C380 Levels
Khan wasn't at his peak. Even the rest from the previous day couldn't fix the overall tiredness that filled his body. Yet, he had fought in worse conditions.
Maban continued to express his pressure and coldness, but he eventually performed a slight nod. That reaction confirmed Khan's guess. Maban wanted to test him out, which was reasonable considering the situation.
The recording from the club didn't show Khan's battle. He could have made a secret deal with the Orlats as far as Maban knew. Sure, the matter sounded unlikely since the third-level warrior had died, but Maban had to go over all his doubts before accepting Khan completely.
Khan knew how the Nele fought, so his entire attention went on the symphony of mana. He didn't care about sensing everything Maban did, but he wanted to reach a mental state that could trigger automatic reactions.
As for Maban, his stern expression remained firm. The pressure and coldness that had permeated the synthetic mana vanished, and the environment slowly regained its previous state. Sounds still rang through the symphony, but the lack of interferences created a relatively peaceful scenery in Khan's mind.
Maban didn't hide his moves, but his intentions remained unclear. A tremor left his figure and spread through the synthetic mana. The whole symphony in the training room fell under the control of that soft shaking without triggering or activating any attack.
Khan initially wanted to wait for Maban to make the first move. The latter had already proven himself able of incredible speed, so charging ahead sounded reckless. However, letting Maban take complete control of the mana in the area wasn't far from that.
Khan hesitated for only a second before sprinting ahead. The tremors in the synthetic mana didn't affect his charge, but he couldn't express his full speed anyway.
Maban remained still and let Khan enter his range. He didn't even draw his root while Khan dived toward him and covered his knife with the purple-red membrane.
Khan didn't want to hurt Maban, but holding back would prevent him from proving his point. He had to show that he was strong enough to survive for a few minutes against a third-level warrior, so he decided to attack seriously.
The glowing knife strived directly for the center of Maban's chest. Khan's attack had been straightforward. He had merely fused the Lightning-demon style's speed with the Divine Reaper's piercing properties. The technique would land if he were faster than his opponent.
Strangely enough, Maban didn't try to dodge the incoming knife. Khan knew that the Nele must have been able to track its trajectory, but he didn't move anyway. Maban remained perfectly still and let the weapon touch his chest.
Khan rarely felt anything when performing the Divine Reaper. A perfect execution would meet virtually no hindrances, but Maban was a third-level warrior. Some strength would be necessary before that powerful flesh, but nothing similar happened.
The knife pierced Maban's chest and dug deep into his flesh, but no actual wound appeared. Khan felt as if his weapon had cut through the air, and his opponent's figure revealed a similar answer.
The hole dug by the knife didn't expand. Its edges twisted until the entirety of Maban's figure started to churn and transform into a tall vortex. Maban seemed about to collapse on the spot hit by Khan, but that process only involved his colors since his flesh was nowhere to be found.
The edges of Maban's figure fused with the dark-blue light while his body continued to twist. His colors grew blurry and completely vanished when Khan retracted his knife.
Khan didn't know how to explain what had happened, and his sensitivity didn't help. Maban had disappeared right before his eyes, and the same went for his presence. Only the faint tremor remained in the room, but everything about Maban had vanished.
"[You still need some rest]," Maban's voice suddenly resounded beside Khan's right ear. "[You were faster in the recording]."
Khan instinctively spun on himself to wave his glowing knife toward the source of Maban's voice, but his weapon couldn't find anything. Even his eyes failed to spot anything remotely similar to a presence. He was currently alone in the training hall, but he knew his senses were deceiving him.
'Is he tricking me through the synthetic mana?' Khan wondered while remaining wary of his surroundings.
The tremor running through the training hall could work as a cloaking spell. Khan didn't believe that a mere manipulation of the synthetic mana could trick his senses, even if the caster were a third-level mage. Still, he couldn't exclude anything against that peculiar species.
"[Good reactions]," Maban praised, and his voice echoed all around Khan without ever highlighting a specific source. "[Many would tremble in fear after falling prey to this technique]."
Khan didn't have the time to feel happy about that praise. Maban was still out there, and nothing in the training hall hinted at his position. Yet, that wasn't his first time fighting an invisible opponent, and his knowledge of the Nele's arts gave him a clear path to follow.
"[Again]?" Maban taunted when he saw purple-red light accumulating on Khan's body, but he didn't continue at the realization that Khan was up to something different than before.
A spherical version of the Wave spell expanded from Khan and destroyed the synthetic mana around him. Even part of the floor crumbled under his might. The influences he added to the symphony also altered the tremor, which granted some clarity.
The tremor didn't reach the space inside the Wave spell, so Khan felt able to rely on his senses there. The room seen from behind the expanding purple-red membrane didn't carry anything peculiar, but a vague figure slowly became visible as he added chaos to the symphony.
Khan didn't hesitate. He shot forward even before the purple-red membrane could disperse. Sizzling noises came out of his clothes and short hair, but he ignored everything as he ran toward the vague figure disappearing in his eyes.
The tremors took over Khan's influence as soon as his spell dispersed, but that didn't matter now. He only had to reach what he had seen from behind his attack, and his knife rose as soon as he fulfilled that task.
Khan didn't care if his eyes showed nothing, but disappointment flowed into his mind when he saw that his attack didn't amount to anything. His glowing knife only cut the air. Maban had either been faster than him or had never been there in the first place.
"[The chaos element sure is powerful]," Maban's voice resounded again. "[It might take by surprise even experienced warriors, but you survived for a few minutes inside there]."
Khan ignored the taunt and repeated the previous process. The spherical Wave spell expanded and created a safe area outside Maban's influence. The tremors changed under the influx of Khan's mana, and their cloaking properties lost some power.
A vague figure became visible again, and Khan didn't hesitate to run toward it. His reaction had been faster than before, and his speed increased as his every thought focused on a single task. However, he found himself stabbing mere air once again after reaching his destination.
"[That's quite a dangerous technique]," Maban spoke, but the source of his voice came right next to Khan's left ear.
Khan didn't fall for the same trick twice, but something different happened at that time. Part of the tremors that flowed through the symphony converged next to Khan and gave birth to Maban's figure. The alien was literally bent over him to whisper in his ear.
Khan immediately spun on himself and waved his knife, but the attack only created a mark on that figure. Except for a cut that severed the head into two halves, Maban remained completely intact, and he even had the time to perform a smile.
"[Before you get the wrong idea]," Maban said through his smile as the missing part of his head reappeared, "[This isn't solely the result of Nele's arts. My element is playing an important part]."
Khan lifted his free hand before closing it into a fist. Launching another spell was pointless. Maban wasn't there. He was only making Khan see those scenes.
"[Are you out of ideas already]?" Maban asked through his replica. "[I must say I expected far more]."
"[I don't want to destroy the entire building]," Khan calmly replied before closing his eyes.
Speaking to the mana in that situation was probably impossible since it was already listening to Maban. Khan actually didn't know how that energy would react with two conflicting wills asking favors. He could try to send a request, but that would make him waste time.
Nevertheless, the situation was different when it came to his own mana. Khan didn't have any suitable spell for that situation, but he could still try something.
'Flow freely,' Khan ordered as he pushed his mana outside his body. 'Change this tune.'
Khan didn't know if his mana truly heard his request, but nothing would change his attempt anyway. His energy left his body from various spots before fusing with the symphony and flying through it.
The process had no specific purpose. It wasn't even a technique. Khan only wanted to create an interference capable of putting an end to Maban's troublesome spell.
The tremor was too soft to resist the arrival of that new violent and destructive energy. The symphony gained shrill tunes as Khan's relatively harmless mana expanded through the training hall and added features that Maban's influence couldn't suppress.
That went beyond the Nele's arts but didn't enter Niqols' realm. Khan was merely relying on his mana's intrinsic properties to make a mess out of Maban's technique, and his experiment was bringing results.
The parts of the synthetic mana affected by the Nele's arts didn't stand a chance against Khan's mana. Those employed in a specific technique resisted and even managed to fend off part of the incoming disturbances.
A third group also existed. Khan could sense that part of the symphony didn't change at all even after his mana reached those areas. The world in his sensitivity had suddenly split into three parts, and he knew exactly where to look for Maban.
The area completely unaffected by the chaos element was smaller than the others, but it remained pretty vast. Charging blindly would probably lead nowhere, so Khan only jumped toward it before launching a straight Wave spell.
Khan opened his eyes during his offensive. He watched his purple-red mana making its way through seemingly empty space, but familiar clothing eventually appeared in the distance.
Khan interrupted his spell and jumped forward before lifting his free hand. He had to be quick to limit Maban's chances to hide again, so mana quickly gathered in his palm to prepare another straight attack.
However, something suddenly hit Khan's neck. The power behind that unexpected blow was too great, so the spell failed, and Khan lost his balance as he flew toward his left.
The world in Khan's eyes spun. His balance was completely off. He couldn't understand what was happening, but he knew he was in no position to do anything about it.
Khan didn't sense when he stopped. A few seconds had to pass before his senses stabilized and allowed him to realize that he was on the floor. Khan didn't only fall. He had also slid for a while during his confused state.
A regular opponent would have killed Khan during that time, but Maban was only testing him. Still, Khan acknowledged the difference between the two of them after that exchange. Maban was simply stronger than him.
"[I'm faster than you]," Maban spoke, and his voice came from behind Khan. "[I simply went behind you while you were busy chasing me down]."
Khan checked the area through his sensitivity and held back a curse when he realized that his interferences had vanished. Maban had brought peace to the training area while he was busy sliding on the floor. He had gone back to the starting point after losing a single exchange.
Still, the new tremors that had filled the synthetic mana slowly intensified before converging behind Khan. All of them fused to create a familiar presence that made him turn to look at it. Maban was right on him, half-crouched and with a root pointed at the center of his forehead.
"[Are you holding back]?" Maban asked through his stern face.
Khan wasn't completely belly up. Only his face had turned, and he didn't dare to move any further due to the sharp root that filled his vision. Maban could have something to do with the feelings that reached his senses, but something told him that the technique had ended. He was seeing the true Maban now.
"[Are you worried about this structure]?" Maban repeated, even if he changed his words.
"[This building must be useful]," Khan stated while his eyes remained on the sharp tip in front of him. "[I can't take it from you]."
"[We can survive this loss]," Maban continued.
"[I don't want to inflict it]," Khan replied.
"[Even if your life is at stake]?" Maban coldly asked as he lowered the root until its tip touched Khan's forehead.
"[You don't want to take my life]," Khan sighed. "[You want a reason to accept me]."
Khan ignored the root and moved his eyes to Maban. Of course, the weapon hindered part of his vision, but he still managed to shoot a calm glance at the alien.
Maban was quite surprised. Khan's resolve and coldness in the face of danger were off the charts, and his insights into social and political environments were also exceptional.
Khan didn't do anything special. Maban's pretense and presence were perfect, but his initial intentions had already betrayed his mindset. Maban only wanted Khan to prove that he could be trusted. That would be the happiest and overall best outcome.
Yet, Maban couldn't give in so quickly, especially in front of that performance. Khan had definitely proven himself to be a capable second-level warrior, but he needed more to accept him.
"[I won't hesitate to take your life for the sake of my species]," Maban said in his usual stern tone, "[And you have yet to prove yourself in my eyes]."
"[Fine then]," Khan stated as he joined his palms and started gathering mana inside them.
"[I could stab you right now]," Maban commented while Khan continued to accumulate mana.
"[Testing me is the whole point of this]," Khan explained. "[This is how I survived the Orlats in the club]."
Maban couldn't contradict Khan. He was right. The secret behind his survival against the third-level warrior was becoming clear as the second passed, but the same went for the danger posed by the accumulated mana.
The chaos spear was a truly dangerous spell, especially when cast by Khan. The amount of mana used and the overall destructiveness of its properties made it one of the best weapons available to second-level warriors.
Maban wouldn't be safe at that distance, and the same went for Khan. Any sane person would interrupt that spell, but neither of them moved. The two seemed to have entered a staring game, and Maban was the first to flinch.
"[Humans don't feel like us]," Maban announced. "[Why are you so resolute]?"
"[I might not be a human after all]," Khan responded as his hands began to separate.
"[You seem to have a death wish]," Maban pointed out. "[I won't let you use my species to add a meaning to your life]."
The root remained still even after those words, and Khan continued to separate his hands. His left was already on the floor, so he had to stretch his right arm to create the spear.
"[Why won't you explain yourself]?" Maban questioned once the chaos spear was fully formed.
Khan could remain calm for different reasons, but one of them became stronger than the others while he kept his eyes on Maban. He could see pure devotion and resolve in that alien warrior, but the foundation of those feelings was nothing compared to what Khan had gone through.
"[I truly respect your species]," Khan revealed, "[But you found your strength on traditions. Most of you only experience fear instead of actual suffering]."
"[Do you think insulting us is a smart idea]?" Maban threatened.
"[All of you have only heard the stories about your terrible legacy]," Khan continued. "[I've been in many of them. I live inside one]."
"[Filthy h-]," Maban was on the verge of snapping, but something inside Khan's eyes made him stop.
Khan wasn't trying to hide anything. He wanted to be an open book as many tragic memories flowed through his mind, and Maban felt able to sense them. Khan's life wasn't something many could survive, and the dangerous but controlled environment of the dock couldn't compare to it.
Maban felt speechless. Khan looked so young, but his presence carried something he couldn't describe. The sadness that infected the synthetic mana went beyond anything he had ever experienced. Even the oldest members of his species didn't sound like that when they told their stories.
"[I'm sorry, Maban]," Khan declared as his blood vessels created a dot-sized [Blood Shield] on his forehead that allowed him to touch the root without hurting himself. "[I wanted to play by your rules, but I guess I'm a bit tired of being polite]."
Khan turned completely and showed the entirety of the chaos spear. Then, he straightened his back to sit. The dot-sized [Blood Shield] allowed him to push the root with his head without getting hurt, and Maban didn't resist the process.
"[Really, forgive me]," Khan repeated. "[We are simply on different levels]."
That was Maban's line, or, at least, it was supposed to be. He was still there, half-crouched toward Khan and with his root pointed at his head. A proper thrust would stab his weapon past the retreating [Blood Shield] and into Khan's brain. He was the superior warrior, but a sense of defeat filled his mind anyway.
"[Do I really need to detonate this to prove a point]?" Khan wondered while glancing at the chaos spear between his hands. "[I might survive it, but I'd rather avoid getting injured again]."
Maban looked at the glowing spear before lifting his gaze toward Khan again. Those azure eyes didn't carry any trace of lies, and the synthetic mana confirmed that.
"[I give up]," Maban sighed as he retracted his root and sat on the floor.
"[Is this over then]?" Khan wondered.
"[Yes]," Maban confirmed while storing his root behind him. "[Put that thing away now]."
Khan obeyed and let the mana inside the chaos spear disperse. He even took the time to stretch his neck afterward. Maban didn't hit him too heavily, but that spot still hurt.
"[You can't have possibly made a deal with the Orlats]," Maban announced. "[You are way too intense for them]."
"[I'm good at lying]," Khan admitted. "[I can totally fool them]."
"[Are you undermining your own position now]?" Maban asked.
"[I should list my skills to my new leader]," Khan stated while showing a shameless smile.
Maban's expression grew even sterner, but a faint chuckle seeped through it. The event was so sudden that even Khan remained surprised, but that only made him smile more afterward.
"[You have a long way to go with our arts]," Maban changed the topic. "[Speaking to the mana isn't a technique but a habit. It must be natural like moving a hand]."
Khan could only nod. The synthetic mana was easier in that field, but he remained a novice. Besides, he had yet to think seriously about fusing the Nele's arts with his current skillset.
"[Still, you are fast]," Maban continued. "[I don't know much about the human arts, but I might be able to teach you how I enhance my footwork. It should be easier to pick up in your case]."
To be continued