The sand beneath me was warm, but that didn't matter.
Today's adventure would be grand.
I had the perfect idea.
The Great Sand Ball.
I stood tall, towering above the desert landscape, casting a long shadow. My six-story frame creaked as I shuffled across the sands, awkwardly twisting my massive body to pick up mounds of sand with my gigantic claws. I began to roll them into a ball, slowly but surely. It took forever, of course, but when you're a Gillian, time doesn't really matter.
"Grroohh…?" I muttered, testing the weight.
(Translation: "It's… coming together!")
The huge sand ball I was trying to make was the size of a small hill, and I had no idea why I thought it was a good idea. Maybe it was my instinct as a Gillian to build things. Or maybe I just wanted to prove I could do something remotely impressive.
Either way, the ball was done.
Now the fun part:
Rolling it.
I crouched down — well, more like half-squatted — and started pushing the massive sand sphere with all my might.
It creaked and groaned as I huffed and puffed, using my weight to nudge it forward. With every movement, the ball tilted and swayed, threatening to topple, but I kept going. There was no turning back now.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Performed 'Sand Rolling Challenge' — +350 EP]
Current EP: 16,200 / 1,000,000
It was a success!
The sand ball didn't collapse.
I took a deep breath, satisfied with my work. But, of course, I wasn't done yet.
That would've been too simple.
"Now for the grand finale!"
I stepped back, scanning the horizon.
In the distance, I spotted a large rock outcrop — a natural ramp of sorts. Perfect for my plans. I could launch the sand ball off it, and maybe, just maybe, it'd roll down and crash into a hollow nearby. If I could impress a Hollow with this, I'd get even more EP. It was all about making a spectacle. And nothing was more spectacular than sending a giant sand ball tumbling toward a confused opponent.
"Here goes nothing!"
I lined the sand ball up with the outcrop and shoved with everything I had, sending it barreling toward the rock.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Performed 'The Rolling Boulder of Doom' — +500 EP]
Current EP: 16,700 / 1,000,000
It was glorious. The ball rolled down the ramp at a speed I didn't think it could reach. The sheer force of it kicked up sand into the air, creating a cloud of dust. I watched with a grin as it rumbled toward a distant cluster of hollow skulls scattered across the desert.
Then, just as it was about to crash into them—
BAM!
It hit an oddly placed boulder and exploded into a shower of sand.
I blinked.
There was no Hollow in sight.
For a moment, I just stared at the mess I'd created, wondering if the ball had been a little too much. But it was too late to regret it now.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Performed 'Sand Catapulting' — +450 EP]
Current EP: 17,150 / 1,000,000
I wasn't going to get discouraged.
I couldn't.
The world of Hueco Mundo was a place where power ruled, and I had no choice but to keep going.
I was close to my next evolution — but it felt impossible to reach with every EP reward barely reaching a hundred. What was I even supposed to do when I needed 1 million EP to get to Adjuchas?
I paused.
Was it really worth all the crazy, stupid things I was doing?
Would it really make a difference in the end?
Then, I saw something that made me forget everything else.
A small, lone Hollow was scurrying across the sand. Its head was bowed, minding its own business — completely unaware of the giant idiot that had just launched a sand ball toward a pile of skulls.
I blinked.
"Well…" I muttered to myself, grinning underneath my mask,
"Time for something new."