Arc 2Wien’s Rise in the Central Forest

Wien evolved from Gillian to Adjuchas, joined forces with Nel and Jekain, and destabilized the Central Forest while expanding his territory. After killing Pairomon and absorbing his power, Wien prepared traps against the retaliation he expected.

  • Wien evolved into a Gillian, learned the laws of Hueco Mundo from the Forest of Menos, and heeded an Adjuchas’s summons to war.
  • Wien helped the Lord of the Forest North defeat the Southern Forest, then fled when the Sandworm Menos Grande tried to keep him as a strategist, and Nel rescued him from Riate and revealed her Adjuchas form.
  • Wien and Nel hunted in the Central Forest, defeated a territorial lord, and escaped the great lord’s attempt to recruit them, and Wien later emerged from a year-long dormancy as an Adjuchas with a Rift-Splitting Greatsword.
  • Wien reunited with Jekain, assassinated Yisrute, and used covert killings and alliances to fracture the Central Forest’s lords while building his own faction.
  • Wien targeted Pairomon’s territory, ambushed his forces, and advanced to the middle tier of Pseudo-Adjuchas before leading a guerrilla campaign against him.
  • Wien defeated Pairomon’s subordinates and, with Nel and Jekain’s support, killed Pairomon after agreeing to absorb his Spiritual Power.
  • Wien ordered Jekain to harvest Pairomon’s territory and trained while his forces faced losses and the threat of Snegatakk, and he then tested a spiked larva bomb whose blast proved weaker than expected.
Chapters 26–50 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 26Both Advance

Wien watched Nel evolve into an Adjuchas before she entered hibernation, then stopped suppressing his own evolution and advanced to Gillian. After awakening, he learned about his new abilities and uncovered what had happened to Nel and Yammy.

  • Wien fed the remaining Gillian masks to Nel until she evolved into an Adjuchas, then heard her say she would soon hibernate and urge him to advance.
  • Nel gave Wien a mark and memory fragments before her cocoon sank underground, and Wien began absorbing Reishi after finally relaxing.
  • Wien consumed the last two masks and advanced to Gillian while sleeping in a surge of Reishi.
  • The Forest of Menos spoke to Wien, explained that it would grant him knowledge, and gave him an understanding of Hueco Mundo's laws and Cero.
  • Wien used Nel's mark to learn that she had forcibly evolved to save him, lost consciousness, and later drove Yammy away with Cero Doble.

Ch. 27Soul Suck, Negación

Months after advancing to Gillian, Wien adapted to his new body, hunted with his Concealment ability, and cautiously cultivated near the sleeping Nel. When a powerful Adjuchas’s summons called the Menos of the forest to war, Wien decided to head toward its source.

  • Wien learned more about Hueco Mundo and adjusted to his Gillian body, using his accumulated Spiritual Power to move and hunt more freely than ordinary Gillians.
  • Wien used Concealment to ambush and eat a Gillian, then considered the danger posed by the Lord of the Forest North and chose to avoid the forest’s core while Nel slept.
  • Wien set warning and restraining traps around Nel’s resting place, hid in a hollow tree, and used Soul Suck to absorb Reishi.
  • A powerful roar from the forest’s core shook Wien with an Adjuchas’s summons, and he resisted the urge to obey it immediately.
  • When the second summons came, Wien understood that it meant war and headed toward its source.

Ch. 28Battle of the Hollow Forest

Wien followed a sandworm Adjuchas's summoned Gillian army into a Garganta and found himself in a battle between two Forests of Menos at a graveyard of Gillian bones. He tried to retreat from the battle, but the sandworm Menos Grande caught up with him and demanded to know where he was going.

  • Wien concealed himself among the Gillians, devoured nearly a hundred masks, and learned that the sandworm Adjuchas had summoned thousands for war.
  • The Gillian army entered a Garganta, and after a long journey Wien emerged in another part of Hueco Mundo beside a Menos Grande Graveyard.
  • The two armies began fighting across the graveyard, and Wien tried to push his way toward the rear of the battlefield.
  • Wien unleashed his Spiritual Pressure to force his way backward, but the sandworm Menos Grande used Sonído to land in front of him.
  • The sandworm Menos Grande challenged Wien, who bowed and claimed he wanted to help win the war.

Ch. 29The Conflict Between North and South

Wien persuaded the Lord of the Forest North to spare him and use his tactical plan against the Southern Forest. The Northern force began surrounding and destroying enemy Gillians, while the larger battle threatened to escalate.

  • The Sandworm Menos Grande attacked Wien, but Wien blocked the strike with Negación and argued that strategy could win the war.
  • Wien convinced the Sandworm Menos Grande to hear his plan, and the lord ordered Riate to take Wien to the Northern Forest’s Adjuchas commanders.
  • Wien learned that the Northern Forest had more than sixty Adjuchas at the battlefield and roughly two to three hundred in total, and that the wars between forests took place every ten years.
  • The Sandworm Menos Grande ordered his Adjuchas to divide their Gillian forces, encircle the enemy, and attack when he gave the signals.
  • Wien’s encirclement trapped the opposing Gillians and inflicted heavy losses, beginning to intensify the battle.

Ch. 30Victory in War

Wien’s strategy of exhausting the Southern Forest’s forces before unleashing Negación and a coordinated volley turned the battle in the Northern Forest’s favor. The King of the Southern Forest escaped through a Garganta, leaving his forces to be defeated as Wien watched the portal’s disappearance.

  • Wien persuaded the Sandworm Menos Grande to let the enemy Pseudo-Adjuchas spend their strength on successive Cero attacks before countering with Negación.
  • Wien had the Gillians harass the enemy, and the Lord of the Forest North used more than sixty Negación barriers to shield his forces while they launched a devastating volley.
  • The Northern Forest’s Pseudo-Adjuchas overwhelmed the Southern Forest’s forces, while Wien withdrew to observe their abilities and the Sandworm Menos Grande fought the King of the Southern Forest.
  • Sadiyen used Negación to protect the King of the Southern Forest, then self-destructed to delay the Lord of the Forest North.
  • The King of the Southern Forest escaped through a Garganta, and the Northern Forest’s forces defeated the remaining enemies as Wien watched the portal vanish.

Ch. 31A Desperate Escape

Wien escaped the Sandworm Menos Grande’s attempt to recruit him by blasting him with a concealed Cero and trapping him in Negación. The Sandworm Menos Grande later discovered that Riate, who had pursued Wien, was missing too, and ordered his followers back to their nest to search again.

  • The Sandworm Menos Grande rewarded Wien for his service and planned to wait in the Menos Grande Graveyard while Gillians evolved.
  • Wien devoured Adjuchas and Gillian Reishi, reaching the late Gillian stage before the group returned to the Forest of Menos.
  • The Sandworm Menos Grande ordered Wien to stay by his side as a strategist, but Wien refused and asked to wait until he evolved.
  • When the Sandworm Menos Grande threatened him, Wien fired a concealed Cero and Negación, then fled into the forest.
  • The Sandworm Menos Grande broke free and sent Riate after Wien, but Riate failed to return.
  • Yadelusi could not detect Riate’s Spiritual Pressure, so the Sandworm Menos Grande led his followers back to their nest to search for him.

Ch. 32The End of the Chase

The Lord of the Forest North searched the forest for Wien and Riate, unaware that Riate had cornered Wien and left him near death. Just as Riate’s final Cero was about to kill Wien, Nel appeared as an Adjuchas and returned the attack with Cero Doble.

  • Yadelusi searched the Forest of Menos but could find neither Riate nor Wien, so the Lord of the Forest North sent his Adjuchas to search the forest.
  • Wien’s Concealment and careful movement kept Riate at a distance during their chase, but Wien eventually exhausted his Spiritual Power and was exposed.
  • Riate blasted off Wien’s arm with a Cero, then overpowered Wien’s counterattack and left him grievously injured.
  • Riate fired a final Cero at Wien, who gave up resisting and thought of Nel as he waited for death.
  • Nel arrived, swallowed Riate’s Cero, and fired a pink Cero Doble back at him, revealing that she had advanced to Adjuchas.

Ch. 33Nel's Return

Nel rescued Wien by killing Riate, then helped him escape the forest through a Garganta toward the Forest of Menos. After stopping to rest and replenish their Spiritual Pressure, Wien began regrowing his severed arm.

  • Nel countered Riate's Cero with Cero Doble, then killed him with two throws of Lanzador Verde.
  • Nel healed Wien's stump by licking it, and Wien thanked her before they left the forest with Riate's mask.
  • Nel opened a Garganta, and she and Wien traveled through it toward the middle of Hueco Mundo while discussing her evolution.
  • After several days, Wien and Nel left the Garganta to find food and rest in a small forest, where they devoured the Hollow beasts.
  • Wien rested for a day and saw a few centimeters of his severed arm begin to grow back.

Ch. 34Growth

Wien and Nel hunted through the Central Forest, allowing Wien to grow close to Pseudo-Adjuchas strength while Nel protected him. After local Pseudo-Adjuchas restricted their prey and one lord attacked them, Nel killed the attacker, and Wien decided to use the opening to expand their territory.

  • Wien and Nel entered the Central Forest to hunt Gillians and help Wien advance, while avoiding the core area for the time being.
  • Over the next year, Nel hunted for Wien, who devoured more than a hundred Gillians and grew powerful enough to approach Pseudo-Adjuchas strength.
  • Wien realized that local Pseudo-Adjuchas were diverting Gillians and forcing the pair toward their territory.
  • A Pseudo-Adjuchas lord attacked Wien and Nel, but Wien's Cero matched the attack and Nel impaled the lord with Lanzador Verde.
  • Nel swiftly killed the lord and absorbed his corpse, and Wien decided they would expand into the newly open territory.

Ch. 35Meeting and Negotiations

After Doruni’s death, the Central Forest’s ruler sent Waruta, Gasukādo, and Yinfeng to negotiate with Wien and Nel or eliminate them if talks failed. The three arrived as Wien and Nel began building a base, leaving them facing three hostile Adjuchas and planning an escape.

  • At a meeting in the Central Forest, the great lord learned Doruni had died and ordered Waruta to offer Wien and Nel Doruni’s territory in exchange for tribute and service in the coming Holy War.
  • The great lord assigned Gasukādo and Yinfeng to accompany Waruta, with Yinfeng tasked with trapping Wien and Nel and calling for help if negotiations failed.
  • Two days later, Waruta argued that Wien and Nel’s intelligence and combat ability could make them valuable allies, while Gasukādo insisted he wanted to fight them.
  • Wien and Nel chose a hill surrounded by Forest for their base, and Nel teased Wien about eating an Adjuchas before he was ready to advance.
  • Three Adjuchas arrived, and Wien told Nel to prepare to use Negación on him so they could escape through a Garganta if they found an opening.

Ch. 36Attack

Wien and Nel met Waruta, Kasijiade, and Yinfeng, who demanded that they join the Central Forest under their lord. Wien and Nel rejected the offer and launched a surprise attack, leaving the fight underway.

  • Kasijiade attacked Wien with two Bala, but Wien knocked them aside and learned that the three Hollows had come to demand an explanation for Doruni's death.
  • Waruta introduced himself and his companions, then offered to recruit Nel into the service of the Central Forest's lord.
  • Wien and Nel insulted the three Hollows and signaled their plan to attack, while Waruta offered Nel control of the territory in exchange for tribute and obedience.
  • Wien fired a Cero at Waruta as Nel charged and threw Lanzador Verde at Kasijiade.

Ch. 37A Sudden Turn of Events

Wien and Nel survived a fight against three Pseudo-Adjuchas after Yinfeng betrayed Waruta and Kasijiade, but Wien was left wondering what Yinfeng wanted. Yinfeng then knelt before Wien and welcomed him back as his king, calling himself Jekain.

  • Waruta trapped Nel with Illusion Cage, while Yinfeng used Shadow of Restraint to block Garganta and prevent Wien and Nel from escaping.
  • Wien and Nel prepared to fight the three Pseudo-Adjuchas, and Yinfeng asked Wien's name before beginning his attack.
  • Yinfeng suddenly killed Waruta with a point-blank Cero, letting Wien and Nel turn on Kasijiade.
  • Kasijiade tried to self-destruct, but Nel severed his head and Wien protected her from the blast with Negación.
  • Wien offered to split the fallen enemies' masks with Yinfeng and leave, but Yinfeng knelt and welcomed him back as his king, identifying himself as Jekain.

Ch. 38An Old Acquaintance

Wien reunited with Jekain, who had been living in the Central Forest under the alias Yinfeng, and asked him to keep working undercover. Jekain returned to the Lord Circle with a fabricated account of the deaths of Waruta and Kasijiade, leaving the lords wary of Wien and Nel.

  • Wien recognized Jekain as his former subordinate, introduced him to Nel, and heard how Jekain had survived and advanced while hiding in the Central Forest.
  • Jekain explained that his sealing ability let him conceal their fight, and Wien asked him to return to the Lord Circle while Wien pursued his own plan.
  • Jekain went back under the name Yinfeng and told the great lord that Waruta and Kasijiade had died after confronting two powerful outsiders.
  • Yinfeng claimed that Wien had killed Waruta with a strange, nearly transparent Cero and that Nel had wounded him with an Emerald Long Spear.
  • The lords realized the outsiders were a serious threat and worried that their presence could destabilize the Forest of Menos.

Ch. 39The Forest of Menos, Once More

Wien left the Forest of Menos with Nel and began advancing in a remote wood, where Nel guarded him while he entered dormancy. During the advancement, the Forest of Menos spoke with Wien again and gave him a golden crystal before he awakened as an Adjuchas.

  • The great lord ordered Elder Yi to send fifteen Pseudo-Adjuchas after Wien and Nel, but they had already escaped the Forest of Menos through a Garganta.
  • Wien and Nel traveled for three days, then settled in a small wood several thousand kilometers from the Central Forest, where Nel made the local Hollow beasts submit and stand guard.
  • Wien entered a camouflaged trench and fell dormant as a pale-gold cocoon enveloped him, while Nel watched over the area.
  • Wien repeatedly lost and regained consciousness in a hazy state before hearing the Forest of Menos speak to him again.
  • The Forest of Menos told Wien that it nurtured many children, declined to explain the Soul King, and gave Wien a golden teardrop crystal that could help him grow and grant him a new ability.

Ch. 40Ability Review

After advancing to an early-stage Adjuchas, Wien reunited with Nel and began reviewing his new form, traits, and abilities as they traveled back to the Central Forest. He planned to return to the Northern Forest in less than five years to take revenge on the insect Hollow lords who had driven them out.

  • Nel sensed Wien's Spiritual Pressure surge as his advancement completed, and Wien emerged from underground with power that surpassed hers.
  • Wien thanked Nel for guarding him, learned that he had been dormant for about a year, and told her they would soon return to the Forest of Menos before pursuing revenge.
  • Wien opened a Garganta, and Nel carried him through it while he adapted to his Adjuchas form and reviewed his abilities.
  • Wien catalogued his Concealment and Space traits, his new and improved combat skills, and his conjured Rift-Splitting Greatsword.
  • Wien wondered about the Forest of Menos's gifts and told Nel to continue toward the Central Forest.

Ch. 41Jekain Again

After returning to the Central Forest, Wien reunited with Jekain and learned about the High Lord Gatemont, the forest’s lords, and Yisrute, whose wide-range sensing threatened their plans. Wien secretly killed Yisrute and returned with his head, leaving Jekain to prepare for Gatemont’s summons while he went to retrieve Nel.

  • Wien and Nel returned to the Central Forest, where Wien concealed his Spiritual Pressure and went to find Jekain while Nel hid nearby.
  • Wien reached Jekain’s territory and reunited with him, learning that Jekain had recruited four loyal Pseudo-Adjuchas and gathered intelligence on the forest’s lords.
  • Jekain explained Yisrute’s wide-range Spiritual Pressure detection and described the High Lord Gatemont and the guards near the central tree.
  • Wien vanished and went to assassinate Yisrute, while Jekain and his subordinates waited in his territory.
  • Less than three hours later, Wien returned carrying Yisrute’s head and mask, told Jekain to prepare for Gatemont’s summons, and left to bring Nel over.

Ch. 42Falling Apart

Wien used Yisrute’s death and the resulting distrust among the Forest of Menos lords to build his forces and divide Gatemont’s coalition into factions. As conflict neared, Wien kept his group formally under Gatemont’s jurisdiction and prepared to defend its territory while waiting for an opportunity.

  • Jekain returned to Wien and reported that Gatemont had failed to find the killer, and Wien ordered him to consolidate their territory, gather intelligence on the lords, and prepare for expansion.
  • Wien and Nel began organizing Gillian routes and resources, while Jekain’s subordinate with the Rock Ability built a stronghold for their group.
  • Wien used Jekain to approach wavering lords and secretly assassinated opponents, framing Gatemont’s allies and deepening suspicion among the Forest of Menos factions.
  • Over the following year, the Thirty-Six Lords split into four factions alongside Gatemont’s core forces, while Wien gathered twelve Pseudo-Adjuchas and secured the loyalty of two neighboring lords.
  • When Jekain reported that Gatemont had ordered the Reform Faction exterminated and that it was pressuring Wien to join, Wien refused to commit and ordered his forces on alert, with instructions to seek support or attack depending on the pressure they faced.

Ch. 43Avoid the Strong, Strike the Weak

Gatemont ordered a retreat and a campaign against rival factions after Jekain proposed avoiding a direct fight. Wien used the opportunity to secretly harvest Pairomon’s territory, and Pairomon began investigating the disappearance of Gillians near his southern border.

  • Gatemont’s faction faced demands from four rebel factions, and Gatemont ordered his forces to prepare for battle.
  • Jekain urged Gatemont to avoid a head-on fight, give up western resources, and attack weaker lords; Gatemont approved a campaign against Kielas and ordered Yinfeng to move north.
  • After leaving the Central Tree, Wien identified Pairomon as nearby prey and sent scouts to study his territory.
  • Wien led Nel, Jekain, and three lord-level Menos Grande to Pairomon’s border, where they trapped and hunted Gillians while concealing their tracks.
  • As resources dwindled, Pairomon learned that many Gillians had disappeared near his southern border and ordered an investigation for a possible Giant Sand Dune entrance.

Ch. 44Advancement

Wien and his allies ambushed and killed three Pseudo-Adjuchas in Pairomon's territory, and the masks they gathered helped Wien advance to the middle tier. With their presence exposed, Wien ordered a small team to use guerrilla tactics against Pairomon.

  • Wien sent Nel to hide and left Jekain as bait while the group continued harvesting Gillians in Pairomon's territory.
  • When three Pseudo-Adjuchas confronted Jekain, Wien used Void Flash to ambush and decapitate the scout they sent to warn their lord.
  • Wien and Jekain killed the other two Pseudo-Adjuchas, while Nel caught the one who fled and returned with his mask.
  • Wien consumed the masks and the Gillian harvest, then advanced from the peak of the initial tier to the middle tier of Pseudo-Adjuchas.
  • After Jekain warned that Pairomon likely knew their location, Wien ordered most of his forces to remain in their territories and chose Nel, Jekain, and a strong sensor to accompany him in a guerrilla campaign.

Ch. 45Gran Rey Cero

Wien built up a disciplined force in the Forest of Menos and prepared an ambush for seven pursuing Pseudo-Adjuchas. He slaughtered the first attackers with a powerful concealed Cero and moved into the cave to face the remaining enemies.

  • Wien organized Hollows in his territory by ability and loyalty, cultivating promising fighters and eliminating those who resisted him.
  • Wien and his force found a mountain cave, where he assigned Nel and Jekain to hold the interior while he prepared to ambush their pursuers outside.
  • Seven Pseudo-Adjuchas reached the cave, and their leader sent four scouts inside while Wien charged a concealed Cero.
  • Wien’s Cero killed one Pseudo-Adjuchas and badly injured two others, after which the survivors fled into the cave.
  • Wien caught the fleeing Pseudo-Adjuchas, pinned one with his greatsword and killed the other with a Space-Bending Cero and a sword strike, then headed deeper into the cave.

Ch. 46Locked On

Wien prepared to take Pairomon's territory, but Pairomon's Mutant Hollow Gusutafu exposed Wien's concealed position and forced him into a running fight. As Pairomon and his subordinates pursued him, Wien grew angry and realized he might be able to defeat them rather than keep fleeing.

  • Wien ordered Jekain and Nel to draw Gillians into his territory and prepare an attack, then went alone to scout Pairomon's stronghold.
  • Pairomon learned that his subordinates had been killed and sent Ji'antelisi and another Pseudo-Adjuchas to seek help, but Wien killed them and followed Pairomon as he gave chase.
  • After Wien fired his signal, Nel led the Pseudo-Adjuchas toward him while Pairomon found two more dead subordinates.
  • Gusutafu used a strange ability to reveal Wien's location, and Wien fled as Pairomon and his four remaining subordinates attacked him with Ceros and Balas.
  • Wien evaded their attacks and blocked Pairomon's Cero with his Rift-Splitting Greatsword, then decided he was strong enough to fight back.

Ch. 47Battle

Wien stopped fleeing and fought Pairomon and the four Pseudo-Adjuchas accompanying him, using his spatial powers and concealed attacks to kill three of them. The battle continued with only Pairomon and one subordinate left facing an injured Wien.

  • Wien halted, raised his Spiritual Pressure, and drew the Rift-Splitting Greatsword as Pairomon and the four Pseudo-Adjuchas prepared to fight him.
  • Wien used Dimensional Slash to kill the sensory-type Hollow Beast, then wounded another Pseudo-Adjuchas with Space-Splitting Slash.
  • Wien evaded Pairomon's Earth-Splitting Shockwave and killed the wounded Hollow Beast with Shadowless Strike Flash and a point-blank Cero.
  • The two remaining Pseudo-Adjuchas injured Wien with their Cero, but he retaliated with Bala: Ethereal, whose concealed Bala wounded them without warning.
  • Wien struck a wounded Pseudo-Adjuchas with a concealed Cero and killed him, leaving Pairomon and one subordinate alive.

Ch. 48All Right

Wien survived Pairomon's devastating attack with help from his hidden companions and defeated him. As Wien killed Pairomon, he accepted the dying Hollow's request to absorb his Spiritual Power.

  • Wien killed the last Pseudo-Adjuchas subordinate, but Pairomon knocked him into a crater and struck him with Core Quake.
  • Pairomon believed Wien was dead and decided he could no longer return to the alliance without followers.
  • Wien rose from the pit, revealing that a pangolin Pseudo-Adjuchas had protected him with Negación while Nel, Jekain, and the sensory-type Hollow waited nearby.
  • Wien and his companions overwhelmed the exhausted Pairomon, who asked Wien to kill Gatemont and become master of the Forest.
  • Pairomon asked Wien to devour him and absorb his Spiritual Power, and Wien quietly agreed before killing him.

Ch. 49Development

After defeating Pairomon, Wien secured and harvested his territory while studying ways to improve his regeneration and combat abilities. A month later, he learned that neighboring lords had discovered Pairomon’s defeat, and he had to prepare for a larger retaliation despite losing his strongest sensory scout, Adal.

  • Wien ordered Jekain to harvest Pairomon's territory and assigned Nel to patrol the borders and defend their forces.
  • Wien returned to his fortress, recovered in an underground cave, and researched his regeneration and ways to improve Dimensional Slash and Void Flash Sonído.
  • After a month of training, Wien learned that his forces had consumed nearly all the Gillian resources in Pairomon's territory and that Gatemont had conquered two territories.
  • Nel reported that six Gillians with consciousness had joined Wien's forces, while clashes with Pairomon's former allies had killed five of their Pseudo-Adjuchas, including the sensory specialist Adal.
  • Jekain told Wien that Snegatakk had discovered Pairomon's defeat, making a larger attack likely, and Wien considered how to respond.

Ch. 50The Experiment

Wien planned traps and ambushes to slow enemy reinforcements while supporting Gatemont, then tested how Hengdeen’s spikes could be combined with Gesibolude’s living bombs. The experiment weakened the bomb’s explosion, and Wien went to inspect it.

  • Wien explained his plan to delay enemy forces with traps and ambushes, then left Nel and Jekain in charge while he was away.
  • Hengdeen demonstrated his regenerating spikes, and Gesibolude showed how he created and controlled explosive larva bombs.
  • Wien ordered Hengdeen to fill a larva bomb with spikes, and the bomb remained intact with about thirty spikes embedded in it.
  • Bolute put the spiked bomb into dormancy, buried it, and severed his control so two Gillians would trigger it.
  • The bomb exploded when the Gillians approached, but its blast was weaker than expected, so Wien descended to inspect it.
Arc 2 of 2
Arc 2 of 2