The documents Ebizo pulled out seemed like a lot, and in reality...
They truly were a lot.
Even with Qingshui immediately creating over twenty Shadow Clones, it still took an entire morning to mostly process everything.
Under normal circumstances, it would have taken over a week to finish.
A regular ninja could never pull this off. Firstly, they wouldn't have the Chakra reserves, and secondly, their mental endurance wouldn't hold up.
The memories, fatigue, pain, and other sensations from Shadow Clones are all transferred back to the original body when they disperse. The more Shadow Clones created, the greater the burden.
That's why even a monster like Senju Hashirama, whose Chakra reserves are equivalent to more than half of the Nine-Tails, wouldn't do this long-term.
Of course, that's because Lord Hashirama had a clever younger brother who served as an external brain.
A typical counterexample is Naruto at thirty. He'd send out a bunch of Shadow Clones to work. Even with his easygoing nature, he might last a few days, but he couldn't maintain it long-term.
At sixteen, under the guidance of Kakashi, Yamato, and Asuma, Naruto was able to initially complete his Wind Release Chakra nature transformation in a few days using a large number of Shadow Clones. But sixteen years later, at thirty-two, Naruto's chronic overuse of Shadow Clones led to him using them for even trivial things like a cat climbing a tree, directly resulting in middle-aged kidney deficiency and exhausting his Shadow Clones to the point of collapse at his daughter's birthday party.
However, Qingshui should fare better than these two.
His recovery ability is stronger than theirs, and his mental power is more vigorous and potent. As long as he exercises moderation, unlike that idiot Naruto who personally handles every single detail, and takes care to recuperate afterward, he can still achieve the effect of one person doing the work of dozens or even hundreds.
But after this, Qingshui doesn't intend to devote his energy to such matters again.
Even as Kazekage, he'll still delegate most of the official duties to Ebizo and the Third Kazekage.
His time and energy shouldn't be spent on things others can do.
For example, Tailed Beast transplantation: with Chiyo absent, only he possesses the Sealing Jutsu capable of sealing Tailed Beasts, and he also has methods for teaching Jinchuriki mental cultivation.
After completing the Tailed Beast transplantation, Qingshui plans to allocate only a portion of his energy to oversee the subsequent cultivation follow-up.
Because what truly deserves most of his energy is climbing the tech tree.
After a brief rest at noon, Qingshui again created a Shadow Clone, sending it to the temple where Bunbuku resided to check on him and the One-Tails. Then, he plunged into the Puppet Force's laboratory.
...
...
One-Punch Man World.
City D, in a gym.
"One ninety-seven, one ninety-eight, one ninety-nine... two hundred!"
Qingshui exhaled a shallow breath, jumped off the pull-up bar, and panted.
Lately, aside from using purchased materials to create Puppets and learning about this world's information, his main focus has been on training and diligently improving his physical fitness.
Thanks to the boost from Breathing Style, not only did his stamina and strength increase, but his training was also more effective, and even his digestive capacity saw some improvement.
Coupled with the healing assistance of Medical Ninjutsu and ample nutritional supplements, his current physical fitness far surpasses that of special forces soldiers. His lung capacity is also sufficient to sustain Constant Breathing, allowing him to achieve combat power akin to a Hashira with just Taijutsu and Swordplay.
The speed at which his physical fitness improved genuinely surprised Qingshui.
Because even his Avatars in the Marvel Universe and Yi Ren World were strengthening their bodies through this same process, but the speed was nowhere near this fast.
Moreover, logically, after an ordinary human body trains to this extent, without other special cultivation methods or opportunities, they should have reached their limit. Yet, Qingshui felt his physical fitness could still be raised significantly further.
The upper limit for normal humans in this world seems to be very high.
"Amazing! Handsome, two hundred pull-ups! You're not just anyone."
A woman in white yoga attire, with a sexy figure and visible abdominal muscles, stepped off the treadmill next to him and offered Qingshui a bottle of mineral water.
Was he being hit on?
"Thanks, but no need, I brought my own water."
Qingshui waved her off, took his thermos from the backpack on a nearby rack, opened it, and gulped down the water.
A faint herbal scent flowed down his throat, replenishing his hydration and energy.
This was a recovery drink he concocted himself after buying herbs from a pharmacy. It tasted decent, could quickly relieve fatigue, nourish the body, and repair muscles.
However, for ordinary people, it might be too potent; a few sips could cause a nosebleed.
"What, are you worried I'd drug you?"
The woman smiled slightly, took back the mineral water, and her beautiful eyes hungrily scrutinized the man in front of her.
He was of above-average height, with a rather handsome face, likely in his early thirties—not too young, but not old either. His attire was simple, just an old-man-style athletic tank top, but the backpack he carried was far from cheap.
His financial background seemed decent, and his physique was very strong.
Through the sweat, one could clearly see two well-developed, yet not bulky or cumbersome, pectoral muscles, and faint abdominal muscles appearing beneath.
Most importantly, this woman had personally watched Qingshui do over two hundred weighted squats while training his lower body that morning!
This physical fitness, this core strength, was definitely a super pile driver, one in ten thousand!
In a normal world, if someone could do two hundred weighted squats in one go, immediately followed by two hundred pull-ups, people might be scared enough to send them to a lab for dissection.
But in the world of One-Punch Man, while still very rare, it wasn't something utterly shocking.
After all, there were martial artists who could contend with Dragon-level peak monsters using just their fists and feet. Qingshui's level, while exceeding the peak of ordinary humans, didn't create an enormous gap. It wasn't exceptionally common, but there were indeed quite a few like him.
At least within the Hero Association, many B- and C-class heroes focused on physical strength could do the same, and often even better.
"Mm, that's right, plenty of people are after me."
Qingshui tightened the cap of his water bottle, put his thermos back into his backpack, and then looked at the woman in front of him.
She did have a good figure, and with light makeup, her face was quite attractive, easily scoring over eighty points overall. She seemed a few years younger than him, probably around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
A genuinely fit young woman, possibly a "gym bunny."
That was the first impression the woman left on Qingshui.
"It's unopened, don't be too careful, handsome. My name's Reiko, I'm twenty-eight. And you?"
Reiko opened a bottle of mineral water, took a sip, swallowed it, and then demonstrated to Qingshui.
"Just call me Qingshui. I'm six years older than you."
"At your age, even if you're not married, you must have a girlfriend, right?"
"No, I was busy with work before, only recently had time."
Reiko was smart enough not to ask why he was busy with work before but now had time.
"You look very professional when you're doing leg day. Can you give me some pointers?"
There were gym instructors nearby, so why ask him and not a trainer? Her intentions were obvious.
Qingshui picked up his backpack and said, "I don't have time today. I have to leave soon. But we can exchange contact information. If you have any questions later, I can show you firsthand."
Hmm, firsthand.
"Okay! I work out here every weekend from 9 AM until noon, and sometimes I come in the evenings too."
"Alright, then I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Qingshui nodded at Reiko. After they exchanged contact information, he walked out alone.
He didn't particularly mind the idea of developing potential casual partners, as long as the other person was relatively healthy and didn't have any strange issues.
Both parties were just looking for someone presentable to satisfy their physiological needs; there was no need to be too serious.
How did that saying go?
A good girl shouldn't be let down, and a bad girl shouldn't be wasted.
After leaving the gym, he went back for a hot shower, then had lunch. Qingshui then rested for a while, keeping track of the time, and checked the Puppet he had been building these past few days.
[Puppet Name]: Black Samurai
[Overall Parameters]:
Height: 158 cm
Weight: 65.21 kg
Materials: Lightweight alloy, high-quality steel, lightweight composite materials...
Energy Source: High-energy battery
Operation Method: Chakra Threads
[Puppet Rating]: A (A+)
[Overall Evaluation]: Half-body armored Puppet. Due to insufficient materials, this Puppet only covers areas below the neck. However, due to the creator's superb craftsmanship, its performance is excellent, and it retains significant room for improvement.
Qingshui wasn't entirely satisfied with the newly built Puppet.
However, he was limited by the current social status of this Avatar in this world, which prevented him from accessing channels for truly rare and high-quality materials. His own funds weren't particularly abundant either.
After setting aside enough money for several years of normal living expenses, this Black Samurai, which Qingshui still considered a semi-finished product, was the limit of what he could achieve at this stage.
There wasn't enough time to turn it into a Magic Tool, nor enough equipment for Nanobots. The Arc Reactor couldn't be made because the Nanobots, which were meant to be a restraining technology, couldn't be produced, and there was no Particle Accelerator capable of synthesizing palladium and ruthenium isotopes, making it even more impossible to create.
But considering the monster attacks he'd seen on the news recently, and the performance of various monsters and Hero Association heroes, Qingshui felt that the Black Samurai should be sufficient.
At the very least, when facing high-level disasters, as long as he was careful and cautious enough, escaping and preserving his life wouldn't be a problem.
At the same time, as Qingshui learned more about this world, he discovered even more surprises.
While it was also a modernized urban world, the development of its technology tree was indeed different from the Marvel Universe, DC, and Yi Ren World, and the differences were not small.
Perhaps because there had been a lack of large-scale wars in recent modern history, but also because of the occasional monsters appearing in human society and causing large-scale disasters, the various technologies here tended to focus on strengthening individual combat power. Civilian life, however, was similar to that of normal, relatively developed and peaceful countries.
At least when Qingshui was researching materials suitable for building the Black Samurai, he found that this world had significant differences in material science and energy compared to other worlds.
Many new materials, including alloys, plastics, and glass, possessed excellent properties. In the fields of batteries and fuels, scientists in this world had also made many innovations, just like the high-energy battery currently installed in his Black Samurai.
This item was only mid-range; there were others with even higher energy density.
With lightweight, high-strength metals and high-energy-density power technology, it was no wonder this world could produce so many modified humans and robots.
After checking the Black Samurai, Qingshui took out several pre-stamped documents from his drawer, went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and drove towards the Hero Association branch in City D.
He was going to participate in the Hero Association's semi-annual selection.
When Qingshui first arrived with this Avatar, after understanding the situation, he decided to start with the Hero Association's hero selection. He planned to become a high-ranking hero to gain Fortune, access various high-tech resources, and improve his strength.
With only a week left until registration closed, Qingshui decided to sign up.
It wasn't that there were no other ways to reach a high position, but after much thought, Qingshui honestly couldn't think of an easier or less strenuous method.
Being an S-Class Hero was a symbol of strength and status. With that identity, many things would become much more convenient.
Qingshui wasn't confident that his current strength would allow him to directly reach S-Class, but A-Class should be no problem.
A-Class Heroes were already considered top-tier in the hero industry. While not on par with S-Class Heroes, their income was considerable, and having that status would make many things much easier, allowing him to access certain technologies and acquire resources. At that point, he should be able to advance to S-Class at a relatively fast pace.
The taxi slowly pulled to a stop in front of the plaza of City D's Hero Association branch.
Qingshui stepped out of the car, wishing the driver well, and began to survey the scene before him.
The queue in the plaza was much shorter than what he had observed two days prior. At the same time, various candidates, mostly looking dejected, were emerging from the venue.
Many people harbored dreams of becoming heroes. Every selection process saw those who considered themselves capable come to try their luck. Thousands of people participated in the hero selection at each branch across the 26 major cities of the Super Continent.
The Hero Association selection in City D was held over three days. Because Qingshui registered late, he participated on the final day.
It was fortunate that it was the last day; most candidates had already completed their tests, so Qingshui didn't have to wait in line for too long.
After submitting his materials, Qingshui waited for about ten minutes before hearing his name announced over the loudspeaker. He then proceeded into the venue.
"Excuse me, I have some special equipment. Can I use it during the test?"
Before the test began, while waiting in the waiting area, Qingshui found a staff member and asked.
"What kind of special equipment are you referring to...?"
The staff member, dressed in a blue work uniform, looked at the unarmed Qingshui and asked, puzzled.
Qingshui smiled faintly and showed the modified wristband on his left hand.
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