Emotion Hunter: System Awakening.

[Kane Pov]

Inspector Kane finished reviewing the dimensional residue reports for the third time, her tan fingers drumming against the metal desk in the Hunter Guild's Silver Town field office.

Twenty-three years of investigating system anomalies had taught her to trust her instincts, and right now those instincts were screaming that this case was more complicated than it appeared.

"He's an unauthorized system user, multiple Veil entries, escalating operational complexity," she muttered, reading her own report aloud. The facts were straightforward enough, but the pattern bothered her.

Most rogue system users fell into predictable categories:

Desperate civilians seeking power, criminals exploiting abilities for profit, or mentally unstable individuals who couldn't handle the psychological pressure.

This case didn't fit any of those profiles.

Her door chimed, and Sergeant Morrison entered with a tablet containing the latest surveillance data.

"Ma'am, we've identified the primary target and his associates."

Kane gestured for him to continue.

"Riven Duke, eighteen years old, student at Silver Town University. Parents and infant sister were killed in a Red Veil incident two years ago....the Riverside bus accident. He's been living on government assistance since then."

She pulled up his photo on her computer. The target has Dark hair, blue eyes that seemed older than his age suggested, lean build typical of someone who survived on cheap college food.

Nothing remarkable except for the hollow expression of his.

"Family tragedy??," she observed. "That explains the motivation. He's not seeking power for its own sake...he's trying to find his dead relatives."

"There's more, ma'am. He's not operating alone."

Morrison swiped to the next file. "Marcus Chen, nineteen, Duke's roommate and closest friend. No system signature, but dimensional residue analysis suggests prolonged exposure to system energy. Enhanced physical capabilities consistent with proximity augmentation."

Kane studied the blonde-haired young man in the photo. Gray eyes, confident smile, the kind of steady presence that made people feel safer.

Not the type she'd expect to follow someone into monster dimensions, "but friendship could make people do stupid things". She thought.

"Civilian partner with enhancement effects," she noted. "Rare but not unprecedented. Who else?"

"Maya Chen....no blood relation to Marcus. Pre-med student, a silent personality but smart. Intelligence suggests she's been researching Hunter protocols and system mechanics extensively."

The photo showed a petite Asian-American woman with wire-rimmed glasses and the intense focus Kane recognized in dedicated students. Sharp features, neat appearance...looks like a typical good high school student....even though she's in college?.

"Medical support specialist huh," Kane concluded. "A smart addition to their team, assuming they're planning extended operations."

"Final member: Jake Morrison, twenty years of age, a communications major with a Family of significant financial resources....Credit card records show recent purchases of tactical equipment, camping gear, and medical supplies."

Kane looked at the last photo: a tall, confident young man with the easy smile of someone who'd never faced real hardship. Sandy hair, brown eyes, the kind of person who got by on charm and family connections.

"They got logistics coordinator and funding source too?," she said. "They've built themselves a functional support structure."

She leaned back in her chair, processing the implications.

This wasn't a rogue system user running wild.....it was a planned out team with defined roles, strategic planning, and specific objectives.

The more concerning thing is that.... they were getting better at it.

"Assessment of their capabilities?" she asked.

Morrison consulted his notes. "Initial Veil entry shows amateur-level survival skills but exceptional combat performance for an untrained civilian.... Second entry demonstrates significant improvement in coordination and tactical awareness. Most recent activity suggests they attempted a Red Veil insertion."

"Red Veil?" Kane's attention sharpened. "You're certain?"

"Dimensional residue patterns are consistent, but the exposure duration was minimal. Probably a failed entry or emergency evacuation."

Kane stood up and walked to the window overlooking Silver Town's downtown district.

Thousands of ordinary people going about their daily lives, completely dependent on Hunter Guilds for protection from the supernatural threats that could tear through reality at any moment.

Most unauthorized system users were threats to that stability....dangerous variables that had to be contained or eliminated.

But this Duke kid and his team... they weren't trying to exploit their abilities for personal gain. They were trying to accomplish something impossible but understandable.

"Ma'am?" Morrison prompted. "Your orders regarding containment?"

Kane made her decision.

"Bring them in, but not as criminals. I want to interview them personally, assess their capabilities and intentions directly." She turned back to her subordinate. "And Morrison? Make sure the interview room has comfortable chairs and coffee. These aren't hardened criminals...they're college students after all....sense of power got in over their heads."

"Understood. Should I prepare standard recruitment documentation?"

"Not yet. Let me talk to them first."

After Morrison left, Kane returned to studying the case files.

The dimensional residue analysis painted a picture of rapid skill development and increasingly ambitious operations.

Duke's system signature was unlike anything in the Guild databases...not just unregistered, but genuinely unique.

The emotion looting classification was theoretical at best.....

Most system abilities fell into enhancement, elemental manipulation, or summoning categories.

Psychological manipulation was rare and usually unstable. But the residue patterns suggested Duke's abilities were not only functional but evolving.

Her phone rang. "Inspector Kane."

"Ma'am, this is Agent Torres from the psychological evaluation unit. You requested a profile analysis on the Duke case?"

"What's your assessment?"

"Subject shows classic signs of prolonged grief complicated by survivor's guilt and abandonment issues. However, his recent behavioral patterns suggest he's found a sense of purpose and community that's provided psychological stability. The team formation appears to be therapeutic rather than exploitative."

Kane nodded. That matched her own observations. "Risk assessment?"

"Low probability of antisocial behavior or power abuse. High probability of reckless decision-making driven by emotional attachment to deceased family members.

My Recommendation is that we make a structured supervision for the target rather than containment."

After ending the call, Kane pulled up the Guild's recruitment statistics.

They were always looking for talented system users, especially ones with unique abilities. But more importantly, they needed people who understood that power came with responsibility.

Duke's team had demonstrated exactly that kind of understanding. Instead of using their abilities for personal gain, they'd risked their lives trying to help someone they cared about.

It was naive and dangerous, but it showed the right kind of character.

Her computer chimed with an incoming priority message: "Duke and Chen responding to voluntary summons. ETA fifteen minutes."

Kane straightened her uniform and reviewed her notes one final time. The next hour would determine whether she was dealing with a dangerous rogue element that needed immediate containment, or potential assets who just needed proper guidance.

Either way, she was about to meet the most interesting unauthorized system user she'd encountered in her twenty-three-year career.

She hoped they were smart enough to realize they needed her help more than they needed their freedom.

Looking at the photos one more time...Kane felt something she rarely experienced in these cases.

Hope.

Maybe, just maybe, this interview would end with recruitment rather than containment.

But first, she had to determine whether Riven Duke was someone the Guild could trust with the kind of power that could reshape the balance between humanity and the monsters that wanted to destroy it.

The next few hours would tell her everything she needed to know.