Chaos Heir

Lieutenant Dyester felt the urge to punch Khan in the face but remained still, locked in that staring contest.

Khan's declaration didn't carry any arrogance. He wasn't boasting or overestimating himself. He stated a simple truth, and the Lieutenant struggled to refuse it.

Khan was nothing short of a menace. He was far faster than the monsters and could fly, making him untouchable even in the middle of a pack.

Moreover, Khan had a vast array of wide-range abilities the monsters couldn't hope to oppose, especially those in that weak quadrant. Even if, by a miracle, a beast managed to reach Khan, he would simply pulverize it.

With the right conditions and enough time, Khan could probably clear the entire planet by himself. He was the best against multiple weak enemies and unbeatable in one-versus-one situations. He was the deadliest blade and the most violent storm and could freely alternate between them, even deploying them simultaneously.

After watching some of the scanners' recordings, Lieutenant Dyester struggled to believe he and Khan were at the same level. The power difference wasn't only immense. Khan also wielded uncanny flexibility, making him the ideal choice in any situation.

It was actually eerie. Khan evaded attacks before they could even start. He launched spells as if predicting the enemy's movements. His eyes seemed to lack focus, but nothing escaped them. Khan was something mere beasts or humans couldn't hope to match. They could only feel blessed to be in his presence.

Of course, Lieutenant Dyester knew more than most people. Khan had vaguely explained the range of his unbelievable abilities, but his performance still exceeded the Lieutenant's expectations. Moreover, Lieutenant Dyester was sure Khan was holding back, and the cursed knife still stored in his pelts was only the first of many clues.

Truth be told, Lieutenant Dyester wished he could at least consult Bruno. The stupidly calm and smiling evolved warrior had to know more about Khan's power and current psychology. Yet, the man was unapproachable and barely present. The Lieutenant felt he wasn't even on Senerth at times.

Khan didn't linger too long in that staring contest. After making his point, he departed, disappearing somewhere outside. Meanwhile, Garret looked at Lieutenant Dyester, hoping to get a hint of a more human conversation, but the latter was in no mood for that. He had another role to fulfill.

"Just do what he said," Lieutenant Dyester sighed. "I'll report back in a few hours. Hopefully."

With that, Lieutenant Dyester left the giant lab, immersing himself in the sea of Scalqa gathering near the outpost. Some aliens showed respect and even reverence at his passage since he had proven himself in the past battles, but he ignored that attention, heading for a different building.

The outpost's fourth building was a massive warehouse that fulfilled that exact purpose. Weapons, food, and more were stored there, managed by a small team of human soldiers. Of course, Lieutenant Dyester could come and go as he pleased there, retrieving whatever he deemed necessary.

Lieutenant Dyester seized a couple of bottles of booze and left without giving any explanation. He also did his best to escape the sea of Scalqa quickly, following his nose and instincts to search for a specific presence. Khan couldn't exactly hide himself, especially from those who had learned to recognize his intense aura, and the Lieutenant soon found him.

Khan hovered somewhere near the perimeter's edge. He wasn't actually visible. He was no more than a dot high in the sky, but Lieutenant Dyester didn't need eyes to find him. His gut feeling was enough when it came to someone as intense as Khan.

Lieutenant Dyester got to the perimeter's edge and sat on the barren ground, laying one bottle while opening the other. The silent message didn't seem to reach the man in the sky, so he eventually used loud words.

"Get down, brat!" Lieutenant Dyester shouted, and a figure soon materialized at his side. Khan landed without lifting any soil, and glancing at the booze eventually made him sit down.

Lieutenant Dyester took a long sip from the bottle before handing it to Khan. He imitated him, and the two fell silent, watching the white star slowly approaching the horizon.

"You can't do a whole planetary campaign like this," Lieutenant Dyester eventually commented, showing his hand to request the bottle.

"That's exactly the point," Khan casually said. "I can."

"Do you recall our little conversation about soldiers and generals?" Lieutenant Dyester asked.

"I never promised I'd be an ordinary general," Khan stated, reaching for the bottle on the ground, knowing the two would deal with the booze in no time.

Lieutenant Dyester sighed. He wanted to fulfill his role as Khan's moral compass, but he wasn't doing anything evil. Khan's efforts on the battlefield had saved many lives, but there was a limit to how much he could push himself. Lieutenant Dyester believed that, at least.

"How do you do that?" Lieutenant Dyester decided to ask. "Even the best warriors make mistakes, but you went a full month untouched while claiming all the attention on you." Khan kept staring at the horizon. Senerth's star seemed to accelerate in its rush toward the darkness, projecting grey shades into that almost completely white sky.

"Flow," Khan summarized.

"In human language," Lieutenant Dyester commented.

Khan took a long sip from his bottle before gracefully waving his hand before him. His palm touched nothing but air, but Lieutenant Dyester almost felt able to see tiny waves flowing through his fingers.

"Intent implies energy," Khan explained. "Energy affects the mana. I react to the mana."

"Is that another alien thing?" Lieutenant Dyester wondered.

"Maybe," Khan replied, seizing a strand of his blue hair. "I could do that before this. It's my mana's nature."

Lieutenant Dyester wanted to sigh again but found no reason to do that. Khan spoke a language he couldn't understand. Yet, his words made sense in some mystical way. Besides, the Lieutenant couldn't compare his understanding of the world to Khan's, so he could only believe him.

"I feel you are losing yourself," Lieutenant Dyester said, coming clean with his worries.

Khan glanced at the Lieutenant before refocusing on the horizon. Those worries had long since grown annoying, especially since they highlighted his spiritual loneliness. However, Khan felt Lieutenant Dyester deserved an explanation.

"You are all so wrong," Khan sighed. "Maybe you only want to see what puts you at ease."

"And what would that be?" Lieutenant Dyester questioned.

"Humankind's best," Khan responded. "The best warrior, talent, and leader. Someone who will lead you into a future you can't even begin to imagine."

"I think you are a brat," Lieutenant Dyester snorted before getting serious. "Still, isn't that

who you are?"

"If my eyes go beyond anything humankind can imagine," Khan exclaimed, "Am I even

human?"

"I'm not good with this philosophical stuff," Lieutenant Dyester cursed.

"My eyes see a different world, Carl," Khan declared. "I breathe, fight, and live differently from all of you. You should all start to accept that there's nothing human in me."

"Your Fiancée is human," Lieutenant Dyester pointed out.

"And I can only hope she'll be able to follow me," Khan revealed. "I think that was one of our

first real conversations."

"How can you be happy leaving it at that?" Lieutenant Dyester wondered. "Shouldn't you be

able to choose?"

"Some people don't have that freedom," Khan announced. "Also, why would I limit myself? From where I stand, it's all of you who are blind."

"Why do you have to make this so complicated?" Lieutenant Dyester cursed. "I'm just worried

about you."

"I know," Khan uttered, "But you just can't see it."

"Do I need to become an evolved warrior to see it?" Lieutenant Dyester asked.

"That would be a good first step," Khan chuckled. "Don't worry about me. I'm exactly where I

want to be, and each of my selfless acts has some selfishness. I'm more worried about the army, so I need you at the top of your game."

"Now you are the one underestimating me," Lieutenant Dyester scoffed. "Should I remind

you how old I am?"

Khan chuckled again, a tinge of humanity appearing on his face. Still, coldness soon invaded

his expression, vanquishing that peaceful moment.

"Keep my soldiers alive, Carl," Khan ordered. "I'll handle everything else."

"How?" Lieutenant Dyester asked. "By throwing yourself into more crazy battles?"

"You truly can't see it," Khan sighed. "Your definition of crazy will change by the time we

head back home."

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