Mateo, a Rank 4 Adept with the Sonic Burst power, was already waiting at the Tunnel entrance, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
"Kenji! Man, I heard you ranked up! Level 2! From a literal D-Rank zero! That's insane, but let's be real—you still hit like a wet noodle. Why the sound dungeon?"
"I need the residue, Rio. Every Shrieker kill is residual sonic energy for my first permanent skill," Kenji explained, tightening his dampener harness. "You run interference, keep them off me, and I collect the Scraps. I'll pay you 30% of the Ember drops."
"Thirty percent for babysitting a Scrapsmith? Deal! Let's get loud!"
They descended. The first wave of Shriekers hit them in a claustrophobic tunnel. The creatures emitted sharp, concentrated sound bursts that rattled Kenji's bones even through the dampeners.
Shrieker Damage Log: Residual Sonic Energy absorbed: +10 units.
"Only ten? This is going to take forever!" Kenji yelled over the ringing in his ears.
Mateo deployed his power. [Sonic Burst: Rapid Movement]. He blurred across the walls, his impact creating small, controlled sonic waves that disoriented the Shriekers without killing them.
"Distraction duty is a go! Get your scrap!" Mateo shouted.
As Kenji focused on drawing the faint sonic residue from the air after each blast, a new, massive Shrieker burst from the ceiling, releasing a devastating, focused sound cone aimed directly at Mateo.
Mateo was too fast to catch, but the blast was so powerful it would rip the concrete right out of the ceiling, causing a collapse.
Before Kenji could even react, a flash of brilliant, crystal-blue light erupted down the tunnel.
[Frost Weaver: Crystalline Wall!]
A massive, eight-foot-thick wall of solid, shimmering ice slammed into the path of the sonic cone, absorbing the blast and cracking violently. The sudden introduction of high-rank power shook the tunnel.
Elara Volkov, the Rank 6 Elite Frost Weaver, strode into the tunnel, her face set in a furious scowl.
"What in the blazes are two low-ranked fools doing in a volatile C-Rank zone with an improperly stabilized power profile?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the ringing sound.