Level Suppression

After killing his first Hollow, Wien spent nearly another week exploring the outskirts of the area.

During that time, he also killed quite a few beast-shaped Hollows without intelligence, as well as a lone Mutant Hollow.

By then, Wien had gained a rough understanding of how Hollows were ranked.

Combining his shallow memories of the manga from his previous life with his experiences in this one, Wien ultimately divided Hollows into the following general categories.

First, there were six ranks overall: Beast Hollow, Ordinary Hollow, Elite Hollow, High-Level Hollow (Giant Hollow), Menos Grande, and King Hollow. The details were as follows:

Beast Hollow: the weakest Hollows, with no intelligence. They had animal forms, most commonly cats, dogs, lizards, insects, and birds. Even if they had a way to obtain Spiritual Power, it was difficult for them to become intelligent High-Level Hollows. They were called rations for short.

Ordinary Hollow: low-level Hollows with mutant, humanoid, or beast forms. Beast-shaped Ordinary Hollows were mostly large beasts such as tigers, leopards, and elephants, though there were also plenty shaped like large spiders and wolves.

Humanoid Hollows were Hollows like Wien, with humanlike bodies ranging from one to three meters in height.

Mutant Hollows had such strange appearances that they simply could not be precisely classified in words.

These Hollows had very weak Spiritual Pressure, and most lacked intelligence. Only a few mutants, or non-native Hollows that had transformed from humans, had a chance of possessing some intelligence. They could only rely on instinct to hunt other Hollows, and the Beast Hollows mentioned above were generally their rations.

At present, Wien's Spiritual Pressure was also basically at this level, but as a transmigrator, his greatest advantage right now was his high level of intelligence.

Elite Hollow: two to three times the size of an Ordinary Hollow, with roughly the same difference in strength and Spiritual Pressure.

Not long ago, after hunting down a canine Beast Hollow, Wien had personally witnessed a huge ape-shaped Hollow, about five meters tall, walking from a distant point beyond a sand dune into the depths of the Forest. The impact of its chaotic Spiritual Pressure had made Wien feel terrible.

Not only that, but the Hollow roars that occasionally came from deep within the Forest were different from the howls of Beast Hollows. Those sounds were clearly controlled by the Hollows themselves.

Although he had yet to make contact, Wien was fairly certain that, starting at the Elite Hollow rank, some Hollows began to possess intelligence and could communicate.

High-Level Hollow (Giant Hollow): enormous creatures over five meters tall. Wien had never seen one himself; this was only a judgment based on memories from his previous life. However, not all Hollows grew that large as they developed. Some were smaller in stature, yet had Spiritual Pressure comparable to a Giant Hollow's.

As for Spiritual Power, a High-Level Hollow had five to ten times that of an Elite Hollow. Though they could not necessarily all speak, nearly all of them possessed intelligence, with a very few exceptions, of course.

But no matter the aspect, Elite Hollows had to take a detour when they encountered High-Level Hollows—unless, of course, they had advanced intelligence like Wien.

Menos Grande: becoming a Menos Grande was a watershed in a Hollow's growth. Once a Hollow reached that realm, whether it had room to develop would become obvious at a glance.

Menos Grande could also be divided into three ranks: Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde.

Once a High-Level Hollow advanced to Menos Grande, its body would change. No matter what kind of Hollow it was, after gaining enough Spiritual Power to advance to Menos Grande, it would become a giant creature dozens of meters tall, wearing something like a witch's black cloak.

They generally had white masks with long noses like a clown's. Hollows like these were called Gillians, the foot soldiers among Menos Grande.

They had almost no consciousness and acted purely on instinct. When necessary, they would obey the commands of the higher-ranked Hollow, the Adjuchas.

Of course, some Gillians possessed consciousness, or had not entirely lost it. The masks on their faces would take on the appearance of striped armor.

Because they were conscious, they could freely devour their own kind until they had accumulated enough Spiritual Power within themselves to trigger another advancement, becoming Adjuchas.

After a conscious Gillian obtained enough Spiritual Power to advance, it would sink into the sand and enter a period of dormancy.

The length of dormancy depended on the strength of its Spiritual Power and its future potential. The longer it remained dormant, the purer its Spiritual Power became through refinement. There were exceptions, however; quite a few Gillians skipped the dormant period after accumulating enough Spiritual Power and transformed directly into Adjuchas.

It was just that the abilities of these Hollows had certain special characteristics, allowing them to make suitable adjustments to the Spiritual Power in their bodies to deal with the side effects of not entering dormancy.

And when they emerged from underground, they would fully become intermediate Menos Grande, Adjuchas.

An Adjuchas's bodily form was similar to its form before becoming a Gillian. The difference was that it possessed a higher level of Spiritual Pressure and physical ability, while also beginning to develop greater intelligence.

Their abilities were roughly ten to twenty times those of a Gillian. Some Gillians underwent a drastic change in bodily form when they became Adjuchas, but this did not affect their mobility. On the contrary, their control over their bodies became better than before.

In short, once they evolved into Adjuchas-class Menos Grande, they would communicate and fight consciously.

However, becoming an Adjuchas also came with a certain risk. While they continued to devour their own kind and absorb Spiritual Power, if their masks were damaged, they would forever lose the chance to evolve again.

Furthermore, if an Adjuchas suffered such severe injuries that it had to regress to the level of a Gillian, it would lose consciousness without fail and never be able to evolve again.

Thus, in Adjuchas territory, they rarely fought one-on-one death matches unless one side had overwhelming strength, or the two sides shared an irreconcilable hatred. Otherwise, another Adjuchas would very likely profit from their struggle.

The next rank after Adjuchas: Vasto Lorde.

The overlords of Hueco Mundo. They possessed the strongest abilities, and their Spiritual Pressure even surpassed that of Captain-level Soul Reapers. There were only a few of them in all of Hueco Mundo. Their Spiritual Power was at least twenty times that of a top-tier Adjuchas, and at the peak of Vasto Lorde, it would be a hundred times that of an Adjuchas or even more.

Above Vasto Lorde, there was also the legendary Hollow,

the King Hollow.

But that was already beyond Wien's consideration. After all, judging by his current Spiritual Pressure, he was merely among the weakest beings.

Never mind King Hollows—even Menos Grande like Gillians were not something he needed to think about for the time being. They were simply too far beyond him. Wien's current goal was to keep improving himself in a place filled with such powerful beings, and then... survive.

Pfft!!!

The muffled sound of a blade piercing flesh broke the surrounding silence. Among the ruins of some dead trees, Wien let out a long breath as a giant spider Hollow slowly collapsed before him. "That's the seventeenth lone Ordinary Hollow. No matter how stupid the High-Level Hollows in the Forest are, they should have noticed something by now, right?"

For a long stretch of time afterward, Wien remained hidden around the edges of this small woodland territory.

Besides hunting Beast Hollows, Wien had also begun cautiously attacking lone Ordinary Hollows. After all, he had no reason to lose against Ordinary Hollows that lacked intelligence. With various traps made using memories from his previous life, along with some fighting techniques he had learned online, Wien was actually able to thrive on the outskirts of the woods.

As the number of Beast Hollows and Ordinary Hollows he hunted gradually increased, Wien felt the warmth inside his body grow stronger and stronger. With that, his understanding of Spiritual Power and Spiritual Pressure began to grow clearer.

Spiritual Power was the power of the soul within humans, Soul Reapers, and Hollows. This power was related to innate Soul Density. The greater the Soul Density, the stronger the Spiritual Power.

A human's Soul Density was fixed, while Soul Reapers could increase theirs through continuous cultivation in Soul Society and the passage of time, thereby strengthening their Spiritual Power.

Hollows, on the other hand, gained Reishi by constantly devouring others, increasing their Soul Density. Spiritual Pressure was the pressure a Soul Reaper or Hollow exerted on another when releasing Spiritual Power, and it was also a measure of how strong that Spiritual Power was. The magnitude of Spiritual Pressure changed with the strength of the Spiritual Power; the more Spiritual Power used, the stronger the Spiritual Pressure released.

As he continued to devour weak Hollows, Wien also gradually began to use and master the Spiritual Power within him. For now, however, he could not release Spiritual Power externally and could only use it to exert Spiritual Pressure on his enemies.

When Hollows became High-Level Hollows, they would comprehend their own elemental abilities and create their own unique moves.

Upon becoming a Gillian, they would learn Menos Grande's signature technique, Cero. After becoming an Adjuchas, they could possess their own special abilities. Before that, however, all Hollows devoured one another through hand-to-hand combat or their own inherent attributes and characteristics. Their limbs and forms were their greatest weapons.

Before becoming Menos Grande, the effect Spiritual Power generally had on all Hollows was to increase their size, strength, and speed. Only some Hollows could use Spiritual Power to enhance abilities such as mental power and sonic waves for attacks.

After eating the giant spider Hollow's mask, Wien quickly hid himself. He was already very close to the woods, and if he did not leave quickly, it would be difficult for him to get away once the Reishi released by the spider Hollow's death affected the High-Level Hollows deep within the woods.

After quickly putting distance between himself and the dangerous area, Wien found shelter from the wind beneath a rock and began digesting the giant spider Hollow's mask he had just eaten.

An Ordinary Hollow's Spiritual Pressure was about three to five times that of a Beast Hollow, and its Spiritual Power was likewise three to five times as great. The Spiritual Power this spider Hollow gave Wien was enough to spare him several days of searching for Beast Hollows wandering around the edge of the woods.

A warm current of Reishi continued to travel throughout Wien's body. The warm feeling was indeed wonderful. After about an hour, once he had finished digesting the mask, Wien began practicing control over the Spiritual Power within him.

He concentrated Spiritual Power in his left fist and slammed it into the rock behind him. The huge rock shattered on impact. Raising his right claw, he slashed at the flying fragments, and smooth cuts instantly appeared across the pieces still spinning through the air.

"Mm, compared to the beginning, I should have improved a great deal by now," Wien muttered to himself.

He remembered that when he had first arrived in Hueco Mundo, a punch could only knock down a small tree. Now he could smash a rock. If Ordinary, Elite, and High-Level Hollows were each divided into low, middle, and high tiers, he should now be around the middle tier of Ordinary Hollow. At least he no longer had much to fear when facing lone Ordinary Hollows.

"Still, what a shame. Why did my only weapon have to grow on my right hand?" Looking at his right claw, Wien felt a little bothered, because he had been left-handed in his previous life. He had used his left hand far more often than his right, and although he had become a Hollow in this life, as a Humanoid Hollow, he was still more accustomed to using his left hand.

"But it isn't bad to have my nimble left hand remain human-shaped. I remember that after a Hollow advances to Adjuchas, it can use Cero and Bala. My left hand will come in handy then. Heh, I've wanted to try Uncle Shi, the Wolf King's Dual Guns for a long time. Oh, right, I seem to remember that Hollows also have a chance to comprehend the power of Soul Reapers and become Arrancar. Doesn't that mean there'll be room to use Swordsmanship too?"

During his brief rest, Wien sat on the ground, staring at the dim yellow sky and letting his thoughts wander. He had muddled through his previous life, and he hoped everything would go well in this one.

"Phew... there's no use thinking so much. The road ahead is long anyway, and surviving now is the real goal. It's time to leave this place. If I keep hunting like this, the High-Level Hollows in the woods will notice before long. Safety comes first now, so let's leave and go to the next area."

After getting himself ready, Wien prepared to leave the woodland area where he had lived for a long time. But before he could take a step, a powerful wave of Spiritual Pressure rushed straight at him. Feeling the immense pressure, Wien's first reaction was to jump out of the way. Unfortunately, the blast from a massive explosion still sent him flying.

"Hmph, a mere low-rank Hollow, and you dare hunt freely in my territory. Today I'll show you what happens when you don't follow my rules!" After the explosion, a voice full of savage menace reached Wien's ears.

"Cough, cough..." Wien struggled to get up from the ground. He shook his head and brushed the sand off his body. Looking back, he saw a huge crater in the sand where he had just been standing. Behind it stood an enormous Humanoid Hollow over five meters tall, its body covered in black totems. It stared at him coldly, its eyes full of killing intent.

"Who are you?" Wien asked coldly.

"Oh? No wonder you could hunt so many low-rank Hollows on your own. So you're a mutant, a low-rank creature with intelligence," the giant Hollow snorted. "I am the lord of these woods, and you, lowly creature, have angered me with your actions!" As it spoke, a powerful wave of Spiritual Pressure bore down on Wien.

With such immense pressure, Wien knew without thinking that the giant Hollow before him had already reached the peak of the Elite Hollow rank. If it devoured a few more low-tier Elite Hollows, it would surely be able to advance to High-Level Hollow soon.

"Heh, it's been a long time since I've encountered a low-rank Hollow I could communicate with since I began ruling these woods. I'll give you two choices. One, submit to me, and I can offer you these woods as your habitat. Two, become a fine meal in my belly right now!" The giant Hollow's voice was vicious.

"Do I have another choice?" Wien relaxed his body and spread his hands, then slowly walked toward the giant Hollow. Once he stood before it, he slowly bent his knees.

"Hmph, a wise man knows when to submit. Come with me. You may hunt the low-rank Hollows in the woods as you please. Once you're strong enough, you'll join me in dealing with those higher-ups. But you must... Hm? Ugh! What are you doing?!"

Without waiting for the giant Hollow to finish, Wien seized the moment it let its guard down and sprang up, throwing the handful of sand he had just grabbed with his left hand straight into its eyes.

So what if it was a top-tier Elite Hollow? So what if it possessed intelligence? In a fight, what could it do besides use brute force? And if it came down to wits, how could it outsmart Wien, who had once been human?

As the handful of sand flew, Wien immediately redirected his Spiritual Pressure and sped around behind it. One of the disadvantages of an enormous body was a lack of mobility. Even if its Spiritual Power was ten times Wien's, the giant Hollow could hardly react in that critical instant.

Raising his right claw, Wien slashed at the giant Hollow's Achilles tendon with all his strength. But the gap in their Spiritual Power was simply too great. The strike only cut halfway through the tendon and failed to sever the whole foot. In exchange, two of Wien's blade-claws broke from the blow. Although Wien had been the attacker in this clash, he had unexpectedly suffered the greater injury.

"Damn it!! You low-rank insect, how dare you hurt me!" The giant Hollow staggered, steadied itself, and turned to send a punch hurtling toward me. The difference in their ranks was simply too great. Although Wien saw its movement clearly, he had no chance to dodge in the face of such powerful Spiritual Pressure. He could only assume a defensive stance, avoid the core of the attack, and brace himself to take the edge of the punch.

Boom!!!!

The tremendous force, mixed with savage Spiritual Pressure, sent Wien flying with a single punch. Just coming into contact with the wind of the blow nearly caused him to be torn apart by the powerful Spiritual Pressure. Since his right arm took the impact, it was broken in at least three places. But the force of the punch also put considerable distance between Wien and the giant Hollow in an instant.

Run!

His legs had not been hurt at all, so running was still possible. Because Wien had severed the Achilles tendon in one of the giant Hollow's legs, it could not run at all right now. If it wanted to catch Wien, it would have to know Sonído.

As long as Wien got far enough away from this area before its tendon recovered, it would not give chase. For the giant Hollow, leaving its own territory meant it could very well become a fine meal in another High-Level Hollow's belly. Injured as it was, it could not afford to take that risk.