Dropping another chapter today!
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It didn't take long for me to regain consciousness after letting myself be devoured to become a Menos Grande. The scene that greeted my eyes was a renewed outbreak of war, a continuation of the Hollow slaughter from earlier. No, perhaps it was even more visceral than before.
Hundreds of Hollows had fused together, their mangled souls churning in a chaotic mass, biting and tearing at one another in a frantic struggle for dominance. As they were consumed, their spiritual signatures flickered and vanished into the void. Each time a soul was snuffed out, I felt its raw power surging into me.
'So, am I supposed to eat everything in here?'
This had to be the process of soul-amalgamation. In this blender of spirits, the one who survives with their human sanity intact becomes the dominant ego. If that was the case, I couldn't afford to just sit around. I immediately lunged forward to devour the Hollow closest to me.
The Hollow next to me seemed to have a faint, flickering consciousness; it didn't even try to dodge or block, simply staring blankly as I struck. That defenseless wretch was swallowed whole, its essence becoming fuel for us—or rather, for me. Looking around, the battlefield seemed split between mindless husks and those with a burning will to consume. In the end, my only real enemies were the ones who still possessed an ego.
The war of attrition began in earnest. I methodically harvested the fodder around me. Other entities with strong wills were doing the same, clearing out the lesser souls in their immediate vicinity. One by one, then by the hundreds, these Hollows were reduced to nutrients for our evolution until, finally, only ten of us remained.
The ten of us, myself included, began to move with extreme caution. We circled one another, gauging distances and preserving our strength. We were coiled springs, ready to pounce the moment a gap appeared in someone's guard. The tension was suffocating. Since our spiritual power was roughly equal, the first one to show a hint of weakness would be torn apart and assimilated.
The stalemate finally broke when one of them lost focus. That single lapse was a death sentence. The other nine of us swarmed that lone Hollow, tearing into its flesh and soul. One followed another, then another, until eight had been devoured. Now, it was just me and one other Hollow.
We paced in a slow, predatory circle, our eyes locked. Neither of us gave an inch, looking for that split-second opening to sink our fangs into the other's throat.
Time was a meaningless concept in this inner realm, yet this psychological tug-of-war felt like it lasted an eternity. Even though this was happening within a mental space, sweat began to bead on my forehead. We continued to wait, suppressing our instincts, waiting for the perfect strike.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The sound of sweat falling from our brows echoed in the silence. It was a bizarre phenomenon for an internal world, but I couldn't let my focus waver for a heartbeat. Then, finally, the opportunity arrived. A bead of sweat rolled down my opponent's forehead and slipped straight into his right eye.
In that instant, the taut thread of his concentration snapped. I lunged, my jaws clamping firmly onto his neck. He tried to thrash and resist, but his throat was already in my tearing maw. Because of a single drop of sweat, he became my final meal.
As I absorbed his power, I felt my being expand. The transformation was complete. I was now a Menos Grande.
"What an absurd fellow."
The God, who had been watching the reincarnated mortal through a mirror with mild interest, couldn't help but chuckle. To think the brat actually planned to get eaten by an Adjuchas and force an evolution into a Menos Grande by sheer recklessness... Even from a divine perspective, it was a move that bordered on suicidal stupidity.
If God hadn't intervened, the outcome of that battle would have been a toss-up. Their spiritual pressures were identical, and their willpower was matched. That was why God had reached out and granted the brat a tiny stroke of luck. Without that divine nudge, the result would have been anyone's guess.
"Still, he's quite the piece of work. Adapting to being a Hollow that quickly..."
At this rate of growth, the MC would likely reach the Vasto Lorde class in no time. God mused that if the kid figured out how to trigger the Arrancar transformation, he would likely ascend even faster than anticipated.
"Well then, try to entertain me a bit more."
God laughed, genuinely amused by the entertaining human he had plucked from the void. He decided that if the boy managed to reach Vasto Lorde faster than expected, he might just send a little gift his way.
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Please give me lots of recommendations, bookmarks, and comments~
The chapters are short because of my part-time job!
Finally, he has become a complete Menos Grande (Gillian)! Ooh! Now I need to think about what kind of gift God should give him.