Chaos' Heir

886  Second

Khan's smile didn't vanish while the doctors patched him up. His body hurt all over, but his expression didn't change.

From the outside, Khan looked intoxicated, almost mental, but most of the audience couldn't even begin to understand his state. He had spent months and years struggling to find a smoother path forward, and a viable method had finally appeared.

Nevertheless, Monica wasn't like Abraham or the doctors. After calming down, she compared her previous impression to the current Khan. She had seen him both happy and ecstatic, so she knew something was off.

Monica waited for the doctors to deal with the injuries and for Abraham to depart with the samples before approaching Khan. He was sitting in a corner, his bright eyes illuminating the toxic pool, but Monica's arrival shifted his attention to her.

"If you are going to punch me," Khan joked, "Wait a few hours. I don't want to lose this feeling."

Strangely enough, Monica didn't feel the urge to vent her worry on Khan. She didn't even want to scold him. She sat at his side, carefully reaching for his chin to turn his head toward her.

The bandages had almost covered the entirety of Khan's face, barely leaving holes in his nose, mouth, and eyes. The rest of his body was in a similar state, with his hair as the only exception. The dark green liquid didn't affect those blue strands at all.

Still, Monica didn't focus on the bandages. Her inspection went deeper, searching for a truth only she could see. Khan's dilated pupils, strange smile, and different vibe were details she could pick up due to their long time together, but an explanation for those symptoms escaped her.

Monica initially couldn't accept that conclusion. She was an expert in Khan and knew him best. Yet, it soon became clear that the issue exceeded her skill set. That wasn't about Khan. It was about his mana.

"You look different," Monica announced. "You feel different."

Khan would have usually disregarded any evaluation, especially after undergoing an experimental training method. However, he trusted Monica and her judgment enough to accept her words. He stopped smiling, taking a look at himself before closing his eyes to delve deeper into his body and mind.

Khan had every reason to be happy and believed that feeling to be genuine. Yet, a closer inspection of his state revealed something else. His immersion inside the pool didn't last long enough to bring significant changes, but temporary effects could still be in action.

The ointments under the bandages had appeased the pain and facilitated the healing process, but Khan noticed something else in his flesh. It felt freer and unstable like an untraceable tremor ran through it.

That sensation didn't only apply to the flesh. Khan also noticed his thoughts manifesting a higher intensity. He didn't find anything foreign. Everything was simply enhanced as if fueled by newfound energy.

Of course, the pool didn't add energy to Khan's body. Actually, most of his mana was hard at work to aid the healing process. Still, he felt spirited and unrestrained, as if the barriers around his reasonable side had shrunk.

Unlike Monica, Khan's knowledge about himself perfectly paired his expertise with mana, quickly bringing answers. Monica was right. He was off, which wasn't necessarily a problem. Actually, Khan could see it as an additional confirmation that the pool had worked as intended.

"The chaos element strives for freedom," Khan announced, slowly opening his eyes and recalling old conversations. "It's the freest type of mana. The substance is simply tuning me with its nature."

Monica didn't even know where to begin to dissect that explanation. Replaying it a hundred times wouldn't be enough to provide the answers she needed. She vaguely understood what Khan meant but remained limited by her human perspective.

"So," Monica uttered, collecting her thoughts. "Is this like the evolution? Isn't this dangerous before full attunement with mana?"

Monica had a point. Khan was no expert, but witnessing an attempted evolution first-hand had given him insights into the process. There were many reasons why soldiers waited for their attunement to reach one hundred points before attempting the evolution. Khan could think of a few without any deeper knowledge of the topic.

The experiments with the Nak remains almost confirmed Monica's worries. An incomplete attunement with mana might lead to a partial evolution, leaving weaker tissues attached to a stronger body, which would cause rejection. The subject would be likely to come out of the process maimed, and the injuries could be deadly if they involved vital organs.

The lack of available energy was another big issue. A body needed fuel to transform, and its quantity would naturally increase according to the gap from the superior state. As strong as Khan was, he remained a fourth-level warrior, so he would require an immense amount of mana to perform the evolution at his stage.

Moreover, in most cases, a full attunement with mana indicated completeness and a solid path forward. The soldiers would have expressed their identity by that point, paving the way for the superior state.

Meanwhile, Khan still had room to change. He had just mastered a martial art and was working on getting accustomed to another. His body was still adjusting to his training, so he didn't know what he would be once he reached the fifth level.

 'A heterogeneous evolution might kill me,' Khan realized. 'The process needs to be homogeneous to be viable. Yet, I also need to consider my unique situation.'

Khan looked at his patched-up hands. He had the human flexibility and the Nak's connection with mana. His body probably was the perfect guinea pig for that experimental procedure, especially since he would have specialists studying his every change.

"It should be similar to the evolution," Khan confirmed. "Maybe not in the way humans see it. This should be a middle ground between the natural induction and aided metamorphosis."

"And how can you do it without full attunement?" Monica questioned.

Khan shook his head. He didn't have answers and kept his opinions to himself. He couldn't stop his mind, but his mouth would remain shut until experts tackled the topic. Abraham and Garret were bound to have proper explanations, so Khan wanted to wait for the test results before planning the next move.

Monica wanted to say something, but Khan suddenly stood up, his gaze fixed on the pool. For a second, Monica thought he would jump inside again, but he stood still, his mind an enigma even to her.

"I won't stop using it," Khan stated. "I'm sorry."

Monica slowly stood up, carefully taking Khan's hand while also looking at the pool. Her worries were reasonable, but her fiancé wasn't. Khan had always been careless about his health, and the situation provided enough justifications to keep his mind on that path.

 "You said you'd love me even if I grew a third arm, right?" Khan asked without moving his gaze from the pool.

"I said that," Monica confirmed, "And I believe that."

"Then," Khan exclaimed, "What's the problem?"

"I-," Monica muttered. "For a second, just a second, I couldn't recognize you."

Khan didn't answer. That problem had been consistent throughout his relationship with Monica. The two had always been open about it, but its effects were finally showing.

"Is it a problem?" Khan wondered, a tinge of sadness inevitably seeping into his voice.

"No!" Monica promptly shouted, pulling Khan's hand and looking at him. "No! Absolutely not! I'm just worried about your dumb ass because you never worry about yourself!"

Watching Monica's angry outburst reassured Khan, creating his normal, loving smile. He didn't care about himself but dreaded what his dark sides could do to his loved ones. Monica's evident support saved him once again, reinforcing a belief she was bound to hate.

"Then, it's settled," Khan said, "I'll have Abraham and Garrett study this thing and keep track of my changes, but I won't stop."

Monica opened her mouth but quickly closed it. She had been raised for that role, but watching her man hurting himself for everyone's sake was akin to torture. No matter how much Monica's status changed, she couldn't get used to that sight. Honestly, she didn't want to.

"What-?" Monica asked before adjusting her words. "Who will you become?"

"I don't know," Khan admitted. "Considering that I'm already pretty monstrous, there's only one conclusion."

The slap finally arrived. Monica delivered the blow straight to Khan's right cheek, uncaring about the bandages there. Her angry expression also unfolded in Khan's vision, broadening his smile.

"Never feel bad about your power," Monica scolded. "Never apologize for what you become. No one can see as much as you do, so don't even bother to look for our approval."

Monica closed the distance with Khan, placing her palm on the cheek she had just slapped. Her touch was loving and careful now, but her expression remained resolute.

"We are just humans," Monica declared, "Or Scalqa, or Thilku, or Ef'i. You are more, so don't limit yourself for fear of losing us. If we can't stay with you, we never deserved you in the first place."

Monica waited for Khan to get the message before lowering her eyes, leaning forward to place her forehead on his bandaged chest.

"However, if you could do me a small favor," Monica announced. "No matter how much you change, keep holding me like you always do."