Kagune and Kakuja

"Hmm..."

Eto extended her hand and shook hands with Byakuya.

After a brief moment, they released their grip.

Byakuya felt a soft, cool little hand in his grasp, yet this seemingly delicate and adorable girl was the highest-level threat known as the One-Eyed Owl.

Ghouls typically have no visible differences from normal humans when they are not in combat, allowing them to blend into human society as long as they are cautious.

However, during battle, not only do their eyes turn red, indicating their kakugan, but their special organ, the kakuhou releases a predatory appendage made up of numerous RC cells, known as kagune.

The lethality and defense of the kagune are formidable, and it is categorized into four types: Rinkaku, Koukaku, Ukaku, and Bikaku, each with unique characteristics and interactions among them.

Ghouls also have a superior form known as kakuja.

This transformation involves having multiple kakuhou and the body becomes covered with kagune. Kakuja are powerful beings that have evolved by consuming their own kind, ghouls eating ghouls...

At this moment, the Eto in front of Byakuya was a kakuja. In the chaotic 24th ward, she had to consume numerous ghouls to survive, as in that kind of environment, failing to kill your own kind could mean being killed yourself.

When a ghoul transforms into their kakuja form, they become significantly larger. Eto, who normally stands at about 150cm tall, grows to at least three or four meters in this form, and her size increases further with her strength.

This is why Eto has been able to attack CCG members, CCG branches, and ghoul shelters repeatedly without revealing her true identity, her kakuja form is so drastically different from her everyday appearance.

[Ding! Host has successfully completed "Quest 1: Become Eto Yoshimura's Editor" earning a reward of 10 attribute points!]

[Quest 1 completed; activating Quest 2!]

[Quest 2: Successfully publish and release Dear Kafka ]

[Quest Duration: Within six months]

[Quest Reward: 50 attribute points]

At this moment, Byakuya received a notification from the system. Not only had he received the reward for Quest 1, but Quest 2 was also activated.

He realized that the process for this quest would likely be extensive, including monitoring post-publication sales, the release of the second work, and the third work... all of these could serve as goals for future quests.

Though Byakuya's career as a publishing editor may not last long, he just needed to earn the attribute points he could get right now.

As for the six-month deadline, it was quite normal for publishing a book.

There are many processes to go through, unlike web literature, where you can submit online or publish directly. Under ideal circumstances, a contract could be signed in just a few days and start generating income almost immediately.

Of course, this doesn't mean Byakuya has to take a full six months for this quest, he can also find ways to trigger other hidden quests.

"By the way... I can't get the money right away, can I?"

At that moment, Eto suddenly asked.

While signing the publishing agreement was a cause for celebration, she urgently needed money...

"That's right. You can only start generating income after the book is published and released. If you're facing financial difficulties, I can offer you some assistance" Byakuya said.

"Really? Thank you" Eto nodded in response.

People like him, with such kindness, were rare in her experience.

If he had to be honest, Byakuya's goodwill was probably half genuine and half for his own benefit.

If he didn't help Eto, he would have a hard time completing the quest to earn attribute points.

"Do you have a computer? If so, could you get me a digital version of the manuscript? It would also help with revising it before the official publication" Byakuya asked.

"I don't have a computer... or even a home..." Eto replied.

Byakuya knew well that Eto had neither a home nor a computer, but he could only pretend to be an ordinary human editor in front of her.

"Alright, then I'll take you to a print shop to convert the entire manuscript into a digital version. You can revise it using my computer at home" Byakuya suggested.

In the future, if Eto wanted to revise her manuscript, she would have only three options: a computer at an internet café, one at the office, or his computer at home.

Going to an internet café would be too expensive, and the office computers couldn't be freely used by outsiders, so the third option became her only choice.

"Okay, thank you" Eto agreed without hesitation.

She felt no strange intentions from him.

Even if something did happen, her strength and identity as a ghoul would allow her to handle it.

"Let's go, we'll head to the print shop first"

...

They found a print shop on the street that could digitize the manuscript.

However, the number of pages Eto provided was overwhelming; several hundred pages seemed to contain the complete content of Dear Kafka. With proper revisions and processing, it could be published.

Digitizing that many pages would be cumbersome and certainly costly.

Fortunately, Byakuya had some money on him.

Though he had just arrived in this world, the system had provided him with a complete identity and background. Essentially, he was the same person in this life as he was in his past life.

This was neither a soul transfer nor possession, the system had altered the memories of everyone associated with him, making them believe he had always existed, including his CCG colleagues and those in the Sunlit Garden.

The system had arranged for him to have the backstory of being orphaned, even though his parents didn't exist in this world.

The system also enhanced his body to make him half-human, the main difference being stronger physical capabilities but a shorter lifespan.

Unless something unexpected occurred, Byakuya would only live to be in his thirties, much like Kishou Arima, but the issue of lifespan could ultimately be resolved, after all, he had the system...

In short, he currently received dual salaries from the CCG and the publishing house, though he had just started at the latter and hadn't received any payment yet.

These salaries were sufficient for him to maintain a normal lifestyle and help Eto.

At this moment, Eto stood quietly by, watching as the cost of scanning her manuscript into an electronic version seemed exorbitant.

She felt that without the help of this human, she might struggle to make any progress...