The sky was dim, and endless pale dunes stretched as far as the eye could see. Yoru Chikao looked up and saw nothing but desolation.
He had wandered this barren land for a long time, yet he had not seen another living creature, as if this white desert was his final destination.
"Is this... the world after death?"
Yoru Chikao's memory was fixed on the cramped hospital room, on the dust-covered ceiling, where he had swallowed his last breath of sorrowful air and helplessly passed away.
He was originally a small-town test-taker who, after more than ten years of arduous study, finally achieved his dream of making a name for himself. He broke free from his impoverished family, successfully graduated from a prestigious school, and entered a major company.
After several years of hard work, he finally achieved class transcendence, buying a car and a house in a first-tier city. For a time, Yoru Chikao became a celebrity in his hometown's surrounding villages, becoming the 'child of someone else's family' in the mouths of countless parents.
Just as he had largely achieved financial freedom and was about to enjoy life, a medical record showing advanced gastric cancer shattered the happiness he had fought so hard to achieve.
Because Yoru Chikao's illness was discovered very late, after his first chemotherapy, his parents sold all of his assets in the big city and took him back to a small hospital in their hometown's local county town, ostensibly for conservative treatment.
After transferring hospitals, Yoru Chikao's condition rapidly deteriorated, and in just two months, he passed away.
"The past is gone!"
All of Yoru Chikao's past life flashed through his mind, but he discarded them one by one.
...
Standing in this white desert, Yoru Chikao subconsciously moved his body, only to find a rustling sound coming from beneath the sand behind him. Sections of a huge body covered in white bone-like material continuously wriggled beneath the sand, revealing a broad shell and segments like sharp blades.
"Ah, what is this... monster??!"
"Oh, this is my own body!"
"Then it's fine..."
"I've turned into a monster with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a centipede..."
Perhaps it had been too long since he had spoken to anyone; Yoru Chikao rambled to himself for a long time before he finally came to his senses and carefully examined himself.
Since there were no mirrors or water sources around to reflect his image, he could only observe himself with his eyes, discovering that he had transformed into a giant monster with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a centipede, approximately four or five meters long, looking very robust.
His two broad human-like hands were also covered in a white bone layer, appearing full of strength. Yoru Chikao had no doubt that he could now easily crush an adult's head with one hand.
Furthermore, at the junction of his human-shaped upper body and centipede-shaped lower body, he actually saw a circular hole.
"Is this... my bizarre form, and this dreadful desert, could this be Hueco Mundo... and have I become a Hollow?"
When he first saw his surroundings, Yoru Chikao was unsure, but now, combined with the hole in his body, he roughly determined that he was in Hueco Mundo, and he had actually become a Hollow!
Yoru Chikao quickly stretched out his pale hand and touched his face. The hard sensation confirmed that his face was covered by a mask with strange patterns.
"So, I've transmigrated to the Shinigami world?"
In his previous life, Yoru Chikao was also a devoted fan of the Shinigami anime. He never expected that after death, he would actually transmigrate to Hueco Mundo and become a Hollow.
Seeing himself transform into a grotesque monster, Yoru Chikao felt no fear or discomfort; instead, he felt a hint of joy.
"Come on, this is super cool!"
But then he thought, Hollows are high-risk species in the Shinigami world. If they are killed by the Shinigami of Soul Society, it's fine if they were innocent in life; at least they can reincarnate into Soul Society. But if they are judged to have been sinful in life, they go directly to Hell.
If they are discovered and killed by those Quincy, it's even worse. They don't even have a chance to reincarnate; they turn directly into ash.
And during Aizen's reign over Hueco Mundo, the series of Arrancar experiments targeting Hollows, who knows how many Hollows were killed.
"Alas, being a Hollow is tough! I just don't know what the current timeline is like. If it's before the plot develops, there's still time to grow. But if it's during or after the plot, that would truly be a disaster!"
"Roar!"
Just as Yoru Chikao was lost in thought, a low growl suddenly came from behind him.
A green Lizard Hollow, over two meters long, with dark yellow viscous liquid dripping from its mouth, charged towards Yoru Chikao.
"Boom!"
Yoru Chikao's centipede tail, buried deep beneath the sand, instantly whipped out, striking the Lizard Hollow heavily, directly smashing its entire body into the sand.
Then, Yoru Chikao also turned around and unleashed a barrage of wild punches at the Lizard Hollow, which was just trying to get up.
"Bang bang bang!"
"Wuwu..."
Under Yoru Chikao's relentless combo, the Lizard Hollow, deeply embedded in the dune, became incredibly pathetic. Its pale mask shattered into three pieces, and its sharp claws were all broken. It lay in the sand, emitting faint whimpers, as if begging for mercy.
Dark green blood splattered on the surrounding sand and all over Yoru Chikao, but his punching did not stop until the Lizard Hollow was battered beyond recognition and completely lifeless!
"Phew!"
Looking at the Lizard Hollow, which was deader than dead in the sand pit, Yoru Chikao let out a long breath. Although killing this Lizard Hollow, which was much smaller than him, was not difficult for Yoru Chikao at the moment, it was still a considerable challenge for him, who had always been a good young man of the 21st century. After all, in his previous life, he had lived for thirty years and had never even killed a chicken.
Soon, Yoru Chikao calmed himself down. Since he understood that he had reincarnated into the Shinigami world and become a Hollow, he had to complete the mental transformation in the shortest possible time, using every opportunity to become stronger and grow rapidly, as this world was truly fraught with danger.
Without knowing the current timeline, seizing the time to become stronger was the truth. Although this world was dangerous, it also came with opportunities—an opportunity for him to gain transcendent power and transcend everything!
Immediately, Yoru Chikao's eyes were fixed on the nearly pulverized corpse of the Lizard Hollow. He clearly remembered that in the original work, Hollows could evolve by devouring each other, and the best among them could even transform into the legendary strongest Menos Grande, the Vasto Lorde.
So, he ignored the disgust, directly picked up a Lizard Hollow forelimb mixed with dark green blood, and continuously chewed it in his large mouth under his pale mask.
"Crunch, crunch!"
Yoru Chikao quickly chewed up the Lizard Hollow's forelimb in two or three bites. Unexpectedly, there was no anticipated nausea or revulsion; instead, it tasted exceptionally good. He just didn't know if this Lizard Hollow was inherently tasty, or if his appetite had been completely twisted after reincarnating as a Hollow.
After swallowing all of the Lizard Hollow's forelimb, Yoru Chikao felt his spiritual power slightly increase. His eyes immediately gleamed with excitement as he looked at the remaining meat in the sand pit and began to feast.