Shen Mo observed Kabuto Yakushi, who was currently pleading for a seemingly insignificant bird's life. Internally, the merchant nodded in satisfaction.
The objective has been achieved.
Kabuto, despite his exceptional intellect, was essentially rudderless. His path—even the role he played years later, escalating the Fourth Great Ninja War—was merely a desperate, convoluted detour born from his profound confusion, not genuine conviction. Power held no intrinsic value for him.
A person without self-determination, even if they bought Jars, would eventually plateau, lacking the essential drive for endless development. But if Kabuto could establish a true purpose, his potential would explode.
"You seek to imbue it with the fundamental meaning of survival?" Shen Mo's eyes were deep and knowing. "Yet, you remain unaware of your own reason for breathing."
"I will discover it," Kabuto vowed, lowering his gaze to the little bird that still strained against his grasp.
Shen Mo offered no verbal reply. Instead, a subtle glimmer of warm light enveloped the bird's struggling form.
Kabuto's face instantly brightened. He recognized the acquiescence.
"My gratitude for your unexpected generosity, Master," Kabuto murmured, bowing respectfully.
Shen Mo remained silent, projecting an air of having performed a trivial act of charity. In truth, he was highly pleased. Guiding a broken soul, even with all his psychic resources, was never guaranteed, and the merchant had merely taken a calculated risk.
Kabuto, showing surprising tact, swiftly moved past the matter of the bird.
"Master, I am prepared to begin purchasing. I will take two hundred Tier One Jars and four hundred ninety Tier Two Jars."
"Quite the shrewd calculation," Shen Mo complimented, smiling slightly. "Your instincts are sharp. Avoiding the final ten Jars is wise, as you haven't yet defined the destiny you wish to pursue, and rushing that decision would be costly."
Kabuto's plan was clear: secure sufficient power to weather the inevitable storm, but hold back the final crucial purchases until he had a defined purpose. That tiny, defiant bird might well be the hinge upon which his future turned.
Shen Mo swept his staff forward.
Six hundred ninety Jars, large and small, materialized instantly. Simultaneously, the required funds flowed seamlessly from the void, vanishing just as quickly into the system.
Kabuto no longer dwelled on the magic of the transaction. Having witnessed the creation of sentient life moments before, he accepted that the being before him operated on a truly divine scale. To apply mortal logic to such power was pointless.
Time to open.
He felt a spark of the eagerness he had seen in Orochimaru. He was curious to see what strange fortune awaited him.
"Master, may I open the Tier Two Jars first?" Kabuto requested, already prioritizing the items of higher potential.
"Go right ahead," Shen Mo replied casually, settling in to watch the display.
The prize pool for the Alchemy Series was fascinating, packed with conceptual and technological marvels.
🤖 The Liquid Terminator
"Master, what exactly is this substance?" Kabuto held up a sealed Jar containing a dense, obsidian liquid that shimmered with the texture of metal.
Shen Mo looked at the jar, a quick, familiar twitch passing through his mind. He maintained his composure. "You are exceptionally fortunate. This is a rare technological product: a T-1000 Liquid Metal Construct."
Yes, Shen Mo had strategically seeded some high-tech items into the Alchemy series.
As if on cue, the liquid in the jar began to writhe, swelling and expanding until it assumed the form of a dark, stylized humanoid figure before them.
A Grand Prize. The very third Jar opened, and a Tier Two Grand Prize surfaces?
Shen Mo fought the urge to check the odds. Unbelievable luck.
"A Liquid Metal Construct," Kabuto echoed, examining the perfectly sculpted figure.
"It possesses advanced simulated cognitive abilities, yet lacks any true emotion," Shen Mo explained concisely. "It can also adopt any humanoid shape. Its combat resilience against conventional attack is extraordinary. It is undeniably a Grand Prize for the Tier Two category."
While the T-1000 was a devastating weapon against standard opponents, its true utility in a world governed by Ninjutsu and Chakra would depend entirely on Kabuto's ingenuity.
"Simulated thought, form replication..." Kabuto's eyes gleamed with interest. This had immediate tactical value for surveillance and subterfuge.
He pushed the construct aside and returned to the Jars.
As Kabuto progressed, the dominant pulls from the Alchemy series were foundational knowledge orbs—theoretical texts covering the essence of all matter, from fundamental trace elements to complex compounds.
"It seems even Chakra and Ninjutsu can be applied to some Transmutation methods," Kabuto mused aloud after absorbing one orb, having instantly realized the potential for synergy.
Shen Mo smiled inwardly.
"The essence of Alchemy, at its core, is the applied understanding of matter," Shen Mo affirmed. "It is a universal wisdom, much like the general strength or speed series. The true enhancement, however, comes from successful Job Change and specialized skill acquisition."
🧪 The Alchemist's Hand
"Master, are these specialized skills?" Kabuto paused, holding up a ball of light that differed significantly in color and size from the usual knowledge orbs.
"Indeed, that is a Skill Orb," Shen Mo replied, maintaining an air of detached surprise.
Eighty-something Jars in, and a second Grand Prize?
Shen Mo forced himself to ignore the systemic violation of probability he was witnessing. Let the momentum carry the narrative.
Kabuto swiftly absorbed the skill.
Skill: Puppet Transmutation.
Description: Any substance whose structure can be fully comprehended can be used to transmute fully functional combat Puppets. Efficiency depends on the user's understanding and the Chakra cost of the transmutation.
A highly utilitarian skill. High understanding meant low cost; less understanding meant massive Chakra expenditure. Regardless, it allowed for the creation of potentially limitless, specialized combatants.
Are Orochimaru and Kabuto destined to build a custom army together? Shen Mo pondered the implications.
Kabuto, meanwhile, was highly satisfied. This skill aligned perfectly with his analytical mind.
The incredible luck streak was far from over.
In the subsequent four hundred twenty-something Jars, while the pace slowed slightly, Kabuto still pulled two more Grand Prizes!
Skill: Potent Adhesion.
Grants the ability to transmute the earth in a target area into a substance with extreme, paralyzing adhesiveness.
Equipment: Barrier Array Ring.
Contains a pre-charged Transmutation Array, capable of instantly erecting a high-defense, localized barrier.
Kabuto's entire run of five hundred Tier Two Jars had yielded four Grand Prizes: two highly potent permanent skills, one powerful tactical equipment, and a unique Liquid Metal Construct.
Shen Mo leaned back, a genuine sense of comedic disbelief washing over him.
He couldn't help the thought: I should have let Orochimaru watch Kabuto's luck before he drank the poison. The sheer, concentrated envy might have purged the last remnants of the Evil God's influence.