I Died and Became a Hollow, But I Get Stronger by Being an Idiot Chapter 1: Reborn… As an Idiot Hollow

The first thing I felt was… sand.

Dry, cold sand under my face.

And a massive headache.

"Ugh… where the hell am I?"

I sat up—or tried to. My body felt weird, heavy, and awkward. Like I was wearing an ill-fitting mascot costu. My hands… weren't hands anymore. Long, pale, clawed fingers. And when I looked down—yep, white bone mask covering my face.

"I… what?"

[SYSTEM BOOTING…]

[Welco, Host! Congratulations on your reincarnation as a Hollow in Hueco Mundo.]

[Activating Bonus System: "Earn EP for Stupidity"]

[System Explanation: Earn Evolution Points (EP) by doing exceptionally stupid things. Reach 10,000 EP to evolve into a Gillian-class nos.]

Current EP: 0 / 10,000

I blinked. Or, at least, I think I did. Hard to tell with a mask.

"You've got to be kidding …"

Apparently not. I wasn't a badass Vasto Lorde or so cool Arrancar. Not even a low-tier Gillian. Just a basic, garden-variety Hollow with a goofy mask and a body that felt like a rejected Halloween decoration.

I sighed. Which, in my new form, ca out as a weird, echoing growl.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Sighing dramatically for no reason — 10 EP]

Current EP: 10 / 10,000

Wait.

That actually worked?

I looked around. Endless white desert. Massive, pale moon hanging overhead. No trees, no buildings, just dunes and scattered bones. A place so boring even a rock would file a complaint.

Alright.

If the only way to get stronger is to be an idiot — fine.

I picked up a rock.

Held it high above my head.

"BEHOLD! THE LEGENDARY HUECO MUNDO PEBBLE!"

And then I licked it.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Licked a random rock — 50 EP]

Current EP: 60 / 10,000

Hell yes.

I grinned under my mask. This was going to be easy.

I spotted a cactus nearby. Well, technically it was just a pointy stick, but in my mind, it was a cactus. I sprinted toward it, tripped over my own foot, and faceplanted straight into the sand.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Tripped over yourself like an idiot — 100 EP]

Current EP: 160 / 10,000

I lay there for a mont, considering my life choices. Then I rembered I didn't have a life anymore.

Just this new, stupid afterlife.

"Alright… if I'm gonna be stuck as a Hollow, might as well be the dumbest one here."

I sat up again. Sowhere in the distance, I saw a bunch of other Hollows wandering aimlessly. So were howling at the moon. So were eating bones. One was trying to chew its own foot.

Amateurs.

I cracked my knuckles.

Ti to out-stupid them all.

"HEY YOU!" I shouted at a boulder.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Yelled at an inanimate object — 75 EP]

Current EP: 235 / 10,000

Perfect.

I had no idea what my na used to be, but from now on, I decided to call myself Kenta.

It felt right.

And thus, Kenta the Hollow began his glorious, idiotic quest for evolution.

Next stop: Gillian.

10,000 EP.

And a lifeti supply of dumb ideas to get there.

"GRUOOOOH!!"

(Let's do this!)

[EP: 235 / 10,000]