The sound of sand cascading like a waterfall filled their ears.
Ryoma and his team, their steps infused with reiatsu, hurried through the massive, downward tunnel carved by Sung-Sun at the forefront, moving swiftly.
Even in motion, they remained vigilant of their surroundings.
Hueco Mundo's ecology was a broad subject, studied extensively at the Shin'ō Academy's Environmental Research Institute for countless years.
By physical perception, Hueco Mundo was divided into "surface" and "subterranean" layers, separated by a desert of microscopic Hollows, perpetually shrouded in eternal night. Until Sōsuke created the Las Noches canopy in the original story, no cycle of day and night existed.
Compared to the explorable surface, the subterranean layer beneath the endless white sands was Hueco Mundo's true heart.
Over ninety percent of Hollows were born here, forced to kill and devour each other from the moment of creation.
Before the Special Hollow Division, Shinigami struggled to locate underground passages, often at the cost of countless lives.
Likely due to the endless pile of corpses, the subterranean layer's reishi density was over ten times that of the Soul Society.
Simply breathing, Sōsuke felt his body awaken, his mind sharper than ever, as if constantly feeding, sated by an inexplicable fullness.
The reishi-rich environment birthed monsters with reiatsu far surpassing typical Shinigami.
In that moment, Sōsuke understood why this underground realm was called the Forest of Menos.
But…
Sensing the dense reishi, Sōsuke frowned slightly.
Beyond the reishi, the air carried a subtle, agitating substance.
Pondering this, he glanced at his comrades.
Seeing no reaction from them, he cautiously buried his suspicion.
"Watch out!" Sung-Sun's voice, laced with mischievous glee, rang out.
As her words echoed, her massive serpentine body slammed into the sand below, producing a muffled thud.
The team froze.
A deafening boom followed as the sand beneath them collapsed, plunging like a true cascade into an endless abyss.
A towering pillar of sand erupted at the bottom.
"Pffthahaha!" Sung-Sun's mocking laughter pierced the air. "What a bunch of idiots!"
As they clambered from the desert floor, spitting out wriggling "grains" That seemed alive, her cackling grew unbearable.
Young Sōsuke yanked his head from the sand, shaking off grains with a blank expression, his gaze locking onto the colossal white snake.
His eyes fixed on the collar around its neck, itching to detonate it.
Unfortunately, only Ryoma held the control commands for these Adjuchas.
"Enough." Ryoma growled, dusting himself off. Though disheveled from the fall, a vice-captain of his caliber wouldn't eliminate a valuable asset over this. "We said this was a stealth mission, didn't we? This goes in the report."
"Tch!" Sung-Sun hissed, her golden slit eyes brimming with human-like disdain. "Stealth? With that racket? You're just praying no one's lurking nearby. Don't treat Hollows like fools, stupid Shinigami!"
The rift between Shinigami and Hollow was not easily bridged.
For both, the divide was the same.
"Vice-Captain Kuruyashiki." Jūshirō interjected, his usual genial demeanor diffusing tension. "Let's discuss our next steps. Our target area is still some distance away."
The frail-looking, white-haired youth smiled at Sung-Sun. "How do Adjuchas track other Hollows?"
After a tense pause, Sung-Sun lowered her head, drawling, "Follow the Gillian herds' trails. Most hungry Adjuchas feed on Gillians or lesser Hollows, not daring to hunt equals. Track a few, and you'll find something."
Not every Adjuchas had the courage to battle and devour peers. Most eked out survival, feeding on weaker prey to stave off hunger and fear of evolution, merely delaying death.
If every Hollow were so bold, Hueco Mundo would produce Vasto Lordes more than once every few centuries.
The Shinigami's Special Hollow Division offered these novice Adjuchas a glimmer of hope.
Sung-Sun snorted irritably, perhaps recalling her capture among a Gillian herd.
So that's Hollow ecology? Sōsuke noted silently, committing her words to memory.
Data on Hollow habitats was rare for both the Soul Society and individual Shinigami.
With Sung-Sun's intel, Ryoma led the team, using her as the spearhead, toward a Gillian migration path.
Sōsuke observed the surroundings.
Unlike the barren surface, the subterranean layer beneath the white desert teemed with diverse ecosystems.
Pale, mountain-like trees, grown for ages, pierced the desert above like jagged peaks, their gnarled branches sprawling chaotically, surfaces rough and thick.
Glowing moss occasionally clung to these trees, faintly illuminating the dark expanse.
Sung-Sun explained that the luminescent moss was a parasitic micro-Hollow, luring and controlling smaller prey.
Following the Gillian migration trail, they spotted a massive cluster of lesser Hollows, drawn by some unknown force, slaughtering and devouring each other in a frenzy of hundreds.
Their chaotic reiatsu disrupted the area's reishi environment.
But the moment they sensed Sung-Sun's Adjuchas-level reiatsu, the frenzied Hollows scattered like pebbles swept by wind, vanishing into the underbrush.
Despite their varied sizes, they disappeared in seconds.
The once-roaring battlefield fell silent.
No one knew what they fought over or how so many had gathered.
"What a spectacle."
Jūshirō let out a soft sigh of awe.
Hiss.
Sung-Sun chuckled derisively. "That kind of thing? Wander the underground layer, and you'll see it half a dozen times! A bunch of fools drawn by bait. If someone wasn't deliberately planting lures, Gillian numbers wouldn't grow so fast."
Gillians, the lowest Menos Grande, formed from hundreds of lesser Hollows devouring each other.
Sōsuke's eyes lit up at her words. Feigning a childlike tone, he asked, "So, Adjuchas intentionally cultivate Gillians?"
"Of course." Sung-Sun replied, her tone matter-of-fact.
For Hollows who'd survived centuries in Hueco Mundo, such knowledge was commonplace.
"For Adjuchas, Gillian herds are like shepherds' flocks. The more there are, the richer they are. If a rare Gillian variant emerges and evolves through devouring, it becomes prime 'nutrient' for its Adjuchas keeper. That's hitting the jackpot. More Gillians, higher odds. The 'lure' for lesser Hollows? Usually just scraps cut from a Gillian's body. Cheap, regrowable stuff."
Sung-Sun's casual recounting of this chilling strategy sent shivers down their spines.
Sōsuke nodded slightly, understanding.
For Adjuchas, the first hurdle to survival was escaping their own "keepers."
Not just Sōsuke, Ryoma and Jūshirō, hearing this for the first time, listened intently to Sung-Sun's explanation of Hueco Mundo's breeding tactics.
Lesser Hollows, Gillians, and Adjuchas formed a cycle, artificially creating a natural breeding ground in Hueco Mundo's vast expanse, endlessly producing Adjuchas-level Hollows.
"But for those aiming to become Vasto Lordes, active hunting is far more efficient." Sung-Sun added, her tone dipping as she gazed at the trampled Gillian trails in the white sand. "Those who play it safe, farming Gillians just to eat, usually regress into Gillians themselves. No chance to evolve further."
The Shinigami listened in silence.
Adjuchas were the most unstable of the Menos tiers. Stagnation meant regression.
For them, nothing was more torturous than that fear.
As Sung-Sun vented about Hollow survival, Ryoma halted abruptly on a branch.
"Hold!"
Instantly, the Shinigami obeyed, scattering to conceal themselves while scanning the surroundings.
Sung-Sun froze, coiling her massive body, head raised in alert.
Ryoma's hand rested on his Zanpakuto, his gaze sharp ahead.
"Well, aren't you obedient?" a mocking voice rang out.
A five-meter-tall Adjuchas with six arms stepped from the shadows of a tree trunk, its eyes glinting red at Sung-Sun. "Put on a collar and turn from a snake into a Shinigami's dog? Bringing them here, no less."
Sōsuke, hand on his Asauchi, narrowed his eyes.
Not just one.
As expected.
In moments, five Adjuchas emerged from the shadows, sneering at Sung-Sun and the Shinigami.
They formed a loose encirclement, cutting off retreat.
Their intent was clear, they had their prey cornered.
Hiss…
Sung-Sun's tongue flicked, her gaze wary on the six-armed Adjuchas, her expression cold.
If some Adjuchas played safe by "herding." others gambled their lives, forming predatory packs.
Unfazed by their taunts, Sung-Sun shot back, "What else? Should I stroll into your pathetic ambush alone? Bunch of brainless idiots."
Ryoma seemed to relax, drawing his Zanpakuto and stepping toward the Adjuchas, blade gleaming. "So, you're the ones who took out the last scouting team? No wonder."
Adjuchas matched captain-level strength. With their numbers, wiping out a squad of seated officers was child's play.
"Heh." The six-armed Adjuchas sneered.
With a boom, the pale branch beneath it shattered into dust.
Its massive form shot toward Ryoma like an arrow, a sonic boom trailing.
As it charged, the other four Adjuchas moved in unison, each lunging at their chosen targets.
"Got questions? Ask my stomach!" The six-armed Adjuchas roared, its voice feral. Each of its thick hands conjured a spherical Cero, firing from all directions to engulf Ryoma.
"Die!"
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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