C283 - Confidence
Khan forgot that he was on Onia. The training hall became his entire world, and he didn't mind losing himself in his training. His new project was necessary, and he liked how it made him feel closer to the Niqols.
Khan had to put part of his exercises aside to focus entirely on his ability to manipulate mana. His training dug deep into the nature of his energy and continued the process started on Ecoruta.
The chaos element was free, violent, and powerful. It didn't necessarily want to destroy, but it liked expressing its might without bothering about what stood in its path. It was a selfish form of energy, but it brought waves of relief whenever Khan unleashed it without limiting its nature.
Khan ended up finding differences between his personality and his element as his training continued. The Slums had taught him to be selfish, but he could be extremely selfless when it came to people that he considered dear.
Something told Khan that he could find similarities in that difference, but he preferred to focus on accepting those features for now. His introspection eventually brought him to a simple conclusion. Part of his selflessness was toxic since it came from his high resistance to pain.
Khan could sacrifice himself easily due to how used he was to suffering. Liiza and others had complained about that, and the time inside the training hall made him acknowledge that issue properly.
The matter didn't involve a lack of self-esteem. Khan knew his value, and he desired happiness, but he was also ready to pay a steep price to achieve it.
That wasn't inherently a problem. Khan's current superiority came from his resolve and ruthlessness. Still, he couldn't let that feature remain an instinctive part of his personality since it often ended up hurting those who cared about him.
Khan needed to learn how to desire without sacrificing himself. That step felt necessary for his training. His character and the nature of his mana had to find common ground where they could both grow.
Many battles happened in-between those introspections. Khan didn't forget that he had to apply his growth to his kicks, and the training dummies allowed him to keep track of his improvements.
Days went by between long meditations and harsh battles against unbeatable puppets. Khan didn't talk, think, or waste time. He never interacted with the outside world, and the door of his training hall opened only when he needed to pick up his meals.
The four dark walls of the training hall became his everything, but he didn't feel trapped. Actually, that unrestrained cycle of battles and deep introspection made Khan experience complete freedom. He was in a simple room, but he was traveling farther than he had ever done through his mind.
Khan felt surprised about his own improvements. The isolation had forced him to face his problems without any external interference. The politics, his goals, traumas, and experiences didn't matter anymore in that small environment. For once, he managed to put himself at the center of his universe and study his true shape.
The three weeks went by in no time. Khan had learnt to ignore the outside world so deeply that he forgot his phone and the many messages that appeared on the training hall's dark walls. His concentration was scary. He didn't realize that something outside him existed. He had fully lost himself, which brought freedom that no one could disrupt.
The entrance of the training room eventually opened, and an anxious Lieutenant Unchai stormed in with every intention of scolding Khan. Yet, the sight that unfolded in his vision left him speechless for a few seconds.
Khan was sitting at the very center of the training hall. A dim light illuminated the area and revealed many cracks on the various surfaces. The floor, walls, and ceiling had holes and lacked large chunks of their fabric in certain spots. Metal shards and pieces of broken dummies also filled his surroundings, and a strange vibe enveloped the scene.
Lieutenant Unchai didn't know how to describe the scene. The training hall was damaged in many spots, and the scraps that filled the floor only enhanced the messy vibe that enveloped the area. Yet, he also sensed a deep calmness that seemed to lack an actual source.
"What time is it?" Khan said without opening his eyes.
"The tournament starts tomorrow," Lieutenant Unchai explained. "You have less than eight hours to prepare."
"It's fine," Khan stated while interrupting his meditation and straightening his position. "I'm ready."
Lieutenant Unchai didn't say anything after that statement. His eyes often fell on Khan, but he decided to remain silent. Something had changed in his expression, and the soldier didn't know how to explain that event. Khan's face brimmed with resolve, and Lieutenant Unchai didn't want to ruin it with useless questions or jokes.
The Lieutenant led Khan toward the center of the camp. Everyone appeared busy, but both soldiers and Ef'i halted their duties when the duo walked near them. They wanted to take a good look at the candidate, especially after hearing what had happened three weeks ago.
Khan felt all the gazes that fell on him, but his mind ignored most of them. He was allowing the world back into his senses, but he forced the process to be slow out of fear of losing the mental state achieved during his isolation.
Only Khan knew how much he had grown in the last three weeks, but the soldiers and Ef'i seemed able to understand something during their quick inspection. Khan didn't actually change, but the resolve that filled his face revealed part of his new mental state.
The center of the camp featured a vast hole that stretched deeply into Onia's underground world. Multiple rectangular structures that worked as elevators stood at the gorge's edges and connected the surface with the bottom of the area.
Lieutenant Unchai led Khan toward one of the elevators and activated its functions. The two descended into the hole, and a glowing spectacle soon unfolded in their vision.
Onia's surface was barren. The two suns gave the planet two mere hours of darkness, and the hot temperatures prevented the appearance of vegetation. However, the underground world featured a far different environment.
Plants and multicolored flowers started to appear as the darkness of the hole replaced took control of the area. Onia revealed its rich flora as Khan and Lieutenant Unchai dived into its underground world. The sight was mesmerizing, but Khan seemed unable to focus on those details.
The elevator stopped when it reached a vast underground hall with consoles, screens, and a series of metal pillars meant to reinforce the structure. Multiple large tunnels expanded from the area, and a series of artificial lights illuminated them with their dim light. Flowers and plants also thrived on the rocky walls and ceilings, and Khan could even feel many presences in the distance.
"You will have to remain locked in a room until the tournament starts," Lieutenant Unchai explained while leading Khan into one of the tunnels. "I have texted you the rules of the tournament. Did you take a look at them?"
"No," Khan honestly admitted as he inspected his surroundings without moving his eyes from the path ahead.
"Are you okay?" Lieutenant Unchai asked as worry started to amass in his mind. "You seem off."
"I am off," Khan responded. "I have never been more off in my entire life."
"What?!" Lieutenant Unchai exclaimed, but confusion soon arrived when he heard Khan's chuckle.
"Don't worry," Khan stated. "I won't lose. I don't think I can."
Lieutenant Unchai didn't know what to say, but something in Khan's voice appeased his worries. Moreover, the cave where Khan would have to stay had appeared in his view, which put an end to his ability to influence the situation.
"Go inside," Lieutenant Unchai exclaimed after reaching the cave's entrance. "The room will seal itself once you enter it. This is your last chance to voice requests."
Khan remained silent as he stepped inside the room and watched two walls sliding out of the openings behind him. The room was about to close, and he took that chance to voice one simple line. "I expect a promotion after I win the tournament."
Lieutenant Unchai didn't have the chance to reply. The cave closed before he could say anything, but he still voiced a deep sigh as he stared at the dark walls that divided him from the room's insides.
Khan didn't need to inspect the cave to understand its layout. He could sense synthetic mana flowing inside tubes hidden behind those rocky surfaces. Onia's underground world resembled a giant machine filled with life.
The cave was as simple as possible. It was small and featured a single bed in the corner. It also had a tiny corner with a hole that Khan quickly connected to a bathroom.
Khan sat on the bed and closed his eyes. The world continued to fill parts of his mind as he allowed it to enter and occupy spots that he had previously reserved solely for himself.
Khan didn't want to lose what he had achieved during his isolation, but he couldn't close himself to his surroundings either. As the hours passed, he made sure to find a stability that satisfied him. Then, he decided to sleep to bring his condition to its peak.
The sound of sliding doors cut his nightmare short. Khan opened his eyes and sat on the bed as his cave opened and revealed Lieutenant Unchai's stern figure. The soldier had a clean military uniform in his hands, and his expression showed his intense anxiety.
Khan didn't say a word. He took the new uniform and changed before following Lieutenant Unchai across the tunnels. The synthetic mana flowing inside the rocky walls tried to hinder Khan's senses, but he remained able to notice countless presences drawing close as he marched through the underground structure.
The tunnel eventually ended, and a giant underground hall unfolded past it. Khan could see a circular area filled with soldiers and Ef'i sitting on platforms dug into the tall walls. Multiple artificial lights also shone on the ceiling and focused their glow on the large stages at the center of the scene.
The area contained hundreds of powerful warriors. Their presences fused to create a heavy atmosphere that threatened to suffocate Khan. He had never seen such a dense gathering of mana. Most of the humans and Ef'i in the area were stronger than him, and some even reached levels that filled his mind with fear.
"The Global Army has sent a Colonel to oversee the tournament," Lieutenant Unchai whispered while accompanying Khan down a staircase that led at the bottom of the area.
Khan limited himself to nod as he grew used to the pressure generated by the many stares that had converged on him. By the time he reached the bottom of the area, he could ignore everything that surrounded him and focus on the other Ef'i and soldiers that had gathered near the stages.
Only a dozen warriors stood at the bottom of the area. Khan exchanged gazes with the Ef'i and soldiers and noticed the various emotions that filled their eyes. He saw anxiety, confidence, fear, and resolve. No one was in the mood to talk, and he was fine with that.
The rules of the tournament were quite simple. The Ef'i would gamble multiple mines that day, and winning would grant the warriors the chance to fight for the best ones. Needless to say, the last battle was the most important event, but Khan would have to defeat three opponents in a row to reach it.
The glow of the artificial lights intensified after the last members of the audience exited the many tunnels connected to the hall and took their seats. Silence filled the area as the warriors at the center of the area led their respective underlings toward the stages that would host their battles.
Lieutenant Unchai led Khan toward one of the rings to his right. The platform was large and had short staircases connected to its surface. He could jump directly on the stage, but something told him to use the steps.
Lieutenant Unchai followed Khan on the ring before moving toward the two Ef'i that had climbed the opposite staircase. One of the aliens also started to walk forward and reached Khan in a few seconds.
Khan had read about that procedure. He spread his arms and let the Ef'i check him. The alien took away his phone and knife before nodding at him and returning toward his tall underling. Lieutenant Unchai did the same as he carried a series of metal rings taken from the Ef'i's tail.
Lieutenant Unchai and the older Ef'i then descended the staircases and took their place on opposite sides of the ring. Similar scenes happened in the other stages, but Khan didn't move his eyes from his opponent during that procedure. The alien was more than two meters tall, and big layers of muscles covered his body. Seriousness filled his face, and faint tremors ran down his tails.
The lights began to change color as each ring became ready to fight. Their white glow gained yellow shades, and countdowns appeared under the contestants' feet. Sounds even resounded from the stages to mark the passage of time. Khan glanced at the numbers written in two different languages approaching zero without making any move. It was forbidden to summon mana before the battle actually started.
Then, when the numbers disappeared and a green light filled the stage, Khan shot forward. His opponent filled his tail with mana and swung it toward him to create an ethereal yellow slash that carried sharp properties.
Khan cut to his left to dodge the slash, but the Ef'i didn't hesitate to launch two more of them. The two attacks created an ethereal cross that forced him to change direction again.
More ethereal slashes flew toward Khan and prevented him from approaching his opponent. The alien began to perform the same spell with his arms, which generated a rain of attacks that ended up blocking Khan's paths. He couldn't advance, and the storm of blows threatened to push him away.
Khan kept track of the Ef'i's condition during his evasive maneuvers. The alien wouldn't get tired anytime soon, so he couldn't remain in that situation. Coldness flashed in his eyes as he interrupted his dodges and shot forward toward three ethereal slashes flying in his direction.
A red-purple wave of energy came out of Khan's figure before the slashes could reach him. The Wave spell destroyed the attacks and opened a path, but the Ef'i promptly launched more ethereal abilities.
Khan watched the slashes growing close to his position and decided to jump. Gasps resounded among the audience in front of that reckless action, but he didn't hear them. The Ef'i mustered mana to prepare more ethereal attacks that could exploit Khan's airborne state, but the latter had no intention to remain without a foothold.
Khan lowered his legs when he was right above the slashes. His feet seemed to carry no weight as they touched the ethereal attacks and used them to push him forward.
The Ef'i remained dumbfounded when he saw Khan shooting forward and landing under him. His clawed hands and tail tried to cover his torso, but a kick reached his abdomen before they could complete their movement.
Khan's foot released a wave of red-purple mana while it unleashed the entirety of his momentum. The Ef'i tried to stab its toenails into the floor to stabilize his position, but he suddenly lost control of his body and fell prey to the enemy attack.
The Ef'i flew away and ended up outside the ring. His figure rolled on the ground a few times before he could stop himself and stand up again. The alien quickly tried to approach the stage again, but surprise suddenly filled his expression.. He tried to cover his mouth, but green blood spurted out of it anyway and forced him to crouch.
To be continued