Khan had almost forgotten that he had yet to receive the entirety of his rewards. The Captain on Nitis had to give him his new martial art, and some excitement inevitably built inside him.
However, that reminder also brought negative emotions since it made Khan recall Istrone and the very reason behind his current situation.
The faces of the Kred that he had killed on Istrone ran through his vision. Khan recalled that he had paved his way to Nitis with blood. The new planet had made him feel like his first day in Ylaco's training camp, but the situation was far different, and his personality had also changed.
'Can I really enjoy all of this when Martha is in a coma and blood still taints my hands?' Khan wondered while following Paul inside the camp.
Khan had already found an answer to that question but applying it felt hard. He had to move on without forgetting, but reminders of his actions always appeared. Still, Nitis was succeeding where Ylaco's training camp had failed. The alien planet held the potential to make him happy.
Paul led Khan in front of the tall building. Strange symbols that gave off a cold feeling glowed on its black surface, and the lack of windows surrounded it with an eerie aura.
"I've brought Khan, ma'am," Paul shouted while performing a military salute.
Khan imitated him, but the sight of a white figure shooting through the sky distracted him. The mental connection allowed him to confirm that Snow had left, but his mind suddenly sensed a dense pressure and made him turn toward the building again.
A tall woman had come out of the sliding metal doors of the building. Her military uniform enhanced her muscular physique, and her short scarlet hair didn't manage to distract Khan from her glowing bionic left eye. She had three stars on each shoulder, but Khan felt that she was even stronger than Lieutenant Dyester.
Captain Erbair had a long scar that ran through the entire left side of her face. It was clear that she had lost her left eye due to that injury, but the army had patched her up nicely. The only issue with that machine was that its red light conflicted with the natural green color of the right eye.
The Captain walked toward Khan until she was right in front of him. Khan couldn't help but notice that she was at least thirty-five centimeters taller than him. She was the tallest person that Khan had ever seen in his entire life.
"How can this wren be the same recruit who solved the mess on Istrone?" Captain Erbair asked while scratching a spot next to her bionic eye.
"I didn't solve anything, ma'am," Khan promptly replied. "Captain Foxnor and the rest of the Global Army have handled the situation. I only set a piece of the jungle on fire."
"He is even humble," Captain Erbair commented before turning toward Paul. "Didn't you make your usual speech about pride?"
"What do you mean by usual, ma'am?" Paul asked while keeping his eyes on the building. "I did it, but that doesn't mean that I do it often."
"He does it often," Captain Erbair whispered when she turned toward Khan. "Still, he is right. You get nothing by being humble here. Are you implying that you don't deserve the reward that the Global Army has sent here before your arrival?"
"I totally deserve it, ma'am!" Khan exclaimed as his eyes lit up. "I've been crucial in saving lives and putting an end to the Kred's rebellion."
"Good boy," Captain Erbair said while patting Khan's head with her huge hand. "Follow me inside now. We have to talk about the Aduns and your relationship with the Niqols girl."
Captain Erbair turned to walk inside the building, and Khan shot a glance toward Paul to see how he reacted to those words. However, Paul shook his head and showed an innocent expression at that gaze. He didn't mention the inappropriate interactions between Khan and Liiza in his report.
Khan could only follow Captain Erbair inside the structure at that point. It became evident that the Global Army didn't build that place once he could inspect its insides. The building featured the same smooth surfaces and almost-absent décor iconic of the human architecture, but it had glowing symbols instead of electric torches and digital menus.
Captain Erbair didn't give Khan the chance to stop and inspect the various peculiarities of that structure. She directly led him to the second floor and into a large room, where she sat on a large couch before pointing at an armchair.
Khan couldn't help but notice how the familiar furniture created a stark contrast with the room's functions. The overly large couch didn't match the mystical symbol on the ceiling that filled the area with a faint azure glow. The armchair's style was too intricate for the simple rotating square on the wall that seemed to represent the Niqols' version of a digital menu.
The color of the furniture enhanced that stark contrast. The couch and armchair had pale-yellow shades, which disrupted the faint dark environment that the room was trying to create.
"You'll grow used to everything quickly," Captain Erbair announced. "You have lived in Ylaco's Slums for eleven years. This change can't affect you too much."
"It won't, ma'am," Khan answered while taking his seat on the armchair. "I have a lot to learn about the Niqols, but they appear quite similar to us. I can't wait."
"I hope your impatience doesn't involve getting into Miss Liiza's pants," Captain Erbair snorted while taking a metal casket from the side of the couch. "Also, yes, Niqols wear pants."
"My interest is purely academic, ma'am," Khan announced while ignoring the last part of her speech.
"You aren't the first boy to fall for her," Captain Erbair revealed. "The others only got the chance to learn their place before meeting her."
"Is she so important?" Khan asked as his eyes fell on the casket.
"Her mother called me when she didn't return home on time," Captain Erbair explained. "She has enough authority to call the leader of the human troops on Nitis. That should be enough to explain how important her daughter is."
Khan didn't reveal any expression, even if his thoughts were running wild. Part of him felt glad that Liiza appeared unreachable since it would give him an excuse to remain focused on Martha. Yet, he knew that Martha would want him to live his life, especially due to her unclear condition.
'I guess I can only see how things go and adapt,' Khan thought while his eyes remained on the casket. 'I don't know if she likes me, and my feelings are still too messy to think about relationships.'
Captain Erbair took his behavior as an expression of his curiosity toward the reward. A proud smirk appeared on her face as her fingers started to tap on the metal casket with her fingers.
"I want you to take this as proof of the Global Army's goodwill," Captain Erbair continued. "The higher-ups have understood how valuable you can be, and they are willing to reward you properly. I hope you can keep up with our expectations."
Khan limited himself to nod. Other words wouldn't matter now.
Captain Erbair lifted the casket's lid and revealed the small white disk contained in its insides. Still, Khan could immediately notice how the fabric around the item appeared as luxurious as it could get.
Khan glanced at the Captain before timidly picking the disk. His hand was already pulling out his phone in the meantime, and he quickly put the item on the screen to make his device absorb it.
"Get out now," Captain Erbair ordered before Khan could check the list of magic devices connected to his phone. "Paul will show you where you'll sleep. The briefing is tomorrow at five am. Don't be late."
Khan stood up to leave the building, but the Captain added a few lines before he could exit the room. "Good job with the Aduns, by the way. Your feat might actually convince the Niqols to give us more freedom. Make sure to treat that beast well."
A loud "yes, ma'am" came out of Khan's mouth before he turned again to leave the building. The Captain's words would basically give him the chance to take Snow out for a flight often, which meant spending more time with Liiza.
Curiosity tried to make him pull his phone to check the new magic device, but he eventually decided to wait until he arrived in his room. Paul was waiting for him in front of the building. The two moved toward one of the large structures while remaining silent for most of the walk.
"Telling you stuff now would be pointless," Paul announced when they entered the building. "The briefing tomorrow will explain everything you need to know about Nitis. Also, I couldn't help but notice that you are quite good. You'll do well if you don't listen to your dick."
Khan nodded while ignoring the obvious meaning behind Paul's words. The soldier led him in front of a small room with a simple bed and a hole surrounded by glowing symbols. The habitation didn't feature anything else.
"The building already has our language," Paul explained while tapping on a rotating azure square on the room's wall.
The cube opened to reveal multiple options that Khan could activate if he filled his fingertip with mana. They were similar to the menus on Earth, but they founded their functioning on mana rather than technology.
The hole in the ground turned out to be the bathroom. The various symbols around its edges activated different functions, and one of them even made dark-blue water fall from a spot on the ceiling.
"See you tomorrow," Paul announced before leaving Khan alone in his new room.
The cramped space and the strange bathroom didn't leave Khan disappointed. Eleven years in the Slums had made him learn to accept everything he got, and he felt happy as long as the area didn't appear too peaceful.
Khan closed the metal door and browsed through the menus to seal it. His phone immediately appeared in his hands at that point, and the wall seemed to react to the device.
'Do you want to charge your device?' Khan read a writing that had suddenly appeared on the wall.
Those words didn't take much to make sense in his mind. Nitis experienced almost complete darkness every day. Devices powered by sunlight wouldn't last much in that environment, so they required a different type of fuel.
Khan followed the instructions and placed his phone on the floor to activate the charger and connect the item to the room. He could reach the list of magic devices directly from the wall at that point, and he didn't hesitate to tap on the black metal to see what the Global Army had decided to give him.
'Divine Reaper,' Khan read right under the Lightning-demon style and the beginner's training for chaos element users. 'What an arrogant name for a martial art.'
Khan quickly opened the training program and noticed that it featured as many lessons as the Lightning-demon style. It even had the same detailed options that could introduce and overview the martial art before approaching the actual teachings.
A hologram came out of the phone and filled the center of the room. Khan saw a woman wearing a strange military uniform that featured a large star on each shoulder. He had to inspect her figure to understand her sex since a hood and a piece of cloth left only her eyes uncovered.
"My name is classified," The woman announced once the summary began, "But you aren't here to learn names. I'll teach you one of the deadliest knife techniques in the world, so use it carefully. You might kill someone by mistake with the instincts that the training program will force you to develop."
Khan couldn't help but feel excited. The Global Army seemed to have respected all his requirements. He only wanted to know the points earned by the martial art to be completely satisfied.
"The Divine Reaper doesn't work well alone," The woman continued. "The Global Army has assigned it sixty-five points when used on its own. However, its value can surpass ninety points when matched with a suitable style. I hope your decision to learn it has come after an accurate study of your needs."
Khan could barely believe his ears. The Global Army had given him a martial art with immense potential. Yet, some doubts remained in his mind since he didn't completely understand how a style could gain more than twenty-five points if paired with suitable techniques.
Silence fell in the room as Khan waited for the summary to continue, but loud knocking suddenly resounded from his door and forced him to close the training program.
Khan worried when he noticed that it was pretty late. He hoped that his actions with Liiza and the Aduns didn't cause any major issue, but his fears disappeared when he unlocked the room and saw a familiar face unfolding in his view.
"I hurried here as soon as they told me that you had also come to Nitis," George explained while wearing an honest smile at the sight of Khan's surprised expression. "I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."
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