C651
The audience remained calm at that sudden reaction, but worry was building up. Even Khan was no stranger to that feeling since Colonel Norrett looked to be in a pickle, but his curiosity triumphed that.
The scientists didn't panic, and the same went for Colonel Norrett. He quickly calmed down and focused on the procedure, prioritizing his injured shoulder.
The containers sent more mana into the glass dome. Yellow marks appeared everywhere on Colonel Norrett's body, but, except for one spot, he continued suppressing his growth. He waited for those bright patches to fill the injury before allowing it to mutate.
The flesh around the injury's edges morphed and stretched outward, attaching skin and muscles to fix that body part. The Colonel's shoulder obviously didn't return to its previous state. It evolved into something that touched a realm above the fifth level.
The Colonel suppressed the growth as soon as the injury closed. He couldn't allow more mutations on the outer layer of his body when his insides had yet to transform. Everything would become too unstable otherwise.
Of course, Khan only understood part of those reasons, but his knowledge of the mana and a few related fields gave birth to accurate-enough guesses. His eyes saw shades that even the scanners failed to capture, and a realization soon hit him.
'That won't be the last,' Khan thought, and the reality immediately proved him right.
Colonel Norrett let out another grunt as a chunk of his chest exploded outward. He only lost skin and muscles, but the injury broke his concentration, and a new abrupt reaction followed.
A chuck of the Colonel's waist directly opened, showing his gory insides. The uneven cut continued to expand, but the Colonel eventually reclaimed control of his body and proceeded to fix his new wounds.
Khan witnessed the same process as before. Colonel Norrett allowed his injured parts to mutate and prevent further blood loss. That threatened to ruin the harmony of his body since his normal and transformed flesh had different levels, but everything was still manageable.
Nevertheless, the outer skin or a few patches of muscles didn't count as a proper evolution. Colonel Norrett had to transform the entirety of his body to call the procedure a success, and those hiccups conveyed its overall danger.
'What if his heart explodes?' Khan wondered.
Skin and muscles were fine, but the internal organs were a different matter altogether, especially the vital ones. Even mana-enhanced warriors couldn't survive losing them. Doctors could replace them, but the presence of artificial tissue might ruin any future hope for the evolution.
Colonel Norrett knew the risks and pressed on. He fixed his chest and abdomen before resuming transforming his insides. Luckily, no abrupt reactions happened for many minutes, and his organs slowly began to mutate after fusing with the yellow mana.
Everything was finally going smoothly, but neither guests nor scientists broke their stern stances. It didn't take an expert to understand that the hazardous part of the process had started, and the screens on the mana barrier did an excellent job of conveying that.
Colonel Norrett didn't focus on any specific organ. He let the diving of the yellow mana happen naturally and fill him in to create paths and fuel for his flesh. His insides initially opposed any transformation, but slight mutations happened after more energy arrived.
The mutations weren't anything monumental. Random, tiny pieces of Colonel Norrett's organs expanded, thickened, or improved without changing shape. That gradual transformation only involved millimeters of flesh, so everyone understood the procedure could take hours or longer.
Tense minutes passed as the guests and scientists inspected every image or data that reached their screens. The next crisis seemed to be around the corner, but nothing happened. Colonel Norrett's insides continued to transform, affecting more than just organs. The blood vessels also had to mutate to allow those changes.
Still, that smooth transformation eventually came to an end. Everything started with a tiny blood vessel failing to contain the superior fluids running through it, causing an explosion that triggered a chain reaction.
More blood vessels exploded, destabilizing Colonel Norrett's control over his growth. Many of his organs had already accepted and fused the yellow mana, so they began mutating recklessly and wildly, disregarding any care for his life.
Colonel Norrett tried to regain control, but his body didn't listen. His abdomen shook, and blood accumulated in his mutating stomach before climbing toward his throat. He spat the gory liquid directly on the dome's glass, which featured a few bright spots of mana.
Warning messages appeared on the various consoles, but Colonel Norrett kept trying. He didn't want to fail. He had invested too much in that attempt, and stopping now would only increase his losses. Yet, his body rebelled against life itself, and the mana inside the dome continued fueling that transformation.
Colonel Norrett soon spat another mouthful of blood before leaning forward to hold his abdomen. Something had gone terribly wrong. His guts felt on fire and melting. He could almost sense his organs liquefying, even if the scanners showed a far different picture.
A few guests gasped, but no one panicked. Khan and the others were powerless in that situation, and the scanners told them exactly why. Some of Colonel Norrett's organs had mutated uncontrollably for too long, becoming unfit for their original functions and clashing with his body.
Continuing in those conditions was suicide, but the Colonel didn't have access to that much data. He wasn't even thinking clearly, and his deep resolve made him push the procedure forward.
However, Colonel Norrett wasn't in charge anymore. The scientists saw the countless warning signs and took over, forcing the dome to expel the yellow mana and seal the containers.
"No!" Colonel Norrett shouted at the instantaneous disappearance of the bright energy, but another spasm ran through his body, leaving him with his hands on the grey ground. He puked enough blood to create a small puddle, and a violent cough took control of his throat.
The scientists hurried toward the glass dome, opening it to help Colonel Norrett to his feet. More soldiers arrived to bring scanners, but the Colonel abruptly pushed everyone away, adding loud words to his gesture. "Let go of me!"
The push didn't hurt anybody. After all, all the scientists were fourth-level warriors, but that didn't change the general concern for the Colonel. Still, the latter stomped his feet toward the mana barrier, uncaring of his naked state, and a soldier quickly removed it.
Khan and the others made way for the Colonel, who wiped his mouth with his forearm and approached the table. He grabbed the first drink he could find and took long sips to quell the pain and burning sensation in his abdomen. The Colonel seemed to be doing fine, but his appearance told a very different story.
The blood that had fallen on Colonel Norrett wasn't the only trace of his poor state. His body still had many bright yellow spots fused with his skin. He was almost a walking lamp, and Khan could see that his insides were no better.
The mutations wouldn't just disappear after interrupting the procedure. Some pieces of new flesh would shatter on their own, while others were forever now. The Colonel had chosen to transform his body, and part of it couldn't work right anymore.
"Sir," A scientist called during the general inspection, hurrying toward the Colonel. "We must rush you into surgery."
"I know," Colonel Norrett grunted, gulping another big sip. "Let's go."
The guests merely watched as Colonel Norrett slammed his cup on the table and moved toward the door on the other side of the room. The scientists followed him, and the entire team soon disappeared behind that metal entrance, leaving Khan and the others alone.
Needless to say, the event soured the general mood. Some guests sighed and shook their heads, while others glanced at the containers and glass dome. Khan belonged to the second group, The monetary investment was evident. The Global Army could fund most of the procedure, but refining a specific type of mana with and his mind inevitably went over the procedure while creating a few simulations.
The monetary investment was evident. The Global Army could fund most of the procedure, but refining a specific type of mana with that quality and level couldn't be cheap.
Khan also added the scientists, machines, and location to the equation. The secrecy of that place hinted at the fact that Colonel Norrett had built that structure specifically for his evolution. That was another expensive endeavor, and Khan didn't know how much came out of his pocket.
'All to waste now,' Khan realized.
The containers still had mana, but Khan immediately ruled it out. Even if the Colonel attempted to evolve that very day, his body had changed. He couldn't use that yellow energy since it no longer matched his being.
Surgery could fix Colonel Norrett, but the issue remained. Too much of him had changed, making the yellow mana unfit for another procedure.
'It's not close,' Khan eventually considered, 'But I should start thinking about it.'
The evolution was appealing, especially for someone set to find the Nak alone. Khan had also learned to like power, and being the strongest had become necessary. Still, that put him in a pickle.
'The extreme induction is my style,' Khan thought, 'And I have fitting skills that humans lack. However, my mana isn't exactly docile.'
From what Khan had understood, the mana in the containers matched Colonel Norrett perfectly. In the same situation, Khan would have to use something similar to his own energy, which wasn't made to create or transform. The chaos element was all about destruction, seemingly ruling out extreme induction as a possibility.
'The aided metamorphosis doesn't sound so bad now,' Khan realized.
Khan's initial doubts about the third evolution method vanished. The aided metamorphosis could change his element and probably separate him from his Nak's heritage. It might remove the nightmares altogether, too.
'But,' Khan thought, 'Isn't that the same as running away? The chaos element isn't exactly weak either.'
Questions that Khan couldn't answer filled his mind and never let go of his thoughts. He had just taken a glimpse into a possible future, but making relevant decisions now was simply impossible.
To be continued