2 Perks and The Doves Arrive

Looking at the screen I went to click 'Y' but stopped myself before asking another question.

"What does each of the stats do? I would assume that they affect more than one thing about me otherwise I'd have stats such as Strength, Defense, Stamina, etc, etc."

[Host would be right in thinking so. Each stat encapsulated multiple different things.

The Constitution stat dictates your overall physical power, durability, stamina, vitality, and the recovery rate of your body and how fast and full the recovery is.

The Dexterity stat affects your body's overall flexibility, balance, the control you have over your body, your agility, and your finesse.

The Intelligence stat adds to the host's existing mental capabilities, improving your memory, how you apply information while providing a boost to your overall comprehension.

The Senses stat does exactly what you'd assume it to do - it improves your senses. But it also gives a boost to your reflexes whether they be conscious reactions to a stimulus or motor reflexes, while also improving your sixth sense aka your sense for danger.

Are these explanations up to your standards, host?]

Nodding, I replied, "Yes, thank you, system," willing the screen to move away, I looked at the screen asking if I wanted the free perks and I quickly pressed the 'Y' purely because I needed every bit of power right now, and I needed it before the CCG Investigators get here.

[Perks unlocking...Randomizing perks chosen...]

[...Four Perks Left...Three Perks Left...Two Perks Left...One Perk Left...]

[...All Perks have been granted!]

"Show me the perks gained," I said while I looked down at my hands, feeling a multitude stronger than I did before.

[Of course, Host.]

[Perks Gained:

Constitution - Abnormal Strength, you're part of the 0.01% of Humanity who have the physical strength and durability to rival that of a Ghoul's. It can be improved further with intense enough training.

Dexterity - Enhanced Kinesthesia, Host can now move, act, attack and perform manual tasks with near-perfect accuracy, doing things with great precision no matter how fast the user themselves are going, and you will have a hard time making mistakes, with such physical control and finesse.

Intelligence - Sensorimotor Synchrony, the user's body matches their mental speed, and with that, the body can keep up with the mind and act/move at the same time a thought is formed without delay between action/movement.

Senses - Enhanced Kinetic Vision and Visual Acuity, able to react and perceive threats much quicker than even the fastest of normal humans. Can be improved further with intense enough training.]

Willing my status to appear it popped up in front of me.

[Name: N/A]

[Age: 9]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 9]

[Perks: 4]

[Constitution: 11]

[Dexterity: 10]

[Intelligence: 6]

[Senses: 11]

Huh, so I'm approximately 2 times better in every way when compared to the average adult? Well, apart from Intelligence, at least.

System, for curiosity's sake, when will I get my next perk? And how come my entire Stats rose when my perks should only boost certain parts of their respective Stats? Abnormal Strength should have only affected my durability and strength, yet my Constitution rose as a whole. Why is that?

[Answering Host, you will get a perk every ten levels, so your next perk will when you level up to level 10. The perks and Stats are a bit trickier to explain, but I will do my best Host.

You cannot have just one thing in a stat advance without the other things to back it up. Your strength and durability cannot function without higher physical stamina and vitality, along with the recovery rate to support such a physique. Neither can your control and balance increase without your flexibility and agility to support the advances.

Whenever a perk is added to your body, the System will enhance the other parts of that stat where necessary. Think of it as free stat points.]

Hmm, I guess that makes sense? Then what happens if I have a perk for every little thing that makes up a stat, will the stat be enhanced overall, like some kind of super stat?

[Yes, I suppose it would be a rather potent mixture, Host.]

Good. Though I'd have to be a pretty high level to get a perk for every little thing in every stat, huh? Speaking of levels, how do I level up? I assume I'd have to beat or kill Ghouls, right?

[You are partly right, yes, you would have to kill Ghouls but anything you defeat or kill will give your Experience points. Humans or Doves are just as valid as a source for EXP as Ghouls are. But I would ask you to not become a psychopathic murderer if possible, Host. Defeating opponents will be good enough for now.

You cannot level up as of now, however. You must wait until your tenth birthday where you will level up and get your first stat points. Your age is directly linked to your level and every birthday is pretty much a free level up. For now, I would advise you to learn as much as possible and to grow as a person and a Dove. I can sense two Investigators approaching, go with them and when the option comes, join the Junior Academy and then the CCG Training Academy when you are ready. Do the latter as quickly as possible so you can stay in line with Canon - you are the same age as Touka Kirishima, for reference, Host.]

Same age as Touka...so I should be 17 when the plot starts? That's not nearly old enough. 8 years of training...that should be enough to keep myself alive but I won't be able to body Yamori or Rize. Fight them and survive? Sure. But get out uninjured and perfectly fine? No chance.

My thoughts came to an end as two people rushed into the room, brightly colored weapons in their hands. Investigators with Quinque's.

One of the investigators was a large, stocky man with thick eyebrows and a head full of black hair. His black eyes widened in shock at the state of the room he'd burst into - the hallways between the stairs upstairs, the door to the living room and the entrance to my house. He was currently in formal wear and a trench coat over his suit.

The person next to him appeared to be a tall girl but she looked incredibly fierce and not very feminine. Though I would say that she was still decently beautiful, she didn't really give off the vibe of a pretty girl. More like a warrior woman if anything. She was also in a suit with a trench coat like the man next to her.

The girl's fierce eyes instantly squinted before widening in shock and disbelief when she saw me just standing there in the gore of my parents.

In what seemed like some kind of stand-off, I looked at the two doves and they looked right back.

This continued for a few more seconds before the man burst into action and rushed to me while still managing to stay vigilant. As I'd expect from him.

Iwao Kuroiwa. Albeit a much younger Iwao Kuroiwa.

And from what I could gather from the woman is a much younger Misato Gori. This must be her right after she graduated from the CCG Training Academy. Yikes...this is a pretty bad scene for a newly graduated investigator, huh?

When he saw that the Ghoul who did this was gone, Iwao quickly put away his Quinque and called Misato to come and back him up before he pulled me into a comforting embrace, seemingly not minding the fact I was utterly covered in blood.

As he kneeled to hold me, he whispered in my ears, "It's okay now, kid, it's okay, we won't let anything hurt you..." his gruff voice seemed to crack under his own emotions which brought my attention to my own.

I was crying.

Goddammit.

. . .

POV Change - Iwao Kuroiwa

"You're saying that the Ghoul left after you reasoned with him? That if he stayed to kill and eat you that he'd be captured and killed by the Investigators sent after the screams were reported?" I spoke with disbelief as I looked at the child in front of me.

His face showed no fluctuation ever since we'd gotten to the 11th Wards CCG HQ, other than the occasional twitch to his eyebrows but I guess this is to be expected after the poor boy watched his parents get butchered in front of him.

...But this degree of calmness...it isn't right. Though it wasn't lost on me the ingenious method this child used to survive. I wonder, does he have any more talents?

Though that was just the Ghoul Investigator in me talking, this child could be a good seed but his well-being takes precedence over everything else.

"Yes, that's how it went, sir," his voice was as calm as his face, not even a slight ripple in his high-pitched voice. His yellow eyes didn't show me anything and I knew I'd have to send this boy to a CCG therapist.

Ruffling a hand through the boy's peculiar, and freshly washed, green hair, I stood up and walked out of the questioning room and into the separate room where onlookers can observe through the one-way glass that was posed as a mirror inside the holding room. When I entered, I saw my junior partner, Misato wiping her eyes aggressively as she saw me enter.

I gave her some time and after one final sniffle, she brought her hand away and looked at me with red-tinted eyes, "I'm sorry, Kuroiwa-san--" I raised a hand to silence her and put a steady hand on her shoulder.

"Don't apologize, Misato. Your actions are nothing to be ashamed of. This is your first case concerning an orphan, right?" I looked down at her slightly, our heights being quite close, and asked her this question, to which she nodded her head and I carried on, "I was worse on my first case like this. Raging and screaming so much I looked more like a recently orphaned kid than the actual orphan," I grimly smiled at such a memory before continuing, "Take this as a learning experience - that the world is a crueler place than you'd think."

After saying this, silence pervaded the room. Though it wasn't awkward as my junior was just thinking about what I said. Smiling, I flicked her forehead, getting her attention.

"Come on, we've got to go and pick up the kid's details and info from the office. They should have it by now."

With this, my junior came out of her thoughts and followed me out of the room. Not before sparing one last pitying glance at the green-haired, yellow-eyed child, apathetically looking at the glass that separated them.