Whoosh!
A visible ripple shimmered through the air surrounding the entire Walt family base—an almost invisible wave, yet one felt with striking clarity by anyone possessing a sensitivity to Chakra.
Inside one of the newly constructed large chambers, characterized by thick stone walls and ample illumination from various windows and oil lamps, Dan stood in composed silence. He watched with unwavering focus. Before him, his daughter Hoshi had her eyes squeezed shut in deep concentration, her expression entirely grave. She held her right hand cautiously over a large metal slab resting upon a four-legged pedestal.
The metal slab was substantial, roughly a meter long, half a meter wide, and several centimeters thick. Carved onto and around its surface were countless intricate and precise seals, drawn with masterful perfection—intertwining lines, overlapping circles, and cryptic symbols. This was the work of years; every seal placed with millimeter precision.
Hoshi's hand began to glow with a faint blue Chakra. Slowly, steadily, and with meticulous control, the energy began to flow from her into the metal slab. The slab swallowed it whole. One by one, the etched seals began to ignite, activating in a rhythmic sequence. A soft blue radiance spread across the entire surface of the metal. It was beautiful, mesmerizing, and profoundly scientific.
The process continued for several minutes as Hoshi pumped a steady stream of energy while the slab continued its absorption. Suddenly, Hoshi pulled her hand away. Her eyes snapped open—wide and sparkling with raw excitement. Without warning or a second thought, she leaped toward Dan with a purely childlike impulse.
"I did it! The experiment succeeded, Father!" she cried out, her laughter filling the room.
She soared through the air, arms outstretched. She didn't even realize the weight of her actions until she was already in her father's arms; he had caught her instinctively. Suddenly, reality set in. Her face flushed a deep, vivid crimson with intense embarrassment. Such childish behavior in front of her stern father! It was an incredibly awkward realization.
Dan placed her gently and calmly back on the ground. Then, in a rare and unusually tender gesture, he reached out and patted her head.
"Well done, my little girl," he said in a quiet voice, though it carried unmistakable pride.
Simple words. But coming from him? They meant the world to her. Despite her lingering blush and the way her eyes avoided his direct gaze, a wide smile of pure joy broke across her face. She had finally succeeded—after years of continuous experimentation, repeated failures, and moments of deep frustration—in completing her first major, real-world project.
It was a task Dan had personally entrusted to her years ago. It was complex and grueling, requiring a profound understanding of advanced Fuinjutsu. The project involved developing an advanced Chakra storage seal and then effectively integrating it with the protective barrier technique that enveloped the entire family base.
The goal? To make the barrier self-sufficient and entirely independent of Dan. He wanted a system that no longer relied on his personal presence or his specific network technique to remain active. The first version of the barrier, which he had built himself years prior, required his direct intervention. He had to activate it manually and pump energy into it every single time it was needed. This was somewhat inconvenient, impractical, and dangerous; if he were away for an extended period, the defense would fail because it was tied to him.
But now, with this new breakthrough, the barrier would function completely on its own. Self-contained. Self-sufficient. It no longer needed Dan.
In truth, Hoshi had achieved success much faster than anticipated. The reason? A new factor had entered the equation: Chakra-Conductive Metal. This specialized iron is a rare material capable of conducting and storing energy with high efficiency—something that had not been available to them before. However, after asserting control over Lord Ayato and opening channels of communication with the outside world, many new resources became accessible to the family, including rare minerals and materials that were unavailable in the isolated wilderness.
This conductive metal, in particular, was one of the most critical resources. Because of it, Hoshi's experiments accelerated significantly. She used the metal as the primary carrier for the network of seals responsible for the protective barrier. Instead of carving them onto wood or stone—materials that are comparatively weak, prone to erosion, and difficult to maintain—she etched them onto conductive metal plates. They were stronger, more stable, and far more efficient.
The result was success far ahead of schedule. Now, with this new system Hoshi had perfected, the protective barrier around the base required only one simple thing: a periodic supply of energy into the large storage seal, which functioned essentially as a massive battery. Once filled by any member of the family, it would operate continuously for weeks without interruption under normal conditions. It fed the barrier and activated the seal-based system, maintaining it at all times. It was automatic and self-sustaining as long as the energy was provided.
Unlike the old version that demanded Dan's personal activation via his network technique, this new iteration greatly increased the barrier's effectiveness, making it more stable and reliable.
Dan looked at the metal slab glowing with activated seals. Then he looked at his daughter, Hoshi, standing before him—her face still slightly red from shyness, but her smile wide with triumph. He felt a genuine sense of pride. It wasn't just about the technical breakthrough, despite its immense importance; it was about his daughter herself. She had worked hard. She had persevered and refused to surrender, even though this was her first research project and it was by no means easy.
Finally, she had succeeded. This was exactly what he wanted from his children. Not just martial prowess, but intelligence, persistence, and the ability to innovate.
He spoke again, his tone becoming more serious: "And now that this is finished... I will entrust you with a new project." He paused, looking her directly in the eye. "We will be needing it in the future as well."
Hoshi's eyes widened. A new project! A new challenge! Her smile grew even wider as she nodded enthusiastically. "I will do my absolute best!"
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