Chapter 628: Options

Khan had read about that word in Mister Wulfo's report, but hearing it through the Nak's language added a different meaning to it. Khan truly understood what the fifth figure wanted to convey, and his anger returned.

"[I'm not seizing any legacy]," Khan declared, his mana leaking from his figure to affect the environment. "[I'll find the Nak only to get their nightmares out of my head]."

Khan didn't know why he implied the nightmares belonged to the Nak. His wording had been almost instinctive and was connected to some guesses he couldn't completely confirm.

After the battle against the hand, the nightmares had gained powerful feelings that didn't belong to Khan. The mutation had planted an alien seed inside his mind, and its purpose had grown clearer on Cegnore.

"[You see the map]," The fifth figure exclaimed, surprised, "[But your mind didn't crumble. You do have potential]."

Khan's mana raged once again, and his palms touched to generate a spell. The chaos spear instantly appeared, shining in all its glory and bringing blinding light to that dark environment.

The spear's light finally allowed Khan to absorb the details the symphony couldn't convey. The four mutated Thilku were similar to those fought in the past, different only in the blue patches of fur growing from their backs and shoulders. Still, Khan barely looked at them since his eyes remained glued to the fifth figure.

The fifth alien couldn't be more different from the Thilku. Its facial and body features were very human, but its skin had a pale bluish tone, and long straight white hair flowed from its forehead to its nape.

The main difference with humans was in water-related features. The bluish alien had two gills on its neck's sides, and long, darker fins grew from its forearms. Its face was slightly sharp, its ears were slim and pointy, and its feet were long and flat.

Khan's urges slightly quieted down at the sight of white hair. Those wet strands awakened distant memories that filled his ears with the sound of a familiar waterfall. His mind went back to a cave he loved, distracting him from the scene.

"[Is your mind still here]?" The alien asked. "[Maybe you don't have as much potential as I thought]."

Those words brought Khan back to the real world, and anger ensued. He had to leave Liiza to continue chasing the Nak. His worries about Monica involved the same issue. He wouldn't be free to live or love as long as the curse remained inside him.

"[You'd better have what I need]," Khan threatened. "[I'll kill you and find others from your species otherwise]."

"[It's fine]," The alien reassured, showing a simple smile that revealed its sharp teeth. "[I'm meant to die today]."

Khan ignored that confusing statement and threw his spear toward the lake's center. The alien didn't move, but a figure still appeared on the attack's trajectory. One of the mutated Thilku had jumped forward to block the spell with its body.

The mutated Thilku pushed its arms forward, enveloping its palms into a wild mass of mana that acted as a barrier. The spear clashed with it but failed to pierce it and began to lose stability.

The Thilku accumulated mana to prepare for the imminent explosion, but a figure materialized at its side, and a purple-red flash unfolded.

The mana inside the alien dispersed, and a long cut appeared on its almost bald head, splitting its skull in half. The Thilku died, and the spear exploded, enveloping its lifeless body with its scorching pillar.

The water shook and opened in the spot below the pillar. Waves rose on the lake, spreading toward the rocky passage and submerging it, but the bluish alien merely flowed over those disruptions.

Khan dived directly toward the blue alien, but another huge figure jumped in his path. A mutated Thilku flew horizontally toward the lake's center, piercing waves and accumulating mana in its open mouth to prepare a spell.

The enraged state didn't deafen Khan's senses. He knew the Thilku would have jumped toward him even before the actual event, but that wasn't an issue. The sky was Khan's domain, and he showed no mercy to those who challenged him.

Mana flowed toward Khan's legs, teleporting him behind the Thilku. The latter tried to react, but a purple-red flash unfolded, splitting its torso in half and applying the same effects to its right arm.

Khan was only a few meters above the bluish alien now, but the remaining two Thilku also jumped forward, occupying his sides and opening their screaming mouths. They wanted to release Wave spells even if the attacks risked hurting them, but Khan was ready for that too.

Masses of mana materialized behind the Thilku's napes, gathering energy and condensing in the shape of needles. Those spells instantly exploded, sending their dangerous energy toward those sensitive parts.

The mutation had strengthened the Thilku, but mere skin couldn't do anything against the chaos element. The needles' explosions dug through their flesh, crossing muscles and tendons to touch the bones and killing them.

The Wave spells never got the chance to appear. The two Thilku continued to fly forward until their momentum dispersed, bringing them to the lake.

Khan was ready to charge at the blue alien again, but a mass of mana gathered under him, attracting his attention. The Thilku cut in half was still alive. Its insides leaked into the lake while it drowned, but its mouth still pointed at Khan and released a Wave spell.

The attack pierced the water and filled the area with its blinding light. It even threatened to touch the ceiling, but that didn't happen because Khan was right in the middle of it.

The mutated Thilku's incredible resilience and resolve surprised Khan, but he had already deployed countermeasures for the spell. He opened his mouth, and a clicking cry ran up his throat as mana flares shot in every direction.

The defensive technique couldn't win against the Wave spell, but it bought enough time to make Khan cross the attack unscathed. His shoes and trousers took fire, but the sprint dispersed the flames, leaving charred rags behind.

Khan's shoes fell into the lake as he sprinted downward before stopping abruptly. He wanted to deliver the finishing blow, but the mutated Thilku died mid-spell.

Only Khan and the blue alien were left at that point. The former hovered a few meters above the lake while the latter floated on it. They were finally alone, but that moment lasted less than a second.

As soon as Khan prepared his mana, familiar figures crossed the barrier covering the place's entrance. The team of Thilku made their way upstream, almost swimming to get to the underground area in time.

The barrier had prevented Khan from sensing his companions, but the situation didn't change. He still had someone to question and, eventually, kill. The Thilku's arrival couldn't distract him.

Nevertheless, the blue alien knew the Thilku were coming, and their arrival was perfect for its needs. Before Khan could resume his offensive, the alien sent a strand of energy into the lake, enforcing a behavior that made the water boil.

Khan instinctively stopped to study the event. The alien's mana fused perfectly with the water, splitting into different strands that applied their effects everywhere. The lake almost became alive, boiling without needing any heat, and the underground chamber shook as a consequence.

The Thilku had just started taking the area in and climbing on the rocks around the walls when the chamber began to shake. Orders immediately flew, forcing the team to stand still while the team leaders decided what to do. Still, the only one who might know the answers wasn't looking at them.

Khan couldn't help but find similarities between the technique and the Nele arts. Yet, the alien's connection with the water felt more personal, deeper even. It didn't use much energy, but a massive event was still unfolding.

'Is the water itself willing to help?' Khan wondered, but the earthquake eventually captured his attention. The underground chamber looked about to crumble.

"[What will you do]?" The blue alien suddenly announced, nodding at the tunnel. "[If you wish, you can go back]."

"[Are you planning on killing both of us with this]?" Khan asked, sending mana to his knife to make it glow. "[It won't work]."

"[You have two options]," The blue alien continued, ignoring the question. "[Retreat or follow me]."

Before Khan could ask anything, the blue alien let itself fall into the lake. Its entire figure disappeared, and checking its mana told Khan it was diving quickly, swimming at an incredible pace.

The sudden action shocked Khan. His mind went blank for a second before his thoughts finally returned to flow. Countless simulations happened inside his mind as the alien's mana signature got farther away. He would soon lose track of it, but following it wasn't so simple.

First of all, Khan wasn't alone. He was responsible for his companions' lives and would hate himself if something happened to them.

Also, the blue alien was literally underwater. That probably was its natural environment, and Khan didn't know how he would fare there. Even if he could defeat it, the ceiling would crumble on him afterward.

A normal person would never consider such a dangerous option, but Khan had never been suited for that description. Besides, his mana raged while he checked the distancing alien. He knew what he wanted even while simulations continued to fill his mind.

"[Get back]!" Khan ordered, glaring at the Thilku before summoning his mana. He deployed one of his pilot's techniques, creating a barrier around his head that could hold some air before diving headfirst into the lake.