'He would have been my first,' Khan realized while walking back to the square.
Khan had killed many times, but the mysterious man would have been his first human. Still, he knew that his resolve wouldn't have wavered even if he had thought about that detail earlier.
Humans, Niqols, Stal, Guko, Ef'i, and Kred were all the same in his mind. Some were dumb, others barely expressed emotions, but Khan couldn't find differences among the value of their lives.
The issue with the mysterious man had been pretty straightforward. He had threatened to kill Cora, so Khan had been ready to remove the danger. That was Khan's true nature, and he didn't find anything wrong with it. He was done feeling hesitant about himself.
Khan sensed three familiar presences as he approached the square. Chasing after the mysterious man had led him deeper into the Slums, so Amber, Grant, and Cora were still searching for him. Yet, they didn't hesitate to show happy smiles when they saw his figure in the distance.
"Khan!" Amber and Cora shouted almost at the same time, but their smiles froze when they managed to inspect his state.
Khan's cheeks had two long cuts, with one dangerously close to his right eye. Two big patches of blood had tainted his sides, and similar spots occupied his arms and legs. The deepest injury was on his right shoulder, but he had seen worse.
Cora and Amber reached Khan in less than a second and inspected his injuries. Their worry was evident, and that feeling only intensified when they noticed the state of his shoulder.
"I'm fine," Khan tried to reassure the two women. "My right feels a bit off, but it will heal in no time."
"We should hurry back to the barrack," Amber exclaimed. "Your injuries might get infected with all this dirt on you. Hurry up and take off your clothes."
Khan followed Amber's orders, but the situation worsened when he took off his ragged pullover. The two women could inspect his state properly now. It was clear that Khan had gone through an intense battle.
"I shouldn't have left you alone," Cora whispered as her timid fingers traced the edges of Khan's injuries.
"What are you even saying?" Khan sighed while placing a hand on Cora's head. "I won, but he escaped in the end."
"Can you explain what happened?" Grant asked while approaching Khan.
"Someone with a cloaking spell was spying on us," Khan revealed. "I managed to get a few answers, but I couldn't capture him. I'm sorry."
A series of questions followed. Grant wanted to know every detail about that potential threat, and Khan described almost everything. He lied only when it came to the deal.
"I had him cornered," Khan sighed, "But I got distracted when he started answering my questions. I misjudged how much mana he had left."
"Don't blame yourself," Grant commented. "You won against a second-level warrior and even got answers out of him. We are lucky you were on the scene. Another first-level warrior would have died."
Khan nodded and let the pretense end there. He would tell the truth to Cora later because he didn't want lies between them. Amber also deserved his honesty, but the two women couldn't think about the mission while he was in that injured state.
The mysterious man had shared more than simple directions. He had also told Khan to wait one day before heading for that destination. He couldn't reveal the reason behind that, but Khan wasn't in the position to question him.
Khan obviously didn't like that lack of control. He had to trust an untrustworthy figure, but that was his best hope to find clues about a lab or a secret organization. Still, the fight had revealed a flaw in his senses, and he planned to fix it right away.
The group had no reason to remain at the party, so they hurried back to their habitation. They had a plan, but they needed to prepare for it. Also, Khan needed medical attention.
It was almost dawn, so the habitation was utterly silent. Everyone was asleep, but Grant summoned Ethan and the four students to update them about the recent developments.
Meanwhile, Cora, Khan, and Amber went into their rooms to clean themselves. Then, Cora and Amber reached Khan to patch him up, and the situation inevitably gave birth to a series of jokes.
"I didn't think you would take the "woman number two" joke so seriously," Khan exclaimed. "Well, I won't complain as long as Cora is fine with it."
"Can't you be serious at least now?" Amber sighed. "You could have died out there."
"Everything was under control," Khan stated while the two women tied the last bandages.
"I won't be a burden next time," Cora whispered.
"What are you even saying?" Khan scolded in a loving tone as he pulled Cora in his arms. "The opponent was a tricky second-level warrior. You didn't hesitate to do as I said. That saved me a lot of trouble."
"Khan," Amber called while placing a hand on Khan's shoulder, "I wish you didn't endure everything on your own."
The situation would have been incredibly awkward if the three didn't have a good relationship. Khan was on his bed, wearing only his underwear due to the injuries on his legs. Cora was between his arms while Amber was sitting at his side.
"I have really funny ideas right now," Khan admitted as he inspected the two women.
Cora didn't say anything. She limited herself to hug Khan while making sure not to touch the bandages. Meanwhile, Amber didn't react at all to the statement. She continued to stare at Khan while wearing her worried expression.
"Can't you rely on us a bit more?" Amber asked in the most earnest tone that Khan had even heard. "I thought we were friends."
Cora's hug tightened at those words. Khan felt assaulted from two different sides. Amber's worried face filled his vision, while Cora's warmth took care of his other senses.
"He didn't escape," Khan sighed. "I had him pinned down, but he suggested a deal. I know it's dangerous and a bit stupid, but I know how to counter his invisibility now. I wanted to do some research about it before telling you everything."
"What?" Amber gasped, and Cora separated from Khan's torso to look at his face.
"We would have never been able to continue the investigation without him," Khan continued. "I didn't say anything to Grant because he might decide to blame me if we come back empty-handed, but I trust you. I hope you'll keep this a secret."
Amber and Cora didn't know what to say. They didn't mind that Khan had taken that decision on his own, and they had no intention to rat him out. Still, they found themselves speechless now.
"Is that enough?" Khan chuckled while patting both Cora and Amber's heads.
Amber finally realized her situation. Khan was basically naked, and she was far too close to him. The funny ideas he had previously mentioned appeared in her mind, and they turned her worried expression into a scolding glare.
"That's my Amber," Khan laughed while lying down and pulling both women with him.
"What my Amber!" Amber complained, but she didn't push herself away out of fear of reopening Khan's injuries. "Cora, tell him something!"
Cora laughed as she snuggled on Khan's chest. The killing intent that Khan had shown before the battle had worried her, but she felt reassured to see that he was behaving normally.
"You are an idiot," Amber scoffed while giving up and resting on Khan's chest. "I'm glad that you are okay."
"Hey, I'm really strong," Khan plainly said while caressing both heads. "Also, I would have run back to you all if the situation became too dangerous."
"Let's hope to find something tomorrow then," Amber sighed.
Khan nodded and closed his eyes. He had yet to check the network for his research, and drowsiness was trying to take control of his mind. He also had his students to reassure, but all those matters could wait. It felt good to have people he could trust.
Nevertheless, Khan's self-restraint had a limit, and the presence of the two women on his bare chest made him approach a critical point quickly.
"Unless you two want to fulfill one of my fantasies, I think it's time to separate," Khan said in his playful tone.
Amber straightened her back and sat at Khan's side. She glared at him, but her gaze eventually fell on Cora's peaceful face. Amber ended up smiling, but she still complained. "You should scold him when he says stuff like this."
"He won't do anything bad," Cora exclaimed. "You are the same. I trust both of you."
"You are way too cute for this idiot," Amber sighed.
"The idiot would like some privacy with his cute girlfriend now," Khan joked as he hugged Cora and pulled her closer. "Make sure to send a detailed report. I hope the Global Army gives us something to counter cloaking spells."
"I'm sure Grant has already taken care of that matter," Amber responded while leaving the bed. "We should get an answer soon."
"I'll see you later," Cora saluted.
"Don't let him off the hook so easily," Amber suggested before leaving the room.
Khan didn't hesitate to turn when the door closed. Cora ended up under him, and she revealed a warm smile in front of his intense gaze. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and a suggestion left her mouth. "You should meditate to close your injuries properly."
"We are in our room," Khan whispered. "Time to make it up for last night."
Cora was worried about the state of Khan's injuries, but she knew that nothing could stop him now. Part of her didn't even want him to hold back. Her mind went blank as soon as their lips touched, and everything became messy afterward.
Khan did his best to remain wary of his injuries. He didn't care if they reopened, but Cora would get worried, and he wanted her mind to remain focused on far different interactions.
It was still morning when the two were done. Khan found himself with Cora resting on his chest. They were both beyond tired, but Khan was waiting for a message from the Global Army, and Cora was forcing herself to remain awake.
"I have never seen you so angry," Cora eventually revealed the reason behind her struggles.
"He threatened you," Khan didn't hide anything. "I was livid."
"What would have happened if he didn't offer you a deal?" Cora continued.
"I would have captured him," Khan exclaimed. "Well, I would have acted differently on a battlefield."
"Differently how?" Cora asked without hiding her faint hesitation.
"I would have killed him," Khan admitted.
Khan didn't fail to sense that Cora had raised her gaze to look at him. He could have worn a poker face during his answer, but he decided to show his resolve on the matter. He didn't want to hide from Cora.
"You are scary when you make that face," Cora declared.
"Do I scare you?" Khan asked while meeting Cora's gaze.
"No," Cora shook her head. "I just didn't know you could make that face."
"That's part of me," Khan said while turning to face Cora. "I can do bad things to protect myself, you, and my friends."
Khan was at the peak of his honesty during that revelation. The lingering fears that George had appeased returned, and Cora noticed them. She could see how hard it was for Khan to say all of that. She also understood that Khan was worried about her answer.
"I'll make sure not to put you in a similar situation again then," Cora declared as her hands reached Khan's cheeks. "I won't let you become scary."
Cora really was the epitome of cuteness. Her sweetness forced a loving smile out of Khan and made the two kiss again. Still, Khan thought about the issues with that statement during that gesture.
Cora was accepting Khan's dark side, but she wanted to prevent its appearance. Her intentions were pure, but Khan knew that her approach had an important flaw. Cora didn't understand that Khan wouldn't give up on that part of himself.
"I'll show likable faces if you let Amber be here with us," Khan teased as he decided to change the topic.
"See, I love this part of you," Cora giggled before diverting her gaze and wearing her timid expression. "Also, I'm already yours. Don't hold back if you want more."
Khan forgot about his worries and let his passion take over him. He felt forced to control himself only when a message reached the room.. The Global Army had finally sent studies connected to cloaking spells.
