C490 Departure
Richard and the other soldier had to suppress a gasp in front of that bright purple-red light. They felt utmost respect for Khan, especially after his landing, but that color remained a synonym for danger. Even experienced warriors would hesitate before the chaos element.
Khan noticed that but didn't care. Generating those reactions was actually for the best. Acquiring a superhuman state was the first step toward the status he required. That would raise a wall between him and ordinary soldiers, but he was willing to pay that price.
The wall at the end of that short passage looked sturdier than the other surfaces. Khan couldn't exactly see through rocks. He only felt a vague vibe that gave him that impression. Also, he could see the mark left by the previous drill, so he knew where his spell had to go.
The cavity's size reassured Khan. It wasn't as big as the main hole, but four full-grown men could easily fit inside it. Something far bigger than Khan had drilled there, so he didn't worry about the passage potentially crumbling on him.
Khan stabbed his glowing sword on the mark left by the old drill without putting much strength in his gesture. The chaos claws spell was different from the Divine Reaper, and he knew exactly how to unleash its full potential.
The glowing tip met some resistance when it touched the conical cavity in the wall, but the chaos element promptly got to work. The rocks began to give in, shattering and manifesting fissures that expanded as Khan stabbed his arm deeper. A crackling spiderweb grew, and the entire surface fell prey to it.
Khan barely looked at the actual effects of his spell. He was more interested in the chaos element's behavior. The thorough, deep, and endless instability it caused expressed some of its most iconic traits. Its mindless violence was almost inspiring. Nothing seemed able to match it in terms of raw power.
In a way, the chaos element was the perfect weapon for Khan's goals. Only something that strong could keep up with his growth and achievements.
The wall tried to oppose Khan, but the energy invading its fabric was simply unstoppable. Some areas required slightly more time, but they eventually gave in, crumbling into a cloud of smoke and dust.
Khan dug until his hand found nothing else to destroy. There was an underground room behind that layer of tough rocks, so he kept his spell active until a narrow cavity formed.
Dust and smoke were still in the air when Khan retracted his mana. The drill's light pierced through that, but the area inevitably grew darker. Things were worse in the underground room he had just uncovered, but that didn't stop him from crossing the cavity.
Khan moved slowly, diving into the darkness of the new passage while retaining stable footholds. The rocks were uneven, both frail and firm, with some even having sharp surfaces, but Khan's light steps allowed him to avoid injuries or falls and safely enter the underground room.
The area expanded, allowing Khan to stretch his arms without meeting any rock. Mana also flowed into the underground room, giving him a better understanding of that new space. It was quite big, but the primarily rocky composition ended up requesting his eyes.
Khan lifted a finger and released a constant whisp of mana that dispersed after flying for a few seconds. He wasn't casting any attack, but his energy was bright enough to illuminate most of the room.
Various lights flashed in Khan's vision. The underground room was mostly made of dark rocks, but a few spots sent back the glow radiated by his mana. There seemed to be a few minerals in there, with the biggest one being a chest-sized triangular boulder stretching from the ceiling.
Khan didn't only read the Headmistress' briefing. He had also conversed with Lucian about Honides' opportunities. Those underground rooms were almost common knowledge for the soldiers on the planet, and Khan had learnt enough about them to identify the valuable resources.
'That should be what Mister Nore wants,' Khan thought, eyeing the boulder on the ceiling. 'As for the others.'
Khan followed the reflections, approaching the walls to check what kind of minerals caused those effects. He was by no means an expert in that field, but Lucian had given him a summary that was easy to remember.
'Green is for the Global Army,' Khan recalled while inspecting the various surfaces, 'Blue is risky, and red is good.'
The light radiated by the chaos element wasn't ideal for distinguishing between colors. The dark rocks further hindered Khan's search, but he eventually identified a few minerals he could take.
Steps resounded through the narrow passage while Khan was busy with his inspection. A white light even shone through it at some point, allowing him to retract his mana. Richard and the other soldier eventually stepped into the underground room, bringing electric torches and their amazed expressions.
"You'll take care of enlarging the passage, right?" Khan questioned without lifting his gaze from the walls. "I can do it for you if needed."
"Don't worry, sir!" Richard hurriedly exclaimed. "You have already done enough!"
"I'll need a big bag then," Khan continued, straightening his back to retreat a bit.
Khan delivered a powerful kick on the wall before Richard could speak. A chunk of rocks crumbled during the impact, releasing rubble that accumulated on the room's floor. Khan didn't hesitate to crouch toward it, and a tiny dark-red pebble occupied his palm when he stood up again.
"Do you mind if I take these?" Khan asked, showing the pebble while heading for another spot with faint red reflections.
"They have never been here, sir!" Richard declared, showing a knowing smile that Khan didn't bother to look at. Instead, the other soldier noticed it, and Richard exchanged a nod with him.
The soldier hurried outside the passage and used the platform to return to the surface. Meanwhile, Khan delivered a couple of kicks in another spot to break the rocks and seize a second dark-red pebble that had fallen to the ground.
"I believe your scanners didn't pick these up," Khan commented while moving toward another red shade.
"No, sir," Richard stated. "We only found this room and that boulder. By the way, do you need help digging it out?"
Khan finally turned and followed Richard's eyes toward the ceiling. The latter was looking at the triangular boulder, which was the main reason for Khan's presence. Its size and position made it annoying to retrieve, which explained the question.
"It's fine," Khan muttered, kicking the ground to launch himself toward the triangular boulder.
To Richard's amazement, Khan rolled on himself during the leap and turned the room's ceiling into his new floor. He was upside down but remained able to walk even if his movements defied gravity. Moreover, Khan didn't stop at mere steps.
Khan tapped the ceiling a few times before putting real strength into his moves. He delivered a kick at the boulder's base before hurrying to the other side and repeating the process.
The boulder's metallic properties made it endure the kicks, but that didn't apply to its base. After four kicks, a chunk of the ceiling broke, making that triangular shape fall to the ground.
Khan delivered a descending kick on the boulder when he headed for the floor. His attack shattered some of the rocks still clinging to its base, turning it into a smaller shape that would be easier to carry around.
"Get this out while I clean the rest of the room," Khan ordered, and Richard didn't hesitate to approach the boulder.
The boulder was still heavy, and the narrow passage didn't help, but Richard did his best while Khan found more spots to kick. The second soldier returned in the meantime, and the three eventually reunited back into the main hole.
Khan crouched on the cavity's entrance in front of a small pile of dark-red rocks. A yellow backpack stood next to him, and he filled it with those pebbles. He left only two outside to pick them up and throw them at the soldiers.
"That's for you," Khan exclaimed, closing the backpack and straightening his position. Richard and the soldier were too surprised by the sudden throw to show gratitude, and Khan had already returned to the platform when they realized their lack of manners.
"Thank you, Captain!" Richard and the soldier shouted anyway, and Khan waved his hand to dismiss their gratitude. Still, that didn't stop the two from hurrying onto the platform and making it climb back to the surface.
Richard took care of leading Khan to a different area of the structure and carrying the boulder. He even respected Khan's silence since receiving one of the minerals had put him in a good mood.
The two had to walk for a while since the plant's hangar stood at the center of the structure. They even had to ride a small automated car to shorten the journey, but a series of ships eventually unfolded in their vision.
The hangar was pretty empty. Only one area had a strangely large team of soldiers busy preparing a rectangular ship with metal covers around its four engines. The process seemed to have more manpower than it needed since almost half of the group was merely watching their companions working.
Khan's arrival turned those idle soldiers into a welcoming party. They arranged themselves into a straight line and performed military salutes before shouting his name, forcing their companions to ignore the ship and imitate them.
"At ease," Khan nodded as soon as he reached the group, and one of the soldiers left the line to hand him his phone. The device didn't have a single stain, showing how the team had taken care of cleaning it up.
"We have a clean uniform ready, sir," The soldier who handed the phone proceeded to reveal.
"There's no need for that," Khan shook his head. "I just want to return to my ship."
"Everything is ready for set-off," The soldier stated. "You can depart immediately, Captain."
"Let's do that," Khan laughed, and the soldiers created a path toward the ship's cargo area, which featured an oddly placed seat, probably moved specifically for Khan's uncommon situation.
That arrangement was obviously enough for Khan. He entered the trunk and bound his backpack to the wall before strapping himself on the seat. Richard also joined him to secure the boulder on another surface and voice polite goodbyes.
"I'll see you around," Khan uttered in front of Richard's military salute, and the latter smiled before leaving the trunk. The cargo area closed at that point, and the pilot's voice resounded through the speakers.
"Shall we depart, Captain?" The pilot asked.
"Positive," Khan casually said, clinging to the seatbelt while the set-off began.
Khan didn't experience much in his position. He couldn't even watch the departure due to the absence of screens in the trunk. He could only wait, and the arrival of turbulences marked the ship's encounter with the storms.
The shaking continued for a while, and even the arrival of a clanging noise didn't put an end to it. Yet, the statement that followed made Khan smile.
"Sir, I've connected the two ships," The pilot conveyed through the speakers. "When you are ready, I can open the doors."
Khan unfastened the belt and retrieved the backpack before grabbing the boulder. He voiced an order, and the backdoors slowly opened to reveal a familiar dark-grey color. Khan only had to approach it to make his ship's side doors open.
A short leap brought Khan back into his ship, and he immediately dropped the boulder to deal with a few mandatory tasks. He closed the doors and unlocked the cargo area to access the cabin. Some dust flowed into the room due to the remains of his reckless departure, but everything was working as intended.
"I'm good here," Khan eventually said through a channel that connected the two ships. "Thank you for the lift."
"Anytime, Captain," The pilot responded. "Have a good trip."
"You too," Khan replied and waited for the second ship to depart to attend to other tasks. He bound the backpack to a seat and secured the boulder before returning to the cabin to activate every necessary function.
"Calculating," The ship's robotic voice resounded as soon as Khan brought the vehicle out of Honides' atmosphere. Lunchtime had already passed, so he needed a new route to return to the Harbor.
When the holograms appeared, Khan accelerated, bringing an uncomfortable pressure on his body. That weight grew heavier and heavier, but he felt able to endure a bit more than before after what he had experienced among the storms.
Notes had already come out of the control desk, and Khan began to read them while the ship continued to accelerate. Khan felt able to move only once the speed became constant since the pressure disappeared, and he reached for the backpack at his side after turning off the engines.
'How can these rocks be so valuable?' Khan wondered while browsing through the backpack's contents, but the arrival of a call distracted him from the task.
"So," Lucian's voice came out of the control desk when Khan answered, "How was my intel?"
"Quite accurate," Khan responded. "You earned your fifteen percent."
"Did you weigh them already?" Lucian questioned. "Wait, which minerals did you find?"
"I'll show you once I return to the Harbor," Khan said as a beeping key attracted his attention. "I need to close this. The Headmistress is calling."
Khan didn't give Lucian the time to add anything else since he directly closed the call to answer the Headmistress.
"I believe everything went well," The Headmistress stated.
"Exactly as planned," Khan responded.
"And you didn't happen to steal anything, am I right?" Headmistress Holwen continued.
"I don't know anything about rocks, Headmistress," Khan laughed.
"Predictable," Headmistress scoffed as if she could smell the lie in Khan's tone. "Well, you can use the trip back to study your new mission. Do you remember when I mentioned Abora's swamps? You are going there next week."
To be continued