Chapter 765 Truth
Multiple auras burst forward inside the hangar. Prince Richard's guards unleashed their mana to dash toward the barrier, but nothing could have prepared them for the following development.
Khan jumped after Prince Richard, joining him in space. The mana barrier closed behind him without the spell piercing it, but more energy leaked from Khan's body, enveloping him into a protective membrane.
Mana-enhanced bodies had higher tolerance levels across the board, but the open space remained uninhabitable. Techniques and spells could buy time, but prolonged exposure would always lead to the same result.
Prince Richard was no exception to that rule. He was a third-level warrior, granting him additional seconds of safety in that hostile environment. Yet, ice soon accumulated on his skin, forcing him to act.
As young and spoiled as the Prince was, the Nognes family had still provided him with a perfect education. Prince Richard had mastered the pilots' survival techniques, and the additional seconds granted by his enhanced body allowed him to concentrate and muster his mana.
A mana membrane slowly covered Prince Richard's body, dispersing the accumulating ice. However, before the barrier could reach his face, a palm slammed on his chest, dispersing his energy.
Prince Richard panicked, lifting his head to inspect the assailant. He had been so focused on surviving that he didn't even notice Khan. The latter had used the same pilots' techniques to reach the Prince and take care of his weak membrane.
Anger invaded Prince Richard's expression, but pure coldness met his glare. The face behind the reddish barrier showed no emotion. Khan looked at him as if he were nothing, but bigger problems quickly distracted him.
Prince Richard's face bloated as ice resumed accumulating on his body. His vision grew hazy as redness invaded his eyes. He was dying, but the hangar was mere meters from him. A simple discharge of mana could send him there.
Prince Richard released mana from his feet to propel himself forward, but a palm slammed on his chest again. Khan stopped his desperate attempt to return to safety and pushed him away, flinging him farther from the hangar.
The Prince began to spin on himself, and his panic intensified whenever his face pointed at the hangar. He saw his safe place getting farther away while the universe continued assaulting his body. Death loomed over him, but his desperation fueled one last survival attempt.
A protective membrane tried to envelop Prince Richard's body, but that energy vanished as soon as a figure filled his vision. That time, Khan didn't do anything. Merely appearing before the Prince destroyed his concentration.
The Prince's vision began to grow dark while his eyes remained pointed at the face behind the trembling membrane. Khan's expression didn't change throughout the exchange. He conveyed the same coldness as before.
The scene made Prince Richard understand the truth. Status, ranks, guards, and other benefits were useless in that situation. Khan had cornered and doomed him in a single move. Even as a noble, that was the value of his life.
Prince Richard's anger disappeared. He realized only Khan could save him, so he started to beg him with his eyes. Still, his vision grew dark, and soon, he couldn't see anything anymore.
Drowsiness invaded Prince Richard. He was about to fall asleep and knew enough about his situation to understand there wouldn't be any awakening.
Nevertheless, warmth suddenly assaulted Prince Richard's body, awakening his senses and restarting his organs. His lungs also expanded as breathable air finally flowed through his nostrils. Tears began flowing from his eyes, carrying ice shards with them, and his vision slowly returned.
Prince Richard could feel foreign hands grabbing his arms and straightening his position, but his confused state only allowed him to inspect his surroundings. His vision grew clearer, eventually updating him on his location. He had returned to the hangar, but almost no one looked at him.
Some ships had started to float while others were in the process of shutting down. It seemed a rescue operation had begun, but the culprit had been faster and had claimed most of the hangar's attention.
Everyone was looking at Khan, who had returned to the new ship and was unlocking its doors. Prince Richard saw him entering the vehicle before his ears finally resumed working. His guards supported him, throwing questions about his condition.
Still, Prince Richard couldn't care about his guards. Prince William and Princess Felicia were among the few inspecting him. That incident was bound to spread throughout the Nognes family, and Prince Richard wouldn't look good in it.
However, a wave of fear ran down Prince Richard's spine when he considered the potential repercussions. His brother and father would want to retaliate, but that meant facing Khan's wrath again, and he would do anything to avoid that.
Khan didn't care about the situation outside. He had finished sending his message, so he moved to other issues. The ship was nice, but he couldn't trust it without a complete inspection.
The hangar personnel had already loaded the ship with everything it needed. The cargo area had supplies, the tank was full, and the bridge only answered to Khan's genetic signature. Yet, he performed a thorough inspection anyway, and no one dared to disturb it.
The ship was quite big, so Khan spent almost twenty minutes studying every corner. Everything looked fine, and he couldn't find any trace of trackers or similar tools. It seemed his grandfather genuinely meant the vehicle as a gift, holding back on tricks or ploys.
After the inspection, Khan returned outside. He felt no surprise noticing Prince Richard and his guards' absence but also expected some kind of reinforcements. However, nothing similar arrived, and his two Cousins were probably to blame for that.
"That was quite the show, Cousin," Prince William announced as Khan rejoined the group. "It might have been the ice, but Cousin Richard's pants were definitely wet."
"Here," Princess Felicia continued, handing Khan a black phone. "It just arrived. Please check it to see if anything is missing."
Khan seized and unlocked the phone, going through all the files. The folder with Monica's albums was obviously gone, but his contacts, books, and mana items were there, as well as a torrent of notifications.
Many had tried to contact Khan during his absence, but the highest number of notifications came from the network. His phone had received countless updates on topics he had bookmarked, and going through them would take hours.
Khan only scrolled through the various labels to get a general idea. He had read most of those updates while flying back from Baoway, but others were specific to his interests. Still, he couldn't find anything relevant connected to Monica.
The absence of direct messages or attempted calls made sense since Monica knew Khan had no connection to the network on Baoway. Yet, he couldn't see anything significant about her either. He had already checked that on Gordon's ship, but his phone confirmed it. Monica had basically disappeared from the public scene for months.
"What do you want to do now, Cousin?" Princess Felicia asked when Khan stopped inspecting his phone.
"Do you have my father and fiancée in custody?" Khan asked.
"They aren't in the mansion," Princess Felicia revealed. "Your father is in Ylaco's Slums, guarded by our soldiers. Instead, your fiancée is in a nearby space station."
"I need the coordinates for both locations," Khan declared.
"We can send-," Prince William announced, but Khan cut him short.
"No," Khan interrupted. "I'll fly there solo. I'll see whether to contact you afterward."
"My Prince," Gordon called, trying to remind Khan about his presence.
"You'll wait for me in the Harbor," Khan ordered. "Coordinate with Andrew."
"If I may," Princess Felicia intervened. "The network is still warming up to your new status. Flying alone might be dangerous."
"The coordinates," Khan uttered, and the two nobles understood that he wouldn't ask a third time.
Princess Felicia nodded at one of her guards, who seized his phone to send an update. Khan immediately received the message and stored his device while jumping into his ship. The audience could only watch as the doors closed and the engines started whooshing.
Khan settled on the bridge behind the pilot's seat and connected his phone to share the new coordinates. Truth be told, some of them were dark and required the autopilot. Both obscured segments belonged to the initial chunk of the trip, hinting that the Nognes family wanted to keep their mansion's location a secret.
Khan accepted that safety measure and ignored it to focus on something else. He had two possible destinations, and one had to come first. He could finally meet his slippery father or reunite with his fiancée.
The decision felt like a no-brainer. Khan wouldn't hesitate to meet his father anymore, but Monica's public silence was worrying. He couldn't even imagine her state, and his concern intensified when his calls to her didn't get any answers. Khan knew he had to take care of her first. She needed him, and he needed her.