Allen was undeniably fascinated by whatever Black Zetsu truly was. Unfortunately, he couldn't capture the creature for study just yet. He could only watch as it burrowed back into the ground and vanished without a trace.
Once he confirmed that the creature had completely retreated, Allen extended his left hand, manifesting a Truth-Seeking Ball the size of a tennis ball. "Chakra is a truly fascinating substance, isn't it? Unlike what we typically think of as mere energy, it seems capable of possessing life and consciousness," he remarked with interest.
"No, you're mistaken. Chakra is actually divided into two types," Vaelastrasz countered, offering a different perspective. "One is the life energy refined from your own cells, the manifestation of your physical vitality and spirit. But the other part is natural energy drawn from the surrounding environment or the planet itself; it can also be other biological energy. Because this part is siphoned from other living beings, it inevitably carries the residual consciousness and thoughts of those creatures. I believe that Black Zetsu and the Tailed Beasts weren't 'created' so much as they were formed by gathering those fragmented consciousnesses and then guiding or refining them through a specific process."
She had personally seen humans transformed into White Zetsu by the Infinite Tsukuyomi. She understood that neither life nor consciousness could be summoned from a vacuum; even she had undergone a period of growth before gaining independent thought and awareness. If Black Zetsu had truly been manufactured by Kaguya in the fleeting moment before her sealing, it couldn't have been a lifeform created from nothing.
"Refinement? Are you suggesting... Black Zetsu might be the residual consciousness of humans trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi?" Allen rubbed his chin, falling into deep thought.
"Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? However, the black sludge that composes his physical form was indeed created using Yin-Yang Release. Its composition is eighty percent identical to a Truth-Seeking Ball, making it extremely difficult to destroy," Vaelastrasz replied in a low voice.
"Well, it seems my decision not to act rashly was the right one. Once a creature like that escapes, finding it again wouldn't be easy."
With that, Allen activated a space-time Ninjutsu and returned directly to his private quarters in the Hidden Sound Village.
As he stepped through the black tunnel, he found the veteran swordsmith waiting for him, holding Sulfuras Sword in both hands. Unlike the raw blade-blank it had been when first forged, the weapon now boasted a beautiful hilt and scabbard. The crossguard was carved from leftover Elementium Bars into a manji-style pattern.
Including the scabbard and hilt, the weapon exceeded 1.5 meters in length. The exterior was crafted from Core Leather and Black Dragonhide, giving it a mottled red-and-black appearance that exuded a sense of primal wildness. Since it was designed purely for combat, there were no gaudy decorations; only the Eye of Sulfuras near the crossguard pulsed with an eternal, crimson glow of heat.
"It's finally finished?"
Without a word, Allen took the weapon and unsheathed it, feeling the staggering power contained within.
"Yes! It is complete! This is the greatest achievement of my life, perhaps the most powerful blade in the entire shinobi world. Its durability and sharpness surpass all else. Without your help, I couldn't have even melted those mysterious metals and materials. Even if you threw it into lava or molten iron, it would remain unscathed."
As he spoke, the swordsmith, a man in his fifties, beamed with pride. He had practically sacrificed his hands three times to forge Sulfuras Sword. Had it not been for Medical Ninjutsu and Healing Potions, he would be a permanent invalid by now.
"Thank you. This is the reward I promised."
Allen immediately produced a pre-prepared chest of currency and placed it before the man. It was exactly 100 million Ryo.
Although this sword wasn't an item dropped from a dungeon or a quest reward, Allen's One-Handed Swords skill, which stood at a high 300 points, instantly took effect. Combined with the swordsmanship he had learned from various Ninjutsu scrolls, he could exert the artifact's maximum power with almost no effort. When paired with the Hunter melee abilities Raptor Strike and Mongoose Bite, the potential for instantaneous, devastating damage was terrifying.
"Then I won't be modest! If you ever need anything else forged, you can find me in the Land of Iron." The smith hoisted the heavy chest of money onto his shoulder and disappeared into the shadows at the end of the tunnel.
Allen lightly brushed the blade of Sulfuras Sword and instantly activated his duplication ability.
The next second... he was holding two identical weapons. For a melee Hunter, dual-wielding was the only way to go!
According to his original plan, he should have held Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker in one hand and Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros in the other. Unfortunately, under the influence of his "Blackhand Aura" (shitty loot luck), the Bindings of the Windseeker were still nowhere to be seen. Dual-wielding Sulfuras Swords would have to do for now.
For someone like Allen, whose physical stats and reaction speeds far exceeded human limits, there was zero obstacle to using two weapons simultaneously. On the contrary, with his superhuman reflexes, the twin blades felt like extensions of his own arms. He moved through a series of high-difficulty maneuvers that, from a distance, looked like an elf dancing.
Except this was a dance of death. Any enemy caught within the veil of crimson flames would be slaughtered without mercy.
After practicing for about ten minutes, Allen sheathed the weapons. He secured them to his back using pre-made straps and racks rather than placing them in the weapon slots of his Hunter UI. By doing this, he could maintain the speed and surprise of a manual draw while still benefiting from the base stat bonuses, 45 Agility and 22 Stamina, of his equipped polearm, the Eye of Nerub.
Essentially, he was equipping weapons with higher stat bonuses while physically using weapons with higher damage and destructive power. In a way, this was a blatant exploit of the game system's logic.
Had this been before his transmigration, a Game Master would have likely banned him for this. But now? There were no GMs; in fact, there wasn't another living soul in the entire "game world" besides Allen.
He had shifted from simply following the rules to actively hunting for loopholes. He was even currently contemplating how to delete a Professional Skill while permanently retaining the associated memories in his mind.
If he succeeded, he could master Blacksmithing, Enchanting, and Alchemy all at once without having to agonizingly choose between only two. After all, the biggest difference between a real person and a game character is the capacity for infinite learning.
Would deleting a profession cause a loss of memory? Fine. He would simply take meticulous notes before deleting the skill and then re-learn it through hard work. For a man with a near-infinite lifespan, the one thing he didn't lack was time.