Khan ended up spending the whole night immersed in his meditative state. He wanted to make sure that his new mana didn't cause any adverse repercussions, and he also felt interested in the properties of that energy.
The red-purple mana was aggressive, but Khan found it easier to control it. The connection with his energy felt deeper and rooted in his instincts, but that wasn't always a good thing.
Forcing the mana to act was easy. Khan barely needed to think about specific actions to activate it. Meditating, deploying the sharp membrane, and moving the energy across his body felt smooth and natural like never before.
However, the problems arrived when Khan needed to interrupt those actions. His mana didn't want to stop once obtaining a purpose. It ignored his orders and forced him to focus the entirety of his concentration on halting eventual effects. He even failed in the process completely at times.
That behavior was in line with what Khan experienced during battles or chaotic situations. He could finally explain the source behind the special mindset unlocked on Nitis. His mana preferred instinctive actions that showed no hesitation, which was exactly what he did on the battlefields.
Khan didn't initially intend to be awake all night, but he lost track of time during his study and meditative state. He didn't like that lack of complete control over his energy, but he had to admit that it felt good to let go. Part of him rejoiced to experience the aggressive nature of his mana, and his injuries also benefited from it.
His hand needed far more than a single training session to heal, but his other injuries healed faster than before. He could sense the exhaustion accumulated during the escape vanishing under the influence of the aura inside his body. New skin also replaced the burns and holes caused by the bullets.
After spending a whole night in that state, Khan felt to understand what Liiza had meant when she described the chaos element. Suppressing it went against its nature. He could apply that theory to his meditations, martial arts, and spell since they showed stronger effects when he abandoned every restraint.
That felt amazing, except when it came to the Wave spell. The spherical attack would create problems on a battlefield featuring allies or precious equipment. Even his weapons and clothes didn't seem immune to its destructive power.
Most of those worries and doubts remained in the back of Khan's mind. A single night wasn't enough to uncover all the secrets behind his new mana, and he lacked the knowledge to find answers. Still, he confirmed that it was dangerous for him to fight among allies before learning everything about his power.
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Khan didn't notice the arrival of the morning, but he snapped out of his intense study when he heard faint steps resounding behind the walls of the reinforced room. The familiar presence also moved directly toward him, so he interrupted his training right before the metal door slid open.
"You are impossible," Delia commented in a sleepy tone while scratching the sides of her eyes.
"I lost track of the passage of time," Khan explained before adding a tease, "And my bed was taken."
"You could have joined me," Delia giggled before a yawn interrupted her gesture.
"You must really like teasing me," Khan joked before standing up.
"I usually am into older men, so be proud of yourself," Delia revealed while approaching Khan and taking his left arm. "Let me see."
"The Doc will probably scold me if you undo her bandages," Khan complained without stopping Delia.
"Then get scolded," Delia replied before undoing the knots and slowly revealing the skin under the bandages.
Khan could also see the state of his injuries in that situation. The burns had mostly disappeared, but red spots had remained where the bullets had landed.
"I think the bandages are useless now," Delia commented while moving her fingers over his back and stopping when she reached the tattoo. "You did this for her, right?"
"It was part of a test," Khan explained. "Her nanny didn't really like humans, and she was important to her."
"You are incredible," Delia sighed before wrapping her arms around his neck and placing her head on his nape. "You didn't deserve this."
"I know," Khan whispered. "At least I did my best."
Delia's warm breath fell on his neck rhythmically and made Khan lose himself in those sensations. It felt good to be with someone, even if that relationship didn't involve deep emotions.
The Niqols' approach told Khan to let go of his restraints and accept Delia, but it also forced him to experience his pain on a deeper level. The desperation that filled his mind didn't help there either, so he decided to enjoy that interaction without pushing it forward.
A slightly wet sensation eventually spread from his neck and interrupted his thoughts. Delia left a loud kiss before chuckling and teasing him again. "I would have definitely managed to kiss you properly. You shouldn't lower your guard so easily."
"Why didn't you do it then?" Khan asked as Delia broke the embrace.
"Because it would have probably hurt you now," Delia responded while wearing a smirk.
"I guess maturity really arrives once you get older," Khan joked before approaching the exit.
"Hey, who did you call old?" Delia scoffed, but she eventually smiled when she heard Khan's laugh. She had managed to lift his mood, and that was enough for now.
Khan's habitation had new uniforms ready for him, but he couldn't wear them with the metallic structure on his right hand. He limited himself to changing his trousers before leaving his house with Delia to find something to eat.
It was early in the morning, and the camp was completely silent. The only sound that reached Khan's ears came from the familiar figure sitting next to the entrance of his habitation. Rick was snoring loudly, but he woke up as soon as Khan kicked him softly.
"Sir!" Rick shouted when he noticed Khan and Delia staring at him.
"What did I tell you about this "sir" stuff?" Khan scolded.
"My apologies!" Rick shouted again before straightening his position to perform a military salute.
"What did I tell you about your voice?" Khan scolded again.
"I'm sorry," Rick whispered while lowering his head in shame.
"How long have you been here?" Khan asked. "I would have let you in if I knew you were here."
"I didn't want to disturb you," Rick timidly replied while moving his eyes between Khan and Delia.
"It's not how it loo-," Khan began to explain, but Delia interrupted him before he could finish his line.
"It's exactly how it looks like," Delia declared while placing her head on Khan's shoulder and taking his left arm in her embrace. "You can also tell everyone if you want. Actually, please tell everyone."
Rick appeared embarrassed by that bold declaration. He even blushed a bit, and Khan could only shake his head before glaring at Delia. She limited herself to laugh and let go of him after squeezing his arm one last time.
"Why did you come here anyway?" Khan asked. "I thought I had to contact you, and it's way too early even for a guide."
Rick suddenly raised his head as he recalled the purpose of his visit. He reached for his pocket and took out a phone that was slightly different from those used by the other soldiers. It remained nothing more than a screen, but it had a darker color.
"I had to deliver this," Rick explained while handing the phone to Khan. "HQ sent a replacement suitable for your element."
Khan noticed that the phone was heavier than his previous device. It also felt sturdier, but he didn't try to confirm that. The screen activated as soon as his thumb touched the screen, and a welcome message that featured his name quickly appeared.
'Genetic signature acknowledged,' Khan read on the phone. 'Welcome back, Khan. Do you want to download the contents of your previous device?'
Khan pressed on the "yes" label, and a loading bar immediately replaced the previous menu. The process wasn't slow, but it would take a few minutes to end, so he stored the device in his pocket for now.
"Is there a canteen here?" Khan asked as his stomach started to torture him.
"I will lead you there immediately!" Rick shouted before covering his mouth with his hands.
"Just go," Khan sighed, and Delia laughed when she saw Rick shooting toward a seemingly random direction to escape that awkward situation.
Khan and Delia followed Rick toward the center of the second quadrant, where they found a relatively small building with interactive surfaces. The structure was nothing more than a black cube placed next to a series of metal tables and benches.
The menus on the interactive surfaces showed a series of plates that all the soldiers could select. Rick even explained how the structure never stopped working, so ordering food even deep into the night was possible. Only the types of meals changed depending on the hour.
Khan could only rejoice at that news. The night spent meditating had left him famished, so he didn't hesitate to order multiple plates right away. He couldn't use his right hand, so Delia and Rick had to help him carry the trays that came out of the cube whenever drawers opened on its smooth surface.
The food wasn't great, but Khan was nowhere near picky. Delia and Rick almost couldn't believe that he could eat so much so quickly, but they refrained from pointing that out.
The meal allowed Khan to learn more about Rick. It turned out that the soldier came from a good family with high standards, but his nature didn't suit battles. His parents had sent him on Ecoruta in the hope that the experience would have forced him to mature, but none of his superiors had found him ready for the battlefield until then.
Khan lost interest in Rick when his new phone completed the download. He could confirm that everything was in its place, including the training programs that had required external magical items to become part of his device. He didn't know how the Global Army had accomplished that, but he didn't bother thinking about it.
Khan initially intended to explore the books stolen from Lieutenant Pouille's device, but a message appeared on his screen before he could start searching for answers to his condition. Captain Clayman had sent him a list of possible rewards.
"Hey, help me out," Khan said while elbowing Delia's side softly.
"What is thi-," Delia said while bending toward Khan, but a long ooh replaced the end of his question when her eyes fell on the list.
"Ignore the synthetic mana," Khan added.
"Why is that?" Delia asked. "That's a lot even for wealthy families."
"Just do as I say," Khan uttered before whispering an honest "please".
The list had many labels, and Captain Clayman didn't specify how many Khan could pick. He could read the names of many books that involved knowledge about mana, mana cores, and uses of that energy. Instead, others revolved around historical records about past famous experts or general descriptions of the known alien species.
The amount of knowledge available to Khan was immense, and he couldn't wait to get his hands on it, but the techniques described on the list soon claimed the entirety of his attention. He could see training programs for two spells and abilities that used mana without requiring a specific element.
"I still think the synthetic mana is perfect for your current situation," Delia commented. "You are already strong. Adding other techniques might make you weaker until you manage to add them to your fighting style."
"Delia," Khan said in a scolding tone.
"If you really don't want what probably is the best resource available to soldiers at our level," Delia exclaimed, "You should just pick everything else. I still think you won't get the chance to use these techniques, except for these mental ones.. This "enhanced reading" is good to study, and the "simulated mental battle" should suit someone as thick-headed as you."
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