Chapter 2 — The First Step into the Hunt
Tokyo. CCG Administration Building, 20th Ward Branch.
It was early morning. It had been raining non-stop for two days, and the gray sky was pressing even through the windows. The line at the branch's reception area was made up of investigators, interns, and passersby who had come to report ghoul attacks.
Kaneki sat on a bench, wearing a black jacket, tightly buttoned at the collar. He didn't look around. He was just waiting to be called. Everything inside was under control: his breathing was even, his hands were on his knees, his gaze was on the floor. At that time, the system was projecting a transparent menu in front of his eyes.
[Character Status]
Name: Kaneki Ken
Age: 18
Physical Strength: Low
Stamina: Average
Intelligence: High
Skills: Accelerated Learning Lv.1
Coins: 0
Reaper Protocol: Active
Quest: Join the CCG
"Kaneki Ken, do you do that?" came from the speaker.
He stood up and walked into the office. There were two people sitting there: a bespectacled man in his forties, and a young woman with a tablet.
"Are you applying to join the Hunters?"
"Yes."
"Do you have any combat experience?"
"One. A low-class ghoul in the Shinjuku area has been eliminated. No witnesses."
He spoke clearly. Calmly. Not a single tremor.
"Why do you want to join?"
"Because I want to kill ghouls. No pathos." They are a threat. I am a tool.
There was silence. The man in glasses exchanged glances with the girl.
- Isn't this statement from a student at Kamiya University?
- From him. But I dropped out.
- An unusual formulation of the goal. However... - he sighed. - We do not refuse those who are honest. Take the basic testing. If everything is normal, you will be accepted for an internship in the medical sector.
- Why there?
- Considering your level of training - first theory. Then practice. We do not have the habit of throwing newcomers into battle right away. Besides, a new medic is coming today. You will be tested together.
He did not object.
Twenty minutes later, he was already sitting in the medical office, where biometric data was taken. That's where he first saw her.
Haruka Yamabe. A white medical coat, black hair pulled back in a ponytail, a badge with the department "Intern-medic" on her neck. She read the paper file, not noticing his gaze.
"Kaneki Ken?" she asked as she approached.
"Yes."
"Are you new?"
"It seems we both are."
She looked at him for the first time. There was no embarrassment or irritation in her gaze. Only an assessment. Professional and quick. She checked his pulse, his blood pressure, and, coming closer, looked into his eyes.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"No."
"Everyone is afraid. They just don't admit it right away."
He didn't answer.
A strange silence fell over the room at that moment. Not oppressive, but rather measured. They were both the type of people who were comfortable in silence. And they both knew that words could be postponed for later.
"-
Later, when he left the building, the system updated.
Assignment completed.
You have been officially accepted as a CCG trainee.
New Quest: Complete Basic Training.
Reward: 50 coins (upon completion), unlocks "Training Modifiers".
It was at that moment that he realized: the path had begun.
He didn't know what he would become - a soldier, an assassin, or something else.
But he had a goal. And all he had to do was keep moving forward. One ghoul after another. One step after another.
Haruka. The system. The ghouls. The CCG. The world.
He could do it.