The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

The Death Girl watched all this silently, and only when Gu Shi's devouring was basically complete, leaving only a huge, sturdy carapace that he couldn't bite through, and a pale mask, did she speak again.

"Big guy, do you know? The mask is the most important part of a Hollow. Once the mask is eaten by other Hollows, even if it survives by chance, its evolution will be completely stopped, and it will never have the chance to become a higher-level Hollow."

Gu Shi had seen this setting in the manga before. It was precisely because he knew the special nature of the mask that he deliberately saved it for last, wanting to carefully experience whether there would be any different feeling when he devoured the mask. However, the sudden mention of this by the Death Girl made him somewhat puzzled.

[What does this mean? Is it a reminder to protect my mask?]

The Death Girl didn't intend to let Gu Shi guess slowly. She smiled and pointed to the mask in his hand, then to the void in his chest.

"Have you ever thought about trying to put the mask in there? Your constitution is very special, and you might get some unexpected benefits."

After hearing what the Death Girl said, Gu Shi recalled the changes that occurred when he put the Chain of Cause and Effect into the Void, and couldn't help but ponder it.

It is derived from the most unique causal lock on "Zheng" and can strengthen his "human" side, allowing him to find the emotions that have been lost and blurred.

So, what effect will the mask taken from Hollow have? Will it amplify his "Hollow" aspect, making him even more "pure"?

Upon considering this possibility, Gu Shi immediately abandoned the idea of ​​trying it and quickly threw the mask aside.

Even after removing the mask, Gu Shi still felt uneasy.

What if, during a battle with a Hollow, the opponent's blood and bone fragments splatter out and happen to fall into your Hollow hole?

After thinking for a moment, Gu Shi picked up a stone that looked hard enough from the ground, shaped it to roughly the same size with his claws, and then decisively inserted the stone plug directly into the hole in his chest.

After shaking the stopper head left and right to confirm that the size was correct and that it was inserted securely, Gu Shi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although it's not very comfortable to have something stuck in my chest, just to be on the safe side, I can bear with this little discomfort. When I have the chance in the future, I'll see if I can find a human blacksmith to help me make a more secure iron plug.

Unfortunately, with current technology, we can't manufacture screws. Otherwise, we could just find a pair of large screws and nuts and screw them onto our chests; that would be real insurance.

The Death Girl stared blankly at Gu Shi's actions for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. After all, the way Gu Shi had a rock stuffed in his chest was indeed quite funny.

After laughing for a while, the Death Girl finally stopped laughing. She activated her Instant Step and instantly appeared in front of Gu Shi. Her fingertips condensed spiritual energy into a sharp, thin blade, which she used to smooth out the ugly-looking surface of the stone, making it look more pleasing to the eye.

After examining the now much more aesthetically pleasing stone stopper, the Death Girl nodded in satisfaction. Just as she was about to dissipate the spiritual energy blade from her fingertips, a sudden inspiration struck her. Her fingertips moved swiftly, carving a rather comical smiling face onto the surface of the stone stopper.

Shaking off the stone chips from her hands, the Death Girl took a few steps back and looked at Gu Shi's entire body covered in pale white bone armor, except for a large blue stone embedded in his chest, on which a smiley face was drawn. She couldn't help but burst into laughter again.

Gu Shi looked down at the smiling face on his chest, feeling somewhat helpless at first, but then he also laughed.

Having this funny thing on your body might not be such a bad thing. When you encounter an ordinary person who can see your soul, it can effectively eliminate their fear. When you encounter an enemy, you might even be able to launch a sneak attack when they are stunned or laughing.

Many benefits, very good!

Chapter Twenty: Genius

With a stone plug stuck in his chest, Gu Shi strolled across the wilderness, continuing his hunt for prey. At the same time, he kept his mouth busy, occasionally picking up a large piece of carapace and taking a couple of bites.

The carapace of the Glyptodont was too thick and hard to bite through in a short time, but it would be a waste to leave it there. So Gu Shi simply took it with him as a snack to chew on.

Beside Gu Shi, Erlang was running around like a madman, a fist-sized white bone fragment in its mouth. It would stop every now and then to gnaw on it to sharpen its teeth. It was one of the fragments of the mask of the Glyptodontus Void, which Gu Shi gave to Erlang as a reward to acknowledge its merit in finding the prey first.

As an ordinary dog, let alone whether Jiro could walk through the Soul Burial passage, even if the Grim Reaper Girl presided over the Soul Burial for him and sent him to the Soul Society, he would probably be killed and eaten by those wandering spirits with spiritual power within a few days. Going to the Soul Society would be no different from sending him to his death.

Since he can't go to Soul Society, the only way for Jiro to avoid gradually weakening and eventually disappearing over time is to become a Hollow.

According to the Death Girl, if an ordinary soul is exposed to Hollow spiritual power for a long time, or even goes further and directly consumes Hollow spiritual power, the possibility of Hollowification will greatly increase. That's why Gu Shi rewarded Jiro with that mask to help him complete the Hollowification process as soon as possible.

As for the issues that would result in significant memory loss, loss of humanity, a substantial increase in bestiality, and a heightened cannibalistic desire after being intangible, these are not major concerns for Jiro, who is essentially a beast himself.

Besides, Erlang was a wild dog before he met Gu Shi. Gu Shi subdued him by force, so the worst outcome would be that he would be tamed again.

Therefore, Gu Shi felt no burden whatsoever in helping Erlang become ethereal.

Gu Shi and Erlang both had food in their mouths, but the Death Girl, sitting on Gu Shi's shoulder, was bored. She picked some tree fruits and tasted them one by one to fit in with the group.

However, although it was nearing the end of summer, most of the tree fruits were still far from ripe, and they were all green and astringent, with an extremely sour and unpleasant taste.

However, the Death Girl didn't know what she was thinking. Although her facial features were distorted by each bite, she still continued to torture herself with great pleasure, leaving behind many fruits that she had only taken a bite of along the way.

On the surface, the atmosphere of this three-person team seems exceptionally harmonious and warm.

However, the fact that a Grim Reaper, a Hollow, and the soul of a dog could create a harmonious atmosphere is already quite abnormal. Any Grim Reaper who sees this scene would probably doubt their own eyes.

But that's the truth. Although both the Death Girl and Gu Shi had their own agendas, thanks to their deliberate efforts, this strange team never had a dull moment and always managed to find topics to chat about.

The same applies at this time.

"Speaking of which, you're a Shinigami, shouldn't you specialize in sword fighting? How come you know so much about Hollows' fighting style, which involves standing on all fours? When you were instructing me before, you were able to hit the vital points every time, it's unbelievable."

After discussing the flavors and seasonings of the barbecue, Gu Shi smoothly transitioned to a new topic, talking about the previous battle.

The Death Girl's expression twisted into a grimace once again. She casually tossed aside the fruit she had taken a bite of, then closed her eyes tightly, stiffened her neck, and forced down the sour flesh in her mouth. She wiped away the few tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes before proudly raising her head to answer Gu Shi's question.

"Your question is really low-level. I'm a genius. Isn't it natural for me to understand everything? Even if I've only learned the fighting techniques of Shinigami, I can figure out how Hollows should fight most effectively with just a little thought."

"Wow, is genius this outrageous?"

Gu Shi played the straight man well, and the Death Girl was happy to continue exploring this topic, continuing to hold her head high and perform the arrogant genius act, waving her hand as if it were her due.

"Of course. What a talented person can master with a little effort is something that an ordinary person might not be able to learn even after decades of hard work. That's how unreasonable geniuses are."

Gu Shi narrowed his eyes slightly and began to probe for the information he wanted.

"Tsk tsk, that's quite an exaggeration. A genius like you must be quite famous in Soul Society, right? I imagine there must be quite a few Shinigami who hope to receive your guidance, but unfortunately, in the end, this honor still fell to a Hollow like me."

"Hehe, thinking about it that way, it is indeed quite interesting. However, who says that having talent means you can definitely make the most of it? I only seriously studied combat skills for a period of time when I was young, and after I grew up a little, I never put in any more effort in this area. There are very few people in Soul Society who know about my talent."

"...Oh? Why is that? Because you said before that all the power of the Shinigami comes from the sharing of the Soul King, and once the Soul King takes back his gift, there is no point in the Shinigami training any further?"

"It has nothing to do with that. When I gave up combat training, I hadn't yet discovered the Soul King's secret. The reason I gave up was simple: a genius even more talented than me had appeared in Soul Society."

The Death Girl spoke lightly on the surface, but her eyes were noticeably gloomy. To vent her emotions, she picked up a fruit and took a big bite.

Gu Shi could clearly smell the sour and astringent taste of the unripe fruit, but this time the Death Girl seemed to have lost her sense of taste. Her expression remained unchanged as she chewed the fruit in her mouth with all her might, as if she were chewing on someone's flesh and blood.

After finishing the entire fruit and venting her anger, the Death Girl finally let out a slow sigh, her flippant smile returning to her face as she continued speaking.

“I am a genius. I know that if I want to, I can do very well, far better than ordinary people. But since there are geniuses who are even more talented than me, I am destined not to be the best one. So, rather than becoming a foil to highlight her talent in the future, I might as well give up from the beginning and live a more relaxed and happy life.”

[...What kind of twisted logic is this? To avoid standing out from others, they'd rather sacrifice themselves than benefit others?]

Perhaps Gu Shi's doubts were too obvious, because the Death Girl easily saw through his thoughts, smiled, patted him, and explained.

"Big guy, you're not a genius, so it's normal that you don't understand this kind of thinking. If you're so talented that you have a chance to become number one in a certain field, to be the best, that feeling of hope being so close will make you unconsciously start pushing yourself, pushing yourself to work harder, pushing yourself to work harder."

"However, no matter how hard you try, the gap in talent remains. The throne of first place may seem within reach, but you just can't touch it. There will always be geniuses who are more talented than you ahead of you."

"Over time, you'll inevitably drive yourself crazy. That feeling is just too unbearable. So, it's better to give up early to avoid becoming a madman in the future."

"...Aren't you crazy now that you're saying that?"

Chapter Twenty-One: Spiritual Path

"Speaking of which, there are really very few Hollows in the real world. In so many days, we have only encountered one Geartooth Beast Hollow."

Having learned that the Shinigami girl wasn't very famous in Soul Society and didn't have many followers, Gu Shi was unwilling to continue the agonizing topic of genius and awkwardly changed the subject.

The Death Girl had no interest in recounting the past at length, so although she saw through Gu Shi's purpose, she didn't point it out and nodded in agreement with his words.

"There aren't many Hollows in the world, but you've only encountered one so far. It's mainly because you always venture into the mountains and forests. Hollows, in order to eat people, usually operate in densely populated areas, such as villages and cities. It's naturally difficult to find Hollows in the wilderness."

Of course, the small number of Hollows here is partly because this area is under my control. Any Hollows that dare to intrude are immediately killed, preventing them from forming a significant force, let alone a swarm.

Gu Shi couldn't refute the first reason, but the second reason sounded ridiculous to him. How could this madman who killed without any scruples possibly fulfill his duties?

The fact that she doesn't actively nurture or enjoy watching the Fiends devour people already shows a significant improvement in her moral standards.

Sensing Gu Shi's distrust, the Death Girl slapped him angrily and glared at him irritably.

"Big guy, don't you believe me? Think back to how we met. Didn't you kill those ronin samurai this morning, and then I found you tonight?"

Gu Shi was taken aback, and then realized that it was indeed as the Death Girl had said. He had only been in the world for less than a day and two nights when the other party came to him. If he hadn't shown enough special characteristics, he would have been eliminated that night. In terms of efficiency, it was exceptionally high.

...Could it be that this madman is actually a dutiful and good Grim Reaper?

It shouldn’t be!

It doesn't seem like it!

The strange sense of disorientation left Gu Shi feeling extremely conflicted. He simply couldn't conjure up an image in his mind of this madman actively hunting for Void Realm in order to protect ordinary people.

At that moment, the Death Girl's cheerful voice rang in his ears once again, answering his question.

"Still haven't realized it? I've said it before, I've been looking for a way to turn myself into a Hollow. To me, every Hollow is a precious research subject. How can I just watch them run around in front of me and do nothing? Of course, I have to catch them immediately."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shi finally sorted out his logic and eliminated the contradictory parts of his thinking.

The Death Girl gazed at another mountain not far away, a rather smug smile on her face.

"Once you cross that mountain, you'll leave my area of ​​responsibility. I remember that the other side of the mountain is the area of ​​a big bearded man. Once you get there, you'll understand what the normal state of this world is really like."

“I know you might be unhappy about my killing, but once you see the scenery on the other side of the mountain, you’ll realize that I’ve saved far more people than I’ve killed.”

Upon hearing what the Grim Reaper girl said, Gu Shi understood after a moment's thought. In most cases, the number of Hollows in the areas that other Grim Reapers were responsible for far exceeded the number here. Either the Grim Reapers who were supposed to be in charge were neglecting their duties, or the Grim Reapers on those sides were too weak. Faced with a large number of Hollows, even if they wanted to fulfill their duties, they simply did not have the ability.

So, in this era, the Grim Reapers responsible for guarding the mortal realm are just competing to see who's the worst? Even if they perform terribly, there's always an even worse colleague to cover for them?

[To be rotten is rotten, yet somehow they can be proud of it? Seriously, are all the Shinigami sent from Soul Society to the Human World always like this? Thinking back to the beginning of the manga, Rukia, as the Shinigami stationed in the Human World, didn't seem to be doing her job very well either.]

After Ichigo gained the power of a Shinigami, he went out to kill Hollows almost every day. This shows that Rukia hadn't really cleared out the Hollows in the castle before. Was it because she lacked the ability? Or was it because she was irresponsible?

[I guess it's because they lack the ability?]

Shaking his head speechlessly, Gu Shi called out to Erlang, who had run far away, and quickened his pace to run in the direction the Grim Reaper girl had pointed.

He wasn't a savior, nor did he possess any noble sentiments to rescue others from suffering. However, since he was going to hunt Hollows anyway, he might as well speed things up. Perhaps by killing a Hollow sooner, he could fill his stomach and, by chance, avoid the death of an ordinary person.

Gu Shi moved forward at full speed. It didn't take him long to cross a mountain that wasn't very high. Soon he stepped across the dividing line mentioned by the Death Girl and arrived at another area under the jurisdiction of the Death Girl.

At first, Gu Shi didn't feel anything special. All he could see was a dense forest, with no people or ghosts in sight. But after venturing deeper into this new area, Gu Shi unconsciously stopped.

He could actually smell the residual spiritual energy of the Void in the air!

Is the falsehood here so rampant?

The Death Girl grinned at Gu Shi's shoulder, seemingly pleased with his reaction. She reached out and grabbed at the air, and instantly, a large number of ribbon-like objects appeared in the air.

"This is the Spirit Network, one of the methods used by Shinigami to track targets. It can materialize the residual spiritual energy in the air. In Soul Society, because the concentration of spiritual energy in the air is too high, it is basically impossible to use normally. It is a small trick that can only be used in the human world."

"Look, big guy, this white spiritual vein represents the spiritual power of an ordinary person's soul, this red spiritual vein represents the spiritual power of the Grim Reaper, and this black spiritual vein naturally represents the void."

As she spoke, the Death Girl grabbed the black ribbon, sensed it for a moment, and then let out a sneer.