When Sora asked Stark that question and explained the situation at Las Noches, Stark quickly gave a positive answer.
He hated loneliness and wanted comrades.
If Las Noches was no longer a place of conflict, he was happy to go there and make friends.
So, Sora naturally accepted Stark as a disciple.
"You know, you're the first disciple who didn't follow me just to get stronger," Sora chuckled.
"I'm already pretty strong, right?" Stark was confident.
He had wandered Hueco Mundo for so long and rarely met any Hollows who were a threat.
"True. Among my disciples, your starting point is the highest. But I can't show favoritism." Sora took out the glass box with the Hōgyoku.
"What is this?" Stark looked at the glowing orb in the box.
It glowed, but it felt like a black hole that sucked in thoughts.
"The 'Hōgyoku'. It can speed up your evolution..." Sora smiled, thinking of Stark's Arrancar form. "You might even fulfill an old wish."
"Really... it can make a Hollow evolve!"
Stark seemed to understand why this Shinigami, his new Professor, could conquer Las Noches.
It was hard for Hollows to resist the temptation to evolve.
Many Hollows were once human and desperately wanted their human forms back. Evolution was the only way.
With a thought, Sora guided the Hōgyoku's power.
A blinding light shot out, covering Stark.
Crack... crackle—
The wolf skull mask on Stark's head, his bone armor, and fur quickly fell off.
But his change was different from Nelliel, Harribel, Grimmjow, and Ulquiorra.
The two gun-like gauntlets that fell off him turned into a white light.
A moment later, the light became a green-haired, one-eyed girl.
"This is..." Stark stared at the girl, his eyes wide.
He had just followed his heart's desire, wanting his Zanpakutō to be a true comrade.
As a result, he really did split off a part of his soul, making the girl a separate being.
"Interesting. A split-off part of his soul actually has a physical body."
Sora rubbed his chin. He had watched the whole process and was curious about their state.
He looked at the girl's panel:
[Lilynette Gingerbuck] [Spiritual Pressure: lv75]
Lilynette's panel was simple, fundamentally different from a normal Hollow.
Stark and Lilynette's relationship was like a Shinigami and a Zanpakutō.
She was part of his soul, but she had a physical body, making her seem independent.
Just then, Sora's panel showed a new message:
[Disciple Coyote Starrk has evolved into a Vasto Lorde. Calculating rewards.]
Received reward: 100,000 General Experience.
Received reward: Cero Metralleta.
The reward for Stark evolving was a large amount of General Experience, plus 'Cero Metralleta'!
This was Stark's signature move, allowing him to fire Ceros in rapid succession.
The key was that Sora now mastered the skill of firing Ceros instantly.
He no longer needed to charge them to fire a powerful Cero!
"So, how long are you two going to stare at a lady?" Lilynette Gingerbuck said, annoyed.
"A lady?" Stark looked surprised, as if doubting that claim.
"Flying kick!" Lilynette kicked Stark in the face, knocking him to the ground.
"That wasn't very lady-like!" Stark said, rubbing his nose.
"Shut up!" Lilynette said angrily.
Stark put his hand on Lilynette's head as she tried to drill into him, and his lips curved up. "So lively..."
Sora watched them bicker.
"Maybe I've finally found a partner for life," Stark said sincerely. "Thank you, Professor."
With Lilynette around, Stark felt he wouldn't be lonely anymore.
"Ew—a partner for life... so cheesy!" Lilynette shivered.
"Let's go. I'll take you to Las Noches," Sora smiled.
...
Soul Society.
"So tiring! Not even 3rd Seat Mayuri, locked in his lab, is as tired as I am."
Kisuke Urahara had finally calmed down Kuchiki Aoba, ending their date.
Aoba was simple, but her good upbringing gave her knowledge and taste. Dealing with a high-class lady wasn't easy.
But even though he was tired, he had no time to rest. He got a lot of 'Soul King fragments' this time!
He couldn't wait to get back to his private lab.
Urahara said goodbye to Kuchiki Aoba and headed for Rukongai.
He rushed to the grove of dead trees where his lab was.
Urahara carefully sensed the area, then passed through a tree and disappeared.
However, he didn't know that Sōsuke Aizen was right behind him.
Aizen had been watching their entire date from nearby.
Without that key information, even Kisuke Urahara found it hard to notice Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis.
"So he built a private lab here." Aizen observed the dead trees and saw many hidden spells.
"A clever design. Even if you find the spells, you'll be led to the wrong place, giving him time to pack up and escape..."
The setup was impressive. If Aizen hadn't seen Urahara go through that specific tree, he might have been fooled by the decoys.
Aizen saw through Urahara's setup and passed through the tree.
Inside the lab, Urahara had no idea Aizen had followed him in.
He took out the 'Soul King fragments' he got from Aoba and started fiddling with the Reishi instruments.
"The Hōgyoku!" Aizen's calm face changed when he saw the object on the table. He was moved.
"No... it's just a prototype. He's missing 'Soul King fragments'." Aizen stared at the blue, glowing orb.
Without a doubt, that was the Hōgyoku prototype Urahara had made.
"The Professor was right. Kisuke Urahara really is an interesting man." Aizen looked impressed. He now recognized Urahara's genius.
Urahara's lab conditions were far worse than the lab the Professor provided.
Yet, he had managed to create a Hōgyoku prototype.
-----------
Unlock 400+ chapters across 7+ different novels on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/LEYI396