Chapter 820: Roar |
'Nothing,' Khan thought, staring at the pebbles in his palm. 'Absolutely nothing.'
Khan had done more than touch the pebbles. He had seized them, brought them to his face, sniffed them, and even licked one of them. However, his body didn't react, and no catastrophe unfolded.
The outcome led to two possible explanations. The first saw the sample as unsuitable to trigger a reaction. The pebbles were technically alive but weren't comparable to the Nak's hand faced on Milia 222. The latter actually lived and fought, absorbing and releasing energy on its own.
The second explanation was in line with Bret's hypothesis. Khan had transformed and improved, fully absorbing the Nak's mutations. He was a complete and new lifeform, which the Nak couldn't further affect. Khan had already become what the Nak aimed to create, so interacting with their body parts wouldn't trigger additional reactions.
Khan inevitably thought about Monica. Bret had suggested waiting until Khan reached the fifth level to be safe, but the test's result seemed to imply that the transformation was already complete. He could probably have children without worrying about passing down the nightmares.
Of course, even a complete confirmation wouldn't make Khan and Monica start trying to conceive. They had yet to marry, and both their statuses required work. They also had too much on their shoulders to consider having children.
Yet, the idea tried to put a smile on Khan's face. He was obviously terrified at the concept of parenthood, but the two had extensive talks about the topic. Monica wanted to give Khan children, and he couldn't wait to start a proper family with her. He knew everything would be fine as long as she was at his side.
Confirming that the transformation was complete would finally open that option. It wouldn't only work as evidence that Khan's efforts had borne fruits. It would also create the chance for a normal life, something Khan didn't dare to hope for while the nightmares still afflicted his mind.
Those thoughts lingered in Khan's mind while his senses continued studying the pebbles. As joyous as the conclusion was, it remained a hypothesis. More tests were required, especially to write off the first possible explanation.
The following tests focused on finding the right amount of green substance for each sample. Khan didn't mind shallow holes appearing on the body parts but couldn't risk damaging their deeper areas. He needed the Nak's flesh to be more than alive. He required it to live.
Luckily for Khan, he had brought plenty of green liquid, and Rebecca had amassed enough samples so he could continue the tests without worrying about running out of resources. Needless to say, more priceless Nak's flesh crumbled, but the results eventually arrived.
Khan's eyes seemed able to pierce the hall's metal surfaces as he stared at the item inside the mana sphere between his palms. A biceps riddled with holes rested inside his energy, motionless but alive.
The biceps had already absorbed all the energy it could handle, which didn't disperse even after Khan retracted his hands. That body part had regained its azure color but lay still.
The holes were also quite deep, but Khan confirmed the damage didn't reach vital parts. Its functionality was unaffected while all its tissues had regained power. That was close enough to what Khan needed, so his fingers pressed on the floor to voice another order.
Scientists entered the hall, retrieving the sample while delivering a new one. Khan soon remained alone with a complete Nak's foot resting inside a transparent container. Its size was similar to the Nak's hand fought on Milia 222, making it perfect for the second phase of his tests.
Khan carefully retrieved the foot from the container, gently laying it on the floor to avoid damaging its dry flesh. He had already repeated the process multiple times, so no mistakes happened. The body part safely reached its new location, and Khan seized two flasks to begin the experiment.
Khan used both hands, covering the flasks' opening to limit the amount of green liquid poured on the foot. He also chose specific spots, evenly spreading the toxic substance before throwing away the containers and sending his mana forward.
The drops pierced the foot's skin, but the immediate arrival of Khan's mana started the transformation. Its flesh began recovering instead of falling apart, and the process soon affected the entire body part.
Khan didn't need scanners to keep track of the transformation. His bare eyes could see the foot's insides steadily improving, absorbing his mana to restore their condition. The sample's flesh slowly came back to life, but the experience with the previous tests told Khan that something was off.
The foot was bigger than any previous sample, but Khan could guess how much energy it needed before becoming full. However, the body part crossed that point and continued absorbing his mana, growing past its structural limits.
The foot's skin didn't only turn blue. It began radiating an azure halo that grew brighter by the second. That glow slowly overcame the light emitted by Khan's mana, illuminating his face and the hall.
Eventually, the foot released a deep noise that Khan's brain could translate. That sound carried the same feeling the Nak's hand on Milia 222 had conveyed. The sample was hungry, and Khan didn't mind feeding it more energy.
Khan increased his energy output. The mana sphere between his hands increased in size as the foot's hunger intensified. He made sure to give the sample as much as needed, and a new change soon followed.
The foot left the floor on its own, slowly rising into the air. Khan followed it with his hands, standing up when it got too high. The sample eventually stopped, limiting itself to hovering mid-air while inside the mana sphere.
'What if I do this?' Khan wondered, retracting his hands and interrupting the feeding session.
The foot stood still for a few seconds before releasing another hungry noise. The sample didn't have eyes, but Khan could feel it looking at him. Yet, his lack of reactions triggered a different response.
A suction force came from the foot, specifically targeting the symphony. The synthetic mana began flowing toward the sample, but everything suddenly froze. A stronger will had interrupted the process, forcing the hall's energy to stay still.
"This mana is mine," Khan calmly said before closing his eyes. He knew how the Nak spoke, so he focused on a specific emotion and opened his mouth, releasing his clicking cry.
No waves of violent energy followed the clicking cry. Khan simply roared, conveying his ownership over the hall's mana. The feeling was as basic and primitive as possible, and the foot immediately understood it would have to fight Khan to satisfy its hunger.
The foot released another noise, radiating anger. Its glow intensified as its insides sorted out its energy to prepare an attack. Lumps of mana also escaped its skin, taking the shape of small flares that began surrounding it.
Milia 222 had offered a similar scenery, but Khan spotted an interesting difference. The flares resembled the Nak's hand's azure lightning bolts, but their nature clearly didn't match, and Khan quickly considered a few explanations.
'Different element?' Khan thought. 'Unlikely. It's also using my mana. It must be a matter of tampering.'
Raymond had experimented on the Nak's hand, mixing it with the reinforced fabric to patch it up. That foreign element might have altered the mana's shape, turning pure chaos into lightning bolts.
'So,' Khan wondered, watching as the foot condensed its energy. 'Is this its original nature? Why is my mana different then?'
The answer felt evident and welcome. The Nak's mana was azure, but Khan didn't belong to that species. His mutations had put him close to them, but he remained his own being, something different from both them and humans.
That conclusion almost reassured Khan. His mana anomaly became the best evidence that his mutation wouldn't turn him into a Nak. It seemed he had already jumped on a different path, one the Nak hoped could lead to greater heights.
The foot continued condensing energy while Khan was immersed in his thoughts. He appeared distracted, but nothing escaped his senses. He knew what was about to happen and didn't worry about it.
The sample eventually finished preparing its energy. Its flares grew in size before shooting at Khan. Seven or so rivers of dense mana flew at high speed toward him, but the attack was short-lived.
A palm slammed on the flares, piercing them and reaching for the foot. Unflinching fingers closed around the sample, pulling it from its position. Khan wielded the body part before his face, and his mouth opened to roar at it.
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