The Forest of Menos, Once More

"My lord, we cannot leave these two destabilizing factors in the Forest." After a brief silence, the elderly Hollow beast beside the great lord spoke again. "In nine years, it will be time for our great battle with the Northern Forest. If we leave these destabilizing factors here now and those two Hollows really do tie us down when the time comes, we could suffer a crushing defeat. Besides, creatures like them would consume the resources of an entire region. We cannot afford to keep them!"

"We concur."

Voices echoed from within the great trees. It seemed the Hollows here did not think highly of the two outsiders.

"Then kill them!" The great lord narrowed the eyes beneath his mask, waves of Spiritual Pressure beginning to spill out of him involuntarily. "Elder Yi, your perception is the strongest. Select ten... no, fifteen Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande and send them to the outsiders' region. Make certain they are killed in the Forest."

"Yes, my lord."

"Yinfeng, you too... Never mind. Withdraw and rest for now." The great lord looked at Yinfeng, whose Spiritual Pressure was unstable. He had originally intended to send Yinfeng along to trap the two outsiders with his ability, but in Yinfeng's current state, going there would do little more than serve him up to them.

"Yes, my lord." Jekain bowed and returned to his territory to heal. In truth, Jekain was not worried about Wien at all, because by the time he returned, Wien and Nel had already used a Garganta to get far away from the Forest of Menos.

In the final battle, Wien had obtained the masks of two Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande directly, and the Spiritual Power within him had long since surpassed the limit his body could contain. Advancing was well within his grasp. After considering the possibility that Yinfeng could still return to the core group, Wien had left the Forest of Menos to find a quiet place to advance.

Once Wien finished advancing, he would return to the Forest of Menos and begin recruiting forces of his own, preparing for his revenge six years later. Jekain's role in this was crucial. With Jekain passing intelligence from the inside, Wien could seize opportunities to ambush isolated enemies while avoiding being surrounded and attacked himself.

Jekain's ability confined people within an area and kept their Spiritual Pressure from leaking out, while also cutting off the Reishi and Spiritual Power inside from the outside world. Combined with Nel's unique feeding method and his own Concealment ability, the three of them made perhaps the most fearsome assassination team below the Vasto Lorde-class, able to destroy corpses and erase traces without leaving a flaw to be found.

All that remained was to wait for Wien to advance. As long as he successfully became an Adjuchas and established a foothold in the Forest of Menos, almost nothing would stand in their way afterward.

"Great lord, those two outsiders have disappeared." A day later, the Hollows sent to search for their targets had come up empty and could only steel themselves and return to report.

"Elder Yi." The great lord fell silent for a moment, then questioned the elderly Hollow beside him. After sensing around, the old Hollow beast could only shake his head. His perception covered only the Forest of Menos, after all, and could not reach beyond it.

"So that's how it is?" The great lord understood. "Lords of each region, strengthen your defenses. The outsiders have already left. If they were still in the Inner Circle, they could not easily go and build themselves up in either of the other two Forests of Menos. For the next year, stay alert and do not let yourselves be ambushed. The moment you sense powerful Spiritual Pressure, send a signal at once!"

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, Wien, who had left the Forest of Menos with Nel well ahead of time, stopped only after walking through the Garganta for three full days. At that distance, even a thorough search by the Central Forest would take a month or two to find them. Besides, Wien did not think the Central Forest's great leader would be so fixated on two outsiders. New outsiders visited the Forest of Menos every day, after all. Gillians coming in from the outer reaches, and Adjuchas breaking out of the ground after advancing in some corner of the Forest, appeared every so often.

The battle-oriented Pseudo-Adjuchas disdained the Forest of Menos. For one thing, their share of the resources would be too small. For another, even if the hundred-odd Pseudo-Adjuchas in the Forest of Menos were not battle-oriented, a Cero from each of them would still make him suffer, and there was no need to bring that trouble upon himself. It was as though the strong were all solitary and proud, while only the weak huddled together for warmth. Of course, that was only because they did not understand teamwork very well.

Several thousand kilometers from the Central Forest, Wien and Nel found a small wood with a radius of roughly one kilometer. Wien ultimately chose to complete his advancement there, while Nel would organize the Hollow beasts in the area during the days he spent advancing.

A Pseudo-Adjuchas Menos Grande was considered a top-tier fighter throughout the outer reaches, let alone in a place that bred lower-ranking Hollow beasts. Nel deservedly became the strongest creature in the wood. When the two of them descended upon it, the lower-ranking Hollow beasts were stunned. For a moment, they did not know whether to bow down in submission or turn and run.

In the end, the lord of the place, a High-Level Hollow beast with a fish-faced mask, chose to submit outright. After thinking it over, he realized he probably could not outrun a Pseudo-Adjuchas using Sonído, and surrendering might just spare his life.

In fact, Nel could not be bothered with the fish-faced lord. She merely waved a hand and told them to leave the area and hunt elsewhere, but to notify her immediately if they discovered a Hollow of Gillian level or higher.

The fish-faced Hollow did not dare ask any questions. He hurriedly led his subordinates away from the center of the wood and spread them out around its outskirts. Although having a Pseudo-Adjuchas in the wood left these lower-ranking Hollows terrified, it was not without its benefits. At the very least, from that day on, Menos Grande of Gillian level or higher would no longer raid the place.

"Lord Wien, conditions here seem quite good. You should be able to advance without worry," Nel said after surveying the area.

"Good. I'll begin my advancement, then. Nel, I'm counting on you to stand guard here." Two days earlier, Wien had swallowed the masks of the two Pseudo-Adjuchas just before they dissolved into Reishi and scattered. Ever since, he had done everything he could to keep the newly acquired Reishi from being refined into his body, but now he could barely suppress it any longer. If he did not advance soon, he believed the vast Spiritual Power within him would burst him apart.

Without another word, Wien blasted a trench into the ground with a Cero and jumped in. His Spiritual Power immediately began circulating at a frenzied pace. A pale-gold cocoon of light flickered in and out of sight, gradually enveloping Wien's fifteen-meter body. He slowly sank into the bottom of the trench and entered dormancy, while Nel used Spiritual Power to fill the trench back in. She then began using the surroundings to camouflage it. These seemingly unnecessary actions showed both Nel's attentiveness and Wien's caution.

"Phew... I wonder how long Lord Wien will be dormant this time." Having finished the camouflage, Nel finally breathed a sigh of relief. All that remained was to wait. The moment Wien emerged from seclusion, they could fight their way back into the Forest of Menos. "Hmm... I've got nothing to do anyway. Maybe I'll go bully those lower-ranking Hollows. Hmph~"

Wien, buried in the sand, would obviously know nothing of what Nel was doing. Soon after sinking into the sand, he lost consciousness, as though he had fallen asleep. During that time, his consciousness returned and faded several times. After several such cycles, Wien seemed to enter another world, not the dimness of Hueco Mundo, but a hazy, chaotic world. In this state, Wien lost his sight, his perception, and control of his body. All he could feel were waves of gentle Spiritual Power filling the space around his consciousness.

After repeatedly losing and regaining consciousness amid haze and confusion, the day finally came when Wien sensed something beyond the energy: control over his own body returning, along with the vast Spiritual Power hidden within it.

"You've finally awakened, my child."

His consciousness and control over his body returned, and Wien once again heard that ancient voice, full of the weight of ages.

"...The Forest of Menos?" Wien remembered this voice. It was the one that had appeared in his mind when he first evolved into a Gillian.

"Yes, child. I didn't expect us to meet again so soon either." Though the voice of the Forest of Menos was ancient, it was filled with affection and care.

"Didn't I leave the Forest of Menos? Why..."

"Child, I am everywhere." The Forest of Menos spoke peacefully. "The Forest of Menos is only one of the places where I nurture my children. As long as you continue to grow in Hueco Mundo, you will see me again."

"It seems you're more than just the Forest of Menos, but I'll keep calling you that." Though Wien could not sense where the voice was coming from, he did not dislike conversing like this, soul and consciousness to soul and consciousness. "What do you want to tell me this time?"

"Hehe, my child, your calm mind gratifies me, and your speed of growth truly surprises me. In just a few short years, you have already grown this much. It seems my choice was not wrong."

"Hm?" Wien was somewhat puzzled by those words. A choice? Had he been chosen from among countless Hollow beasts? Did that indirectly mean that the consciousness of the Forest of Menos had also contacted other Menos Grande?

"Among my many children, your growth has been one of the fastest. In fact, as you grow, I give each of you more of the knowledge you need according to your growth. This differs from the Soul King's creation; it is more a form of help."

"You've mentioned the Soul King twice. Could you tell me about him?" Wien had reached the level of an Adjuchas and could be said to have completed a third of his path of advancement. He was beginning to grow curious about certain things.

"My child, you are perceptive. But your power is still insufficient to come into contact with that level." The voice of the Forest of Menos was full of affection. "Perhaps, when we meet next, I can tell you more."

"When I advance to Vasto Lorde, then?" Wien thought for a moment. "In that case, is there something you need me to do?"

"Hehe, as for that, I'll tell you when you reach that level." The Forest of Menos left him in suspense, then continued, "My child, of the many children I have seen, you are the most special and the most outstanding. Your abilities evolve because of your own characteristics, and there is nothing more I can do to help you in that regard. However, I have something here that may help you grow. I hope you will accept it."

With that, a point of light suddenly appeared before Wien's eyes. It was a glowing golden crystal, clear and translucent, shaped somewhat like a teardrop. Wien could not touch it at the moment, however. The glowing teardrop circled him twice before sinking into his mask.

"What is this?"

"It is something that can help you grow and give you a chance to turn things around at a critical moment. It can also grant you a new ability." The Forest of Menos did not explain outright. "Well then, my child, your growth is complete. We will meet again. The path of growth is arduous. The more powerful the strength you wish to gain, the more you must sacrifice and the more dangers you must face. Even so, I believe in you. We will meet again someday. May it not be too long before we do."