The sun of Jura filtered through the gaps in the trees, illuminating what Sirzechs Gremory called the "foundation phase." To an outside observer, however, Avalon still looked like a contradiction. There were impeccable white marble streets cutting through the beaten earth, but the beings walking upon them were still little more than shadows wearing masks.
Sitting on a rocky outcrop, Sirzechs observed the thirty Hollows he had created. He could feel the frustration bubbling within them. As beings manifested by [Visionary], they had form, but their minds were like mist. They moved by instinct, bumping into one another, unable to grasp the concepts of "tools" or "objectives."
"This is proving harder than I imagined," Sirzechs murmured, playing with a small sphere of crimson energy between his fingers. "I gave them existence, but I can't simply inject a lifetime of experience into their heads. If I do that, they'll just be extensions of my own mind, not citizens."
At his side, Grayfia stood like a statue of ice and order. Her silver eyes glowed under the effect of [Gabriel, Lord of Absolute Order]. She didn't view the Hollows as living beings, but as variables in a complex equation that refused to balance.
"The problem, Sirzechs-sama, is that you gave them freedom before giving them a logical foundation," she said, her voice sharp. "Look at Number 07. He has spent three hours trying to understand why he cannot eat sand. He feels hunger, as his nature now demands energy, but he lacks the concept of 'food'."
Sirzechs sighed. He knew the plot of TenSura was moving forward out there. Rimuru would be naming goblins and forging bonds, but the Hollows of Avalon were different. They were the void trying to fill itself.
Sirzechs stepped down from the rock and walked toward Hollow Number 07. The masked being was sitting near a pile of wild grains that Grayfia had collected for analysis. The Hollow would pick up a handful of seeds, stare at them, and let them fall, repeating the process in an infinite cycle of confusion.
"You feel it, don't you?" Sirzechs crouched beside him.
The Hollow trembled. Sirzechs' aura was like a sun; it was terrifying, but it was the only thing that gave him a sense of "belonging."
"Hunger..." the Hollow hissed, his voice emerging like smoke. "Void... inside... hurts."
"It's not just hunger for food," Sirzechs explained, picking up one of the seeds. "It's the hunger to be something. Grayfia thinks I should give you a manual. I think you need an example."
Sirzechs activated [Visionary]. He didn't create finished bread. Instead, he manifested a small heated stone and a bowl of water. He began to crush the seeds in front of the Hollow, mixing them with water until they formed a rustic paste. He placed the paste onto the hot stone. The aroma of toasted grain began to rise.
Number 07 stopped trembling. His bony hands imitated Sirzechs' movements. He tried to crush the seeds but used too much strength, turning them into useless dust. He tried again, and this time, he spilled the water.
Grayfia approached, watching the scene with disapproval.
"Inefficient. Lord Sirzechs, you are wasting time. I could use [Gabriel] to project the technique directly into their neural centers."
"And then he would be a robot, Grayfia. Let him fail."
Number 07 tried for the tenth time. His hands were now covered in white powder. He was frustrated; his bone mask emitted a cracking sound, as if under immense pressure. Suddenly, something shifted. The magicules around the Hollow began to swirl. He wasn't just trying to cook; he was trying to understand matter.
He managed to form a small piece of dough. He placed it on the stone. When the heat transformed the paste into something solid, he brought it to the opening of his mask. The moment he tasted it, a muffled cry escaped his throat.
«Notice. Individual: Hollow Number 07 has manifested a Desire for Purpose.» «Initiating Slow Evolution process... Status: Candidate for Adjuchas-class (Path: Labor).»
"He didn't evolve," Grayfia observed, surprised. "But his soul density has increased by 12%. He is still a low-class Hollow, but now he has an 'anchor'."
"It's the beginning," Sirzechs smiled, standing up. "It will take him days, maybe weeks, to make a decent loaf of bread. And when he succeeds, he will have earned his own evolution."
While the aspiring baker struggled with his dough, the situation at the "Guard" was even more tense. Five Hollows, selected for their aggressiveness, were under Grayfia's direct command. She didn't give them seeds; she gave them targets.
"You are pathetic," Grayfia said, as the five Hollows tried unsuccessfully to strike a training dummy made of eternal ice. "You attack like wild animals. In Avalon, power without order is merely noise."
One of the Hollows, the tallest of the group, tried to pounce on the dummy. Grayfia, without even looking, raised a finger. A pillar of ice erupted from the ground, launching the Hollow ten meters away.
"Again," she commanded. "Do not use only strength. Feel the magicules flowing. Lord Sirzechs gave you the Power of Destruction as your foundation, but if you do not learn to channel it, it will consume you before you consume your enemies."
The tall Hollow stood up. He was exhausted. The process of "learning" was painful. Unlike Rimuru's subordinates, who received names and became powerful overnight, Sirzechs' subjects had to "dig" for their own power through grueling effort under Grayfia's implacable supervision.
By the end of the day, the marble city was silent. There were no finished buildings, only foundations and a small hut where Number 07 was still trying to get the dough right.
Sirzechs and Grayfia walked side by side.
"You're being hard on them, Grayfia," Sirzechs commented, looking up at the stars.
"I am ensuring they survive, Sirzechs-sama. This world is not kind. My sensors detected that the energy you released to create the Hollows has attracted unwanted 'eyes.' The shadow scout we saw earlier wasn't the only one. There are hungry wolves and goblins in the vicinity who have caught the scent of a powerful, yet unorganized, 'prey'."
Sirzechs stopped walking and looked into the deep shadows of the forest.
"Let them come. The baker needs his rest, and the guard needs a real test. I will not interfere. I want to see if what we taught today was enough to light the first spark within them."
Grayfia opened her holographic analysis board.
"I have already prepared the defensive positions. If they fail, I will intervene. But you know that if I have to step in, their punishment will be worse than death by a wolf."
Sirzechs laughed, feeling the excitement of one who knows the future but is carving an entirely new path. Avalon was just beginning to pulse, and the process was slow, painful, and real. Exactly how he wanted it.