The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

Saito Yoru pondered, increasingly finding that interesting Hollow to be different from others. To verify her conjecture, she severed the chain on the chest of another soul at the root and waited patiently for a moment. Sure enough, this soul, filled with fear and hatred, began to Hollowen because it was no longer protected by the Chain of Cause and Effect, and eventually became an ordinary Hollow.

Before the Hollow was controlled by its appetite and began to eat people, Saito Yoru had already prepared a binding spell to pin it to the spot. Then, a causal lock that had just been cut off was roughly stuffed into its Hollow hole and immediately fell out from the other end of the Hollow hole.

"It seems that it has nothing to do with whether or not someone has eaten humans. This is a bit troublesome."

Saito Yoruji frowned slightly as he casually killed the uninteresting and disappointing Hollow. It was difficult to find Hollows that could control their appetite or Hollows that considered themselves human. Her other two guesses probably could not be verified in the short term.

Forget it, let's deal with the immediate problem first.

Saito Yoru shook his head slightly, not in a hurry, and gestured for Suzaku to come over.

As a professional guard, Queyu was always paying attention to her master's actions. She immediately received the look in his eyes, instantly moved to Saito Yoru's side, and respectfully bowed down, ready to listen to the next command.

The next moment, a sharp, piercing pain shot through her chest. The hunched-over Sparrow Feather saw a familiar, emerald-green blade, dripping with blood, emerge from her chest.

Chapter Eleven: Did you foul?

There are birds chirping over there!

Happy!

This flower smells so good!

happy!

I've escaped the madman's clutches~

So exciting!

Gu Shi happily traversed through the dense forest, finding joy in everything around him. Part of it was his successful escape from that madman, Death, but more importantly, after a night of frantic running, the causal lock he had stuffed into the void the previous night seemed to have been completely digested? Or rather, consumed?

In short, with fear and despair once again leaving home, Gu Shi has become that big monster who knows nothing of fear or trouble, and is always happy and joyful. Even ants moving house can make him laugh for half a day.

Just as Gu Shi was happily taking a walk, a howling sound suddenly rang out not far from him. Looking in the direction of the sound, a pack of stray dogs that had come from who-knows-where appeared in his field of vision.

Under the shade of the tree, among a group of more than a dozen dogs, most of the adult dogs were lazily dozing off, while the younger puppies were chasing and playing.

Gu Shi also saw that an unlucky little guy, because he was rushing too fast, couldn't stop in time and crashed headfirst into the belly of a large adult dog. The dog, which was dozing off and was awakened, impatiently raised its paw and pinned the unlucky little guy to the ground, and then closed its eyes to continue sleeping.

This vibrant and lively scene made Gu Shi even happier, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud. But as soon as Gu Shi laughed, another barking sound rang out, the sound full of vigilance and hostility.

If there were a lookout in the pack who would bark to alert the others upon spotting danger, all the dogs should have immediately become alert. However, in Gu Shi's view, the dozen or so stray dogs were either dozing off or running around like madmen, showing no sign of becoming alert.

【……I see.】

Having roughly guessed what was going on, Gu Shi temporarily put aside the joy brought by the vitality of life and began to seriously search among the dogs. After a while, however, he still couldn't find the target he expected, and it seemed that his guess was wrong.

However, the extremely optimistic Gu Shi did not doubt his own judgment. He still did not give up, but instead expanded the search area, scanning the bushes and low trees near the pack of dogs.

Persistence pays off. Finally, when the barking sounded for the third time, Gu Shi keenly sensed the direction from which the sound came. He looked up sharply and, sure enough, saw a black dog's spirit baring its teeth at him from a high branch of an old tree.

...What the hell? How did you, a dog, end up in a tree? Even a spirit doesn't have to be this unfair!

Gu Shi's lips twitched, but he immediately cheered up. Although he had long known that animals also had souls, and that some animal souls could even become ethereal, he still felt inexplicably joyful to see an animal's soul appear before him.

"Sniffle, come here, little puppy, come here. I'm not a bad person, let me pet you."

A colossal monster with a body covered in bone armor crouched under a tree, making strange noises, like the Big Bad Wolf in a fairy tale, trying to lure the poor, innocent little animals down from the tree. The extremely discordant scene looked incredibly bizarre.

Gu Shi tried various methods for a while, using all the onomatopoeic words he could think of to amuse the dog, but he couldn't lure the black dog's spirit down. Instead, he made the dog even more nervous. The big black dog squatted on the tree branch, arched its back, pressed its ears against the back of its head, and its strong body trembled slightly.

"Okay, at least I've proven that contrast doesn't always bring cuteness; it can also become more frightening."

Gu Shi wasn't disappointed by the failed attempt. He chuckled and patted the old tree in front of him. Regardless of whether the dog's spirit could understand human speech, he looked up and reminded the black dog in the tree.

"Little one, I'm coming up now."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Shi's sharp bone claws easily pierced into the tree trunk. With a few quick movements of his limbs, he easily climbed up the tree trunk, seemingly even more adept at climbing trees than wild monkeys.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Shi had climbed quite a distance and was about to reach the tree branch where the black dog was crouching. Just as he was about to praise himself in his heart, he saw the black dog also scramble up the tree trunk to a higher branch. If it weren't for its dog-like appearance, Gu Shi would have almost thought that he was chasing a leopard that was good at climbing trees.

However, no matter how much the black dog's soul broke through the limits of its species and learned the skill of climbing trees on its own, it was still just an ordinary soul. Although Gu Shi, being a virtual being, had to put in more effort, he eventually succeeded in grabbing the big black dog into his arms.

After jumping down from the tree, Gu Shi held the black dog's spirit in his arms and began to frantically pat its head.

The poor big black dog, though tough as nails, didn't give up struggling even when held in Gu Shi's arms. It kept biting at Gu Shi's paws and scratching at his body with its sharp claws. However, Gu Shi was covered in bone armor, and its struggles not only failed to hurt him, but also left it panting heavily after a short while.

Once the little guy calmed down, Gu Shi's petting became much gentler, and he even gently rubbed his head against the little guy's head.

To be honest, Gu Shi loved dogs a lot, but his busy life made him unsure of how to care for a small life. He considered getting a dog several times, but after calming down, he felt he couldn't take on the responsibility and had to give up with regret. Although he could pet other people's dogs to satisfy his cravings, he was always worried about hygiene and didn't want to get dog hair all over himself.

But now, Gu Shi had completely abandoned those concerns. He discovered that the dog in its soul form not only lacked the stench of wild animal fur, but also, due to the spiritual energy within its soul, smelled wonderful to his sense of smell. Moreover—

It doesn't shed!

Even if you rub your head against it or kiss it, you don't have to worry about getting annoying dog hair all over your face and mouth!

Gu Shi, increasingly happy, hugged the fragrant black dog and showered it with kisses, hugs, and lifted it high in the air.

At first, the big black dog thought it was going to be eaten and struggled desperately. But after a while, it realized that Gu Shi didn't seem to have any intention of eating it and that its resistance was ineffective. So it simply gave up struggling and didn't bother to react even when the big monster buried its head in its belly and rubbed against it.

Ultimately, dogs are animals that rely heavily on groups and companions. They are born with a deep fear of loneliness and will unconsciously fall into anxiety when they are alone.

The big black dog had been dead for some time. Since its death, its once close companions had stopped seeing it, no longer playing with it or responding to its barks. Even though it stubbornly followed the pack, it received no response no matter what it did, and a strong sense of loneliness seeped into its heart.

Now, although the big monster looks terrifying, it doesn't intend to eat it. Instead, it rubs its head and gently scratches the fur on its chest, seemingly very friendly. The big black dog, with its naturally strong soul and intelligence compared to its kind, suddenly felt that this wasn't so bad. At least the loneliness that terrified it seemed to be gradually fading away.

Chapter Twelve: Picking Up Heads?

Birds are flying in the sky~

Cheers!

Mice are mating in the grass.

bless!

I got my own dog~

happy!

"Come on, Erlang, let's go check out that wood over there. I have a feeling there's something good there!"

Erlang is the name of the big black dog. Yesterday, Gu Shi had a great time petting the dog and was about to continue his journey when the big black dog, which was originally afraid of him, actually followed him on its own. Gu Shi was overjoyed and immediately decided to give the big black dog a name.

Driven by a mischievous impulse, Gu Shi initially wanted to name the big black dog "Yang Jian," but after thinking about it, he realized that he had already transmigrated, and the legendary deity might actually exist, so it was better not to be too offensive. He then settled for "Erlang" from the title "Erlang Shen" as the big black dog's new name.

Anyway, Erlang is such a rustic name, you can find a lot of them in the countryside. Even if he really meets Erlang Shen in the future, he won't be suspected of having ulterior motives. If that hot-tempered old man is unhappy, he can just change the name of the big black dog to "Cilang". Anyway, the meaning is the same.

Upon hearing Gu Shi's call, Black Dog Erlang let out an excited howl and charged ahead into the dense forest to the east, quickly discovering the treasure Gu Shi had mentioned—

The soul of a rabbit that has just died and is visibly beginning to dissipate.

Erlang excitedly opened his mouth wide and tore the bewildered rabbit in half. He generously gave one half to Gu Shi and swallowed the other half whole.

Seeing that Erlang could eat, Gu Shi was quite happy. In this world, it is actually very simple to tell whether a soul has talent or not; just see if he eats.

Souls without talent never feel hunger; they can maintain their activity simply by drinking water. Only souls with talent need to eat.

If Erlang Shen could receive systematic training, he might even become a dog-like Grim Reaper? Or perhaps a Grim Reaper dog?

Speaking of which, could it be that the dog-headed captain Kashiwamura Sajin in the manga came about from this?

Amused by his own thoughts, Gu Shi handed the half rabbit that had been tossed in front of him back to Erlang.

Animals' souls are inherently weaker than humans'. This rabbit isn't a genius like Erlang with a naturally strong soul. It's just like any other ordinary rabbit, with pitifully thin spiritual power in its soul. Since the real is the virtual, eating this kind of soul is no different from chewing air. It's better to just give it all to Erlang to satisfy his craving.

Although Erlang was much smarter than the average dog, he wasn't quite a prodigy. He couldn't understand why his companion wasn't eating. But since Gu Shi wasn't eating, he didn't hold back and devoured the remaining half of the rabbit's soul in a few bites.

With a smile, Gu Shi watched Erlang finish his food, then casually pointed in a direction, and the two of them ran off in a carefree frenzy.

Gu Shi's luck seemed to be exceptionally good today. Not long after he discovered the rabbit's soul, Erlang, who was beside him, seemed to have caught the scent of prey again. After shouting a few times, he sped up and ran wildly forward.

At this point, Gu Shi also realized the "gains" brought about by his good fortune.

It was a girl dressed in a black kimono, her skin as pale as a corpse. She was now in a terrible state, with multiple tears in her kimono and several gruesome wounds on her body and face. The wound on her left cheek, in particular, had almost completely ripped open her left face, and through the wound, one could even vaguely see her bloodstained teeth on the left side.

Besides her injuries, she was also clutching a Zanpakuto tightly in her hand. However, the blade that held most of the Shinigami's power had been violently broken off, with most of the blade missing. Only about a finger's length of the blade remained at the hilt, making her look quite pitiful.

The Grim Reaper who had once posed a significant threat to Gu Shi suddenly appeared in Gu Shi's path, seemingly unconscious and severely injured. If Gu Shi were determined to take revenge, it would seem that a simple press of his claws on her forehead would be enough to end her life.

Whether it's for revenge or simply to prevent future troubles, this is a golden opportunity that cannot be missed!

Sure enough, after seeing the appearance of the Death Girl, Gu Shi did not hesitate at all and instantly unleashed his full speed, rushing towards the Death Girl.

then.

He caught up with his second son, picked him up, and ran back the way he came.

[Just kidding! Going up there to collect the corpse and get revenge!?]

Do you really think I'm stupid?!

The kind of thing you see in fantasy novels, like finding a human head on the street, could never happen in this world.

[Shinigami on missions in the mortal realm, as long as they're not in combat, can open a portal to the Soul Society at any time, whether using Hell Butterfly or Zanpakuto. If injured, they can simply return to the Shinigami headquarters and receive full protection and treatment. Why would they lie on the roadside waiting for someone to pick them up?!]

【trap!】

[It's definitely a trap!]

In the blink of an eye, Gu Shi had already run quite a distance away with the big black dog on his back. Meanwhile, the unconscious Death Girl under the tree remained motionless, seemingly mocking his cowardice and overthinking.

However, Gu Shi did not slow down; instead, he forced himself to burst out at an even faster speed.

[Oh no! Oh no! Something really bad has happened!]

[I was hoping that a vice-captain level Hollow would at least manage to injure her, but now it seems she hasn't been hurt at all!]

It's very simple logic: if the prey escapes and the Death Girl immediately gives chase, it at least means she's worried about letting the prey get away.

Even though the target has run so far away, she can still play dead with peace of mind and is determined to trick them, which shows that she is confident that no matter how far the target runs, she can easily catch up with them.

At this moment, Gu Shi wished he had two more legs so he could run even faster.

Can't stop!

Keep running!

We absolutely cannot stop!

Gu Shi tried his best to encourage himself. Suddenly, he realized that Erlang on his back seemed to have become a little heavier. The slight weight was insignificant and could not even slow him down, but cold sweat broke out on Gu Shi's forehead. He braked sharply and turned sharply, trying to throw off the extra weight.

however……