Chaos' Heir
Chapter 1340: Training

Chapter 1340: Training

The party ended, and days passed. More ships landed on the unnamed planet, both Niqols and humans, expanding the by now mixed camp, delivering supplies, additional necessary resources, and specialized teams.

The general atmosphere improved by the day. The two species remained relatively separated, both in locations and interactions, but proper communication channels formed, establishing a superficial level of cooperation despite the Elders’ still-lack of decision on Khan’s offer.

That delay was unavoidable. Joining a war wasn’t a decision the Elders could make lightly, especially at the side of the source of the Niqols’ current predicament.

Also, the footage contained details too shocking to study in mere days. The Niqols’ whole understanding of the universe and the mana was about to change, and that required time.

Nevertheless, the Niqols didn’t let that delay stop them from becoming friendlier with Khan and his forces. Liiza’s occasional trips through the camp with Yeza also did much to improve those relationships, creating a superficial but undeniable alliance.

As for Khan, he often joined Liiza in those trips through the camp. Obviously, he spent time with his wife and daughter in private, too, but those public appearances allowed him to catch up with Doku and improve his image with the Niqols, so he happily tagged along.

Khan also visited Snow often, both with his family and alone. The Aduns would probably suffer in the unnamed planet’s atmosphere, so Khan had to go to it to make those meetings happen.

Still, Khan also added another habit to that routine, something that he had always done alone, quite far away from the camp and anyone or anything he could hurt or destroy.

The battle against the two alien scouts had expanded Khan’s element, but he had to explore and familiarize himself with it to turn that new power into actual, meaningful applications.

The task was more necessary than ever now. Many species would mimic the Elders’ decision not to deploy their best assets on the battlefield. The first stages of that war would see most allies holding back to minimize their potential losses, forcing Khan and a few others to face its full might.

The probable inability of those few forces to deal with the True Chaos worsened that already terrible picture. Khan had no control over those factors yet, so he focused on the only thing he knew could make a difference.

Khan could fight the Scarlet Eyes on an even field, so he had to get as strong as possible before the unavoidable war.

However, even after a week had passed, Khan didn’t achieve meaningful results. He felt able to do anything he put his mind to, but that demanded creativity to translate into proper abilities, which required introspection.

Therefore, Khan often ended up in the exact state he currently was. An immense amount of mana rested under his skin due to the just-finished training session with the [Blood Vortex], which his body quickly absorbed while he hovered cross-legged above the mess of grey grooves and dunes of his own creation.

Khan had his eyes closed, immersed in his meditative state. Yet, the process had little to do with the mana absorption. That practice had long since become instinctive for him, giving his mind plenty of room to explore other, often challenging, topics.

‘Flow,’ Khan thought, trying to experience what that word caused in his mana, brain, and subconscious.

The ability to do everything didn’t necessarily imply that Khan should pursue things randomly. His freedom could show its true power only as long as he did what he truly wanted, and his perspective was quite limited when he applied that to battles.

Also, a focused, specialized power was stronger than a broader but shallower set of abilities. Khan had reached that very conclusion in Zedekiel, and his performance until now had vouched for its correctness.

‘But now,’ Khan considered, ‘I have the chance to be vast and specialized. I don’t have a limit, but I should follow personal inclinations.’

Khan had just started being selfish, so the brainstorming was proving itself incredibly difficult. He didn’t even want to copy others too much, but that sounded like the inevitable and necessary starting point.

Luckily, Khan wouldn’t have to face that process alone.

Khan’s training sessions had been solitary during that week, but that day was bound to be different. A cold presence Khan had sensed even before it touched his perception’s edge neared his position, climbing through the air until her hand landed on his shoulder.

Khan opened his eyes and looked up, welcoming the simple greeting kiss that landed on his lips. Liiza then supported herself on his floating figure, sitting sideways on his crossed legs to hover without the need for her ice.

“[Yeza]?” Khan asked.

“[With Zaza],” Liiza replied, yawning as she lay her head on Khan’s shoulder. “[I didn’t remember her being such a loving nanny with me].”

“[Our daughter is very cute],” Khan pointed out.

“[She truly is],” Liiza agreed, her cold lips broadening into a smile on Khan’s skin. “[Did you make any progress]?”

“[Not like I would have wanted to],” Khan revealed, his figure slowly descending through the air until his butt landed on the messy grey desert.

Khan wrapped an arm around Liiza’s waist while the other went for the grey sand. He pointed his finger at it, immersing it in the brittle ground, and his influence unleashed unmissable effects.

The sand’s metallic grains shook. The area’s surface and underground layers trembled slightly as something affected the very nature of their existence.

Occasional explosions unfolded, lifting trails of sand that hung in the air, but something far more eye-catching followed. The environment gradually changed color, losing its greyness to become purple-red.

That was the same technique Khan had used to kill the two alien scouts. It was a different and more personal iteration of the Great Old One’s ability, making it more intrusive but limited to a smaller area.

Of course, the technique didn’t only involve a change of shades. The formerly grey sand now echoed Khan’s aura, ready to be employed by whatever spell or ability he decided to summon.

“[This is rather easy at this point],” Khan announced, lifting his free hand, waving it up and down, only for the now-purple-red sand to imitate his gesture, trembling according to that rhythmical motion. “[The problem is what comes next].”

Khan turned his palm upward, and purple-red sparks gathered inside it, filling the area with their raging thundering noises. Their appearance influenced the affected sand, making it shake violently, seemingly ready to detonate and unleash its energy.

That already was a complete spell with unfathomable power. The two alien scouts could vouch for that. However, Khan couldn’t think of alternative applications that might share the same might.

“[You developed out of necessity your whole life],” Liiza commented, opening her eyes to reach for the still-raging sparks in Khan’s palm. “[You never chased after your enjoyment or inclinations].”

Liiza’s fingers moved up and down, playing with the sparks without suffering any injury or experiencing any discomfort.

“[Even when you thought you were following your nature],” Liiza continued. “[Your curse mislead you, limiting the scope of your element].”

Liiza retracted her hand, only to leave it hovering before Khan’s face.

“[Understanding must come from inside and outside],” Liiza explained, summoning her mana to create an ice crystal on her palm. “[You understand the mana, the outside, but you were never given a chance of understanding yourself, the inside].”

The ice crystal whitened, growing brighter and purer, lowering the surrounding temperature while spreading Liiza’s influence in the environment.

“[You were also too hurt and stubborn to realize what you had lost],” Liiza reminded, hiding a rebuke inside her teachings.

Khan smirked but focused on the bright ice crystals. Its white light started freezing the symphony, even applying more profound effects. The area’s natural mana didn’t just stop on a superficial level. Its very functions seemed to come to a halt.

“[I am of ice],” Liiza declared. “[This element is known to the mana, but my version extents further, affecting time, life, and even death].”

Liiza let her influence spread a bit longer before closing her hand into a fist, dispersing her mana and the white light it radiated. Meanwhile, her glowing eyes went on Khan’s face, preparing him for her following question.

“[This is my inclination and nature],” Liiza stated. “[What’s yours]?”

“[You know I thought I had found it],” Khan sighed, diverting his gaze. “[I had even learned to express its culmination. I don’t know how to progress from there. Progress or expand].”

“[Then, go back],” Liiza suggested. “[Rediscover the foundation].”

Liiza reached for Khan’s hand again, but forcefully grabbed his wrist that time. His sparks were still raging, but their loud thundering couldn’t dampen her following words.

“[Don’t abandon your culmination],” Liiza said. “[Use it to rediscover yourself].”

Khan glanced at Liiza, but his eyes immediately went to his sparks. He didn’t get any new idea, but knew something simpler than his sparks and how to generate it through them.

Liiza didn’t soften her grip but let Khan twist his wrist. He pointed his hand forward, his fingers taking the shape of claws.

The sparks at the center of Khan’s palm split, crackling toward his fingertips to rage with newfound intensity once they reached their destination. Still, nothing exploded outward.

Instead, the sparks sent their energy toward each other, creating tiny lightning bolts that connected Khan’s fingers. That crackling spiderweb generated a bright node in his palm’s center, which brightened until something finally emerged.

Then, a massive, blinding purple-red beam flew forward, obliterating anything it touched, digging a gargantuan groove that seemed to stretch to the very horizon.