Kenji emerged from the Residual Gate Area, tired, grimy, but humming with a stable, albeit low, level of power. The unstable bomb in his chest was gone, replaced by a permanent commitment from the hidden System: Forge the skill [Sonic Disruptor] using 10,000 units of residual sonic energy.
Damon Blackwood, leaning against his transport, gave Kenji a disgusted look. "You're late. Your hour's up. And you reek of scrap magic. What did you even find in there, a pebble?"
"Just what I needed, Blackwood," Kenji said, walking past him. "Access. Thanks for the help."
Damon's face twisted. "Don't mistake my compliance for charity. This is a one-time thing. Next time, I'll have my Obsidian Guards flatten you and sweep up your dust myself."
Kenji ignored the threat. He returned to Finnian's shop.
"So, you lived," Finnian greeted him, tossing a greasy rag at him. "And you smell… cleaner. You stabilized the core. Good. Now, what's the cost?"
Kenji explained the 10,000 units of sonic energy requirement. Finnian laughed—a dry, hacking sound.
"Ten thousand? That's months of work, boy. You'd have to sit on an active sonic emitter and let it fail on you a thousand times. You're a Rank 2 Fledgling. You'll be too slow."
"Then I need faster access," Kenji insisted. "Where are the D-Hs (Dungeon-Hunts) known for heavy sonic attacks? Maybe old military testing zones?"
Finnian finally cracked a small, cryptic smile. "There's one place the city forgets. The old Transit Tunnels—abandoned when the System Gates took over. They used high-frequency sound to deter burrowing beasts. The tunnels still hum. It's a Rank C D-H, but the creatures there are volatile."
The Transit Tunnels were dark, narrow, and infested with 'Shriekers'—bat-like monsters that attacked with concentrated sound waves. It was exactly what Kenji needed.
Kenji bought cheap sonic dampeners and contacted the only other Fledgling he knew who could move fast: Mateo "Rio" Rodriguez.