Alright, so either I'm really unlucky, I'm doing something wrong, or there's something else to getting the strange ore for this quest. I've told the tentacled man that Hawk sent me (twice) and he told me to go to the damaged buildings, but I've spent many the energy there and have found absolutely nothing. I've been etheric most of the time except for when I don't realize the effect's run out, so I dunno.
Also I told tentacle man that Hawk sent me twice just in case I did something wrong the first time somehow, and the second time he went ahead and dissolved into the floor. Bad? >.>