Maban executed Joel publicly without bothering to listen to his version of the story. A mere line from Jenna had been enough to condemn him.
Khan felt surprised in front of that driven show of dominance. Murdering someone supposedly was a big deal, especially when the matter involved different species. A proper race war could start on Milia 222 if big powers got in the way, but Maban didn't care.
Maban retrieved his root while keeping Joel lifted. Blood left the hole in his chest and flowed through his body before falling on the grey floor, where it created a small puddle.
The crowd pretended not to see the scene. Everyone diverted their gaze, and some even moved on with their tasks. Yet, Maban kept the corpse lifted while his cold eyes scanned his surroundings.
Eventually, Maban released the corpse, which fell into the puddle and splashed some blood on the Nele. Surprisingly enough, none of them tried to dodge it. They let their clothes get dirty while they continued to glance menacingly at the dispersing audience.
"[You clean this up]!" Maban exclaimed to the crowd before turning toward Jenna and Khan. "[You two, come with me]."
Maban nodded at the Nele, who broke the encirclement and went on with their tasks. Then, Maban walked past Khan and Jenna to move toward a building in the distance.
Khan wanted to see how the crowd would react to the corpse left in the middle of the area, but Jenna pulled his hand, and the two began to follow Maban closely.
A Nele and a human walking hand in hand remained an interesting sight that turned many eyes in Khan's direction. The murmurs that spread the rumors about the recent event added fuel to that curiosity, but Maban appeared immune to the scene as he strode forward.
Soon, the crowd's diversity vanished to reveal a primarily purple environment. Nele began to fill Khan's vision as the building grew close, and they didn't hide their surprise when they saw how close to Jenna he seemed.
Worries kept Khan's mind busy, so he found it easy to ignore those familiar reactions. The gazes that fell on his exposed chest sounded far more troublesome, and the same went for the environment as a whole.
Khan didn't see enough of the dock to know for sure, but it seemed that the area lacked the diverse style of the city above. The Nele building was identical to the one from where the couple had escaped, at least on the outside.
Smooth grey metal grew seamlessly from the floor, creating a relatively short but vast building. Marks, symbols, and windows were completely absent. The structure didn't have anything unique except for the purple light that fell on its surface.
A few groups of Nele busy with different tasks encircled the building. Boxes, one vehicle, and other items that Khan couldn't see clearly stood next to the aliens who either checked them with scanners or moved them around.
The area only had a couple of Orlats in terms of other species. The two aliens were busy negotiating with a group of Nele, but their conversation stopped when they noticed Maban.
The Nele didn't worry Khan. Jenna held his hand in the open, announcing to everyone that he was an ally of their species. The few groups didn't even have anyone at Maban's level, but Khan still grew slightly tense.
Caja had hinted at the fact that she couldn't communicate properly with the dock, which made sense considering everything Khan knew about the area. The community of Nele there was probably even stricter than usual to outsiders. Khan had to win their trust, and that task had just started.
The exposed chest was Khan's second worry. He knew he couldn't remain unknown for long, especially with Jenna sticking close to him. Yet, the azure scar basically told his identity to everyone. He had already lost his partial anonymity.
Of course, the problems might not start right away. The dock remained an isolated area compared to the cities, but Khan felt the need to be extra careful now. If something happened, he would be identified immediately.
Maban led Jenna and Khan alongside the building until they reached a door that blended almost perfectly with the smooth wall. Maban placed his thumb on the grey surface, and a small hole soon slid open to point at his face.
Purple eyes moved on the other side of the hole. A Nele inspected Maban and unlocked the door after making sure that the situation was safe. The entrance slid open at that point, and a small room unfolded in Khan's vision.
The room could barely contain five people, and a simple chair already occupied part of its space. A series of scanners and screens with unknown purposes also stood in a corner, lying on the floor. The place resembled a closet, but the Nele inside it soon revealed its function.
The Nele remained a bit surprised when she saw Jenna and Khan, but her doubts didn't matter when Maban was there. She turned to pick one of the screens before placing it on the wall behind her and pressing a few symbols that appeared on it.
A second door unlocked and opened, revealing what looked like a big warehouse. Its overall structure resembled the place from where Jenna and Khan had just escaped, which reinforced Khan's guess about the dock as a whole.
The Nele stepped aside to let Maban and the others pass, and both metal doors closed behind them when they stepped into the warehouse. The place was mostly empty. It only had a few covered items, but it didn't have any Nele moving them.
"You stay here," Maban said in a perfect human accent while glaring at Khan.
"[You can trust him]," Jenna replied almost pleadingly, but Maban remained unfazed.
"[You know the procedure]," Maban stated. "[It's better to get it over with it quickly. Other Nele might be in danger otherwise]."
Khan didn't know what Maban was talking about, but the matter sounded quite serious. Jenna even confirmed his guess by revealing a conflicted expression.
"[Go ahead]," Khan reassured Jenna. "[I'll wait for you here]."
Those words didn't make it better for Jenna, but they forced her to give in. She let go of Khan's hand only to hold him into a tight hug and leave a sneaky kiss on his cheek.
Khan couldn't help but smile since he knew that Jenna was doing all of that to guarantee his safety. Yet, having Maban's cold gaze on him didn't make the gesture pleasant. Maban actually seemed to grow slightly pissed, but he hid his emotion quite well.
Jenna broke the hug on her own after a mere second, and she shot a smile at Khan before turning to follow Maban to a door at the end of the warehouse. Khan only managed to see a part of a corridor before the passage closed, leaving him alone in the area.
‘He didn't leave any guard with me,' Khan thought, hoping to find a positive aspect in that situation.
The peace of the warehouse finally gave Khan some time to think. He disregarded the thought of checking the items around him to avoid causing problems and chose a random empty spot to sit, take care of his shallow injuries, and sort out his mind.
The scenes seen after the arrival on the dock made Khan both worried and excited. The area was more dangerous than he had expected, especially for someone without meaningful social connections. However, it was also messy and seemingly free, which suited Khan's skillset.
Khan was an expert at survival, and his social skills were exceptional. The dock's messy environment also paved the way for more corruption, which he could exploit. He only needed a starting point, but he had to rely on the Nele for that.
The shallow injuries healed quickly while Khan meditated. The hole on his abdomen took a bit longer, but it also disappeared. Khan even kept track of the process while reviewing the previous mess.
‘I survived the attack of a third-level warrior,' Khan thought as excitement overcame his worries and put a smile on his face.
Maban didn't show his true prowess, but the achievement remained incredible. The [Blood Shield] had become strong enough to touch the realm of third-level warriors, but its drawbacks forced Khan to consider his current weaknesses.
The peaceful period on Earth didn't weaken Khan. He had followed his training routine strictly. He had actually gotten stronger than expected due to the long time he could devote to his exercises.
However, training areas and meditations couldn't provide everything needed to survive in the real world. The peace had allowed Khan to accumulate power steadily and quickly, but it had failed in posing significant threats that could make him explore his limits.
The [Blood Shield] was partially an exception since Khan had only recently pushed it to the third checkpoint. Yet, he had no excuses for the relatively poor resistance of his skin.
‘Power is useless if I can't use it,' Khan scolded himself, but his smile remained broad, and his excitement didn't diminish at all. It only increased since he had finally gone back to where he belonged.
Being a professor had been fun, and Khan had even liked preparing the new generation of soldiers. Meeting new species and interacting with them was also an incredible experience, and Milia 222 was perfect for that.
Yet, the dock had what Khan truly sought. Things would be dangerous and messy down there, but that was the nature of a battlefield, and he was perfect there. He could stop holding back and pretending for the sake of politics. Khan would have to be careful, but he could finally be himself.
‘I must be really twisted to like all of this,' Khan mocked himself without feeling any actual guilt. He didn't know why he had become like that, but he wouldn't suppress what he was.
The warehouse's walls stopped Khan's senses and prevented him from understanding how long he would have to wait. Jenna didn't return even after his injuries healed, but he kept himself busy by planning his next moves.
New training schedules took form in Khan's mind. He needed to add specific exercises to temper his body and get used to his new strength, but he knew he would probably fail to start them on the dock. The real dangers would have to replace them.
As for the actual investigation, Khan had a few ideas. Cooperating with the Nele was mandatory, but they could only cover certain aspects of the mission.
‘I need to find a way to interrogate the Fuveall,' Khan concluded.
The presence of a spy sounded almost necessary to accomplish that feat. Still, Khan couldn't exclude the possibility of external help, especially to go through the security measures in the factory.
The Fuveall were famous in that field and even had factories near the crime scene. There was a high chance that they had some involvement with the theft. Even something minor, like providing the right tools to hack through the security measures, could lead to more clues.
Khan also had personal reasons for wanting to meet the Fuveall, but he kept them in the back of his mind for now. He would decide how to handle his curiosity only after establishing meaningful relationships with those aliens.
The wait ended one hour after Khan's injuries fully healed. The second door opened, and different auras hit his senses. Multiple first and second-level warriors entered the warehouse while wielding devices depicting vaguely familiar human faces.
Khan jumped to his feet when the door opened, but the Nele ignored him and approached the building's exit. Jenna also stepped into the warehouse and quickly split from her peers to reach Khan.
Khan found his arms wrapped around Jenna's waist in a few seconds. The two inspected that deployment in silence and waited for the Nele to leave the building before voicing their thoughts.
"[Were those the faces of our pursuers]?" Khan asked.
"[Those that I could remember clearly]," Jenna revealed. "[It's a standard procedure for us. It's too dangerous to let these things go]."
"[Can they really catch them]?" Khan wondered while tightening his hug to console Jenna.
"[It's unlikely]," Jenna sighed, snuggling as close to Khan as possible to exploit his consoling mood to its fullest. "[If they are smart, they have already left the dock to prepare for their departure from Milia 222]."
Getting on the Nele's bad side was truly scary, but Khan felt no mercy for his assailants. They had tried to hurt Jenna. They already deserved death in his mind.
"[What happens now]?" Khan wondered.
"[Maban is waiting for us in the other room]," Jenna stated.
Khan tensed up. Making a third-level warrior wait for no reason was an awful political move, but Jenna didn't withhold that information only to get some alone time with Khan. She was actually quite pissed.
"[That's what he deserves for attacking you]," Jenna pouted at the sight of Khan's worry.
"[Jenna, I should befriend the guy]," Khan wanted to sound serious, but he ended up laughing a bit.
"[Don't worry]," Jenna reassured. "[I haven't met him in years, but I remember him as a softie. He probably acts all cold only because he needs to]."
Khan could only trust Jenna on that. He heaved a sigh, but he didn't force her to hurry. She had to take the lead in that environment.
Jenna didn't abuse her power. She kept Khan for herself for a minute, but she eventually left the embrace and took his hand to lead him into the next area. The door had remained open, so the two could quickly cross the short corridor to reach a relatively big room with few tables and bright devices on them.
Maban was waiting next to one of the room's doors, and he opened it when Jenna and Khan appeared in his vision. The two followed him inside that new area only to find themselves in a small place with only one metal table and a few chairs.
"[He is an ally, not a prisoner]," Jenna complained, refusing to sit at the table even after Maban pointed at the chairs.
"[He is a human]," Maban pointed out. "[I can't bring him into areas that could reveal our secrets so easily]."
"[It's fine]," Khan whispered, seizing the initiative and taking a seat, basically forcing Jenna to imitate him.
Maban sat on the other side of the table and fixed his gaze on Khan. His previous words didn't carry the same coldness as before, and the same went for his current expression. Still, his face wasn't friendly either.
"[Jenna told me why you are here]," Maban announced. "[Finding a specific material among all the goods that reach the fourth asteroid is no easy task]."
Khan couldn't help but be surprised, and his question conveyed that feeling. "[Will you help me]?"
"[I didn't say that]," Maban corrected. "[I have no reason to help you, and I don't care about your employers either. I won't split my forces to handle your problem]."
Maban had chosen his words carefully to avoid revealing important information, but Khan knew enough about the matter to understand a few things. The Nele probably didn't have enough manpower to help him. They would have to abandon some crucial tasks to join the investigation, and a stranger couldn't make them do that.
"[However]," Maban continued, "[You did fight humans to help one of our own. Your affection toward Jenna is genuine. I understood as much]."
Maban's stare intensified. He seemed set on uncovering the depths of Khan's mind with his mere eyes, but he eventually diverted his gaze to look at the table.
"[I won't accept you in our community]," Maban stated, "[But I won't reject you either. Normally, I'd never let a human use our channels, but I have to pay you back for my previous actions]."
"[Channels]?" Khan repeated. "[Will you introduce me to some smugglers]?"
"[No]," Maban explained. "[I'll only bring you where the smugglers are]."
"[I'm already here, right]?" Khan replied. "[This is the dock]."
"[This is the storage area of the dock]," Maban revealed. "[You must go deeper to see the true face of the fourth asteroid]."
The news shocked Khan, but it made sense when he thought about it. There had to be a place where ships could land and unload the goods. Lower Level 2 probably was only a public market, but the actual illegal deeds happened under it.
"[Come with me]," Maban exclaimed before leaving the table.
Khan and Jenna stood up and followed Maban outside the room. Maban used one of the devices in the area to send a message, and a Nele carrying a simple black helmet soon came out from one of the doors.
"[You must wear this until we get to the elevator]," Maban announced while taking the helmet and handing it to Khan.
Jenna wanted to complain, but Khan shook his head before she could say anything. He seized the helmet and put it on his head obediently, but he remained surprised by the change the item brought.
The helmet covered his ears and half of his face. Khan couldn't see or hear anything, and the item also affected his senses. He felt cut off from the synthetic mana in the room, and nothing he did made him overcome that problem.
Still, a familiar warmth soon spread from his hands. Jenna didn't hesitate to take them and pull Khan to guide him through the area, and he trusted her enough not to stumble or slow down.
The experience made Khan realize how deeply he relied on his sensitivity to mana during his everyday life. Having eyes and ears closed was annoying, but being unable to sense his surroundings made him feel lost. It was shocking to see that difference, and he hated that darkness.
Luckily for Khan, the walk didn't last long. Someone soon took off the helmet from his head, and the mana reappeared in his senses.
Khan found himself before a large door that led toward a circular room. Jenna was on his right, and Maban stood behind him while wielding the terrifying helmet. Only a simple corridor stretched past Maban, preventing Khan from learning anything about that building.
"[The Nele won't see you as an ally]," Maban warned. "[Our trust is hard to obtain]."
"[I expected as much]," Khan admitted. "[Thank you for granting me access to the lower level]."
Maban didn't say anything. He couldn't remain completely cold when Khan was so polite. That behavior warmed Maban a bit, which eventually forced a comment out of him.
"[You are quite strong]," Maban praised. "[Maybe, if you prove yourself to be worthy, we will have another chat]."
Khan nodded in gratitude. Maban didn't completely reject him. Khan still had a chance to get close to the Nele there.
"[Right]," Maban continued. "[If Jenna gets hurt because of you, I won't limit myself to a warning]."
"[Maban]!" Jenna scolded.
"[Go now]," Maban said, uncaring of Jenna's anger. "[You aren't welcome in our buildings]."
The message was only for Khan, but Jenna felt terrible anyway. She didn't like seeing her species treating Khan so coldly, especially since she knew his pure intentions. Yet, she was powerless, which only worsened her mood.
On the other hand, Khan had been fully prepared for the situation. Maban had even overcome his expectations with that simple gesture. The Nele had probably done that to keep Jenna safe a bit longer, but Khan appreciated it anyway.
Khan wrapped an arm around Jenna to take care of her foul mood and led her inside the circular room. Maban revealed a bit more when he inspected the intimate interaction. Some curiosity appeared in his eyes, but Khan couldn't see it.
The room contained a surprise for Khan. A loose black jumper stood on the floor, but the door behind him closed when he turned to thank Maban. The walls moved at that point, and the floor began to descend. It turned out that the place was a big elevator.
Khan donned the jumper quickly, and Jenna avoided joking around since the situation could become dangerous as soon as the elevator stopped. The two prepared for an eventual battle, but nothing similar happened once the doors opened.
A slightly darker version of Milia 222's iconic light illuminated a vast and messy environment. A large street stretched from the elevator, and Khan became able to see many more of them when he stepped on it and looked around.
The streets were similar to those found on the first floors of the asteroids. They were slightly smaller but retained some of their most iconic features. No pillars stretched from under or above them, but they remained in their position as if they could fly.
Past the streets' guardrails, Khan could see that some structures stretched below until they got pretty close to the bottom of the dome. He could inspect the lower side of that giant structure from there. Lower Level 3 seemed to be the very end of the fourth asteroid.
The streets weren't packed, but many diverse groups still occupied them. Khan also saw various small stands and other buildings in the distance, but all of them appeared cheap compared to the rest of Milia 222.
Multiple elevators also appeared in Khan's vision. The environment above was small compared to the current area, so most of those structures had gathered in that quadrant. Truth be told, Khan didn't expect to see so many of them. The scene made him reevaluate how much of a favor Maban actually did.
The area didn't have a proper ceiling. Khan could follow his elevator with his eyes to reach the bottom of Lower Level 2, but only darkness occupied the spaces around it. The artificial light didn't arrive there since it mostly came from under the streets.
Being so close to the dome allowed Khan to reevaluate its beauty, but something far more interesting soon caught his attention. The lower part of that seemingly spherical structure had a big hole connected directly to outer space.
A barrier made of mana covered the hole and prevented the artificial atmosphere from vanishing. Yet, its purpose became clear immediately since Khan saw a big spaceship cross it to enter the dome. He only needed to peek past the guardrail to follow the vehicle as it slowly flew until it reached one of the landing areas stretching under the streets.
****
Author's notes: Birth of the Demonic Sword is over. Chaos' Heir is my priority now.
As a first step, I plan to recover my stability. I want to publish one chapter a day, every day, at the same hour and reread the entire story to make sure that I didn't lose touch with it.
As a second step, I'll see how much I can write every day. Chaos' chapters are really long, so I don't feel confident in moving to 2 chapters a day yet. I should also think about the privilege, but I won't know what I'll prioritize until I reach that point.
