Chapter 167: Development and Achievement
While waiting for the alt to finish its meal, Matsushita Yusuke glanced at the panel.
[Hollow Power Level: 51]
[Sonido: 32] [Cero: 55] [Hierro: 49]
The alt also had a completely independent skill system.
Something Yusuke had discovered gradually over time through accumulation and experimentation.
Made sense, when he thought about it. Shinigami and Hollow were completely different things to begin with. Two separate classes, two separate talent trees. A game that couldn't handle multi-class builds would just be bad design.
Anyway.
On the skills side for the alt, there had been considerable development over these past months.
Including, for instance:
[Skill: Crimson Cero]
[You were born with a talent unlike others of your kind. Your understanding of energy compression and condensation is uniquely your own... this allows you to construct a sharper reishi mass, with correspondingly greater destructive power.]
Though technically he was supposed to be leveling the alt.
Looking at the results, the player appeared to have a certain tendency.
Shinigami side: Kido. Hollow side: Cero.
I just like the caster class. (Head held high.)
Maybe it was because Yusuke's own perception in this area was naturally sharper. Despite no particular intentional focus during the alt's development, Cero had grown the fastest of the three main stats.
Through the fight just now, he also had a clearer feel for this skill.
"It's a bit different from the Cero used by higher-tier Espada..."
As the description indicated, this wasn't a technique built purely for raw destruction. Through development, testing, and actual use, Yusuke found it was an all-around improvement.
Speed, power, efficiency. Every parameter was meaningfully ahead of others at the same level.
Since skills like this evolved alongside increasing strength, the upward trajectory here was genuinely worth tracking.
Crimson Cero. So stylish when it fires. While everyone else's is black or green, his could be red. [note: don't, just don't. Au]
Beyond that skill, the alt had also developed another one.
[Skill: Resilient Hierro]
[Compared to other Hollows, your outer shell appears more fragile -- like something that would break with a single hit. But at the same time, you can self-restore, recovering corresponding injuries in the shortest possible time, allowing you to keep moving freely.]
This one...
Honestly, his first reaction had been mild skepticism.
Hierro in the source material was mostly something you used against people who couldn't scratch you. Ulquiorra showing up in Karakura Town alongside Yammy and giving everyone a live demonstration of exactly how pointless it was to try and hurt him. Grimmjow using "can't even break through my Hierro" as his preferred method of illustrating the power gap.
The worst case of it, of course, was on the Fifth Espada. But that was a story for later.
The thing was, while the visual impact was strong, working backward from results told you what was really going on.
Hierro basically only worked against weaker opponents.
In an evenly-matched fight, or against a genuine high-level opponent, its effect wasn't just unremarkable. It was effectively zero.
If they can break through, they can cut. If they can cut, they can win. And if one swing can't even leave a mark...
No further analysis needed. The power gap is categorical. Just run.
What Yusuke understood from the skill he had acquired was that this was essentially an enhanced recovery mechanism. The Hollow's outer shell was already durable, and getting it broken through usually meant facing someone of equal or superior strength. Getting shattered or penetrated all the way through was essentially a lethal outcome.
This skill allowed for self-restoration. In an environment that lacked healers, that was actually a useful capability.
So on balance, Yusuke had minor reservations about the skill in principle, but since it didn't require a skill slot, he'd use what he had.
Two skills exclusive to the alt.
The main gains from the recent period.
Combined with the stat panel, the overall improvement in strength was quite significant.
Compared to earlier in the year, the alt had undergone a dramatic transformation.
A rough estimate:
"Still some distance from captain-level, but not by much. With a bit of effort, or in good condition... trading blows with weaker captains isn't out of the question."
Against a no-nonsense lower-tier captain type, it could probably hold its own for a while.
With that thought, the feeding in the distance was done.
Matsushita Yusuke looked at the scattered remains and clicked his tongue.
"Bro, your table manners could use some work..."
"Come on, let's go deeper... time is still early. Let's get a few more in today."
He had stayed behind specifically to level the alt. He watched as it approached, dragging its feet through the sand to wipe the blood off.
At the same time.
The cracks that had opened across its body earlier now rose and fell with each breath, like gaps being slowly filled in, quietly closing without a trace.
Matsushita Yusuke watched this, thought for a moment, and showed a subtle expression.
The recovery had gotten faster.
"Speed improved? Also... body strength is significantly up too."
An overall upward trend, without question.
Then let's keep at it.
Matsushita Yusuke gave a cheerful pat on the shoulder and said:
"Let's go. A few laps through the forest... these two days are your bonus meals!"
The two moved side by side and disappeared into the "forest."
And so.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
When Matsushita Yusuke returned to Soul Society, the exhaustion on his face was plainly visible.
His clothes had picked up dust and grime, looking considerably worse for wear.
To avoid being seen in that state, he headed back to the squad barracks first and cleaned himself up.
At the same time, because he had now entered the range of Aizen's perception, Aizen quietly released this portion of Kyoka Suigetsu.