c1 - Is This Hueco Mundo?
In the dark sky above the endless pale sand dunes, Ye Chuan looked up, taking in the vast desolation. An unending wasteland stretched before him, void of life, an expanse of white sand that seemed to be his final destination.
"Is this... the world after death?"
His last memory was in a cramped hospital ward, staring at a dust-covered ceiling as he drew his final breath. Once, he had been an ambitious man—a small-town worker who studied tirelessly, graduated from a prestigious university, and secured a promising career in a major company. Through years of effort, he had climbed the social ladder, bought a car and an apartment in a first-tier city, and earned the admiration of his hometown.
Just when he had achieved financial stability and was about to enjoy his success, a cruel diagnosis of advanced gastric cancer shattered his dreams. The disease had progressed too far. His parents, desperate to save him, sold their remaining assets and took him to a small county hospital for treatment. Within two months, his condition worsened, and he passed away.
"The past is gone."
Memories of his previous life flashed before his eyes, and he slowly let them go. Now, he stood in this vast white desert, his body feeling different—foreign. As he moved, a rustling sound came from behind, and something massive shifted beneath the sand. Large, bone-white limbs emerged, scraping against the dunes.
"Ah... what kind of monster is this?!"
A terrifying realization struck him as he examined himself more closely.
"Wait... this is my body?!"
"I... I have a human upper body but a centipede-like lower half..."
It had been too long since he last spoke to anyone. He muttered to himself, slowly coming to terms with his grotesque form. Without a mirror or water to reflect his image, he could only observe through his own perspective. His upper body retained a human shape, but his hands were covered in a thick, bony exoskeleton, exuding raw power. He had no doubt he could crush a human skull with ease.
At the junction of his humanoid torso and monstrous lower half, he discovered something chilling—a gaping, circular hole.
"This... my body, this endless desert... Could this be Hueco Mundo? Have I become a Hollow?!"
He reached up and touched his face. A hard, bone-like mask covered it, etched with intricate, ominous patterns.
"So... I've reincarnated into the world of Bleach?"
Ye Chuan had been a devoted fan of the series in his past life. Now, after death, he had been reborn in Hueco Mundo—a realm teeming with creatures like him. To his surprise, he felt no fear or disgust at his monstrous transformation. Instead, an odd sense of excitement swelled within him.
"This is insane! But also... kind of awesome!"
His enthusiasm quickly faded as reality sank in. Hollows were among the most hunted entities in this world. If Soul Reapers from the Seireitei found him, he'd be purified or, worse, sent to Hell if he had committed grave sins in his past life. Even more terrifying were the Vasto Lordes, the pinnacle of Hollow evolution. If he encountered one, his existence would be snuffed out instantly.
Then there was Aizen, the mastermind who conducted experiments on Hollows, turning them into Arrancars. If Ye Chuan was caught in his web, he'd become nothing more than a test subject.
"Damn... I need to figure out what point in the timeline I'm in. If the story hasn't started yet, I might have time to grow stronger. But if I'm dropped in the middle of the chaos... I'm screwed."
A chilling roar interrupted his thoughts. Behind him, a two-meter-long lizard-like Hollow, oozing dark yellow saliva, lunged at him.
"Boom!"
Ye Chuan reacted instinctively. His massive tail whipped out from the sand, striking the lizard Hollow with immense force, sending it crashing into the dunes.
Before it could recover, Ye Chuan lunged forward, driving his fist into the creature's mask.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Grrrkk!"
The lizard Hollow shrieked in agony as Ye Chuan rained down relentless blows. The mask cracked into three shards, its claws were shattered, and it lay whimpering in the sand, pleading for mercy.
Dark green blood splattered across the dunes, painting Ye Chuan's monstrous form. He panted heavily. Although the fight wasn't difficult, it was his first kill. In his previous life, he had never even slaughtered a chicken, let alone crushed a living creature with his bare hands.
He steadied his breath, forcing himself to adapt. If this was the world of Bleach, survival was paramount. He had to evolve, to become stronger—quickly. This world was merciless, filled with death at every turn, but it also held limitless opportunities.
His gaze fell upon the lizard Hollow's corpse. In the original manga, Hollows could grow stronger by devouring one another. Those who consumed enough could ascend to Menos-class Hollows, with the strongest among them becoming Vasto Lordes—monsters even Soul Reapers feared.
Suppressing his revulsion, Ye Chuan reached down, grabbed a chunk of the lizard Hollow's flesh, and shoved it into his mouth.
"Crunch... crunch!"
To his surprise, the meat was not as revolting as he expected. It was... delicious. He didn't know if this was due to his new Hollow physiology or if he had simply lost his human sense of taste.
As he swallowed, he felt a surge of energy ripple through his body. His spiritual power increased slightly, sparking a rush of excitement. His eyes gleamed as he turned toward the rest of the corpse.
Without hesitation, he continued his gruesome feast. If consuming other Hollows could make him stronger, then he would embrace this new reality. In this ruthless world, power was the only path to survival.
And Ye Chuan intended to transcend it all.