BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
A series of violent impacts erupted as the concrete pavement shattered and cracked.
Dust kicked up, rapidly swallowing the view.
[LEVEL EXP +40] [DING, THE GILGAMESH CHARACTER TEMPLATE HAS REACHED LEVEL 4.
UNLOCKED PASSIVE: GOLDEN RULE (E)!] The Level EXP gained from killing the Fishbone Hollow exceeded Ren’s expectations.
With a thought, Gilgamesh’s status panel appeared in his mind.
[Character Template: Gilgamesh (S)] [Level: 4 (10/40)] [Passives: Magic Resistance (E), Golden Rule (E)] [Abilities: Gate of Babylon (E)] The Passive Golden Rule granted Ren a certain degree of financial fortune.
Though its rank was only E and it provided no combat boost, it was enough to ensure his daily life in this world would remain worry-free.
And that was exactly what Ren needed right now.
His thoughts quickly returned to the present.
Sensing the unnatural silence around him, Ren’s gaze flickered slightly.
Something felt wrong.
This silence was too clean.
Logically, with all the commotion he’d caused, he should have woken up the nearby residents.
But in reality, everything remained completely silent.
No one had been disturbed at all.
That made no sense.
A faint but real unease surfaced in Ren’s mind.
Kisuke Urahara must have intervened.
Though he knew Urahara was on the protagonist’s side, Ren wasn’t ready to meet him yet.
He was still too weak, and facing him now would be dangerous.
With that in mind, Ren turned to Ichigo, who was still in shock, and called out, “Ichigo, it’s late.
I’m heading back!” “I’ll come see you tomorrow!” Jolted out of his stupor, Ichigo was still overwhelmed with questions.
He instinctively tried to call out and stop Ren, but Ren had already vanished into the night without hesitation.
Helpless, Ichigo let it go.
Rukia Kuchiki also snapped back to reality.
Her gaze remained fixed on the street where the dust was slowly settling.
She could see that the Fishbone Hollow was gone.
She knew Ren had killed it.
But she had no idea how.
At first, she thought he had used the release ability of a Zanpakutō.
But she hadn’t sensed any Reiatsu from him at all.
That meant the power Ren used wasn’t Shinigami power, not even Quincy power.
It was something she had never seen before.
This realization sent a faint but sharp tremor through Rukia’s heart.
She murmured to herself, that unknown ability, and the way he ignored my Bakudo…
Ren Kurogami, who exactly are you?
Rukia didn’t notice that, because of Ren, she had subconsciously overlooked Ichigo’s own extraordinary nature.
Around the corner, Kisuke Urahara reached up and pulled down the brim of his fisherman’s hat.
His deep, far-seeing eyes stared in the direction Ren had gone.
A faint but sharp look of interest crossed his face.
“Oh my, how interesting.
Even I can’t fully grasp what kind of power he used.” Beside him, Tessai Tsukabishi pushed up his glasses and asked expressionlessly, “Do you want me to bring him back?” Urahara’s eyes flickered for a brief moment.
The power Ren had shown wasn’t strong, but it was far too unusual.
It reminded him of Sosuke Aizen, more than he liked.
If he acted against Ren, it might draw Aizen’s attention.
And he wasn’t ready for a direct confrontation yet.
After a short pause, Urahara smiled faintly and said, “No need to rush.
We’ll meet him again in the future.” Then he turned his gaze to Ichigo.
“His powerful Reiatsu is radiating completely unrestrained, without any attempt to hide it.
If we leave it like this, it will only attract more Hollows.
Go help him conceal it.” Tessai didn’t respond.
He vanished from where he stood without hesitation.
The next moment, he appeared behind Ichigo.
Ichigo’s consciousness instantly fell into deep sleep.
A heavy pressure blanketed his mind as his Shinigami soul returned to his body.
Meanwhile, Urahara walked toward Rukia.
Rukia noticed Tessai.
She also saw what had happened to Ichigo.
Her expression shifted sharply.
She looked at Tessai warily and asked, “Who are you?
What did you do to Ichigo?” Tessai didn’t answer, as if completely ignoring her presence.
Rukia frowned, about to speak again, when Urahara’s voice rang out calmly.
“Don’t worry.
Ichigo is just asleep.
He wasn’t harmed.” Rukia followed the voice and saw Urahara walking toward her, a cane in his hand, wearing a dark green short coat over light green clothes, a white and green striped fisherman’s hat, and wooden clogs.
He introduced himself.
“I’m a shopkeeper.
I run a store around here.
I think you might need my merchandise.” Rukia didn’t underestimate him.
The mere fact that Urahara could see her was enough to prove he was special.
“What kind of merchandise?” she asked.
Urahara smiled faintly.
“A Gigai.” Just two words, but Rukia’s pupils contracted sharply.
She hadn’t expected a shopkeeper in the living world to possess a Gigai, something that should only exist in Seireitei.
Still, she didn’t press the matter.
She had already encountered so many strange things since arriving in Karakura Town.
Ren’s existence alone had shown her that the living world ran much deeper than she had imagined.
She also knew she wasn’t strong enough to investigate further.
As he led Rukia away, Urahara seemed to notice something.
His peripheral vision flicked toward a dark alley nearby.
Then he suddenly slapped his forehead.
“Oh dear, I forgot something important.
Tessai, take Miss Kuchiki back to the shop.
I’ll catch up shortly.” Tessai nodded.
“Understood.” Rukia didn’t think much of it.
She left with Tessai.
Urahara, meanwhile, walked toward that dark alley.
At the same time, inside the dark alley, Tian Wenwen was rushing forward.
Just moments ago, from a street away, she had seen Ren unleashing Gate of Babylon and the Fishbone Hollow attacking him.
She had recorded everything as a video.
Unfortunately, because of the night and distance, she still hadn’t been able to clearly see Ren’s features.
But she had confirmed one thing: Ren was far beyond anything she had ever seen.
She needed to reach him.
She needed him to accept her as his apprentice.
Suddenly, Tian Wenwen stopped.
A cold pressure hit her instinctively.
She looked up sharply at the figure emerging from the darkness, Urahara.
Before she could speak, Urahara’s voice came gently, but with a weight that pressed down on her soul.
“A wandering girl’s soul…” A brief silence followed, heavy and suffocating.
“Let me send you on your way…”