstances, completing a single cycle of chakra refinement took him fifteen to twenty minutes, slower than most due to his earlier lack of talent. This time, however, Ishisaki dedicated an hour to the process, focusing on quality over speed.
By the time he finished, the difference was palpable. The chakra he refined felt denser, purer, and far more potent.
[Detecting that the host has completed a skill release beyond the fixed skill quality.]
[Updating skill status… Complete.]
The system's notification brought a smile to Ishisaki's face. "Twice the effect from now on," he murmured.
This meant every five-minute cycle on the passive skill bar would yield twice as much chakra as before.
"But that's not enough," Ishisaki decided. "I need to push further."
The hours ticked by as Ishisaki alternated between refining chakra and brief rests. Not every attempt succeeded in surpassing the previous standard, but by midnight, he had achieved three additional updates to the skill status.
His perseverance bore fruit. The system now confirmed:
Each refinement yielded five times the chakra as before.
Every five minutes, six strands of chakra were added, equivalent to thirty extractions under his previous standard.
Exhausted but satisfied, Ishisaki fell onto his bed. While chakra refinement didn't consume his spiritual power, the intense focus required for perfection had taken its toll.
As Ishisaki slept, the passive skill bar continued its relentless work:
[Passive Skills 1–6 complete a run.]
[Passive Skills 1–6 complete a run.]
...
The system tirelessly refined chakra throughout the night, capitalizing on the updates Ishisaki had painstakingly achieved.
The morning sun filtered through his window, rousing Ishisaki from his slumber. He rubbed his eyes, stretched, and immediately checked the system.
His jaw dropped as he felt the surge of chakra within him. The reserves were significantly larger than they had been the previous day.
"This… this is insane," Ishisaki muttered. "My chakra has doubled overnight!"
Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to process the implications. Such rapid growth would have been impossible without the skill bar's continuous refinements.
Ishisaki sat down to assess his current state. "Let's break it down," he muttered.
Original Chakra Growth: Minimal, taking months of hard work to show any progress.
Current Chakra Growth: Equivalent to six years of training compressed into a single night.
"This isn't just an improvement," Ishisaki whispered. "This is a revolution."
His chakra reserves now rivaled that of a skilled Chūnin. For a student still attending the Ninja Academy, this level of growth was unprecedented.
End of the Chapter.
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