Under Elara's cold, demanding supervision, the grinding became efficient, though infinitely more stressful.
Elara's job was to kill the Shriekers quickly and cleanly using ice shards, and then immediately contain the resulting sonic residue within a small, spherical ice shell. Kenji's job was to rush forward, pierce the shell, and absorb the concentrated sonic Scrap before the ice dissolved the energy.
This method increased the intake of residual sonic energy tenfold.
Shrieker Kill Log: Residual Sonic Energy absorbed: +100 units.
Total Sonic Energy: 3,450 / 10,000.
"Faster, Tanaka! That shell won't last another second!" Elara barked as Kenji struggled to draw the energy.
"It's too dense!" Kenji gasped.
Mateo, using his speed to scout and secure their flanks, whistled. "Dude, you two are like ice and fire. Intense, but you get results."
Days blurred into nights. Kenji pushed his Scrapsmith core to its limit, experiencing minor breakthroughs in control. He realized the quality of the scrap mattered as much as the quantity. Elara's precise method delivered clean sonic energy.
Total Sonic Energy: 9,875 / 10,000.
They cornered the Shrieker King, a massive, deafening monster that let out a prolonged, destructive sonic scream that shattered Elara's stabilizing ice field.
"This is it!" Elara yelled, forming a giant ice lance. "Final push!"
Kenji knew that if he absorbed the King's death Scrap cleanly, it would push him past the requirement. But he also knew the sonic shockwave was too strong for him to approach safely.
"Rio, run a perimeter burst! Elara, focus the ice on the King's neck, leave the chest free!" Kenji ordered.
Elara hesitated at taking an order from a Rank 2, but the urgency in his voice was compelling. She struck true, immobilizing the beast. Mateo unleashed a perimeter burst, confining the subsequent sonic residue to a tight, roaring bubble.
Elara stepped back, wary of the fallout. Kenji rushed into the sonic sphere and plunged his hands into the monster's dying body, absorbing every last unit of its power.
[SONIC GRIND QUEST COMPLETE]
[TOTAL SONIC ENERGY: 10,120 / 10,000]
The core glowed fiercely. The concentrated sonic energy, guided by the blueprint of the Echo of Resonance, coalesced into a sharp, crystalline node.
[SKILL FORGING SUCCESSFUL]
NEW PERMANENT SKILL ACQUIRED: [Fledgling Skill: Sonic Disruptor]