Chapter 147: Darkness Grows
As Shino's consciousness delved into his system space for the first time, a vague connection solidified, establishing a firm link that allowed him to extend his senses into his small hidden realm.
Though referred to as small, the dimensions of his system space were vast relative to a human's size, stretching approximately 3x2x2 acres, with a total storage volume of around 14 acres, a volume that was representative of Shino's maximum spiritual power capacity, including the units of power not calculated within his normally available computation units, such as those reserved for system functionality, their main bodies, and other necessities.
Nevertheless, number crunching wasn't too important in the long run. Instead, the intriguing part was that this storage space was not empty.
When he first permeated his senses into this small world, a focal point drew Shino's attention - an imposing golden orb with steaks of bio-luminescent green sheen, occupying a significant portion at the core of the world, boasting a spherical volume equivalent to two acres.
A mesmerizing rainbow-colored fog permeated the core's interior, a mystical haze that congealed into mysterious objects with iridescent hues that scattered within.
And within the fog, Shino also discovered the dormant phantoms of his beauties, their souls preserved within this ethereal realm, with the exception of Karin.
Soon, it became evident that these phantoms represented the souls of those he assimilated, while the objects embodied the data, modules, and zerg strains integrated into the system. And a glaring truth revealed itself: the core represented Karina herself, the origin of his system - an existence intricately interwoven with his world.
Zooming out, wrapped around the core, a floating landmass occupied the space.
Composed entirely of Shino's collected biomass, the surface was coated with a layer of creep, while the interior brimmed with densely packed biomass surrounding the golden core.
The landmass appeared vast, stretching towards the horizon from the center point, but it only occupied less than seven acres of the storage's volume.
However, Shino knew his available biomass points far exceeds this amount, but after a brief calculation, it was determined that this landmass only represented the biomass points stored on his body, not the biomass he had kept stored in the many external storage around the world.
Despite the biomass occupying a large volume, the remaining space within the cuboid remained largely empty, save for an ominous black mist that congregated into a sphere, hovering and occupying approximately one acre in the 'skies' of the space.
Within the depths of this black fog, Shino discovered the wandering souls of Natsuhi and Ying, seemingly forever trapped within the black fog's ethereal grasp. And at its core resided the physical body of the masked demoness, Yakumo, and this location also marked the entrance they had discovered.
Through numerous tests, Shino realized that with Yakumo's aid, he could bring objects and creatures under his dominion into the system space. These entities would manifest within the black fog, hovering within and awaiting entry into Shino's realm.
However, Shino possessed the choice to retain these stored subjects within Yakumo's ethereal fog, resulting in an intriguing effect. When he activated his genjutsu domain in reality, he could project these stored objects into existence!
These projections served as mere reflections, connected to their counterparts within the black fog through a link formed by Shino's ability. Dispelling his domain in reality would cause these projections to vanish.
Furthermore, any damage inflicted on them in reality would not be applied when transferred through the link and to their cores, but will only result in a spiritual burden to the soul, similar to the application of the shadow clone of the Naruto world. And as long as they don't perish, they can stay dormant within the black fog, where they can recover.
This understanding illuminated the true nature of their semblance of immortality in reality. However, if these souls or Yakumo herself was damaged within his system space, they will truly be hurt. So, if any existence breaks into his system space, Shino risks losing the souls he collected.
Fortunately, Shino possessed the ability to expel or evict any entity from within, except for the cores of Karina and Yakumo.
And through the system module devised by Karina, Shino was able to permanently permeate his senses within his space with the investment of a single clone unit of computation power.
This system module generated a 3D model within the system interface, allowing them to observe the world from various perspectives, from bird's eye view to first-person view. Shino could also interact with the model, performing actions through the authority he already possessed, but now in a more intuitive manner.
This simulation granted Shino a godlike sense of control, akin to playing a game, where he could manipulate his units, give commands for constructions, drop objects and creatures from the sky, summoning items and creatures to his side in reality, and indulge in the exhilarating sensation of accumulating items, knowing they were securely stored and protected.
And through this system module, Karina was also granted the role of moderator, wielding the same authority as Shino himself, whereas beforehand, she couldn't even sense the system space beyond her core.
This newfound power certainly enthralled Shino for a while.
Alas, a disheartening truth soon emerged, one that doused some of Shino's enthusiasm. Despite his connection with the space, with the exception of biomass, they concluded that Shino could not store other things within this space on his own, requiring Yakumo as the freighter.
Even worse, unlike his other creatures, Shino could not enter it with his main body, the most probable reason behind this phenomenon being the fact that the space was a part of Shino himself.
Thus, the system space could provide protection for everyone else, but it couldn't shield Shino himself.
However, this fact didn't bother him much. It doesn't matter because the real world was better anyways. At least, that is what Shino wanted to get across to Karina, but Karina was having none of it.
She insisted that the very purpose of their existences was to protect Shino, not the other way around.
So, driven by her frantic determination, Karina went to great lengths to enhance Shino's abilities and demanded that he dedicate himself to rigorous practice. In her words, Shino's safety equated to their own security.
It was a reason Shino couldn't refute, but he understood that Karina feared he would become inflated with pride, believing he could bear all burdens alone now that he possessed the means to protect them.
Indeed, with the assurance of his system space safeguarding his beloved partners, Shino did entertain the notion of venturing into the vast world beyond, no longer confined to their base. After all, who doesn't want to explore the world freely?
However, Shino still remained level-headed, aware that his strength alone still fell short of what was necessary to avoid all danger. Thus, he obediently agreed to Karina's terms. And perhaps, he also vaguely noticed another reason that led him to make this decision.
So, time passed, and they reached a steady point of development after a period of rapid growth, coinciding with Naruto's departure from Konoha.
Their comprehensive achievements finally brought them a sense of satisfaction, marking a milestone in their journey and finally granting them a chance to relax.
And with the beauties returning to his embrace, Shino finally found himself rewarded, succumbing to his desires and unleashing the hungry beast, resulting in the captivating scene on the beach.
As the others lay exhausted, Shino's gaze fell upon Natsuhi, the mother who had yet to be welcomed by him. Her kimono clung tightly to her well-defined curves, enticing him to unwrap the hidden treasures within.
Before, despite being under Ying's control, Natsuhi retained her original personality and memories, causing Shino to hold back out of fear of breaking her.
But now, after her secrets had been dug out and her value drained...
Under Ying's manipulation, the obedient Natsuhi gradually lowered herself on all fours, her body trembling subtly, as if she was struggling against Ying's control after realizing her impending fate.
Alas, her resistance was futile. Natsuhi's subtle struggles only served to emphasize her bountiful assets as they presented a mesmerizing lesson on physics while she approached.
Coming before Shino, her well-defined, heart-shaped face lifted, and her vacant jade-green eyes fixated upon him. Shino observed with interest as Natsuhi's lips slowly parted before silently waiting in place, her violet hair gently swaying from the sea breeze.
Shino's hand caressed her soft purple hair, relishing the sensation for a moment. Then, his eyes burned with a fiery intensity, and with a forceful motion, he indulged in his bounty, a darkness stirring within him.
However, as he continued, observing her vacant eyes, Shino couldn't help but mutter, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and dark desire, "It would be nice to see some reaction."
Ying, standing faithfully by Shino's side, responded with grace in her voice, her words filled with compliance, "As you wish, master."
In an enthralling turn of events, Natsuhi appeared to be infused with life as her once vacant jade-green eyes became filled with vitality. But, panic soon gripped her features, her voice muffled yet echoing on the beach, betraying her inner turmoil. "Nggh- Nggh-"
Yet, despite her distress, her body remained firmly in place, seemingly beyond her control, while Shino could still sense the dance of her tongue as he observed the two bangs framing her face swaying in a mesmerizing motion.
Shino observed the transformation, a peculiar satisfaction swelling within him, as his darkness reached a new pinnacle. He muttered under his breath, a mixture of intrigue and pleasure lacing his words, "Oh, what a good reaction."
Soon after, Shino's gaze narrowed as he witnessed Natsuhi's eyes growing wider in shock, tears cascading down her face as the symbol of her status as a ninja, the forehead protector, slipped from her head and fell to the sand below. The depth of her anguish was laid bare before him.
Whispering into Shino's ear with an air of seductive allure, Ying assumed the role of a demoness, her words dripping with a wicked satisfaction, "Did you enjoy this, master?"
Shino's voice, heavy and rough, carried an air of dark satisfaction as he observed Natsuhi's intense coughing, her feeble attempts at regaining control staining the sand. "Very good," he uttered, his tone tinged with a twisted delight. "But it's a waste like this, isn't it?"
Ying, ever the seductive accomplice, responded with a sly suggestion. Her voice laced with intrigue, she gestured towards Natsuhi, enticingly stating, "Oh, then master can put it somewhere where she can't waste it."
With Ying's gesture, Natsuhi's body convulsed violently as she arranged her posture, as if there were strings of control pulling her limbs into position like a marionette, regardless of her desperate cries. The tremors running through her body were in stark contrast to the pleading in her voice,
Her frantic pleas echoed across the beach, yet, they were quickly drowned out by the devilish whisper that escaped Ying's lips, taking away any trace of compassion or mercy, "Master, ravage her."
Nearby, the cries stirred the sleeping beauties from their slumbers as Karina cast a disapproving gaze towards the scene, pouting unhappily as she muttered, "This demon fox is leading my dear astray."
Kurenai's red eyes also surveyed the scene, a hint of hesitation lacing her voice as she whispered, "Should we intervene and stop them?"
Rolling her eyes, Karina stretched her limbs and licked her lips, her eyes glinting with a touch of madness as she declared, "No, this is also a pleasure for my dear, a release for the pent-up frustration after intense training. And you should become accustomed to it sooner. Such scenes will occur sooner or later. After all, my dear will engage in no less plundering in the countless realms that await him in the future."
Kurenai's eyes flickered briefly before she closed them, allowing her body to rest in the warm embrace of the sand.
Turning her attention to the resting Kurenai, Karina inquired, "So, how is the research on the tower progressing?"
"Good. Once you developed the zergs to harvest its energy and store it, I was able to unlock the full potential of the mirage technique. Through extensive testing and using the mirage technique as a reference, I created models in the system database to facilitate the deployment of Shino's genjutsu domain. You can utilize these preset models to decorate the scene, ensuring that it renders while conserving at least 25 percent of the previous computation power," Kurenai responded in a soft voice.
"As expected of a genjutsu genius," Karina praised, raising her hand to summon two beach recliners, causing them to rise from the sandy ground beneath herself and Kurenai. "Mm, not bad at all. Now we can exert some control over Shino's genjutsu domain and assist him in dynamically altering the scene."
Kurenai adjusted her position, settling into a more comfortable stance before she inquired, "And what about you? Have you unraveled the secrets of the tower?"
Karina fell into a momentary silence, her voice soft as she replied, "Perhaps. But it's not confirmed. If the short exerpt in the console is accurate, then..."
Opening her eyes, Kurenai cast a glance in Karina's direction. "Is it truly something shocking?"
"Yes. It signifies an entirely different civilization. If it aligns with the novels in the database, we will undoubtedly have a handful to deal with. The Six Paths and Otsutsuki will be the least of our concerns..." Karina let out a sigh, her gaze shifting to Shino. "But this is all in the future, and it remains unconfirmed for now. There's no need to worry Shino. We simply need to ensure that he is strong enough and happy."
Kurenai's gaze also shifted to Shino, and the sound of another man's name being called seemed to trigger memories, causing her to release a sigh as a cup of sake materialized in her hand.
"Still unable to forget him?" Karina teased playfully.
"It hasn't even been a year, but it feels like a lifetime ago... I'm afraid that soon, I won't even care about the agreement with Shino," Kurenai murmured with a tinge of melancholy in her voice.
"Do not worry, Shino will fulfill the deal eventually. After all, he even allowed that Jugo fellow to go free. Speaking of him, he is still camping in the woods near the biosphere. Stubborn as a bull, he claims to be waiting for Lord Kano to use him," Karina said in an exasperated tone, conjuring a holographic screen to display Jugo chopping wood next to a wooden cabin.
Kurenai's eyes flickered, her mind processing the information. "Perhaps we should send him to Konoha?"
Karina raised an eyebrow, her gaze fixed on Kurenai.
Remaining composed, Kurenai calmly stated, "Although he harbors secrets, it may be better for this to fall into Konoha's hands rather than someone else's. Lately, I've sensed that my clone in Tonika Village is under surveillance."
Karina furrowed her brow slightly. "The bug monitors haven't detected anything."
"Intuition," Kurenai responded calmly.
"Have they discovered our location again?" Karina sat up, multiple holographic interfaces appearing as she scanned through the zergs serving as their early warning system.
"No, they may have only found the clone due to our activation of the tower. As our clones never return to the base, they shouldn't have traced us," Kurenai speculated, sighing as she took another sip from the sake cup she had summoned.
"Still, it's not a good sign for them to be so close. Who knows if there will be another coincidence," Karina muttered, activating safe mode and re-configuring the bugs and zergs to stop returning to the base.
"No- No... Not inside! Nooo!" Natsuhi's song of lament reached their ears, causing Kurenai to murmur softly, "I also hope they don't come inside. Otherwise, we'll have to be on the run once again."
Karina's eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint as she spoke with a sly smile, "Then let's give them something to keep them occupied so they won't have time to search for us."
Kurenai turned her calm eyes towards Karina, a question lingering in her gaze.
"Akatsuki is their running dog. But if this dog were to run wild, would they have the time to bother us?" Karina said, her lips curling into a sly smile as she summoned an image of a mature, beautiful woman with short, straight blue hair. "And what better way to drive a dog mad than to take away its most precious treasure?"
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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