The Recording Insect could only survive while in a host. Once the host died, the parasite quickly perished as well, leaving no threat behind.
Shin opened the system and touched the Adjuchas's corpse.
Even if no high-level attribute turned up, converting it into reiryoku was still worth it.
But the system's reply left him stunned.
[Ding~ Congratulations, Host. You have collected the SSR-level [Kotodama] attribute. Power +5000.]
Another SSR attribute, Shin's eyes brightened with genuine delight.
What shocked him most was that it came from such a nameless Adjuchas.
Yet the term Kotodama puzzled him.
As the system's information flowed into his mind, the mystery cleared. The [Kotodama] attribute amplified the weight of spoken words, imbuing language itself with power.
A simple suggestion could become far more persuasive; a whispered temptation, far more compelling. And when applied to spells or chants, its effect skyrocketed.
It reminded Shin of the Sternritter James and his ability [The Superstar], where cheering words became tangible strength. This explained why the normally unruly Gillians had followed this plain Adjuchas so obediently, not just out of instinctual hierarchy, but under the sway of Kotodama.
Clenching his fist, Shin secured the attribute.
With loose ends tied up, he hurried back to regroup with Nel and the others.
Leaderless, the Gillians simply drifted in place, aimless.
Pesche took advantage of the chaos, capturing a weak hollow and threatening its life until it revealed the way out of the Forest of Menos. The path was a fissure in a cliff wall that led straight to the thinnest section of sand above.
After twists and detours, the four finally escaped the dark forest.
Back on the surface, everyone exhaled in relief.
Since Shin had already found a suitable mask, they agreed to move as far from Las Noches as possible.
But after only a dozen steps, Nel collapsed onto the sand, rolling around dramatically.
"Nel's already hurt from falling! And now you make Nel walk on her own? You heartless men, you're all made of stone!"
Shin could only wipe away cold sweat at the pitiful act.
Helping her up, he scolded lightly, "If you want to be lazy, just say so. But don't accuse us of being… heartless men? What even is that supposed to mean?"
Still grumbling, he hoisted Nel onto his shoulders. She wrapped her little arms tightly around his neck, tugging at his hair for balance.
And as the saying went: when the beam on top is crooked, those below will lean.
No sooner had Nel settled than the two Fracción followed her lead. Exhausted from battle, they announced they would rest for a moment, then promptly fell asleep.
Nel wasn't much better. She soon curled up on the sand beside Shin, snoring softly like a little piglet.
Shin tucked her collar straight, then returned his focus inward.
His mind still lingered on the new attribute, [Kotodama].
If the system's description was correct, its effect on incantations meant it had strong synergy with shinigami Kidō.
The earlier battles had left no time to test it. Now, in peace, was his chance.
Choosing a low-level spell to avoid drawing attention, Shin murmured:
"System, activate [Kotodama]."
[System Notice: Attribute [Kotodama] successfully activated.]
Well-versed in the storylines of this world, Shin recited the incantation smoothly:
"Consume yourself, black hounds of Rondanini. Burn everything you behold, and sever your own throats, Bakudō #9: Geki."
Reiryoku surged instantly, and Shin shaped his hands into a release stance aimed at a nearby cluster of withered branches.
The spell should have produced yellow bands of light to bind the target.
But nothing happened.
Shin stood there awkwardly, feeling utterly ridiculous.
Still, he tried again.
This time, a faint breeze stirred, curling into a mocking little whirlwind before fading into silence.
"Eh? Failed again?" he sighed.
He knew well enough that Kidō wasn't just reiryoku plus incantation, it required the inherent physiology of a shinigami.
And he, despite being close, was still an arrancar. A hollow was still a hollow. The body itself rejected the technique.
With that realization, Shin set the matter aside. He turned instead to his long-term goal: integrating attributes until they could be used without the system's activation lag.
He drilled himself relentlessly. Again and again he invoked attributes, memorizing their flow, etching reiryoku pathways into his body until he could trigger them instantly.
Days blurred by. Each repetition brought greater fluency, and soon many attributes could be cast without touching the system at all.
Then one day, a silhouette appeared in the distance, breaking his rhythm.
"Nel-chan, be good, and bully those two for me, alright? Someone's come looking for me. I'll be back soon."
He tapped her nose, slipped his mask into place, and walked out to meet the intruder.
The man had short brown hair, a diagonal blue streak on his cheek, and an eyepatch on the right side.
"So you're Shin… you've been hiding far away. Even with reiryoku detection, it was a pain to track you down. Whatever. I am Daesle. By order of the Quinta Espada, Nnoitra-sama, you're to handle a batch of corpses."
He lifted his coat, revealing the tattooed number 50 to prove his rank. Then, without waiting for a reply, he led the way.
Minutes later, they reached a secluded ravine, heavy with the stench of blood. Corpses lay scattered everywhere.
"Go on. This is your job," Daesle ordered curtly.
Shin stepped forward without question, until the man added, "You can handle the others later. Start with the one at the back."
He followed, suspicion flaring. If they were all corpses, why insist on the order?
Then he saw.
The "corpse" was no corpse at all, but an arrancar frozen mid-Resurrección, clinging to life.
His lower body was obliterated, likely from a Cero blast, but his upper half remained intact, encased in armor. Burn marks marred the surface, but it had resisted annihilation.
That armor, those monstrously oversized arms, the strands of hair split red and black between his helm's plates,
There was only one arrancar he could be.
Edorad Leones. Grimmjow's Fracción, Arrancar No. 13. Now gravely wounded, and about to be disposed of by his own comrades.
Shin hesitated, thoughts racing.
Behind him, Daesle's voice snapped coldly: "What are you waiting for? Get on with it!"
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter