The following morning, Kenji reported to the Public Security Bureau exactly as planned. Following the "unfortunate" incident in the hallway the day before, he had been officially assigned to the Criminal Investigation Special Task Force under Zhu Yuan's command. For now, he was a newly recruited temporary worker—meaning he wasn't yet authorized to enter a Hollow solo. He needed a mentor, and Zhu Yuan was the perfect candidate to show a rookie the ropes.
"Yo, Kenji. How's the head holding up?"
Qingyi was already in the office when he arrived. Seeing him push through the door, she offered a playful smile, her expression shifting into a cute =ω= emoticon on her digital interface.
"Thank you for your concern, Senior. I'm feeling 100%," Kenji replied with a polite bow.
He was quickly growing accustomed to the diversity of New Eridu. Between sentient androids like Qingyi and the Thierren—demi-humans with animal traits—the city felt like a high-budget sci-fi movie. It was a far cry from the drab office cubicles of his past life.
"As expected of the Tank King," Qingyi teased, giving him a thumbs-up. "With you around, the squad finally has a proper meat shield. Most people who take one of Zhu Yuan's kicks end up hunting for their teeth on the floor or spending a week in intensive care with a scrambled brain. She doesn't know how to pull a punch—or a kick."
Kenji looked around the spacious office. It was large enough to house a dozen people, but most of the desks were empty. "Is the Special Task Force really just the three of us?"
"Technically, there are four official members," Qingyi explained. "You're the temporary fifth. We have two others, Jane and Seth, but they're currently deep undercover or on external missions."
She went on to describe the team's grueling workload. As the captain, Zhu Yuan didn't just handle high-level Ethereal threats; she was also responsible for traffic enforcement, counter-terrorism, and petty robberies. She was effectively doing the work of five people for a single salary—a level of exploitation that would make a donkey weep with sympathy.
"I'll do my best to become a full-time asset as soon as possible," Kenji said.
Shortly after, Zhu Yuan called them into the briefing room for their daily tactical meeting.
"It's time for the morning brief," Zhu Yuan said, her expression shifting into her signature professional sternness as she laid several files on the table. Knowing Kenji was green, she took the time to explain the fundamentals.
"You've likely heard the common theories on Hollows and 'Companion Hollows.' Think of them like earthquakes and aftershocks. Companion Hollows manifest near the six major permanent Hollows, and our primary job is to contain them before they expand."
"Research shows that Ethereal activity acts as a catalyst," she continued. "If we don't regularly enter these zones to thin out the Ethereal population, the Hollow becomes 'active' and begins to swallow the surrounding city blocks. This is why our mortality rate is so high—we don't wait for the monsters to come to us. We go to them."
Kenji raised his hand. "Question: If we were to theoretically eliminate every Ethereal within a Companion Hollow, would the Hollow itself collapse and disappear?"
Zhu Yuan looked at him with a mixture of surprise and skepticism. "Theoretically? Yes. But the sheer cost in human life and resources would be astronomical. Clearing a Hollow to the point of dissolution is a feat reserved for legend. Perhaps only the seven 'Void Hunters' could pull off something that reckless."
Kenji noted the name. "Void Hunters?"
Qingyi, who had slumped onto the table in "power-saving mode," cracked one eye open. "The heavy hitters of this world, Kenji. You might not know their names, but you've definitely used the 'Substitute Cloth' Bangboo model invented by one of them—a woman named Wanzhou."
"She's an inventor?" Kenji asked, impressed.
"She didn't just invent things," Qingyi said with a faint smile. "She successfully dissolved a 'Named Hollow'—one of the big ones. That's the level of power we're talking about."
Kenji felt a surge of genuine reverence. If the Void Hunters were the ceiling of this world's power, he wondered where a Kamen Rider stood in comparison. Could a Rider Kick achieve what an entire army couldn't?
"Our duties also include perimeter security," Zhu Yuan resumed, her voice pulling him back to the present. "We have to stop civilians from wandering in. For those without high Ether-Aptitude, entering a Hollow is a death sentence; it's only a matter of time before they turn."
"Does anyone actually go in there on purpose?" Kenji asked, puzzled by the idea of someone seeking out a localized apocalypse.
"Desperadoes," Qingyi spat with a dissatisfied pout. "Criminals love the Hollows. They'd rather gamble on their survival stats than face a prison sentence. They run inside, hoping we won't follow."
"And if they run in, we have to follow," Zhu Yuan interjected. "If they escape, they become a threat elsewhere. If they mutate, they accelerate the Hollow's growth. It's a delicate, dangerous cycle."
Kenji was speechless. The criminals in this world were on a different level of "ruthless." They were willing to risk becoming a mindless monster just to avoid a few years in a cell.
"I see," Kenji said, his eyes narrowing. "So my job isn't just fighting monsters—it's cleaning up the messes left by people who've lost their humanity."
Zhu Yuan nodded, her gaze softening slightly. "Exactly. Ready for your first patrol, Rookie?"