Khan didn't sleep much. His bed was perfect, and the flat was dead silent, but his eyes opened before dawn, and his brain didn't let him close them anymore.
The awakening ended up being quite messy. Khan jumped off the bed and placed his back on a wall while crouching his body to enter one of the few defensive guards described in the Lightning-demon style. The mess of his flat had startled him, and it took him some seconds to realize that no danger would come out of the corridor.
Khan felt slightly lost when his arms lowered. He wasn't on Istrone anymore, but his mind still felt battle-ready. His senses were alert, and the slight change in his vision could make him trigger the fighting instincts built inside the jungle.
More sweat than usual covered his body. Khan had gone from his usual nightmare to a battle stance, and his skin had reacted accordingly. Even his breath seemed about to grow ragged, but his resilience didn't allow his lungs to end up out of air.
'I'm really back,' Khan sighed when he managed to calm down.
It felt strange to be back inside the training camp. Khan had spent two weeks developing survival instincts and being alert for twenty-six hours straight every day, but he needed to forget those habits now. Still, he didn't know how easy that process would be.
The emptiness reappeared when he recalled everything that had happened. That emotion filled his mind and made him desire to go back to bed, but his body acted before he could even think about remaining still.
The bunk beds were lying on the ground together with other pieces of furniture. The walls of his bedroom featured some caved-in spots, and shards of wood and metal filled the floor. Khan started to sort everything out once he calmed down, and his flat regained some order after a few minutes.
Khan grabbed his phone and browsed through the menus at that point. He didn't have the right tool to clean everything, so he wanted to check where to get them. Yet, he soon noticed that most of the services that had required Credits in the past were now free.
'I guess the army wants to make it easy for us,' Khan concluded before tapping a few digital buttons to activate a few services.
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The door of his flat soon opened on its own, and a cubical cleaning robot entered the corridor before scanning the whole area. Its mechanical voice announced every item that needed replacements and damage that the bedroom had suffered, but its questions managed to surprise Khan.
"Fixing the walls will require time," The robot announced. "Do you wish to change flat?"
Khan scratched the side of his head at those words. The Global Army would normally make him pay for the damages, but the robot didn't even mention Credits. It was clear that he was receiving special treatment after Istrone's event.
"It's fine," Khan eventually replied. "I only need the floor clean."
The robot beeped a few times before proceeding with its task. Khan could take a shower and wear clean clothes during the process, and he noticed that the moving cube had left by the time he was over.
The robot didn't limit itself to remove the shards of metal and wood from the floor. It also replaced the sheets and pillows on each bed, cleaned the corridor, and did laundry. Khan couldn't believe that it had done everything during his short shower, but he could only accept it as another special treatment after his feats.
Another robot entered the flat at that point. The machine brought a lunch box inside and left it on the bedside table before leaving in a hurry. Khan had ordered the best available breakfast since he was at it, but he didn't expect the army to deliver it so soon.
A complete breakfast that featured sweets, snacks, cereals, and other delicious meals unfolded in Khan's eyes when he lifted the lid of the lunch box. That sight would have normally made him drool in hunger, but he maintained his composure now.
Khan soon noticed that he couldn't fully appreciate the delicious tastes and appealing scents that filled his mouth and nose during the meal. He could sense them in their entirety, but no happiness spread inside him when eating them.
The emptiness inside Khan devoured everything. It didn't let him enjoy the best meal of his life, and he could only heave a helpless sigh when he finished eating. It would take him some time to relearn how to appreciate those small things, but he didn't know if his plans would allow him to do so.
Khan performed his usual meditation and morning exercises out of habit. He didn't even need to think about them to sit on his bed and start training.
The Global Army didn't give him a new schedule for the lessons and didn't notify him about special events, so he had the entire day for himself. He would have usually spent it inside the prisons of the camp before, but his return on Earth compelled him to attend more important matters.
Khan checked the list of professors on the phone and requested an appointment with Linda Norwell. He expected the network to require a few hours to plan the matter, but a notification reached his device mere minutes after filling the digital form.
His phone announced that he could find Professor Norwell in one of the basements under the canteen. The device didn't even set precise hours for the event. It only stressed to attend the meeting before the arrival of the curfew.
Khan didn't waste time and exited his flat. The soldiers guarding the entrance of the dormitory followed his figure with their eyes when they saw him departing toward the lessons building. They appeared conflicted and sad, but they didn't say anything.
Khan walked slowly. He could reach his destination in less than half an hour, but the emptiness of the training camp felt quite overwhelming. The streets devoid of recruits were a constant reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded on Istrone, and it inevitably brought tragic memories to his mind.
The faces of his victims would flash in his vision whenever he blinked. Khan didn't feel able to appreciate the newfound peace around him. That silence came from death, and the safety of the training camp appeared fake after his time in the jungle.
Khan had learnt to treat the training camp as his new home in the last six months, but that feeling wasn't inside him anymore. He saw clean streets, well-kept lawns, and comfortable benches, but they seemed to express a fake idea. They failed to convince him that peace existed after everything that he had gone through.
The main structure of the camp eventually unfolded in his vision, and Khan didn't hesitate to walk toward the basement. He met Professor Conche on his way, but the latter only revealed a surprised expression at his sight.
Khan found Professor Norwell inside the basement that the recruits had used in the last six months. She was sitting at the edges of the platform with a fuming cigarette in her mouth, and her gaze seemed lost when she inspected the large empty hall.
"I thought you would have taken a few days of complete rest," Professor Norwell exclaimed when Khan entered the basement. "It's not wise to make decisions right after what you've been through."
"I can't stay in my flat for too long," Khan revealed.
"I bet it must be suffocating," Professor Norwell announced. "These crises are unusual on allied planets, but I've seen soldiers coming back from the frontlines. What you are experiencing is completely normal."
"I know," Khan replied. "This isn't my first time."
Professor Norwell seemed about to say something, but she decided to remain silent. She was aware of Khan's background. He had experienced far more tragedies than her in less than seventeen years. Her words would be nothing more than noise in his ears.
Khan entered the hall and noticed that a few menus lit up whenever he stepped on the black floor. The basement was active, and it showed many programs that even the training area on Onia didn't allow him to pick.
"You have complete clearance on most services in the training camp," Professor Norwell explained. "They are free for you and the other survivors. You can use them while the higher-ups decide what to do for the rest of the year."
Khan nodded while browsing through the various menus. That training hall didn't have puppets at its disposal, but a map of the camp opened on the floor and marked the buildings that could offer that service.
The Global Army was even allowing him to train with puppets that used mana. The programs were relatively simple, but they were something useful nonetheless.
"I'm sure you are here to talk about your rewards," Professor Norwell exclaimed after Khan had remained silent for a few minutes. "Captain Godman has told me to satisfy all your requests, but I suggest you don't name anything too unreasonable. Pick something that suits your efforts on Istrone without going overboard."
"Can I pick two things?" Khan asked without raising his eyes from the floor.
"Of course," Professor Norwell replied. "Still, as I said, bleeding the army out now will only turn you into a greedy hero in the higher-ups' eyes. Try to avoid asking for too many injections of synthetic mana."
"I don't want synthetic mana," Khan revealed while lifting his head and walking toward the Professor.
The announcement surprised Professor Norwell. After all, the best that recruits in Khan's situation could ask for involved synthetic mana and cores. They were the most expensive resources available to them.
"What does the special training program include?" Khan asked before stopping right under Professor Norwell. "What benefits will I get if I decide to join it?"
"You will instantly have access to better martial arts," Professor Norwell explained as her eyes lit up. "The army will also do its best to find suitable training programs for your element. You will even gain the chance to complete a few missions and earn Credits."
"Is this special training program on Earth?" Khan asked.
"It will be for a while," Professor Norwell explained. "The army might deploy you to handle a few missions throughout the planet, but most of the training will happen here."
"That's not enough," Khan replied, and his words startled the Professor. "I don't want to remain on Earth."
Professor Norwell opened her mouth to speak, but she stopped when she realized how serious Khan was about the matter. He didn't feel attached to the training camp. That structure wasn't his home anymore.
"I'll see what I can do," Professor Norwell sighed. "I know that the army has training camps on some alien planets, but they are elite stuff. I don't know if I can get you inside with your merits."
"It doesn't have to be a prestigious location," Khan continued. "I just want the best training program that the army is willing to offer. I bet all of them are outside Earth."
Professor Norwell couldn't help but nod at his words. Gathering battle experience on other planets was the quickest way to improve. Earth was too safe and comfortable to offer the best training programs.
"Anything else?" Professor Norwell asked after taking out her phone and tapping a few buttons.
"I want a new martial art," Khan announced. "Something for my hands and suitable for the Lightning-demon style. I'd like it to feature weapons and have more than eighty points.
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