It was simply too expensive!
If he were to max out the synthesis success rate, he would need 85,800 reputation points. With that many reputation points, he could even buy a rare S-rank ninja technique card—of course, that was assuming the reputation store would refresh with the corresponding card Haruto Saito needed.
But purely from a price perspective, spending over eighty thousand reputation points just to ensure a successful card fusion was an unwise choice.
If he didn't max it out, there was a risk of failure, and a failed fusion meant an even greater loss.
Moreover, since the synthesis used only low-level ninja technique cards, it was impossible to create anything too high-level!
Haruto Saito stroked his chin, deep in thought.
No matter how he calculated it, it wasn't a good deal!
"Fuse!"
Haruto Saito chose to proceed with the fusion!
"Ding! Fusion failed. The host has gained 1,850 reputation points!"
Haruto Saito grabbed another handful of cards and tossed them in.
Continue fusing!
"Ding! Fusion failed. The host has gained 1,690 reputation points!"
"Ding! Fusion failed. The host has gained 2,010 reputation points!"
"Ding! Fusion failed. The host has gained 1,780 reputation points!"
"Ding! Fusion successful. The host has obtained a C-rank Seven-Star Mutant Card!"
Eight attempts in total, with each fusion having a success rate of less than 50%. Over seven hundred junk cards were sacrificed, but finally, one successful fusion!
Haruto Saito had an abundance of cards to spare, so he didn't mind. He had barely used a tenth of his junk cards yet.
And this time, the fusion had directly resulted in a Seven-Star Mutant Card!
Even though it was only C-rank…
But it should be quite powerful, right?
As the notification sounded, the golden vortex stopped spinning. A card with a swirling pattern on its back emerged from the vortex, and Haruto Saito caught it with one swift motion!
He took a look!
The card's appearance had completely changed!
At the top, it read: "Summoning Jutsu - The Sleeper!"
In the upper right corner, there was a circular emblem with the words "Mutant" inscribed inside it.
Below the title "Summoning Jutsu - The Sleeper," there was a row of golden stars—seven in total.
This was a Seven-Star Mutant Card!
At the bottom of the card, there was a description box containing the card's introduction.
—The ancient battle has been buried beneath the dust of history. The slumbering dead, after a century-long rest, are about to heed the call, crossing the underworld to return to the world of the living!
A line of text that didn't seem particularly useful!
Crunch! Crunch!
Haruto Saito ate the card!
A complex stream of information rushed into his mind, and suddenly, he understood…
This jutsu was intricate. Depending on the amount of chakra used, it could be activated in three different stages. The summoned entities varied based on whether it was the first, second, or third stage!
Haruto Saito, eager to test it out, made some quick preparations before disappearing from his room.
...
About ten kilometers south of Gutian Village, in a secluded mountain valley.
Haruto Saito appeared in a medium-sized valley surrounded by steep cliffs, with small groves and a lake nearby. The setting was quite nice, and most importantly—there was no one else around!
He scanned the area with his senses and confirmed that he was truly alone before proceeding.
No need for a blood sacrifice—just a hand seal!
"Summoning Jutsu - The Sleeper: Ashes!" This was the first stage, named Ashes!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
White smoke erupted within a hundred-meter radius around Haruto Saito, and figures emerged from the smoke. As the mist dispersed, he looked around at the summoned beings.
It was as if an army of the dead had crawled out of their graves!
They were skeletal warriors clad in tattered armor, wielding broken weapons. Their sizes and postures varied, but there were precisely one hundred and fifty of them!
Haruto Saito blinked.
These guys looked way too fragile, didn't they?
They could barely stand upright, swaying unsteadily in place.
Haruto Saito formed another hand seal!
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
Poof!
A clone of Haruto Saito appeared beside him, and then… Haruto Saito commanded his clone to engage in battle with the one hundred and fifty skeleton soldiers. The results shocked him!
These skeleton warriors were actually as strong as genin! They could even spit small fireballs, but their fighting style was more akin to samurai.
Not particularly useful, but definitely beyond his expectations!
Haruto Saito's clone completely annihilated them!
Not a scratch on him, as he weaved through them with extreme speed, shattering them like leaves in the wind. When defeated, the skeleton warriors exploded into white smoke and disappeared.
"The first stage has an offensive strength equivalent to genin level, and there are one hundred and fifty of them. Then…"
Haruto Saito made another hand seal!
"Summoning Jutsu - The Sleeper: Magma!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The remaining skeleton warriors were all engulfed in white smoke and vanished. At the same time, more white smoke billowed around Haruto Saito, revealing new figures as it dispersed.
Around thirty "beings" appeared!
Let's consider them "people" for now.
Each one was clad in armor, wielding a long sword in one hand and a massive shield in the other—tower shield warriors!
Haruto Saito commanded them to attack his clone.
Their movements were swift, and they coordinated well!
It seemed they didn't have ninjutsu abilities, but they possessed formidable offensive power and, more importantly, incredible defense. Their giant shields could withstand a direct hit from a C-rank single-target attack jutsu without breaking!
And if all thirty of them combined their shields, they could even withstand an A-rank single-target attack jutsu!
Individually, they were on par with elite chunin!
Summoning thirty elite chunin at once—what an incredible ability! And this was just a C-rank summoning jutsu?
Once more, Haruto Saito formed a hand seal!
"Summoning Jutsu - The Sleeper: Volcano!"
At that moment, a massive chunk of Haruto Saito's chakra was drained!
The remaining shield warriors turned into white smoke. Simultaneously, fiery red smoke erupted around Haruto Saito, and the ground trembled violently as a fierce aura surged outward.
The red smoke didn't dissipate immediately. Instead, it swiftly transformed and solidified into four towering red energy giants, nearly eight meters tall—like smaller versions of Susanoo…
Each one was clad in armor and wielded different weapons: a giant axe, twin blades, a scythe, and a massive shield. Their armor designs resembled those of generals!
Haruto Saito's chakra reserves were already immense!
Though not quite at Tsunade's level, they far exceeded those of typical shinobi of his rank!
And summoning these four beings had consumed over a third of his chakra!
What kind of strength did they possess?
Under Haruto Saito's command, the four energy giants charged at his clone. Due to their massive size, each step covered over ten meters, making them incredibly fast—though their agility was somewhat lacking.
The shadow clone blurred into motion, dodging their attacks.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
The valley echoed with deafening explosions.
Four against one!
The energy giants coordinated flawlessly, making things difficult for Haruto Saito's clone. A single hit or even a powerful shockwave could dispel the shadow clone instantly!
So, without using Flying Thunder God or any major techniques, Haruto Saito's clone relied purely on speed and strength, focusing more on dodging.
"Four highly coordinated, ultra-defensive elite jonin-level warriors?" Haruto Saito blinked in surprise.
Then, he formed another seal!
"Summoning Jutsu - The Sleeper: Volcano!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Four more energy giants appeared around him, adding to the previous four.
Now there were eight!