Chapter 694 Path
Khan found it hard to restart his mind, but the warning eventually tickled one important topic, activating his brain. His thoughts went on Monica as a stream of information crossed his view. Still, the more he reviewed the situation, the less danger he saw.
Monica was a high-profile figure, and targeting her could cause a lot of damage, but not for Khan. Sure, his heart would take a deadly blow, but his fame, power, and influence would remain strong. The event might even bring him closer to the Solodrey family, effectively reinforcing his position.
Besides, earning the Solodrey family's wrath was a foolish idea. Only an internal conflict would make sense in that situation, but the engagement had appeased many opposing parties. If someone wanted to damage Khan, they would target him directly.
The how was a mystery, but Khan could try to identify his enemies after reassuring himself about Monica. Truth be told, the list could be awfully long due to his fame, but excluding anyone not relevant enough to hurt him greatly shortened it.
Ambassador Abores obviously was the first suspect. Khan had stolen his job, hurting his pride, position, and career. That figure also had many political allies who didn't find Khan worthy of his new role, so taking him out could be an option.
The Hive and Mister Chares' organization were also on the list. Khan had effectively ruined the former's ploy, and the latter had to see him as a mortal enemy. Khan had spilled too much of its members' blood not to consider that possibility.
Those attracted by Khan's abilities were another possible enemy. He had shown some of his skills to high-profile figures, including a General, so rumors were probably running among the upper echelon. There had to be someone with enough interest in him to try to lay traps and bring him on their side.
Khan would typically include those interested in his mutations, too, but his recent decision had probably brought those parties on his side. He didn't like that, especially due to the connection with Raymond, but the reality of the situation was undeniable. He was actively doing their bidding while pursuing his personal reasons.
Nevertheless, there had to be parties who disliked Khan's decision to use the Thilku over the Global Army. They could potentially target him to obtain a monopoly over the information hidden inside his body, but Khan felt Raymond would have done something in that case.
As much as Khan hated thinking about Raymond as his secret protector, his mind quickly found ways to distract him. He could think of another dangerous enemy to add to his list, and his hands were tied against it.
'The Nognes family,' Khan thought.
Khan felt sure his recent access to new classified information had come from the Nognes family. After all, only figures in very high positions could unlock that opportunity, and the timing pointed the target on those nobles.
However, Khan's experience with wealthy families had taught him that internal conflicts were the norm. Actually, the bigger the family, the higher the number of parties on opposite sides.
Since no family was bigger than the nobles, it stood to reason that parties inside the Nognes family opposed the decision to help Khan. Many factions might even resent his mother and father, adding an emotional layer to the whole issue and creating actual concern.
The list had ended by then, but Khan still managed to find a scarier issue. It was unlikely that those enemies would cooperate to take down Khan, but nothing stopped them from attacking together. In short, there was no telling how many ploys were in motion.
'The bomb will explode this time,' Khan thought, reviewing Raymond's last words.
Khan didn't believe Raymond had meant those words literally but had no problem understanding them. According to Raymond, the Thilku bomb would have never exploded in the first place, so it didn't count as a real threat. Yet, something equally dangerous could be out there now.
A sigh escaped Khan's mouth as his review ended. He knew that moment would eventually arrive, and his options didn't improve even after the engagement. He had done his best to increase his fame, power, and number of allies. Everything else was in the hands of his enemies.
Nevertheless, Khan's enemies couldn't simply attack him out of nowhere or all the time. Location and timing were necessary aspects of an assassination or other ploys, giving him room to think.
'The Harbor is safe,' Khan thought. 'I don't know about here.'
If Raymond could have spies inside the Empire, so could other parties, including those targeting Khan. Yet, there had to be a limit, and the recent deal had probably secured Khan's position.
'They won't risk enraging Lord Rsi,' Khan considered, 'Right?'
Khan couldn't feel confident in that idea, but his options remained limited. He was always in danger as long as he was in the Empire's territory. That had been true even before Raymond's call.
As for the other possible locations, Khan could only watch out for sudden missions in distant places. Still, his enemies knew that playground better than he did, so they would probably make the event look normal and justified. His sole option was to suspect everything and everyone, which was like second nature to him.
'He really had to worsen my mood even more,' Khan sighed. 'At least it's finally beginning.'
The unexpected and hidden dangers were annoying, but Khan hated the wait more than the inevitable battle. He was glad things had started moving. It also meant he had become influential enough to force his enemies' hands.
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Khan had basically forced the Empire to let him stay on Xiotov, but the latter didn't retaliate in any way. Actually, the embassy's hospitality surpassed his expectations.
The Thilku ate and drank a lot, and the embassy treated Khan as an esteemed guest, basically turning every meal into a feast. The food did little to improve his mood, but the booze helped with the wait.
Khan didn't only spend his days drinking and eating. He had requested access to training halls, and the Thilku had delivered. Whenever he felt like it, he could summon a few soldiers before his room and use them as escorts toward the deeper parts of the embassy. Khan couldn't move alone inside the building, but the Thilku always respected his privacy once he reached the appointed place.
As for the actual training, Khan didn't delve into anything special. He had used big words during the secret meeting but had no intention of risking exposing his abilities or damaging the building. It wasn't only the threat of cameras and scanners that worried him. He simply didn't need a hardcore training routine anymore.
Monica's videos kept the solitude at bay, so Khan slowly got used to the new environment. He didn't sleep much in those days. Yet, he never did anyway, so the effort didn't tire him out.
However, a change happened on the fourth day of Khan's stay on Xiotov. It was the middle of the afternoon. He had finished feasting only a few hours before and was getting ready for the usual trip to the training hall when a notification hit the room's runes.
To Khan's surprise, the notification was written in the human language, and his phone could easily download it. Then, opening the message explained everything, and Khan couldn't help but reach for the bed to take his time inspecting it.
The results of the tests had finally arrived, and the Thilku didn't stop at translating them into a language that suited Khan more. They had also avoided scientific speech when listing their conclusions, allowing Khan to understand the entire report.
Of course, the report still had numbers, labels, and names Khan had never heard of, but his attention was on the conclusions. That was his first time doing such a thorough check-up, and his curiosity inevitably spiked.
'No evident weakness,' Khan read. 'That's surprising.'
Mutations were usually chaotic, and Khan had also transformed on top of that. He expected his body to have some form of instability or flaw, but the tests pointed in the opposite direction.
Khan's lack of weaknesses wasn't limited to their absence. His muscle density, resistance to poisonous substances, and other stats were off the charts. His body was incredible, and the surprises didn't end there.
The scientists had compared Khan to the average human so he could read how different he was. Technically, he had yet to abandon his species, but the numbers didn't lie. His mind wasn't the only aspect of himself getting further away from humankind. His body was on the same path.
'My mutations have set a road for the mana,' Khan concluded, reviewing the report once again. 'The transformation strengthened it, but the mana is always the cause.'
Human soldiers got stronger by enhancing their flesh through mana. That process altered the body structure on its own, eventually culminating in the evolution, which brought greater and deeper changes.
However, humans usually followed a stable pattern. The evolution was an exception, but the rule remained solid. Fusing mana into their bodies made them stronger humans because they belonged to that species.
Khan's mutations had altered that process, and the transformation had finalized it. Fusing mana into his body didn't push him toward stronger humans. The growth existed, but the direction was unknown even to the scientists.
After additional reviews, an idea began forming in Khan's mind. He had witnessed a similar process in the past, and the basic theory behind it was sort of clear to him. Still, that wasn't supposed to happen in the third level, but the conclusions didn't lie.
'It almost sounds like I'm experiencing a weaker evolution,' Khan thought. 'Far weaker, but the changes aren't undeniable.'
The evolution was meant to transform someone into a superior being, and Khan was experiencing just that. Yet, after spending a lifetime blaming his mutations, he had finally found the real culprit. His mana was giving his body the power to advance through that process. The Nak might have opened the path, but he had chosen to tread it.
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