Thoughts about the political repercussions of that action vanished as soon as Khan entered the lake. He had made his decision, and no doubts existed inside him anymore. No matter how much he had to pay, he would reach the end of the problem.
The warm current broke under Khan's violent swimming technique, but its traces stretched ahead, allowing him to follow the intended path.
Khan swam through most of the lake before finding another underwater tunnel. The channel was even narrower than the previous one, but the warm current was still there, so he resurfaced to refill his air bubble.
The break only lasted a second. Khan immediately dived into the lake again out of fear of losing the warm current. He didn't need to hurry so much, but his curiosity pushed him to do his best.
The new tunnel would have been hard to cross for an ordinary human, but Khan never stopped accelerating and releasing his disruptive mana. Rocks crumbled behind him and left cuts on his skin, but neither slowed Khan down.
Khan had to spend a long time underwater, which was feasible only thanks to the air bubble. Yet, when his technique was about to run out of oxygen, the tunnel began to rise, leading to another open space.
Resurfacing revealed a lake that expanded in every direction. The same bright plants enveloped its shores and the rocky walls past it. That was another underground chamber as big as the Thilku building's hall, but the current continued to flow under the surface, and Khan could only follow it.
As Khan followed the warm current, more underwater tunnels, underground chambers, and lakes went by. Soon, he lost track of how much ground he had crossed, but that worry remained in the back of his mind. He only cared about advancing, even forgetting about the passage of time.
Alternating between long underwater periods and short breaks to catch some air would put anyone under serious strain, but Khan's resilience shone in that situation. Energy never left his muscles or lungs. His body didn't cry or complain, and his mind used the entirety of its focus for that single mission.
The dullness of the environment was another hurdle Khan had to face. He only found more underground environments that featured no Tainted creatures. He was completely alone during that lengthy crossing, adding an eerie feeling to the whole journey.
Of course, Khan was used to repetitive tasks, and his mana made his thoughts very single-minded. He became the perfect tool for his own mission, and the environment eventually changed.
Strangely enough, light appeared in Khan's vision, which grew brighter as he swam toward the surface. As soon as his head popped out of the water, the air that reached the nostrils marked the difference from the previous environment. He wasn't in the wet underground anymore. He had reached the planet's surface.
Khan immediately kicked the water, sending himself high into the air. His senses unfolded, and his head turned left and right to study the environment. He had really returned to Cegnore's surface, but the horizon had no trace of technology or armies.
'How far did I travel?' Khan wondered, looking at the sky. He had left in the morning, and the afternoon had just begun. That still put a few hours between splitting from the team and reaching that area, but the issue didn't worry him.
Khan remained in the air to memorize the symphony. He worried about eventual scanners, but the area felt too desolate to be in the building's range. Moreover, a stronger feeling captured his attention, moving his gaze toward a seemingly random spot in the distance.
'Did the native's mana mix with the air?' Khan considered since a warmth that reminded him of the current had risen from the lake to stretch into the distance.
The event was obviously part of the blue alien's planning, but its effects remained surprising. A single death had created a path that could stretch for kilometers. That was no easy feat.
Of course, Khan could explain the reason behind such great and lasting effects. The native didn't actually do anything. That power came from the lake and the water thriving under the planet's surface.
'This isn't exactly nearby,' Khan thought, estimating how far the warm air current went. 'How long is this going to take?'
Khan had already made up his mind about going MIA. He had even warned Monica beforehand, so the issue didn't cross his mind. However, he had to prepare if the trip was meant to last days. Being a third-level warrior didn't make him immune to thirst and hunger.
The long swim to the area had taught Khan about the effects of the alien's dying mana. The warm current lasted quite a while, and the water retained its marks for even longer. It was safe to assume that the air would follow the same pattern, so he opted for a quick break.
Khan landed on the lake's shores only to realize he had no survival equipment. His knife and phone were with him, but he had already lost his shoes, and the many impacts with the rocks had turned the upper side of his uniform into a mess of rags.
A curse resounded in Khan's mind as he tore off the upper part of his uniform and released some mana. His violent energy destroyed the broken clothes, shattering them into multiple rags and eventually turning them into dust.
Khan's cold eyes remained glued to the event and made sure that no track would remain. He didn't want the Thilku to find him before he had obtained answers, so destroying his uniform felt necessary.
The lack of bottles forced Khan to drink as much as possible from the lake. The call was as strong as ever during that procedure, adding value to his previous idea. It was very likely that the natives enforced strategies on the mutated creatures through it.
Cegnore's underground world reassured Khan about the water issue, but food remained a problem. He could eat the monsters since the mutations had no leverage on him, but the area was strangely empty, and that pattern could continue.
'It wouldn't be my first time starving for a few days,' Khan thought, 'But I might have to fight.'
As much as Khan wanted answers, the blue alien's wording had created doubt inside his mind. He craved more information about the Nak and that elusive task, but the price to pay probably was too dangerous.
Khan knew he was an odd case. He was the exception to the rule, actually. Everything learned about the Nak's mutation and its effects pointed to a single but certain conclusion. Tainted creatures eventually went crazy, and the same applied to humans.
The nightmares were likely to be the reason behind that effect, and Khan had already survived them for fifteen years. Yet, he didn't do that on his own. When he thought about it calmly, it was clear he had received help.
'Did you restrict my nightmares for this reason?' Khan wondered. 'If yes, why didn't you tell me?'
Zalpa had already confirmed that point. Bret had done something to limit Khan's mutations and his nightmares. That side-effect could have been unintentional, but Khan knew who his father was. The former head of the scientific department wouldn't have missed something so monumental.
'If he did that to protect me,' Khan remained immersed in his thoughts, 'How dangerous is it to gain access to the whole mutation?'
The changes in the nightmares had already proven to Khan the intensity of their effects. He would have surely gone crazy as a kid if past dreams were the same as the current ones. Part of him actually did with the weaker version, which moved his thoughts to the next issue.
'Can I handle it now?' Khan questioned. 'Will I become a puppet like everyone here?'
Khan was confident in his abilities but remained realistic. He even knew how loud his mana was. He had struggled to hold himself back many times due to the nature of his own energy. Khan had even failed multiple times, and his mindset had crossed the breaking point after that.
Adding another intense influence to an already unstable mind wasn't wise. Khan didn't exactly care about his behavior anymore, but the issue remained scary. He didn't only worry about hurting his loved ones. He understood that losing himself was possible if he pursued that path.
'What if I become a bigger monster?' Khan couldn't help but consider. 'What if I forget about myself and start serving the Nak?'
Those doubts barely lingered for a few minutes inside Khan's mind, but hearing them felt necessary. He didn't want to show any hesitation in his next challenge. He needed to be sure about what he was willing to pay.
'Is my desperation controlling me?' Khan wondered, recalling Mister Cirvags' warning.
Khan moved after that thought, but those words remained in his mind as he flew through the warm current. He didn't mind becoming a bigger monster, and losing himself wouldn't have been a problem years ago. Yet, now he had a decision to make, and his mind couldn't settle for one.
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