Yekawa first dug out Little Yellow Dog, who had been buried beneath the desert during the previous chaotic battle, and then handed Tilus Sandavici's remaining bird head to him.
At the critical moment of Yekawa's advancement earlier, it was Little Yellow Dog's warning that allowed Yekawa to react in time and gain a sliver of defense against Tilus Sandavici's sudden attack.
This bird head, still bearing a fragment of a mask and containing nearly half of Tilus Sandavici's remaining spiritual pressure, was Yekawa's reward to him.
Little Yellow Dog happily trotted toward the enormous bird head. A faint yellow spiritual pressure slowly rose from his body, stirring the surrounding sand into a thick cloud of dust. When the dust finally settled, an imposing dark yellow giant dog appeared, three meters tall and more than eight meters long. Without hesitation, it swallowed the massive bird head in a single gulp.
This was Little Yellow Dog's true form.
Ever since following Yekawa and participating in hunts against various Hollows, he had steadily grown stronger. Although he only received scraps each time, it was enough to fuel rapid growth. He was no longer the weak Freshman Hollow he had been when he first encountered Yekawa, but a powerful Hollow in his own right. With the addition of Tilus Sandavici's head, advancing into a Giant Hollow was now only a matter of time.
After digesting the bird head, Little Yellow Dog reverted to his smaller form, happily wagging his nonexistent tail at Yekawa.
With my current strength, even Tilus Sandavici, another Giant Hollow, is no longer a match for me. Now, it's time to go there.
Having reached this conclusion, Yekawa no longer hesitated. He looked down at Little Yellow Dog and spoke slowly.
The place I'm going next is far too dangerous for you. It's time for us to part ways. With your current strength, staying within the New Territory is enough to ensure your survival.
Woof woof woof!
Hearing this, Little Yellow Dog barked repeatedly, the sound filled with reluctance. Yekawa bent down and gently rubbed the top of his head with a finger, while Little Yellow Dog affectionately licked it in response.
Resilient little dog. Live on and grow stronger.
Yekawa waved his hand, bidding farewell to the little dog that reminded him so strongly of the Little Yellow Dog from his previous life. He then plunged directly into the desert sands. From far behind, faint whimpers could still be heard.
Yekawa did not look back.
He had brought this little dog with him before for two reasons. First, its resemblance to the Little Yellow Dog from his previous life stirred a trace of compassion within him. Second, he had needed a weak Freshman Hollow to lure prey during his early hunts.
Now that he had advanced into a Giant Hollow, and his true combat power rivaled that of a Menos Grande, Little Yellow Dog was no longer necessary. With his current strength, as long as he remained within the New Territory, there was virtually nothing capable of threatening his existence.
When it was time to part, Yekawa did not hesitate in the slightest. His own path toward transcendence was the absolute priority.
The destination of this journey was the Great Hollow Forest, hidden at the deepest layer beneath the endless sand.
Yekawa descended through the sand at maximum speed. In the past, due to insufficient strength, he had only dared to move cautiously along the surface. This was his first time diving so deeply beneath the sand layer.
He could no longer remember how long he had been descending. He only knew that he had continued downward without pause, yet still had not reached the legendary Great Hollow Forest. If not for his knowledge of the original records, he might have suspected he had gone the wrong way.
Finally, after descending day and night without rest, Yekawa found that he could descend no further.
Is this a rock layer?
He slammed his massive masked head against the layer before him and found it incomparably solid. The path downward was completely sealed. Already irritated from the long descent, Yekawa lost his patience and directly fired a Cero at the rock layer.
Bang!
With a sharp explosion, the ground beneath him collapsed, and Yekawa's massive body lost its balance, plummeting downward from a great height.
During the fall, he quickly scanned his surroundings. Towering tree trunks rose hundreds of meters into the air, and the sky above remained eternally dim.
This is the Great Hollow Forest. I've arrived.
With a flick of his tail, Yekawa hooked onto a massive tree trunk and stabilized himself before landing.
However, the moment he touched the ground, he realized he had landed directly in the midst of a group of Giant Hollows locked in a brutal battle.
Caught completely off guard, Yekawa had no time to activate Camo and was instantly exposed.
Yo, busy brothers?
The Giant Hollows stopped fighting one another and immediately turned their hostility toward the sudden intruder, launching a joint attack.
An octopus shaped Giant Hollow opened its mouth and spat out a stream of corrosive ink. Instead of retreating, Yekawa advanced, using his tail to hook another tree trunk and evade the attack. Lightning surged across his body as Flash Lightning activated, and a lightning whip snapped forward. With a single strike, the octopus Hollow's soul was torn apart. Yekawa then plunged his tail into its body and activated Soul Eater, devouring it completely.
Although the octopus Hollow was also a Giant Hollow, its combat strength was far inferior to Tilus Sandavici, and even more so compared to Yekawa. It was defeated in a single exchange.
One down. Now it's your turn.
Yekawa sneered and charged straight toward the remaining dozen Giant Hollows. He was more than satisfied with this unexpected gift upon entering the Great Hollow Forest.
It was time for a proper feast.