C309 - Weight
"How much did you rip him off for?" Amber laughed when Khan came out of the "Beasts' King".
"I'm innocent here," Khan lied. "He did everything on his own."
"How much?" Amber insisted as her smile broadened.
"I might have gotten ten Tainted animals for less than two thousand Credits," Khan admitted.
"You are a little devil," Amber giggled. "Why did you even go so hard on him when the Global Army would have refunded the purchase?"
"I might need this shop in the future," Khan revealed. "They won't try to trick me from now on. I might even gain access to discounts whenever I mention today's events."
"You are a smart little devil," Amber commented. "Though, why would you even need them for? Our students are recruits. I don't think they can face something stronger than Tainted animals."
Amber's question was reasonable, but she didn't know that some of Khan's techniques required blood and body parts. Mere Tainted animals wouldn't be enough for the [Blood Vortex] and the higher checkpoints of the [Blood Shield], so he would have to purchase monsters or stronger creatures to perform them.
The Global Army wouldn't refund purchases that had nothing to do with the students, and Khan's finances had already fallen significantly. Having a trustworthy shop that could provide what he needed at a low price felt almost necessary in his situation.
"I have my reasons," Khan stated, opting for words that weren't proper lies.
Amber respected the need for privacy, especially in someone so exceptional as Khan. Almost every soldier preferred to keep the details behind their arts and spells a secret, so she limited herself to nod and changed the topic.
"You know you could have waited to commission the weapon?" Amber asked as the two began to walk through the streets without a specific destination. "Who knows? The cost of the chaos-resistant alloys might have gone down in a few months. It would have helped save some Credits."
"How would I even keep track of that?" Khan questioned.
"I have someone in my family who handles that," Amber revealed. "I didn't suggest it earlier because you seemed set on buying it right away."
"Don't worry," Khan reassured. "I wanted to get my gear as soon as possible anyway."
"I thought you wanted to stay away from the training halls for a while after yesterday's mess," Amber teased.
Khan had revealed what had happened before the meeting. Amber had found the story funny, so she didn't mind using it to probe into his mindset.
"I feel naked without my knife," Khan exclaimed. "I can't use my full power without it."
"Why would you even use your full power?" Amber laughed. "Reebfell isn't a battlefield."
Khan didn't answer. He diverted his gaze and lost himself in the beautiful sceneries that filled his vision. He could see the greatness of human technology in every corner, but his senses instinctively kept track of the mana released in the environment. Khan was in a safe place, but his mind was ready for battle.
"I guess the battlefield is part of me," Khan whispered, and Amber found herself speechless.
Amber often forgot that Khan had seen far more than her. He could laugh, joke, and talk normally, but he was also someone who had killed and had gone through awful struggles. His honesty toward her tried to hide the soldier behind his youthful face, but she inevitably saw it from time to time.
"Let's go eat something," Amber cheerfully announced to change the topic while grabbing Khan's arm.
Khan snapped back to reality and seized the opportunity to get back on teasing Amber. "Poor Cora. She had to pick such a popular guy."
"I won't pay for your food if you keep speaking nonsense," Amber giggled without letting Khan go.
"My arm is yours, ma'am," Khan exclaimed in a polite tone, and the two soon went back to harmless jokes and laugh.
.
Reebfell made it very easy to kill time. The many shops placed in distant areas of the commercial district and its various attractions allowed Khan and Amber to spend entire hours simply looking at the showcased goods or chatting in front of tasty drinks.
Some might see that as a date, but Amber and Khan had reached a silent understanding on that topic. They simply did their best to enjoy themselves as friends without ever overthinking their behavior.
The sun had already started to set by the time the two returned to the training camp. Khan's phone had rung non-stop due to the many Tainted animals that the "Beasts' King" had sent, but he made the soldiers tasked with the matter place every cage in his hangar. There was no need to feed those creatures since they had to die for the sake of his lesson.
Khan only had a few hours to kill before his lesson, so he went straight for his flat after separating from Amber. His mood felt oddly fantastic. He had laughed with a friend, taken care of his knife, and set the foundation for a lasting relationship with a useful shop. It almost felt unreal that he had been in the middle of a battlefield just a week ago.
A shower followed a few mental exercises. Khan made sure to reach the hangar early, and he didn't hesitate to fall into his meditative state as he waited for his students to arrive.
The recruits were on time, but a dozen of them didn't show up. Khan knew that the meeting with the representatives had gone well, so he didn't blame himself for the event. He couldn't force such young men and women to attend his lessons.
A series of hesitant and worried faces unfolded in Khan's vision when he opened his eyes. The sight of the ten small cages in the back of the hangar had made the recruits recall the lesson with the Tainted ape, which naturally scared them.
"There is a difference between shattering your naivety and scarring you for life," Khan announced as he stood up and placed a hand on a cage nearby. "I've forced you to face opponents that you couldn't possibly defeat, but today's lesson will be different."
Khan stepped forward and approached his recruits. He had already decided who would fight the Tainted animals, but he wanted to see whether the current inspection would make him change his mind.
"Today's Tainted animals are weak," Khan eventually continued. "All of you can defeat them. I know that because I've tested your ability. However, I don't want to see a simple victory."
The recruits didn't completely understand the meaning behind Khan's words, and he didn't give them the time to think. He turned to approach the cages, and a name left his mouth during the walk. "Celine!"
That word surprised the recruits, but they all turned toward the young woman called by Khan. Celine was one of the weakest students in the class. Her attunement with mana wasn't great, and the same went for her proficiency level. Her instincts were also quite bad due to her timid character.
"You are doing poorly, which is fine," Khan explained as he jumped on one of the smallest cages. "Yet, you won't get anywhere until you gain some confidence. You'll be the first to kill a Tainted animal today. I hope you are ready."
"Sir, can I have the first round?" Elsie asked while Celine slowly stepped forward to leave the group.
"No, you wouldn't learn anything by fighting," Khan refused. "Your job today is to watch."
The statement confused the recruits even more, but none of them complained. The dinner two days ago had left some tension between them and Khan. He obviously didn't address it, but the students didn't feel like treating him in a friendly manner so soon.
Celine left the group, and the other recruits moved toward the open wall to give her space. Khan nodded as he inspected the scene. Celine was clearly worried, but she took a battle position and prepared her mana for the imminent fight.
"Ready?" Khan asked when he sensed that her mana was in the right places.
Celine nodded, and Khan touched a label on the cage. The structure still had a dark fabric over it, but a small shape started to press on it as soon as the entrance opened. It didn't take long before a reptilian head came out from under that cloth and voiced an angry hiss.
The recruits and Celine felt surprised once again at the sight of the Tainted snake. They didn't see many Tainted animals in their lives, but their entrance test had featured something far more threatening.
The Tainted snake was small, barely two-meter-long, and the short metallic arms growing from its body felt useless. It shot toward Celine as soon as it fixed its reptilian eyes on her figure, but its speed wasn't great.
Celine steeled her concentration quickly, and she threw a kick forward as soon as the snake tried to jump on her. The recruit failed to use her mana correctly, but her attack was precise and hit the creature at the center of its mouth.
The sheer physical strength contained in Celine's body was enough to send the snake flying away. The creature didn't suffer any injury, and its aggression made it shoot toward the recruit in no time, but she responded with another kick.
Celine kept failing to perform her martial art correctly, but she slowly grew used to those exchanges. She was faster and stronger than the snake, so her basic forms were enough to fend it off.
Then, one of her kicks eventually managed to deploy mana correctly. Celine's foot slammed right under the snake's head, and a chunk of its body exploded into pieces.
The creature flew away and struggled to control itself. A relatively thick chunk of flesh kept its head attached to the rest of its body, but it was clear that the damage was too severe. The snake had to thank its mutations for being able to survive such deep injuries.
Celine revealed an ecstatic smile when she saw that the Tainted snake was unable to move. She even jumped on her spot to express her happiness. She had a defeated her opponent on her own, finally proving that she could also fight like her companions.
"What are you doing?" Khan's cold voice interrupted that happy moment.
Celine's figure tensed up, and she even performed a military salute before focusing on Khan. She didn't know why he was being so cold and detached, but she wouldn't allow her behavior to be blamable.
"Why did you stop fighting?" Khan asked while pointing at the injured snake. "Your opponent is alive. Kill it."
"Won't you need it for other lessons, sir?" Celine honestly asked.
"This is the lesson," Khan explained. "I told you. I don't want to see victories. None of these Tainted animals have to survive today."
Understanding finally dawned on the recruits. Khan wasn't only trying to improve their confidence. He also wanted them to grow used to the sight of blood. If they didn't hesitate to kill now, there was a high chance that they would do well on the battlefield.
Celine also understood the purpose of the lesson. She gulped and walked toward the Tainted snake, but its poor condition made her hesitate.
The snake couldn't move properly, but it struggled. It never stopped trying to adjust its position, which only made it curl and spin on itself. Each movement tainted the floor with its dark blood, and its hisses often accompanied those events.
"Celine, do it," Khan ordered, forcing Celine to snap out of her daze.
Celine didn't take pity in a mere Tainted animal, but the scene was too ugly for her. She raised a foot and slammed it down to crush the snake's head, but she missed her target since she closed her eyes at the last second.
Khan didn't say anything. Some recruits in the audience tried to laugh, but Khan silenced them through his cold glare. Celine wasn't doing well, but he wouldn't let anyone break her concentration.
Celine took a deep breath before raising her foot again. She didn't close her eyes, but she failed to use her mana correctly, so her attack didn't crush the snake's head. The creature survived and forced her to repeat her technique.
A third, fourth, and fifth kick stomp followed, but Celine always failed to use her mana correctly. She couldn't help but lose her concentration in the middle of that pitiful scene, and each failure only intensified her restlessness.
Celine wanted her battle to end, but the Tainted snake simply wouldn't die. She kicked the creature three more times, but she was barely trying to muster her mana at that point. Whimpers and soft pleads even left her mouth as she begged the beast to stop breathing.
The challenging aspect of the lesson became evident now. Defeating weak Tainted animals wasn't a problem for recruits with enhanced bodies and martial arts. It was actually relatively easy. However, the actual killing was hard.
Celine never performed her technique correctly, but the Tainted snake eventually died under her stomps. Her attacks continued even after the creature's head had turned into a bloody pulp, and she fell on the floor to cry once she noticed that her battle was finally over.
Khan reached Celine in an instant, and she didn't hold back from using his shoulder to cry as soon as he voiced reassuring words. He had to help her stand up and walk back to her companions, and one of her friends replaced him afterward.
"Killing isn't easy," Khan announced when he saw that Celine wiped off her tears, "And it shouldn't be. Learn to kill, but don't ignore the weight of a life.. It's a hard path, but I'm here to make it a bit easier."
To be continued