The cold air pressed against Alex's skin as he and Elara walked through the narrow, crumbling hallways of the abandoned factory. The sound of their footsteps echoed faintly, mixing with the distant creaks of old metal and collapsing walls. They had been scavenging for hours, but the pickings were slim, and the ruins seemed to offer little more than rusted machinery and broken parts.
Elara moved ahead of him, methodical as ever, her sharp eyes scanning the ground for anything they might have missed. But Alex's thoughts were elsewhere. The energy techniques he had learned from the holo-display kept swirling in his mind—energy rotation, absorption, repair, and comprehension. He was eager to test them, to see how far they could take him, but he knew better than to rush. The techniques had their limits.
Elara stopped at a junction in the hallway, peering into a dark room filled with debris. "This place is picked clean," she muttered, clearly frustrated. "Not much left to scavenge."
Alex nodded but said nothing. He had other things on his mind. The power he now possessed gave him an advantage, but it came with its own restrictions. He couldn't just repair or enhance any device. Without materials or a thorough understanding of how a device worked, he was limited to small repairs, and even then, the energy drain was significant.
Still, he wanted to test his abilities. As they entered another large room, filled with half-buried machines and broken equipment, Alex spotted something that caught his eye—a power regulator, rusted but mostly intact. It was small enough that it might serve as a good test subject for his repair technique.
This might be the chance to test it, Alex thought. Let's see what I can do.
He crouched down beside the regulator, inspecting the damage. The casing was corroded, and parts of the circuitry were exposed, but overall, the machine seemed mostly intact. The only problem was that he didn't know how it worked, at least not in detail. And to use the energy repair technique effectively, he needed a deep understanding of the device. That was one of the biggest limitations of energy arts: you couldn't fix what you didn't fully understand.
AI, can you scan this? Alex asked silently, his fingers brushing against the cold metal. I need a full blueprint before I attempt a repair.
"Scanning device," the AI replied, its voice calm in his mind. "Power regulator of old-world design. Structural and functional integrity at 47%. Generating blueprint."
Alex waited, watching as the AI processed the scan. This was the edge he had over other energy users—most manipulators struggled to repair devices because they lacked the in-depth knowledge required to channel energy effectively. But Alex's AI allowed him to bypass that limitation. By scanning a device and generating a detailed blueprint, he could reduce the energy demand for repairs significantly, nearly halving the effort required.
"Blueprint complete," the AI said after a moment. "Device functionality mapped. You may proceed with the repair, though additional materials will be necessary for full restoration."
Alex nodded. He couldn't fix everything with just energy alone; he needed materials to replace the broken parts. Without them, the energy demand would skyrocket, and he wouldn't be able to maintain the repair. But for now, he could try fixing some of the minor damage—enough to see how much energy it would take.
Let's try a partial repair, Alex thought, focusing on the smaller components.
He placed his hands on the machine, feeling the cold metal beneath his palms. The AI's blueprint fed into his mind, giving him a detailed understanding of the regulator's inner workings. It was like seeing a map of the device in real time, allowing him to pinpoint exactly where the damage was and how to direct his energy.
"Channel energy into the damaged circuits," the AI instructed. "Minor repairs will require minimal energy, but full restoration is impossible without additional materials."
Alex took a deep breath, letting his energy flow through him. He could feel it move, a warm current running through his veins, guided by the AI's precise instructions. As the energy entered the regulator, he focused on the damaged circuits, repairing the smaller cracks and breaks first.
The regulator hummed softly, its gears shifting as some of the broken components began to reactivate. The lights on the machine flickered weakly, a faint sign of life returning to the device.
But the process was slow, and the energy demand was still significant, even with the AI's help. Alex could feel the drain on his body as his energy reserves were tapped, his muscles growing tense from the effort. The repair was working, but only on a small scale. Without materials to fill the gaps, the regulator would never be fully restored.
After a few minutes, the machine emitted a soft click, and Alex pulled his hands away, breathing heavily. He had repaired a few key components, but the regulator was still far from functional. The lights flickered one last time before fading out, and the machine fell silent.
It's not enough, Alex thought, his body heavy with exhaustion. I need materials… or more energy.
The AI chimed in, confirming his thoughts. "Repair progress minimal. Additional materials required to complete restoration. Energy reserves low."
Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling the weight of the effort. The AI had been invaluable in reducing the energy cost, but even with its help, he couldn't fully repair the machine without the right parts. Energy arts alone weren't enough. The deeper the damage, the more complex the repair—and the higher the energy cost.
"Alex, you alright?" Elara's voice cut through his thoughts.
He quickly stood up, masking his fatigue as he turned to face her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just… checking something."
Elara gave him a curious look but didn't press further. She glanced at the machine he had been working on, noticing the faint flicker of its lights. "You trying to fix that?"
"Just thought I'd see if it was salvageable," Alex said, trying to keep his tone casual. "But it's too far gone without proper parts."
Elara nodded, her expression hardening. "This place is a wreck. We're not going to find much more here. Let's meet up with Serena and Nia and get out of here."
Alex agreed, still feeling the lingering drain of energy as he gathered his things. He had learned something valuable today: without the right materials or a deeper understanding of a device's inner workings, his abilities were limited. The AI gave him an edge, allowing him to bypass much of the guesswork that plagued other energy manipulators, but even that couldn't make up for the lack of physical resources.
As they walked through the factory, heading toward where Serena and Nia were waiting, Alex couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and frustration. The potential of his abilities was immense, but the limitations were real. He would need to be smarter in future scavenging runs—collecting materials and absorbing energy wherever possible. And he would need to conserve his strength.
When they reached the others, Serena shook her head, her expression grim. "Nothing useful on our end. Just scraps."
Elara sighed, clearly frustrated. "Same here. Let's head back. We'll try again tomorrow."
As they left the factory and made their way through the crumbling streets of the Rust Quarter, Alex couldn't help but feel a sense of determination. He had barely scratched the surface of what was possible with his energy manipulation skills. But with the AI's help, he knew he could push those limits further—he just needed the right materials, the right devices, and enough energy to make it all work.
And next time, he would be ready.