I Died and Became a Hollow, But I Get Stronger by Being an Idiot Chapter 4: Stupidity Has Consequences

Current EP: 2,460 / 10,000

Okay — so here's sothing you should know about Hueco Mundo.

Most Hollows aren't like .

They don't run around suplexing sand piles or challenging dead plants to duels.

They're big, ugly, an, and hungry.

And when they see sothing weaker — like, say, a Hollow making a sand angel while humming off-key — they pounce.

Which is exactly what happened next.

I was in the middle of my latest masterpiece: The Sand Angel Triple Backflip.

It was simple in concept, impossible in execution.

You make a sand angel. You stand up. You attempt a backflip.

You fail.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Attempted backflip with zero agility — 150 EP]

Current EP: 2,610 / 10,000

Face first into the sand. Classic.

Unfortunately, my codic brilliance had drawn a little too much attention.

I heard it before I saw it — a deep, guttural growl behind .

I turned my head.

Standing there was a Hollow twice my size.

Massive, jagged mask. Long, ape-like arms.

Drooling like it hadn't eaten in days.

Which, knowing Hueco Mundo, might've been true.

I swallowed hard.

Which was weird because I wasn't even sure if I had a throat anymore.

"GRUOHH…"

(Uhh… peace?)

It didn't care.

The thing charged at , kicking up sand as it roared.

I panicked.

Naturally, I did the first thing that ca to mind:

I fell backward, threw sand in my own face, and shouted "TA-DA!"

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Attempted to blind yourself with sand mid-fight — 200 EP]

Current EP: 2,810 / 10,000

Problem was — it didn't stop the Hollow.

It just made it angrier.

I scrambled to my feet and bolted.

Behind , the big guy was gaining fast.

I darted between bone piles, tripped over a cactus (AGAIN), rolled down a dune, and landed face-first in what I hoped wasn't Hollow poop.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Tripped over sa cactus three tis — 250 EP]

Current EP: 3,060 / 10,000

But the monster was still after .

I was toast.

I ran past another Hollow — smaller, lizard-like — and it hissed at too.

Great. Now I had two problems.

And then, the miracle.

A huge bony log lay ahead. Hollow carcass or weird bone tree, I wasn't sure.

I dove into the hollow center and held my breath.

The ape-Hollow stomped past, snarling, and the lizard one gave up chase.

I waited.

And waited.

Then, realizing I was safe — I let out the loudest, most triumphant "GRUOHOH!" of my life.

[SYSTEM NOTICE: Declared victory while hiding — 300 EP]

Current EP: 3,360 / 10,000

I'd survived.

Barely.

I slumped inside my bony hideout, panting, the system chis still ringing in my head.

Lesson learned:

Stupid gets you points.

But too much stupid gets you killed.

Hueco Mundo wasn't a playground.

It was a deathtrap.

But dammit, I was gonna be the dumbest, most stubborn survivor it had ever seen.

[EP: 3,360 / 10,000]