C130 - Lake
The travel to [The Pure Trees] happened on the back of the Aduns. The pack of Ugu had already moved the eight recruits' clothes and belongings to the academy the previous night, so everyone could directly hop on their eagles and set off once the Niqols envoy arrived.
Khan didn't recognize the envoy, but the Niqols didn't waste time introducing himself. Khan only made sure to memorize the alien's clothes and the fabric that covered his Aduns since they featured the same glowing azure symbols.
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The departure was quick but tense. Captain Erbair, Lieutenant Kintea, Paul, and Felicia made sure to send them off even if it were early in the morning due to the importance of their task.
The previous night, Khan and the others had learnt how complicated the situation truly was from their squad captains. They had been already aware of the benefits that their task could bring to the human species, but it took that briefing to instruct them about matters that would be classified otherwise.
It turned out that the Padlyn's deal wasn't as open as every recruit thought. The agreement had terms and heavy restrictions, especially when it came to the knowledge involving Nitis' layout.
The Niqols weren't willing to reveal the location of [The Pure Trees]. The enrolled recruits would even need to swear magic oaths once they actually entered the academy to make sure that they couldn't spread classified information.
Moreover, the network of the Global Army didn't reach the academy, so the recruits would be completely cut away from the human settlements. They could send messages and communicate with their superiors through specific Niqols assigned to that task, but the aliens would check everything to make sure that the humans didn't learn anything outside of the deal.
The tight restrictions obviously worried the recruits since they put their lives in the hands of an alien species. However, Khan couldn't help but feel slightly relieved when he learnt how hard it was to communicate with the camps. It sounded strange, but he actually had more freedom without his superiors watching his moves.
The main difference between the two species was their approach to discipline. The humans wanted severe and dignified soldiers who believed in the chain of command and were ready to act as pawns if the situation required it. Instead, the Niqols acknowledged and respected eccentric behaviors as long as their soldiers carried the resolve necessary to serve their kind.
The Niqols were also more relaxed when it came to their habits. The recruits had seen how easily the aliens decided to indulge in booze or smoke. Their self-restraint was even quite bad, so their emotions often drove their actions.
Khan couldn't help but look forward to that new environment, and his excitement prevented him from training during the flight on Snow's back. He wanted to memorize the path toward the academy even if the road looked from the surface would feature completely different sceneries.
The phone in his pocket allowed him to keep the passage of time in check. The Global Army had even provided chargers that the Ugu from the previous night had already sent to the academy. Khan didn't have to worry about the battery of his device.
Many hours passed, and Khan couldn't help but notice how the group often performed sharp turns that made them fly over the same regions multiple times. It was clear that the envoy felt worried about possible trackers of pursuers, and that inevitably delayed their arrival to the academy.
Khan had the chance to study a bit more of Nitis' layout during the flight. The environment was generally cold, so snow often appeared in his vision. Yet, he also saw large lakes, rivers, plains, short mountains devoid of ice, and more. He didn't have the chance to set his eyes on a proper sea, but he believed that the planet had one or two of them.
The detail that surprised Khan the most was the complete absence of cities under him. The poor technological advancements of the Niqols didn't justify that scarcity of artificial structures, and Liiza had also mentioned multiple times how her species controlled the whole planet. Khan quickly became certain that the envoy was avoiding the settlements on purpose, and he could only find his caution reasonable.
Five dark figures eventually appeared in the distance. Khan and the others could see a Niqols leading four recruits across the sky and making sure that the two groups met.
The appearance of the second group made the envoy of Khan's group perform a sharp dive toward one of the plains nearby. The second team did the same, and the Aduns soon landed on a relatively barren area that only featured a few short bushes every once in a while.
"We aren't there," The envoy in Khan's group announced before the recruits could ask anything. "We only need to perform a preliminary test to understand which courses you have to attend."
The eight recruits exchanged confused gazes while remaining on their Aduns. The briefing from the previous night didn't mention any test. Still, there didn't seem to be a way out of the situation. The boys and girls there could only accept that they had to go with the flow from now on. Their complaints would have to wait for when they had the chance to return to the camp.
The two Niqols didn't give the recruits the chance to introduce themselves. Khan, George, and Veronica barely knew Gabriela since their different classes had never given them the opportunity to properly bond, even if they lived in the same camp.
The recruits limited themselves to exchange glances for the time being before imitating the Niqols. They jumped off their Aduns and followed the aliens toward a seemingly random spot in that barren plain where the envoys told them to stop.
The two Niqols studied the empty area in front of them and walked in a circle to leave marks on the frail ground. That behavior left the recruits confused, but an azure glow began to come out of the footprints on the terrain once they connected to create a large ring.
The azure glow slowly seeped past the footprints and converged at the center of the circle, where it created one of the symbols that often illuminated the tall buildings in the city. A tremor ran through the ground at that point, and the area marked by the light started to slide to reveal a trapdoor connected to a staircase that led underground.
All the recruits there had seen far more spectacular scenes on Earth. The teleports alone were enough to surpass the complexity of that simple hidden trapdoor. Yet, it felt strange to witness such a unique use of the mana. After all, the Niqols didn't use any technology to activate those effects. It seemed that the ground itself carried commands that they could trigger with simple steps.
The two envoys didn't hesitate to climb down the staircase, and the recruits promptly followed them. Still, some awkward scenes unfolded when the group approached the narrow passage.
Khan was in the lead of the group because his curiosity had won over his hesitation almost immediately. Still, a tall, muscular boy from the other group quickened his steps to surpass him and become the first in the line.
His actions made the other recruits accelerate to take the spots right behind him, and only Khan remained clueless about the whole situation. He could vaguely understand the reason behind that behavior, but everything felt pointless when he inspected it the second time.
'What's the point of fighting for merits already?' Khan wondered, but part of him understood that his position was rather special, even among the Niqols.
Both the Global Army and the Niqols had learnt Khan's name after his performance on Nitis. He had been on the planet only four weeks, but he had already accomplished incredible feats.
Being the first human to tame an Aduns was only a minor feat that many could connect to luck. Yet, his victory against the lightning monster and his selfless performance during the crisis had sealed his position as one of the best recruits on Nitis.
The fact that he had even survived Istorne's crisis a bit more than a month ago and his help in the matter only increased his overall value. Khan didn't need to fight to receive the acknowledgment of his peers and superiors. He had already solidified his position.
Khan silently decided to completely disregard the event and let his companions enter the passage before him. The staircase was old and seemed made of the same frail terrain of the surface, but clanging noises resounded from the steps as the group descended deeper underground.
Khan even touched the walls at his sides to confirm the overall stability of the structure. His eyes could only see the same frail terrain of the surface there, but his fingers revealed other features. He could sense the firmness and coldness of metal in what should be nothing more than sand. It was clear that mana was enhancing that material.
The passage descended for a few meters before opening into an immense underground area with a clear lake at its end. Khan felt surprised to see that such clear water existed on Nitis. Almost everything on the planet had dark shades, but that liquid was basically transparent.
A few azure symbols shone on the smooth walls and filled the area with a faint glow that allowed everyone to inspect almost every corner of the structure. The place was obviously artificial due to its rectangular shape, and only the part with the lake featured uneven surfaces that didn't go through a polishing process.
The group wasn't alone in the hall. The two envoys suddenly performed a polite bow toward the end of the area and forced the recruits to focus on the slightly darker corners on the other side of the lake. They quickly realized a hooded figure standing right next to the wall with its feet immersed in the lake, and Khan felt astonished when he failed to sense anything coming out of it.
That discovery felt quite strange. Khan's sensitivity to mana had improved a lot as his attunement increased and his mental exercises continued. He even believed that part of his understanding of the Niqols' feelings came from how good he had become with that ability.
Yet, the hooded figure didn't reveal anything. It was a blank spot in an environment full of mana. Khan could sense that energy filling the walls, the ground, the ceiling, and the lake, but nothing came out of that foreign presence.
"Welcome, young humans," The hooded figure greeted in a melodious male voice as he stepped forward and uncovered his head.
Long white hair, a pair of shining white eyes, and a handsome face came out from under the hood. The girls couldn't help but open their mouths in surprise and blush in front of such a perfect expression of beauty. The Niqols was tall, his face released a captivating resolve, and his overall figure carried a harmony that made him seem part of the lake.
'Please, don't be Ilman,' Khan almost begged in his mind, and his expression relaxed after the Niqols continued to speak.
"I'm one of your future professors," The Niqols continued. "You can address me as Professor Supyan or [Guru]. I handle the courses connected to some of the shades that mana can obtain."
Khan and the others quickly performed a polite bow as per the Niqols' customs, and Professor Supyan limited himself to nod before continuing his explanation.
"My species doesn't use many structures connected to the old methods anymore," Professor Supyan explained. "This lake is an exception. Form a line and remove your clothes before entering the lake one by one. The waters will reveal the shades of your mana, and it will give me the chance to choose courses that suit your nature."
To be continued