c4: The Void of the Void
"Ahem, did I just completely drain my Reiatsu with one Cero?"
Ye Chuan looked at the massive crater in front of him, a smirk forming beneath his mask. His attack had been almost half as powerful as the Cero of a Gillian-class Menos.
As one of the signature abilities of a Menos Grande, Ye Chuan had actually learned to use Cero while still at the Adjuchas stage.
"Am I a genius?"
Ye Chuan scratched his helmet-like mask with his pale hands, feeling quite proud of himself.
"It seems like the range is still too short... and the charge time is too long. Right now, this can only be used as a trump card."
Feeling his Reiatsu completely drained, Ye Chuan twisted his centipede-like body against the sand and burrowed underground. He knew that the very air of Hueco Mundo was saturated with Reishi, allowing him to recover just by staying still. However, to avoid becoming prey while he was at his weakest, he activated Reiatsu Suppression and concealed himself beneath the sand.
It took several hours before Ye Chuan finally felt his spiritual power restored. Emerging from beneath the dunes, he took a deep breath of the cold, Reishi-laden air.
After half a month of exploring, he had mapped out the distribution of Hollow species in this part of Hueco Mundo. Venturing too deep would mean running into hordes of Gillians and possibly even Adjuchas. Knowing he wasn't ready for that yet, he decided to return to the outer territories and consume more lesser Hollows before attempting to evolve into a Gillian himself.
Slithering through the sand like a silent predator, Ye Chuan's nearly eight-meter-long body made no noise, thanks to his Reiatsu Suppression.
Then, he heard it.
Boom!
Boom!
BOOM!
The ground trembled with violent vibrations. The sounds of battle echoed from ahead.
"A Hollow battle... and an intense one at that."
Curious, Ye Chuan crept forward, staying beneath the sand as he neared the battlefield. The sight before him made his non-existent heart race.
"This... this is a Bakkoto Jibakusha!"
The so-called Bakkoto Jibakusha—or "Hundred-Hollow Mutual Cannibalization"—occurred when over a hundred Hollows engaged in a mass feeding frenzy. The victor would devour enough of its brethren to evolve into a Gillian-class Menos.
"I didn't expect to stumble upon such a rare opportunity!"
Ye Chuan's excitement surged. Remaining hidden beneath the sand, he waited for the battle to unfold, his predatory instincts sharpening.
Each Hollow in this chaotic melee was at least at the Gillian threshold, stronger than him. But with his ability to hide his Reiatsu, he moved unnoticed through the battlefield like a ghost, scouting for the perfect moment to strike.
His attention was drawn to a peculiar Hollow resembling a massive octopus, locked in battle against two hyena-like Hollows.
The two hyenas were nearly identical, their only distinguishing feature being their teeth. Their intelligence seemed slightly above the norm, as they worked together to bring down their prey.
The short-fanged hyena clashed directly with the octopus Hollow, engaging its eight powerful limbs. Meanwhile, the long-fanged hyena circled to the rear for a sneak attack.
Schlick!
Two razor-sharp fangs pierced the back of the octopus Hollow's head.
It shrieked in agony, flailing its tentacles wildly. In a desperate counterattack, it released a torrent of acidic bubbles from its maw. The moment the bubbles touched the hyenas, they erupted into explosions of corrosive energy, consuming even the octopus itself.
"Heh, this big octopus had some intelligence, but not enough. He tried to escape by sacrificing a portion of himself, but in this feeding frenzy, even if he escaped those two, he'd still be doomed."
Ye Chuan observed the scene with interest from beneath the sand.
Awooo!
The long-fanged hyena howled in pain, its body covered in burns and bleeding profusely. But instead of retreating, it went into a frenzy. Raising one of its front claws, the limb suddenly swelled, its nails extending like four jagged blades.
Schlak!
The octopus Hollow's back was shredded, dark green blood gushing out. Even its mask cracked, breaking apart and falling to the sand below.
The short-fanged hyena eagerly rushed toward the shattered remains, about to claim its prize.
That was when the sand erupted.
A centipede-like figure burst from the ground, its humanoid torso gleaming with black and gold patterns. It snatched the largest fragment of the octopus Hollow's mask and vanished back beneath the dunes.
Awooooo!
The short-fanged hyena froze in shock. Then, realizing what had happened, it let out a furious roar.
But it was too late.
Ye Chuan's Reiatsu had already vanished. No matter how hard they searched, the two hyena Hollows could no longer sense his presence.
"Heh, fortune favors the bold!"
Miles away from the battlefield, deep beneath the sand, Ye Chuan examined his prize a large chunk of the octopus Hollow's mask, nearly half the size of his own body.
"This haul is massive!"
He didn't waste time admiring it. Just to be safe, he slithered in the opposite direction for another two hours before finally feeling secure.
Even though the hyena Hollows weren't particularly intelligent, Ye Chuan wasn't about to take unnecessary risks.
Finally, when he confirmed that the area was clear, he settled down ten meters below the sand and began consuming the mask fragment.
Crunch. Crunch.
"Hmm... not bad. Tastes a bit like seaweed-flavored biscuits!"
He realized that this mask fragment contained far more Reishi than the flesh of the giant earthworm Hollow he had consumed before. The difference was clear this was a core fragment, the essence of the Hollow, whereas the earthworm's discarded limbs had been nothing more than leftovers, abandoned like worn-out shoes.
Ye Chuan's Reiatsu fluctuated slightly. With each bite, he felt himself grow stronger.
The path to evolution continued.