The deeper tunnels were a disorienting maze, colder and more dilapidated than the relatively maintained main sewer lines near the junction. Water dripped incessantly, forming stagnant pools that reflected no light. Mutated fungi clung to the walls in grotesque, phosphorescent clumps, casting an eerie, unreliable glow that did little to dispel the oppressive darkness. Rhys's Echo Sense, hampered by the dense decay and tangled wreckage, felt like navigating through fog.
They found temporary shelter in a collapsed pumping station substation, a small chamber relatively free of dripping water, protected by thick, rusted metal walls. Boulder secured the single entrance, jamming his pry bar strategically against the warped doorframe. Exhaustion weighed heavily on both of them. The adrenaline of the escape had faded, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness and the cold reality of their situation.
Their carefully chosen hideout, the source of clean Aether vital for Rhys's progress, was now under the hostile watch of Corbin's gang. Returning was possible, perhaps, with extreme stealth and risk, but sustained practice there was out of the question.
Rhys sat on the grimy floor, leaning against the cold metal wall, reviewing their options. His internal monologue was a ruthless assessment of their weaknesses.
Problem 1: Security. Compromised hideout. Increased threat from Corbin. Lingering background threat from Crimson Hand and unknown watchers.
Problem 2: Cultivation. Access to the clean Aether source restricted. Progress stalled without it. Water Attunement incomplete. No offensive capability.
Problem 3: Physical Limitation. His own body. Even the refined Aether circulation put a strain on him. The brief Water Attunement had left him chilled and slightly shaky. Kaelen's initial exercises had helped, but Rhys instinctively knew his physical vessel was a bottleneck. Trying more advanced Weaving or Attunement without strengthening his body felt like pouring water into a cracked cup.
The conclusion was unavoidable. He needed Master Kaelen. Not just for advice, but for the next stage of body refinement techniques. Kaelen had hinted at methods that worked in synergy with energy cultivation, strengthening the meridians and organs to withstand greater power.
"We have to go back up," Rhys said aloud, breaking the silence. "To Kaelen."
Boulder, who had been methodically checking their meager supplies, looked up. He didn't question the decision, only the logistics. "Surface is hot. Hand patrols were increasing near the forge district last time."
"I know," Rhys acknowledged. "We'll have to be smarter. Different route. Avoid the Undermarket approaches entirely. Stick to the industrial ruins, the old factory conduits. More difficult terrain, fewer patrols." He paused, thinking. "And we need something to trade. Kaelen doesn't work for free, especially not now."
Their supplies were dwindling. They had little of monetary value. Scavenged components, some tools, the datapad, the shard, the slate – none of which Rhys was willing to part with, especially not the Aetherium artifacts.
His mind went back to the sewer junction, his Echo Sense mapping its features. While practicing, his heightened sensitivity had noticed subtle variations not just in the Aether, but in the physical materials. Near the base of the main dripping stones, embedded deep where the water pooled most intensely, he'd detected a faint, unusual metallic resonance. Not the common rust and iron of the pipes, but something denser, purer, resisting the constant flow of water and Aether in a peculiar way. At the time, he'd dismissed it as irrelevant to his Aether practice. Now, it seemed like a potential lifeline.
"There might be something," Rhys said slowly, visualizing the location. "Back at the junction. A metallic deposit. Small, probably, deep in the stone near the pool. My Echo Sense picked up an unusual signature. Dense, resonant. Might be one of the rare alloys Kaelen looks for."
Boulder raised an eyebrow. "Going back there? After they found the alcove?"
"Not into the alcove. Just near the source," Rhys clarified. "Quickly. In and out. Use the chaos of the effluent flow cycles to mask our approach. If we time it right, get low, use the water noise… it's risky, but it's the only valuable thing I can think of that we might be able to retrieve without extensive scavenging."
It was a gamble. Returning to a known hostile area, even briefly, went against every cautious instinct Rhys possessed. But Kaelen's help felt essential, a necessary step to break through his current limitations. Without a stronger body, his Aetherium Weaving potential would remain stunted, leaving them vulnerable. And without something valuable to trade, Kaelen wouldn't offer the knowledge Rhys desperately needed.
He looked at Boulder, seeing the unspoken concerns but also the familiar, steady resolve. "It's the best bad option we have," Rhys stated.
Boulder gave a single, decisive nod. "When?"
"Next drainage cycle peak," Rhys decided. The roar of flushing water from the levels above would provide the best cover. "We rest now, conserve energy. Then we move."
He closed his eyes, not to meditate, but to meticulously plan their route back towards the junction, visualizing every turn, every potential hiding spot, every escape path. He focused his Echo Sense outward again, probing the immediate surroundings of their temporary shelter, ensuring they remained undisturbed. The price of tempering his body, it seemed, was another descent into immediate danger. The path forward required him to risk everything, again.