Chapter 116: Chapter 114:: Limits of Overclocking
After Dan left, Ryu had managed to create a couple more seals. After spending an additional hour creating only two seals, Ryu finally lay on the floor, exhausted from the mental strain of working despite his previous attempts to overclock his mind.
His mind had been pushed to its limits, but the satisfaction of successfully creating his first working seal lingered in his thoughts.
Ryu's mind wandered back to the modified storage seal he had created. It was more efficient, more complex, and yet untested. He was excited to test it but understood the importance of not rushing.
- Warning: Physical and mental exhaustion detected.
- Rest recommended.
Ryu thought, "My own subconscious is telling me to rest. I think that if I push myself, I can overclock my mind again with some risks, given my previous two experiences doing so. Three times a day, for five minutes each, I can overclock my mind. There will not be any negative effects if I space them out by three to four hours. But going back-to-back three times will be like scheduling an early meeting with Lord Morphious or, worse, Mr. End."
He closed his eyes and tried to relax on the floor due to his inability to move. Before he knew it, he fell asleep on the chilly floor.
An hour later, Dan quietly entered the room. His eyes softened as he saw Ryu fast asleep, his face peaceful despite the exhaustion that had clearly overwhelmed him.
Dan smirked and shook his head, thinking to himself, "He must have put in a lot of effort," a proud smile tugging at his lips.
Without disturbing him, Dan gently picked Ryu up and carried him to his room, laying him down on the bed. He pulled the blanket over his grandson and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
The next morning, Ryu woke up in his bed, blinking in confusion. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Grandpa must've taken me here," he thought, a small smile forming on his face. He stretched his arms, feeling the soreness in his muscles from the previous day's exertion. But despite the fatigue, he felt a sense of accomplishment.
"I learnt so much yesterday," Ryu mused as he got dressed, preparing for his morning workout.
Ryu never missed a day of training. Upon finishing his workout, he returned home, his mind already buzzing with thoughts on fuinjutsu. He sat down at his desk and began working on a few more regular storage seals, carefully tracing the intricate patterns on the fuinjutsu paper. His hand moved with precision, the quill gliding smoothly over the surface.
Satisfied with his progress, Ryu told himself, "Okay, a couple more seals, and I will be done with this assignment and try new things."
Checking the clock, Ryu realized it was time to head to the academy, a daily ritual he never missed. Grabbing his things, he dashed out of the house, his mind still racing with thoughts of seals and modifications.
As he ran towards the academy, Ryu's mind wandered back to the modified seal he had created the day before.
In his imaginary augmented reality, the new seal was modifying again and again with new codes, rearranging itself again and again, more slowly than the last time, but it wasn't succeeding.
Every time it turned red, indicating a failed attempt, the red part disappeared; a new attempt was made, but the entire process was significantly slower than when his mind had been overclocked.
- Further modification of the modified [Storage Seal] failed.
Ryu reached the academy and started walking slowly, the familiar sights and sounds of the training grounds welcoming him back. He scowled and muttered, "I suppose it is more complicated than it first appears. There's so much work to be done; even with my [Parallel Thinking] and [Fast Thinking], it's not the same as when I used [Overclocking] using [Temporary Enhance]."
He thought to himself, "It was easy yesterday. I do not have enough data to work with or the ability to calculate. I suppose I will have to give it another go once I understand more seals and decipher more symbols."
He hadn't shared the information about the modified seal with his grandfather yet. It wasn't a matter of hiding it; rather, he wanted to prioritize completing the given assignment before revealing his new creation. He planned to reveal the new modified seal to his grandfather after successfully completing the ten working storage seals Dan had requested.
The day at the academy was uneventful. The fundamentals taught in class were things Ryu had already mentally processed, and the physical training in the Taijutsu class was something he could now perform in his sleep. His level of fitness had far surpassed that of his classmates, and while they struggled through the exercises, Ryu's mind was elsewhere.
- Further modification of the modified [Storage Seal] failed.
Without the overclocking boost, every attempt to further modify the seal was extremely slow, leading to failure at every step.
"I wonder how the grandmasters do this," Ryu thought, his brow furrowing in concentration. "They likely have to perform these tasks manually, with even lower efficiency than my own. It's no wonder there are so few of them."
Akira Uchiha glanced over at him, noticing the distant look in his eyes. She raised an eyebrow, wondering where Ryu's attention was. Normally focused on the lessons, today his mind appeared to be elsewhere.
After the academy, fueled by determination, Ryu sprinted home at full speed, his mind already fixed on the task ahead. He had to finish the ten storage seals his grandfather had assigned him. As soon as he got home, he sat down at his desk and got to work, completely immersing himself in the process.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, two hours had passed. Ryu leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. He had done it—he had created nine more storage seals, bringing his total to ten.
"That's it," Ryu said, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. "Assignment complete."
He glanced at the remaining fuinjutsu paper and ink. Not a single piece had been wasted. "Grandpa must've thought I'd make mistakes and waste some of the materials," Ryu chuckled. "But he underestimated me."
With the assignment finished, Ryu's thoughts turned to the modified storage seal he had created the day before. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he pulled out a fresh piece of ordinary paper and ink and began working on it. The process was slower than the regular seal, but after about forty minutes, he was done.
As he studied his work, Ryu reflected, "It is more complicated than the regular seal, but not that much. But the trade-off for almost 30% more efficiency is definitely worth it."
At that moment, the door creaked open, and Dan entered the room. "Dinner's ready," he said, his voice warm. "I didn't want to disturb you while you were working."
Ryu looked up, smiling. "Thanks, Grandpa."
Walking over to the desk and eyeing the seals spread out, Dan asked, "How many did you manage today?"
"All ten," Ryu replied, his tone casual.
Dan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "All ten? Already?"
Ryu nodded. "Yes. It wasn't too hard."
Dan chuckled, shaking his head. "I knew you'd finish sooner than expected. Have you tested them all? I know you had memorised the hand seals."
"No. I have not tried. Not yet," Ryu admitted.
"Well, let's test them now," Dan said, picking up one of the seals.
Dan watched closely as Ryu activated the first seal by himself. The object Ryu had placed on it vanished instantly after he executed a few handseals, and a character appeared on the seal, indicating successful storage.
Dan nodded approvingly and said, "Now, retrieve it back from the seal."
Ryu performed the necessary hand seals, and the object reappeared, exactly as it had been before. A grin spread across his face. "It worked!"
They repeated the process for each of the remaining seals by storing random objects, and every single one worked flawlessly. As they completed the task, Ryu's heart raced with excitement. He had done it—ten perfect seals.
"Well done, 10 out of 10," Dan said, his voice filled with pride. "You've done a great job. We'll continue tomorrow, but for now, let's have dinner."
As Dan turned to leave, Ryu hesitated. "Grandpa, wait."
Dan stopped, turning back to him. "What's the matter?"
Ryu smiled sheepishly. "Don't be mad, but... I made something else."
Dan raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh?"
Ryu pulled out the nonfunctioning replica of the modified storage seal and handed it to Dan. "I didn't execute it yet, but I wrote it on a normal paper with ordinary ink only after I finished the assignment. I was careful, and I only attempted it because I understood the regular seal perfectly."
Dan stared at the seal for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he looked up at Ryu and said, "What the hell?"
Ryu couldn't help but laugh at his grandfather's reaction. "I told you not to be mad!"
Dan shook his head, a grin breaking through his stern expression. "I'm not mad. Just... surprised."
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