Rodney's survival surprised Khan. In theory, thoughts couldn't do much against metal, but there he was. Rodney even smiled proudly, and fervor filled his expression.
The question also hinted at a completely different stance. Rodney seemed to have awakened his thirst for battle during the disaster.
"What?" Rodney laughed as the boulders around him fell to the ground and joined the rubble. "Don't tell me that this short fall made you scared."
Blood kept flowing out of Rodney's nose, tainting the tattoos on his mouth before reaching its hoodie. He didn't care about any of that, but the event forced Khan to take notice of his state.
The assault on the Nak's hand had left Khan's arms full of burns and holes. One injury even ran through his forearm, creating a hideous spectacle that leaked blood. The needle spell had also dug away chunks of his skin, and his nose and cheeks itched due to the previous acceleration.
The frenzy pushed away the pain radiated by those injuries and kept Khan battle-ready. Yet, that state was bound to have a time limit, which would arrive faster if he allowed himself to rest.
Khan knew that his emotions would make him ignore his limits, but that was a danger on its own. He might kill himself if he went too overboard, but the situation didn't leave room for those worries.
"I'll leave you here if you don't keep up," Khan eventually announced before turning and resuming his sprint.
Rodney scoffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand before chasing after Khan. Rodney was obviously slower than Khan, but losing ground didn't worry him. He was actually strangely calm and happy even while Khan got farther away.
Khan ran as fast as he could while the recent events played in his vision. He reviewed the hand's attacks and actions, hoping to find a weakness to exploit, but the situation didn't look good.
The Nak's hand on its own wasn't too strong. It wielded the power of a third or fourth-level mage, but Milia 222 had equally strong warriors. They weren't many, but they existed, and the celebrations had probably brought most of them to the fourth asteroid.
However, the ability to absorb mana was troublesome. The Nak's hand could overcome its structural limits with that skill. Moreover, removing energy from the environment would weaken some of Khan's potential allies. The Nele wouldn't be able to fight at full power without it.
The destruction of the intermediate floor also created a worrisome picture. The hand had known exactly how to shatter that metal, meaning that it had studied its texture before unleashing its attack.
In short, the Nak's hand was a sentient opponent with overwhelming control over the mana. Its set of skills was unclear and probably boundless, and Khan's most trustworthy allies would have problems helping him defeat it.
Rodney could help spread awareness to the rest of Milia 222's population, but Khan could already predict how the various species would react. The Orlats weren't reliable, and the Tors and Bise would probably never accept to cooperate against a common threat.
That left Khan with the Fuveall and humans, which wasn't too bad. Both species were incredible in their own ways. Getting their help was the only issue, but Rodney could play a valuable role there.
Khan kept his gaze straight, but part of his attention went on the man struggling to catch up with him. Something had changed inside Rodney, something that might make him useful in that catastrophe, but Khan hesitated to trust him.
The metal mountain was mostly uneven, with spikes growing from every corner. Most of them were too short to be of any use, but a few created makeshift staircases that could lead to the streets.
Khan went straight for the closest suitable path. The uneven and unstable terrain would usually slow him down, but he found himself growing faster and faster. Somehow, he already knew how the metal rubble would react to his weight, so he adjusted his steps according to those sensations.
Rodney was in the very opposite situation. He often lost his balance and fell since the ground under him slid or caved in, but he always stood up and resumed his chase. He even laughed whenever sharp rubble ended up cutting him.
Meanwhile, the chaos on the array of streets had intensified. The various crews were either running away or trying to contact their superiors. However, many knew how to reach Lower Level 2 only through the elevators, and they had crumbled or stopped working after the disaster.
As everyone realized the amount of damage caused by the disaster, the panic spread even more, and the lack of communication with the surface only worsened the situation. Those aware of secret passages for the superior levels found crowds chasing after them to avoid remaining stuck on the dock. Many even began to opt for the ships on the streets.
Khan climbed on one of the metal spikes and leaped forward to land on a broken street. Sparks came out of its broken edges, and the floor's dim light flickered due to the damage, but his attention immediately went to the mess that welcomed him.
The surviving buildings didn't allow Khan to gain a complete view of the area, but the shouts, screams, and cries that filled the streets described the situation well enough. Sharp surges of mana even happened in the distance, hinting at the presence of fights.
Khan wasn't there to bring peace to the dock, but that new chaos went against his goals. The array of streets had become dangerous, so he had to hurry to find a way out.
Finding available ships wasn't too hard. The lower areas of the streets had landing spots and similar platforms, but most of them contained cargo ships too big for Khan's needs.
Khan would settle for one of them if he ran out of options. Still, he had spotted suitable vehicles while on the metal mountain, so he ignored the closest ships to run toward deeper areas.
Khan's surroundings were mostly empty, but random people entered his vision or ran past him from time to time. No one bothered to waste time in pointless conversations, and the shouts continued to be the predominant sound in the area.
Eventually, Khan laid his eyes on something that met his standards. A district nearby had a small, triangular ship resting in a lower area. Yet, its streets weren't empty. Three Orlats were running through them to reach the vehicle.
The Orlats were closer to the ship, but they were only first-level warriors. Khan could probably catch up with them, and he didn't hesitate to try.
The Orlats hurriedly descended the staircases connected to the landing area and approached the ship. One of them opened the glass-like surface above the small cabin and jumped inside to tinker with the control desk.
Meanwhile, the alien's companions also jumped into the cabin and squeezed inside it before pulling down the glass. The ship only had two seats, but the Orlats were small enough to fit.
The single, spherical engine on the ship's back turned on and released mana. Whooshing noises enveloped the landing area as the vehicle began to set off. It even left the floor at some point, but a glowing spear exploded above it and pushed it back down.
The ship didn't suffer any damage during the forced landing. Still, the Orlats inside it widened their eyes in fear when a figure flew from the streets and landed on the glass. A glowing knife even pierced that transparent surface, creating cracks that threatened to expand at the slightest movement.
Khan supported himself on the knife and placed his feet on the glass before smacking his free hand on it. The gesture attracted the three Orlats' attention, and Khan explained himself by pointing his thumb down.
The gesture didn't have the intended effect. Khan's abrupt and violent landing only terrified the Orlats, and the pilot even tried to set off again, but the glass shattered before the ship could leave the floor.
The falling shards forced the Orlats to raise their arms to protect their faces, and more fear arrived when they lowered them. The pilot wanted to get his hands back on the steering wheel, but he found a foot on it, and lifting his eyes revealed the rest of Khan's figure.
"Out," Khan ordered while standing on the steering wheel and cabin's edge. His knife was already glowing, so the Orlats didn't dare to mess around.
"W-, we can-" The pilot tried to say something, but the leg on the cabin's edge shot forward to deliver a precise kick on his jaw.
The attack made the Orlats fly out of the seat and land outside the ship. Khan had held himself back to avoid killing him, but the remaining two aliens understood that they had to go anyway.
Khan jumped off the steering wheel once the two Orlats left the ship and grabbed their fainted companion to approach the metal staircase. Faint curses left their mouths, but Khan didn't mind them. He had actually done them a favor, but he didn't have time to waste explaining himself.
Khan used his foot to remove the glass shards from the pilot's seat before storing the knife and sitting behind the steering wheel. He had already recognized the ship's model. The vehicle was a fast ride with two small wings on its sides, and he knew how to pilot it.
Keys beeped in Khan's vision. The destruction of the glass had triggered a series of safety measures that hindered the set-off, and he took a few seconds to study the control desk to plan his next move.
'Enforce complete manual control first,' Khan eventually decided before scouring his memory to recall the code required for that type of ship.
Khan pressed a combination of keys until the control desk turned from azure to red. He had overridden the safety measures, so he began to insert new commands needed for the set-off.
"Can you really fly it?" Rodney's voice resounded from the streets above while Khan was still messing with the control desk. Of course, he had already sensed his arrival.
Khan ignored the question, but a thudding noise followed it, announcing Rodney's landing next to the ship. He had jumped off the streets above, and he didn't hesitate to climb on the vehicle to take his seat behind Khan.
The engine whooshed before Rodney could ask another question, and the ship began to rise when Khan pulled the steering wheel down. The vehicle soon surpassed the streets, and Khan instinctively spread his legs to cling them to his seat's sides.
"Wait, aren't you putting your belt on?" Rodney asked, and the ship gave him the answer he sought.
Khan pressed a key on the steering wheel before pushing the latter forward. The ship immediately accelerated, and a violent gust of wind blew through the cabin, sending away the shards lying at its bottom.
Rodney grabbed Khan's seat in panic, and that feeling only intensified when he peeked past it. A building that marked the end of the district was growing close, and the ship was on a collision course with it.
"Turn! Turn!" Rodney shouted before regretting to have spoken those words.
Khan couldn't help but smile when he spun the steering wheel. The right wing rose to bring the ship to its side and allow it to perform a sharp turn. The vehicle dodged the building, but Rodney was in no position to enjoy the event.
When the ship spun, Rodney slid away and risked falling off, but his grip on Khan's seat ended up saving his life. He clung desperately onto the tough fake leather while his legs fluttered in the wind, and his desperate cry for help remained stuck in his throat when he noticed Khan's thrilled expression.
Khan could barely contain his emotions. The wind on his face and the strength required to keep him on his seat brought him back to Nitis. He didn't have a feathered back under him, and metal surrounded him, but that was the closest he could get to what he had experienced with Snow.
The ship was still in the buildings' range, and another tall structure soon appeared on its path, but Khan promptly spun the steering wheel before pulling it as hard as he could.
The vehicle regained its horizontal stance, pushing Rodney back into the cabin. Still, he only had the time to sit before the ship rose until it went completely vertical.
Rodney recalled his training on Nitis during that sharp rise. He clung to the seat with his legs before reaching for the safety belts and fastening them in a hurry. He finally managed to relax at that point, but Khan made that feeling short-lived.
The hole in Lower Level 3's ceiling was immense, and the same went for Lower Level 2. However, Khan needed to go even higher, and he didn't know if a passage that could fit his ship existed.
The ship flew through the first gap and crossed Lower Level 2 in mere seconds before reaching the same heights as the intermediate floor. A mess of narrow and hidden passages had become clear after the disaster, but Khan kept his gaze straight to look for an opening.
The areas above the intermediate floor had crumbled, but the path to the surface was still closed, at least for ships. A cracked ceiling with a few man-sized holes stood at the very edge of the destruction, and Khan's ship was flying right into it.
Khan quickly inspected the holes before relying on his sensitivity. The gaps were big enough for the Nak's hand, and synthetic mana even seeped out of it. Moreover, that energy carried the countless features added by the celebration.
That synthetic mana had probably attracted the Nak's hand, and Khan saw it as proof that Lower Level 1 stood right above him. He only needed to create a passage.
"What are you doing?!" Rodney shouted when Khan left the steering wheel and lifted his legs to crouch on the seat.
The ship was vertical, so Khan slowly stood on the seat's back while mana flowed between his joint palms. He knew he could dig a hole in that surface. That was one of the first things he had confirmed on Milia 222.
.
.
.
Luke couldn't refuse Raymond's offer, so his group flew to the highest areas of the stage, where some workers had put together three large platforms.
The cabs had enough space to land comfortably, and a few crews welcomed the group with drinks before escorting everyone to a long, interactive table with seats only on one side.
The table had screens depicting the events on the square and enough room for food or other items. Luke and the others only had to choose how they wanted to watch the celebrations while the crews began to serve various refreshments.
Small talks went by before the celebrations began. Seven multicolored pillars came out of the square, and smoke soon flowed inside them. The gas followed the lights and gained their shades until it spread to blend them.
The smoke seemed alive as it followed precise directions that made the various shades generate incredible images. At first, the gas depicted the seven asteroids before zooming on the fourth and pressing on.
The picture completely changed after reaching the asteroid's rocky surface. The smoke began to depict the first floor and the city below while continuing to zoom on a replica of the very square it was in. It even showed the platforms and staircases occupied by the audience.
Then, when the square filled the entirety of the picture, fireworks shot through the smoke and exploded among the staircases to create bright and moving images. Strange animals, flags, and other figures shone on the audience, who had already started to cheer and clap.
Luke couldn't focus on the celebrations and often diverted his gaze to check Khan's devices and his phone. The ships hired to follow him had seen him disappear inside a small shop, but no updates had come since then.
The tracker on Khan worked for a long time but eventually went dark. Luke had to suppress a curse at that sight, but he didn't let panic overwhelm him. That outcome had always been a strong possibility.
Minutes went by in which the celebrations continued peacefully. Luke did his best to appear happy and exchange casual chats with his uncle or companions, but he never missed the chance to check his devices. Sadly for him, the tracker didn't light up.
Eventually, an earthquake hit the square and spread through the entirety of Lower Level 1. Luke and the others in the air actually had to hear the rest of the audience's screams to notice it, but no one panicked or left the staircases. Many even believed the event to be part of the celebrations.
That belief vanished when cracks opened on the square. A few crews were performing an athletically demanding spectacle there, and seeing them run away told everyone that the situation wasn't scripted.
Chaos spread on the square. The staircases were already packed, so leaving them quickly wasn't an option. Most people remained stuck on those tall structures, but their problems had only begun.
Luke and the others in the air studied the situation calmly. They were outside the danger's range and had ships nearby, so they had no reason to run away until they understood what was happening.
Random questions flew, but no answers arrived. The people in the air could only keep their eyes on the cracked square and wait. Still, when the source of the earthquake became clear, they also experienced the same panic as the rest of the audience.
The square had fallen into complete chaos by the time a glowing, six-fingered hand flew through one of its gaps and strode upward. The mess would typically make many people miss the event, but the Nak's body part was too bright to ignore, so everyone turned to inspect it.
The Nak's hand rose until it reached the halfway point of the staircases. Silence fell while everyone held their breath to try to understand what was happening, and the alien body part seemed to share that mindset. Everything remained still, but the calm didn't last long.
Someone among the crowd eventually shouted the word "Nak" in their language, and panic even stronger than before arrived. The messy and dangerous escape resumed, but the hand had decided what to do by then.
Dozens of azure lightning bolts shot out of the hand to target many crowded areas. Some even flew toward the ships and platforms above the staircases, and a slaughter unfolded.
Luke widened his eyes when he noticed a lightning bolt flying toward his platform. He felt the urge to move, but he was too slow to do anything about the situation. His instincts made him glance in Master Ivor's direction, but someone else stepped forward to deal with the threat.
Everyone in Luke's group stared in amazement at Raymond's figure standing proudly at the platform's edge. Smoke came out of his stretched right arm, but waving it revealed its intact state. Even his elegant suit had remained in one piece.
The scene made the group think about Khan since he had done something similar with Francis, but the situation didn't allow those comparisons. A single glance at the square could fill anyone with dread. Raymond had been there for Luke's group, but the rest of the audience wasn't so lucky.
Fuming and charred corpses now occupied various areas of the square and staircases. Some ships and platforms fell due to the damage suffered during the attack, and the Nak's hand even released a deep noise to announce its successful offensive.
Most of the audience continued its desperate escape, but a few figures decided to deal with that alien threat. Leaders from different factions stepped forward to show their stance against their common opponent.
Second and third-level warriors took their place on platforms, ships, and staircases and summoned spells that they didn't hesitate to launch toward the hand. Attacks of various natures and colors flew through the square to converge on the alien body part, and someone even fired guns at it.
However, the clash only generated loud sizzling noises that the crowd's shouts and cries couldn't cover. The Nak's hand stopped the attacks before they could pierce its skin, and various sparks left its flesh to begin the absorption of mana.
In a few seconds, the Nak's hand sucked the spells dry and launched another series of lightning bolts fueled by the very mana it had absorbed. Needless to say, many died under that assault, but most of the warriors involved in the previous offensive managed to dodge the attacks.
The various leaders held back from attacking again and did their best to exchange glances. One assault had been enough to confirm that a random offensive couldn't take down the Nak's hand. They needed a plan, even if that meant cooperating with enemy factions.
Of course, the hand didn't stay still for long. It had taken a break to study the situation again, but it eventually decided on a course of action. The remaining mana inside it even moved to prepare for the attack, but something under it attracted its attention and interrupted the process.
A piece of the square exploded into a mess of purple-red light and smoke, and a small ship flew through them. The vehicle was completely vertical, so it only took a few seconds to cross the Nak's hand and reveal the people inside it.
Rodney had yet to decide if he was terrified or excited, but the ship was going too fast for him to think. Meanwhile, Khan stood on the back of the pilot's seat, and his eyes quickly found the Nak's hand before moving to another scene that claimed his attention.
Raymond was on the platform's edge, so Luke's group couldn't see his face. Yet, when the two exchanged glances, Khan could study every detail in his expression. Raymond couldn't look any happier.
