Chapter 10: The Power Within
Kaneki's gaze sharpened as he stared down the controlled hosts moving toward him, their hollow eyes focused yet lifeless, devoid of any true awareness. Behind them, the shadowy parasite fragment laughed, its twisted form flickering like a ghost at the edges of reality.
"You think you're in control?" the parasite taunted, its voice a cruel whisper that slithered through the room. "You're as much a puppet as they are. Just two parasites, feeding off the lives of others. How different do you think me and your System really are?"
Kaneki's jaw clenched as the figure's words sank in. "My System isn't like you," he replied, his tone cold and steady. "It doesn't use people just to hollow them out. It guides me to protect—not to destroy."
The figure's dissonant laughter echoed through the air, mocking. "How naive. You think your precious System isn't using you, too? Control, influence… it's what we all do. Just like you're trying to use me to gain something, aren't you?"
As if on cue, the controlled hosts surged forward, their bodies moving with an eerie, synchronized precision. Kaneki didn't waste another second. His kagune flared to life, dark tendrils weaving protectively around him, a shield between him and the advancing hosts. He'd trained for this, honed his abilities with his System's guidance. If this parasite wanted a fight, he'd give it one.
The first host lunged at him, and Kaneki sidestepped, his kagune lashing out with a precision that sent the host crumpling to the floor. The host's body fell still, but there was something unsettling in the silence that followed, a lingering presence in the air that left him uneasy. The energy didn't dissipate like he expected—it remained, pulsing faintly, as though something had been left behind.
More hosts advanced, their faces expressionless, their movements mechanical. Kaneki moved among them with practiced efficiency, dodging, deflecting, striking. One by one, they fell, each leaving behind the same strange residue, an energy that seemed to gather around their skulls like a faint pulse. He tried not to think too hard about the lives he was taking; they were already lost, puppets to the parasite's will.
But when he struck down the last host—a young woman with vacant eyes and a disturbingly calm smile—a stronger surge of energy rippled through him. This time, he couldn't ignore it. The feeling was intense, concentrated in the head, and as he knelt beside the body, he found himself compelled to investigate.
Reaching out, he pressed his fingers against her temple, where he could sense a hard, crystalline object beneath the skin. He hesitated, his mind racing with questions, but a quiet confidence from the System urged him forward. Without further thought, he let his kagune pierce through the skull, carefully extracting a small, core-like object that radiated with strange energy.
The moment he touched it, a rush of power surged through him, flooding his senses with a warmth that was both foreign and familiar. He felt the energy seeping into his muscles, his mind, filling him with a strength that was unlike anything he'd experienced before.
[System Alert: Residual Energy Detected. Core absorption initiated.]
The System's calm voice echoed in his mind, and he watched as his vision flickered, a new screen appearing before him.
[Updated System Interface: Status Window]
[Status Window]
Rank: A-Rank Ghoul
Attributes:
- Strength: 42
- Agility: 39
- Endurance: 41
- Perception: 36
- Rc Cells: 42
Kaneki stared, his eyes widening at the numbers displayed. This wasn't just a momentary power boost—he could feel the changes within him, a newfound resilience in his muscles, an increased sharpness to his senses. Each stat, each line on the screen, seemed to map out his capabilities, a clear and controlled display of his limits and potential.
"What… is this?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.
[Explanation: Status Window provides the host with a detailed overview of physical and ghoul attributes. A strength level of 10 is the average for an adult human. Stat upgrades can be earned through the absorption of Core Energy.]
Kaneki's mind raced as he processed the System's explanation. This was something new, something that went beyond the raw power of a ghoul's strength. The core he'd absorbed hadn't just fueled his hunger or given him a temporary boost. It had enhanced him, refined him in a way that felt stable, controlled.
His gaze drifted to the other fallen hosts, a flicker of realization dawning in his mind. Each of them had held the same strange energy, a core buried within them like a hidden reservoir. If he absorbed them too, he could gain more than just strength—he could gain control, mastery over himself and his abilities.
Quickly, he moved to the next host, his kagune piercing the skull to extract another core. The energy pulsed faintly in his hand, warm and potent, and as he absorbed it, he felt the changes settle into his body, subtle yet powerful.
The System's screen updated again, the numbers shifting slightly.
[Status Window]
Rank: A-rank Ghoul
Attributes:
- Strength: 44
- Agility: 40
- Endurance: 43
- Perception: 37
- Rc Cells: 44
A quiet thrill ran through him as he felt the minor adjustments, each stat a small but noticeable improvement. It wasn't a massive leap in power, but each increase added a tangible resilience and strength he could feel settling into his body. It was steady, controlled growth—not the erratic bursts of power he'd experienced in moments of hunger or desperation.
With a steadying breath, Kaneki rose to his feet, the cores' energy now fully absorbed within him. He could still hear the parasite's mocking voice echoing in his mind, but as he looked around at the fallen hosts, he knew he'd made the right choice. This System was more than just a tool for survival. It was a way to protect—to control his power without becoming the monster that lurked beneath his skin.
But as he turned to leave, he couldn't shake the realization of what these cores meant. Each one represented a life twisted, a person hollowed out by a force that didn't care whether they lived or died. It was disturbing, and yet he understood that to protect others, he would have to keep fighting and absorbing these cores, taking their energy to grow.
The parasite thought it could use him as it had used them, as if he were just another puppet. But Kaneki knew better. He wasn't a pawn, and his System wasn't some hollow shell, feeding off others without purpose. They were partners, guiding him to become something beyond ghoul or human—a protector of Tokyo's unseen, shadowed world.
With a final, steadying breath, Kaneki stepped into the night, his strengthened body humming with new power, his mind sharpened. He would find this parasite, root it out, and tear it from Tokyo's dark heart. The System had given him a way forward, and he wouldn't rest until he had ended this twisted influence once and for all.