Chapter 27: Shadow Hollow – Gillian Level
Narrator POV
Akira walked calmly through the sands of Hueco Mundo. Though his posture radiated composure, all his senses were on high alert—hearing, smell, sight, spiritual perception—everything. He knew that in this place, there was only one rule: only the strongest survive.
"I feel strange…" he murmured as he walked. "The atmosphere here is completely different from the human world—it's much more saturated with spiritual energy," he commented, watching the faintly glowing particles floating in the air. "Even the air feels heavier."
He looked around. Nothing. Only endless white sand and, from time to time, some worn-down structure eroded by time. Then, a faint sound—barely perceptible—reached his ears.
Without hesitation, he spun around and drove his foot into the face of a Hollow that had tried to ambush him from behind, shattering its mask instantly. The Hollow staggered back, clutching its face with its hands.
Akira quickly drew his daggers. He couldn't allow the Hollow to roar. A single sound could attract others—and those could draw dozens more. Within seconds, he could be surrounded by hundreds. Moving swiftly, he decapitated the Hollow before it could let out even a scream.
"I have to be careful… one mistake and I'll be surrounded by Hollows." He sighed, sheathing his daggers. "And I really don't want to end up becoming one of them."
Akira lifted the high collar of his cloak, covering the lower part of his face. In Hueco Mundo, showing your face was an invitation to be remembered—and Hollows were vindictive, vengeful creatures. The case of the Grand Fisher had made that clear: enemies here didn't forget easily.
"My first step is clear… hunt Hollows," he said as his cold eyes scanned the desolate landscape. "With my perception and senses, finding them won't be a problem."
He paused for a moment, evaluating his options. He could summon his shadows to increase the efficiency of the hunt—but quickly dismissed the idea. Separated, his shadows lacked the power to face stronger opponents.
They were effective when working together, like a swarm of death, but sending them out alone would be a waste of MP.
"Not worth the risk," he muttered. "Better to save energy. A good player knows when to optimize resources."
At most, he could summon Igris and let him act on his own to gain experience, but that was something he could just as well do inside the Demon Tower—a much more controlled environment.
While talking to himself, he reached one of the few solitary structures rising among the white dunes. It was a half-ruined tower, the skeletal remains of what it once was. Akira placed a hand on its rough wall and took a deep breath.
"I'll do it myself. There are too many dangers here—the Gillians, the Adjuchas, the Vasto Lordes… even the very king of Hueco Mundo, Barragán," he whispered tensely.
"I'm not on their level yet… but I will be."
Determination burned inside him like a torch in the darkness. If he wanted to grow stronger, if he wanted to be ready for what was coming—this was the only way.
---
Akira watched silently from atop a rocky formation as a Gillian slowly devoured a couple of Hollows unlucky enough to cross its path. They weren't far from the Forest of Menos—and though it wasn't the same Gillian from before, that hardly mattered.
All Gillians shared the same essence: huge, slow, and with barely more intelligence than a starving beast.
"Alright… this is my chance," he said as Igris emerged silently from his shadow.
Igris appeared with his usual grim elegance, like a black statue brought to life. He needed no orders. He already knew exactly what to do.
In an instant, he became a dark blur propelled by brutal speed. The towering, clumsy Gillian barely reacted before Igris struck, descending upon it like the embodiment of silent execution. Akira crossed his arms and watched the battle intently.
"Now that I think about it… I don't actually know how to fight—I just know how to hit things," he mused, scratching his neck while watching Igris completely dominate the Gillian. "Yeah, I should definitely ask him to teach me how to fight properly."
His eyes followed Igris's calculated movements—every step, spin, and thrust a display of absolute mastery in close combat. It wasn't just raw strength—it was technique, instinct, and precision.
The dark knight used his skill Ruler's Hand to propel himself through the air, and with a clean slash, severed the Gillian's head as if the creature were nothing more than a disposable puppet.
The Gillian's head hit the ground with a heavy thud, raising a cloud of white dust.
"That wasn't even hard… I thought that being in their own territory would make them stronger—or at least give them some kind of advantage," Akira muttered, one eyebrow raised. "Guess that was just another illusion."
Despite how easily Igris had handled the threat, Akira didn't lower his guard. In Hueco Mundo, any victory was an open invitation—to be watched… and hunted.
"I definitely have to ask him to train me. I can't keep depending on my shadows forever."
---
[Notification]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
---
The system windows appeared one after another before Akira, glowing with a faint blue light. But he paid them no mind. Without a word, he walked calmly toward where Igris stood motionless—a dark statue beside the fallen Gillian.
Akira stopped beside him, looking down at the enormous corpse for a moment. He took his hands out of his pockets, raised his right hand, and with a firm, calm voice, gave the command:
"Get up."
A chill rippled through the air.
From the Gillian's lifeless body began to flow a thick, tar-like darkness — and then, the shadow took form. A colossal figure slowly emerged, taking on the same towering silhouette as the original Gillian, yet transformed.
It was a monstrous creature, at least five stories tall. Its mask, once bone-white, now gleamed with a bright blue hue, still bearing the long, pointed nose characteristic of the Gillian.
Its body remained draped in the traditional black cloak, now adorned with a row of blue spikes encircling its neck like a sinister crown.
Its massive hands and feet were wrapped in bluish bandages, and from its fingers protruded long, razor-sharp claws. Every inch of its being radiated a cold, dark energy. It was evident — this was now a shadow.
A creation of Akira. The creature lowered its head, as if instantly recognizing its new master.
"Hm?" Akira turned toward the new system notification.
---
[Notification]
New Shadow Acquired!
Name: Gillian (Hollow)
Rank: Knight
Status: Loyal
Special Abilities:
• Cero
• Kūmon (Void Gate)
• Negation
• Active Evolution
---
"Evolution…?" Akira repeated softly, a spark of interest lighting his eyes. The other abilities didn't surprise him — Cero, Kūmon, and Negation were common among Gillian. But this… this was different.
---
[Notification]
Special Ability: Evolution (Hollow)
The Gillian can evolve through the cannibalism of its own kind, devouring other Hollows and Gillian to reach the next level: Adjucha. If it continues devouring, there is a chance it can evolve into a Vasto Lorde.
---
Akira read the notification calmly, his eyes scanning each word as if absorbing the secrets of a forbidden text. Then, a faint smile curved his lips.
"So it can evolve… into an Adjucha — and maybe even reach the top as a Vasto Lorde."
The potential of that ability made his eyes narrow slightly as he analyzed the implications.
A shadow-Gillian was already formidable, but an Adjucha… and especially a Vasto Lorde — those were entities that could rival the Captains of the Gotei 13. Some might even surpass them.
"This opens up… a lot of possibilities. But…" he touched his chin, thoughtful. "How many Hollows does it need to devour to evolve? And how many Gillian? Dozens? Hundreds? Thousands?"
For the first time in a long while, Akira felt he had stumbled upon a frontier unknown even to his system. The power was there, within reach — but shrouded in uncertainty.
And what unsettled him most wasn't the difficulty… but the lack of clear answers. No numbers, no parameters — just speculation. What if he spent weeks feeding his shadow without seeing any results? What if evolution depended on other, hidden factors?
"Hmph… A power that can grow without limit… but no instruction manual," he murmured, with a mix of admiration and caution.
Even so, he had no intention of wasting it.
If this shadow could evolve, then he would do whatever it took to force its ascent. Sooner or later, he would discover how much flesh the monster needed to become a king.
"Well…" he sighed, closing the system window. "Only one option left: experiment."
He knew time wasn't on his side. He couldn't afford to stay too long in Hueco Mundo. Not because he feared the place, but because he had duties and goals beyond that white wasteland.
In front of him, a small floating window displayed the remaining time precisely: 2 days and 17 hours.
"Three days at most… no more. I need to keep track of what's happening out there," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the timer before dismissing it with a flick of his hand.
At that moment, he noticed his new Gillian turning its gaze toward a group of Hollows watching them from afar. They made no move, but their intent was clear — curiosity would soon turn into hostility. The creature turned its hollow eyes back to Akira, awaiting a command.
"Go ahead."
The Gillian's tongue shot out like a dark whip, piercing through the Hollows' bodies in a single motion. Then, with brutal force, it dragged them toward its mouth and devoured them without ceremony, the crunch of bones echoing through the silent desert.
"I'm walking blind with this Gillian's evolution…" he admitted, scratching the back of his neck in mild frustration. "Ah, this is such a pain…"
He was fully aware he was gambling. No guarantees, no set path, no warnings. Only speculation — and trial and error.
"Well… guess all I can do is give it my best and hope luck's on my side."
Without another word, he began walking through the dunes of white sand. Igris followed in silence, as imposing and loyal as ever. The Gillian, though slow, had no trouble keeping up — its heavy, enormous steps carried it forward with the efficiency of a beast built to endure eternity.
Akira didn't show it, but he was excited. Every step he took was a risk… but also a wager for power.
---
End of Chapter.