Uesugi Ryu walked along the bustling street with a sandwich in his mouth. He was still rushing to get to school early.
Fortunately, university classes in Japan started relatively late, the first lecture didn't begin until 9 AM. Otherwise, he honestly wouldn't have gotten up on time, especially since last night had been quite... busy.
Although it hadn't been physically exhausting, it had taken a considerable mental toll.
As for his current situation? Well, it was the standard starter package for a transmigrator: parents deceased, with a car and an apartment left behind, and a top student at Kamii University.
"That was too risky. I'll lay low for the next couple of days."
Fishing for Ghouls was enjoyable, but it wasn't without risk. If he ever happened to run into Kamishiro Rize, he'd be finished. He neither wanted to end up as a midnight snack, nor become a half-Ghoul.
That was also why Uesugi Ryu hadn't visited Anteiku yet. While the odds of being targeted were slim, he still had to roam around remote areas every day. If he were ever cornered in an alley, it would be a nightmare.
Besides, Ghouls in the 20th Ward weren't exactly easy to lure out. Managing to kill four within a month had already required extensive use of his phantom clone, casting a wide net to gather information.
After swallowing the last bite of his sandwich, Uesugi Ryu quickly stepped into a nearby convenience store and casually bought a drink.
Japanese universities were fairly relaxed, and besides, no one cared. Uesugi Ryu wasn't the least bit worried about being late.
He sat inside the store, his gaze somewhat unfocused.
...
Name: Uesugi Ryu
Race: Human
Combat Rank: Overall Evaluation B+
(Based on core attributes only, weapon skills and other abilities are not included in the calculation)
Strength: 8 (B+)
Speed: 9 (A-)
Constitution: 8 (C-)
(Note: Ghouls have stronger constitutions; a typical B-rank Ghoul has around 10)
Intelligence: 8 (B+)
(Each point of intelligence translates to 10 mana points; not equivalent to IQ but tied to perception and memory)
Mana: 104
(Baseline healthy male: 5. Mana increases exponentially, not linearly)
Talent: Soul Devour
(Devour the souls of slain targets to increase Mana)
Skill: D-Rank Phantom Clone
(Creates a non-physical illusion that can share visual and auditory senses at an extra Mana cost)
Energy: 38/100
Item: B-Rank Quinque "Viper" (1/3 durability)
Current Mission: Join the CCG (Ghoul Investigator Training Academy)
Reward: +1 Attribute Point, 1 Lottery Draw
...
He had lived in this world for about a month now and had made decent progress exploring the system.
Fortunately, the system had offered a newbie gift pack: +3 to all attributes and a B-Rank Quinque. Without it, Uesugi Ryu, with the frail body of a college student, wouldn't have stood a chance at actually killing Ghouls.
Energy was earned by absorbing kakuhou after killing Ghouls. Once it hit 100, it could be exchanged for a lottery draw.
He had only drawn once so far, so he didn't fully understand how the lottery worked. That one draw gave him the Phantom Clone. Though lacking a physical form, its ability to share sensory perception had turned it into a divine tool for scouting.
At the very least, it drastically reduced the danger involved in actually hunting Ghouls. Uesugi Ryu even had a faint feeling that the skill's potential went far beyond what he had unlocked so far.
If properly used, it could confuse enemies mid-combat like a type of illusion technique.
Unfortunately, he didn't know if it was due to insufficient control or some other limitation, but he wasn't able to do that yet.
"Join the CCG, huh? Not a bad option, makes it easier to hunt Ghouls."
Uesugi Ryu propped up his chin and sipped the fruit juice in his cup.
Outside the window, two boys appeared. The one with blond hair ran ahead, shouting back at the other.
"Kaneki! Hurry up! We're gonna be late!"
The slightly frail Kaneki Ken paused, gasping for breath.
"Hide, slow down a bit, I can't keep up! This is the last time I follow along with your nonsense. Now we're going to be late!"
Nagachika Hideyoshi laughed and slung an arm around Kaneki's neck.
"Who was the one who said he wanted to do it with me in the first place?"
Kaneki's expression stiffened, like he had no comeback. He replied weakly, "So now what?"
"Just skip the first period!"
Before they realized it, Uesugi Ryu was already in front of them.
"You guys go to Kamii University too, right? Never thought we'd all be late together!"
Nagachika Hideyoshi let go of his best buddy's neck and grinned. "That's true. Not like we're gonna make it anyway."
Kaneki looked curiously at Uesugi Ryu, a little hesitant. "That's... not really okay, is it?"
"Psychology, first year. Name's Uesugi Ryu. Just call me Ryu."
He introduced himself with ease.
Since he'd run into Kaneki Ken, there was no reason to let the opportunity pass. It was important to get a sense of where the story was currently at.
After all, the Phantom Clone couldn't enter the café, and staking out Anteiku 24/7 would be way too suspicious.
"Nagachika Hideyoshi, first-year in Foreign Languages. What a coincidence, running into a fellow Kamii student," Hide said in surprise.
"Kaneki Ken... first-year in Japanese Literature," Kaneki said weakly.
Kaneki had been friends with Hide since childhood, and with his naturally introverted personality, he was understandably reserved when faced with a stranger.
"No eyepatch. Looks like it hasn't happened yet," Uesugi Ryu thought to himself.
Then, with a hint of suggestion in his tone, he said:
"Since we've decided to skip class, how about we hit up a nearby café? I'm not too familiar with this area, any recommendations?"
Upon hearing the word "café", neither Kaneki nor Hide reacted with any particular emotion. Hide casually mentioned a café not far from campus while Kaneki remained silent the whole time.
Uesugi Ryu smiled faintly and followed the two of them to the café for a brief sit-down.
When it was almost time for the second period, the three of them split up and went their separate ways.
Uesugi Ryu, however, did not go to class. Instead, he headed straight for the alley from the night before.
Click-click-click..
Shutters clicked as uniformed police officers moved in and out. Bright yellow police tape cordoned off the scene and within the boundary, two Ghoul Investigators in suits stood holding oversized briefcases.
Passersby occasionally glanced curiously at the scene, but quickly looked away and hurried off.
"This is the fourth one this month, right? Another Ghoul has been killed," said Amon Koutarou, his brow slightly furrowed.
Ordinarily, a slain Ghoul was a very good thing, whether they were driven off or killed by their own kind.
But there was one dangerous exception: cannibalism.
Ghoul-on-Ghoul cannibalism caused rapid power growth, greatly increasing the threat level.
"No signs of feeding... odd..." Mado Kureo rubbed his chin in thought.
Ghouls dying wasn't particularly noteworthy. They often fought among themselves over territory but in the 20th Ward, such incidents were rare. One or two, fine, but four in a month was suspicious.
Mado Kureo picked up the dirty, hideous head from the ground and crouched to examine it closely.
After a moment, he let out a few deranged chuckles.
"Interesting... Amon, I think all of these trash heaps were killed by the same person."
Amon Koutarou didn't even react, he was used to his superior's demeanor. He replied calmly, "Another of Mado-san's intuitions?"
Mado tossed the head aside like garbage, then shoved both hands into his pockets and walked off.
At that moment, Uesugi Ryu happened to be passing by. The three brushed shoulders as they crossed paths.
Uesugi Ryu maintained a completely nonchalant demeanor. His gaze didn't even pause at the crime scene, as if he wasn't curious about it in the slightest.
Mado Kureo however turned his head and stared directly at Uesugi Ryu's back. After a few seconds, he smiled meaningfully.
"Not even a glance? That's not quite how a teenager would normally react..."
Amon Koutarou frowned slightly. "That alone doesn't mean much, does it? After all, it's the fourth one this month. Maybe he's just used to it and doesn't care."
Mado Kureo gripped his briefcase tighter.
"That's the work of an investigator, Amon-kun. There's no such thing as excessive suspicion. Not a single clue can be overlooked."
Amon nodded thoughtfully.
"Shall we stop that boy for questioning, then, Mado-san?"
Mado Kureo shook his head lightly.
"No need. Let's head back to HQ and pull the surveillance footage near the sites of all four incidents. We might uncover something unexpected."