It happened when I wasn't ready.
Like… not even a cool dramatic pose or final boss speech.
One second I was thinking about whether sand tastes like chicken, and the next — BOOOOM.
LIGHT. SPINNING. BONES CRACKING. SAND IN MY EYE HOLES.
"GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!"
(Translation: WHO TURNED ON THE SUN?!)
I felt my massive Gillian body shrink. And shrink. And shrink some more.
Until I faceplanted into the white sand with a loud THUD.
When I stood up… I could stand properly.
Hold on. Wait a second.
I looked down at my hands. Clawed.
I looked at my feet. No more big curtain-legs.
6 METERS TALL, BAYBEEEEEEE!!!
And then I saw my reflection in a nearby shiny Gillian's mask.
Green skin. Ripped build. Bone-white mask.
And — thank the Hueco Mundo gods — ugly as sin.
"GUOOOOOOOH!"
(Translation: THANK GOODNESS I'M STILL UGLY! Handsome idiots ain't funny.)
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Congratulations! You have evolved into an Adjuchas-class Menos.
Passive Skill Acquired: [Moron Field] — Creatures and people within 20 meters have their intelligence reduced by 25%. Does not affect Aizen or creatures with already low intelligence.
I blinked.
"GUOOOOOH?!"
(Translation: Wait, what the hell is Moron Field?!)
Aizen barked happily and did a donut in the sand.
He was unaffected, of course, since he was already my ride-or-die dumb buddy.
I tested it by standing near a nearby wandering Adjuchas.
The moment he came within 20 meters, he stopped mid-walk, stared at a rock for 5 minutes, then tried to eat his own tail.
"GUOOOOOOOOH!"
(Translation: IT WORKS!)
This was the greatest thing since sandcastles.
[CURRENT EP: 0 / 100,000,000]
Then the system politely dropped a brick on my head.
100 MILLION EP TO EVOLVE TO VASTO LORDE.
I fell to my knees.
"GUOOOOOOH…"
(Translation: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!)
I pounded the sand, screamed to the black skies, and a nearby dumb Gillian tried to mimic me and fell on its face.
My power was beautiful.
I stood back up.
"GUOOOOOH!"
(Translation: Welp, time to go do stupid stuff again.)
Because honestly — idiot or not, I was now a six-meter-tall, ugly-faced Adjuchas with a brain-melting passive aura.
Hueco Mundo ain't ready.