Chapter 9: Training
"My Quinque?" Lin Yi paused, realizing the situation, and a wry smile formed on his face.
It all made sense now. Despite his numerous achievements, the headquarters seemed unsatisfied. They must have noticed that the ghouls he turned in were mostly weak and low-level, lacking the strong RC Cells and Kagune needed for high-quality Quinque creation.
In contrast, investigators like Kureo Mado, who hunted dozens or even hundreds of ghouls each year, would select the most powerful ones to create Quinque for personal use, while the rest would be submitted to the headquarters.
High-quality Quinque were essential for the advancement of second-class investigators, and even low-quality ones could supplement the combat power of lower-ranking investigators.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Yi scratched his head. "Well, there's no need for me to be assigned to District 20 then. I can leave the task of hunting low-level ghouls to someone else."
Recalling the events before the original plot began, he remembered that District 20 was relatively safe, except for a few troublesome individuals in the Anteiku Coffee Shop. Apart from a handful of stronger ghouls, Jörmungandr would hardly be satisfied.
Furthermore, he didn't want to attract the attention of the old-timers prematurely.
"That's the only option, Lin Yi. Don't worry, it's not because of your performance. I've never seen anyone as talented as you. The situation in every district is unstable now, so your transfer is temporary. Besides, it's time for you to take a breather," said Yukinori Shinohara in a serious tone, surprising Lin Yi.
After a moment of contemplation, Lin Yi nodded.
He had become overly reliant on his Quinque during this period. Despite his exceptional physical attributes and keen perception, he hadn't honed his skills properly and felt like he was straying from the right path.
Lin Yi received the transfer order from Shinohara and boarded the special car departing from the headquarters. He didn't even catch a glimpse of his old boss, Kureo Mado, bidding him farewell.
Perhaps the old man disliked parting scenes as well.
As the Stable Zone, District 20 didn't have a special-class investigator stationed there. With Lin Yi's rank as a First-class Investigator, he became one of the highest-ranking members in the branch.
The person in charge of District 20's branch treated Lin Yi respectfully, while Lin Yi paid little attention to the extras like the branch manager, who lacked even a name in the original work. He responded courteously and promptly announced his intention to take a break.
There wasn't much for him to do in District 20. The Anteiku shop, which fell under their jurisdiction, handled most of the minor incidents, and when ill-mannered ghouls from outside arrived, they handled them more professionally than the official authorities.
During this break, Lin Yi planned to carefully contemplate his own path of growth.
Previously, he had visited Yukinori Shinohara, as he was the most familiar special-class investigator. However, Yukinori's fighting style was unique, relying on his own strength and a bold approach.
But Lin Yi's physical abilities had already been enhanced to the limits of a human by the system. Even when facing the big and burly Yukinori, he held a significant advantage.
As a result, Lin Yi couldn't sense any progress. Compared to him, all the ghouls he encountered, whether in terms of movement or strength, were inferior.
It felt like he was bullying weak opponents, rendering techniques unnecessary. As long as he followed his instincts, victory came easily.
During this rare break, Lin Yi took the opportunity to visit renowned swordsmanship masters in the area and also trained at Muay Thai and boxing gyms.
Regardless of whether his sparring partners were merely boasting or genuinely skilled, they would often end up being defeated by him.
However, even theoretical knowledge was worth learning. Despite being a novice in this field, his fighting style relied solely on speed, keen observation, and understanding his opponents after evading their attacks multiple times.
Time flew by during this period.
Lin Yi maintained basic contact with his former boss, Kureo Mado, until he heard that the old boss had acquired a new subordinate named Koutarou Amon.
Lin Yi knew that the plot would soon unfold.
In a swordsmanship hall, Lin Yi wielded a wooden sword, practicing his moves against a dummy.
He had gained valuable knowledge during this time, learning practical killing techniques similar to Muay Thai.
His strength was immense. Even when swinging a wooden sword with full force, the dummy shattered, and the sword itself snapped due to its lack of durability.
"Investigator Lin."
The training room door opened, and a young man in a suit, holding a briefcase, hurriedly entered.
Lin Yi glanced at him. The person's name was Ashikaga Yoshitomo, assigned as his secretary by District 20's branch. Ashikaga Yoshitomo held the rank of a Third-class Investigator and assisted him with various trivial matters.
"The information you requested me to investigate is all here," Ashikaga Yoshitomo said, handing over the briefcase.
Observing Lin Yi as he carefully examined the documents, Ashikaga Yoshitomo couldn't help but feel curious and asked, "But sir, why did you want me to investigate a few ordinary university students? Is there something wrong with them?"
Lin Yi glanced at him, causing Ashikaga Yoshitomo to immediately lower his head and apologize.
It had to be said that Japan's hierarchical system was quite strict. Lin Yi slowly closed the file. The individuals he requested investigation on were Kaneki Ken, Nishio Nishiki, and Shuu Tsukiyama. He wanted to assess their current status and determine the progress of the plot.
As for the individuals from the Anteiku shop, Lin Yi refrained from investigating them, fearing it would raise suspicion.
"Do Nishio Nishiki and Kimi Nishino have no connection whatsoever?" Lin Yi's gaze flickered, and an image of a beautiful girl with orange hair appeared in his mind.
Though she had limited appearances in the original work, her character was well-received. If one expressed genuine feelings, she would even willingly allow herself to be consumed by her loved one.
She seemed like the perfect candidate for a secretary, with no concerns of leaking any secrets.
Abruptly, Lin Yi muttered something to Ashikaga Yoshitomo.
"Ashikaga, as an investigator, can we tolerate a ghoul disguising itself as a student in a school?"
"Of course not. If a ghoul were to successfully masquerade as a student, it would pose an extreme danger. Who knows how many innocent people would suffer," replied Ashikaga Yoshitomo, the recently graduated investigator, with a righteous and sincere expression.
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