Chaos' Heir

853  Pirates

Luckily for Khan, Major General Arngan was the last arrival that demanded his presence. Alexander, Prince Thomas, Princess Rebecca, Abraham, and the other members of his inner circle could handle everyone else. Garret Bizelli joined the lab as promised, but Khan didn't show himself at his landing.

Other prominent figures flew through Baoway, but Khan ignored them, too. Only Lord Rsi or people with similar relevance could make him appear, but nothing close arrived on the planet, allowing him to focus on his training.

Khan's isolation didn't imply a lack of curiosity. He cared deeply about many aspects of the planet, especially those connected to his friends. However, he had his priorities straight. He knew everything he had built came from his superiority, so he had to hammer down that quality until no one could hope to match him.

Nevertheless, the prolonged secluded training didn't mean complete isolation. Khan had one particular visitor who often spent the night or entire days in those restricted areas, and her presence alleviated his steadily heavier mind.

Khan's chest felt hot as an intricate, bright rune hovered before his torso, siphoning mana into his body. His flesh greedily absorbed the energy, adding it to its packed collection. He should have reached his limit long ago, but his tissues always found room for more.

The issue didn't go unnoticed. That wasn't even the first time Khan had studied it. He knew his body didn't follow human rules or standards, but the changes had surpassed his expectations. The evaluation wasn't even a random thought. Khan had compared himself to others with a similar level and had discovered an immense gap in terms of limits.

All things considered, the matter made sense. Khan didn't only carry Nak's genes. He had also transformed through them, and that species was known for its unique relationship with mana. The Nak embodied that energy, so Khan's higher limits to its absorption were reasonable.

However, Khan couldn't help but consider the other influences on his training sessions. He had spent a long time with the blue plants, so his body had changed alongside his gradual growth. That process theoretically resembled the natural induction, which made Khan wonder whether his higher limits had something deeper behind them.

Sadly, nothing could confirm or deny Khan's idea. The evolution was a complicated topic that often differed from warrior to warrior. It wasn't a standard practice, and Khan's unique body broke its few rules. Even if scientists were to study him, they would only see a mutated being.

Those doubts didn't stop Khan from training as usual. He actually worked harder since his body allowed it and even devised methods to ignore variables. His current situation featured one, but his rune took care of it.

Khan was inside one of his usual caves, where humidity and slight cold filled the symphony. Yet, a different aura tainted that natural mana, adding strands with scorching and explosive features. Monica was sleeping on a makeshift bed near him, altering the area's environment.

That wouldn't usually be a problem, but Monica had recently received an infusion, making her aura reek of synthetic mana. That stench tainted the symphony, theoretically turning her presence into poison for Khan's training.

Still, Khan had long since modified the training rune, adding a filter that kept away those synthetic properties. He still couldn't train in a completely artificial environment, but fending off Monica's poisonous influence took no effort.

Khan absorbed and absorbed until he grew bored of the process. He dispersed the rune, entering the meditative state to fuse that new mana into his flesh. That procedure wasn't any better, but time flowed quickly during it, making it more bearable.

The foreign mana slowly fused with Khan's flesh, but he failed to notice notable changes. If his theory about natural induction were correct, the very nature of his tissues would change, but nothing similar happened. That should have confirmed his mistake, but his hunches kept that option open.

'What would it even transform into?' Khan wondered during the meditative state. 'Nothing I can think of has a solid form.'

The evolution pushed the body past complete attunement with mana, enhancing the nature obtained after years of training. Khan knew what he was. He was a walking calamity, so he couldn't picture a physical form different from what he already had.

'Will I transform into a storm?' Khan considered. 'Will I just explode?'

Khan excluded the aided metamorphosis, the third type of evolution, from his thoughts since he wanted to retain his accumulated knowledge, expertise, and power after the evolution. The chaos element also held the key to defeat the scarlet eyes, so throwing it away for a simpler path toward higher levels wasn't an option for him.

'The human knowledge is too limited,' Khan concluded.

The issue was still years away, but Khan didn't mind exploring it from time to time. He also felt compelled to do so due to the scarlet eyes' threat. He knew he couldn't jump directly into the evolution, but finding the right path would put him more at ease.

Khan eventually interrupted the meditative session, obviously without finding answers. He opened his eyes, checking his exposed torso and arms to search for notable changes. Nothing popped into his vision, making him sigh helplessly.

As always, Khan was being harsh on himself. An external observer would tremble in fear before his aura's sheer intensity. His body didn't change, but his presence gained weight each training session. His influence could dive into the rocks and shatter them with a single thought, but he barely saw it as an improvement.

When Khan lifted his gaze, the dark cave invaded his vision. He obviously didn't see blackness. Even without light sources, the world reflected in his eyes was full of colors and shades. Rivers of energy flowed through the air, and the rocky surfaces hid a fainter glow.

The cave also had another brighter light source, eventually attracting Khan's attention. Monica was still deep asleep, her snores occasionally echoing through the environment. Her infusion had gone well, especially with the supplement, and Khan had even checked her. Still, he couldn't help but recheck her.

Khan leaned toward Monica and placed a hand on her bare back. He closed his eyes, focusing on her mana flow and eventual hindrances. Nothing was off, so he moved to other matters.

The conversation with Major General Arngan still lingered in Khan's mind, pushing his thoughts toward dark topics. He tried to ignore them, opening his eyes and sliding his hand across Monica's back, eventually reaching her curls.

Khan carefully moved Monica's hair away, exposing her sleeping face. The sight made him smile, and his thumb instinctively touched her cheek, caressing it.

Monica purred under the caress, and her hand soon reached for Khan's wrist, pulling his palm under her face. She had stolen his arm during her sleep, turning it into a pillow.

Khan didn't hide his true face when he was with Monica, so a chuckle escaped his mouth. Monica's mana shook at the sound, and her eyes slowly opened, taking a while to realize where she was.

"Did I fall asleep?" Monica muttered.

"That was hours ago," Khan teased. "Now you stole my hand."

Monica glanced at the hand under her face before hugging it with both arms. She even wore a playful smile, knowing what it would earn her.

Khan played along, leaning toward her to approach her face. At first, she hid it, but the soft kisses that landed on her cheeks and neck slowly made her turn, exposing her lips for their usual greeting.

"Morning," Monica whispered when the kiss ended, letting go of Khan's hand only to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I think it's afternoon," Khan revealed. "Or night."

"How long did you even train?" Monica asked.

"Hard to say," Khan admitted, lowering his head to place his ear at the center of Monica's chest. Her strong heartbeat resounded through his brain, keeping the dark thoughts away.

"How did it go?" Monica asked, running her hands through Khan's hair. It had gotten long, and the prolonged isolation didn't help with his hygiene. Yet, that only implied a romantic trip to the nearby river.

"Same as usual," Khan responded. "No changes, not even minor."

"You'll figure it out," Monica reassured. "You always do."

"If my hunch is correct," Khan announced, "I can simply push past one hundred points and treat the evolution as normal training."

"How far are you from the fifth level?" Monica questioned.

"What was my attunement last time?" Khan asked.

"Eighty-six," Monica reminded.

"Probably still eighty-six then," Khan replied. "The higher I go, the slower it gets."

Monica didn't know how much she could believe Khan's evaluation. Khan didn't only underestimate himself on a daily basis. She had also grown used, even addicted, to sleeping in his arms. Monica could notice the slightest change and the current hug was no different.

"You are doing good," Monica reassured, knowing that different compliments would fall on deaf ears. "Everyone at the tournament will see that."

"Part of me already wants to skip it," Khan admitted, "And spend the entire time here with you."

"As appealing as the idea is," Monica giggled, "We have to be there. The Scalqa need their god, and humankind its king."

"I know," Khan sighed, rubbing his face on that familiar, soft skin.

"What is it, dear?" Monica asked, sensing that something was off.

"Have you ever thought about leaving?" Khan wondered. "Flying away and leaving all this mess behind?"

"Like what you threatened my mother of doing when she opposed us?" Monica questioned, smiling at that seemingly distant memory.

"Exactly like that," Khan confirmed. "We could be scavengers or pirates, flying from planet to planet and doing all sorts of stuff."

"I do have boots for the occasion," Monica pointed out. "I think you have yet to see them. You'll like them."

"Will I?" Khan asked.

"Of course!" Monica scoffed. "You'll love them, so try not to break them."

"How would I even break boots?" Khan wondered.

"I'm sure you'd find a way," Monica declared. "So, don't do it. You can do anything you want to me, but spare my clothes."

"I'll try," Khan chuckled. "So, no space pirates?"

Monica was the only person who could understand what was happening to Khan. She knew about his spiritual loneliness and scarlet eyes and also had first-row seats to the mounting political pressure on Khan. Heavy was the crown, and he planned to fit the entire universe inside it.

Ideally, Monica would grant Khan the free time and peace he needed. She would pay any price to remove his curse and sever his connections to that messy world. However, she knew Khan couldn't escape it, so she opted for support.

"Let's have a long holiday after the tournament," Monica suggested, "With as many destinations and dress-up plays as we want. Still, before that, humankind needs to see what I've always seen in you."

The answer saddened Khan, but he knew Monica was right. Truth be told, he wouldn't run away. Khan had become a leader, and the role's responsibilities had fused with his being.

"You are right," Khan uttered, lifting his head to climb toward Monica's. "You know, I couldn't do this without you."

"I obviously know," Monica pouted. "Why do you think I stuck around?"

Khan smirked, and Monica's pout transformed into a laugh, which a kiss suppressed. Luckily, the couple stole many of those moments in that period, but the much-awaited tournament eventually started.