The hill was short enough to allow a complete view of the gazebo and the environment under it. A circular table with two chairs on opposite sides stood at its center, and a Thilku occupied one of them. Aliens were behind him, wearing firm stances or wielding rectangular screens featuring menus or the cameras' recordings.
The Thilku who had picked up Ambassador Abores led him to the table before pointing at the empty seat. The man sat down with the intention of starting a cordial conversation, but the blatant focus on Khan kept him silent. It was obvious the commanding officer was more interested in Khan than the Ambassador.
That behavior was predominant across the aliens. The team on the hill and the Thilku at its base only had eyes for Khan for reasons everyone could guess. He had defeated a Thilku during the previous meeting. Such a proud species simply couldn't let that go.
Khan was surprised to sense a general lack of anger. It seemed the Thilku didn't mind their previous defeat. They only wanted a chance to prove themselves during the current game. Khan liked that healthy competitiveness since it reminded him of the Ef'i, but his problems remained.
The vehicles were nothing special. Standard motorbikes and jeeps occupied the hill's base in two different spots. The human and Thilku teams had access to the same number and type of rides, and the latter didn't have any adjustment for the aliens' size. The Thilku wanted a fair contest, even going as far as opting for disadvantageous equipment.
Khan couldn't help but glance at the gazebo due to the incessant stares. He recognized one of the standing Thilku. He had been the commanding officer in the past meeting, but the sitting alien claimed his attention. The latter was another fourth-level warrior, but the silver ring around his almost bald head separated him from his companions.
'That's a crown,' Khan thought at the sight of the simple-looking item. He knew the Thilku had royalty and similar statuses, but they also awarded titles to performing soldiers. Khan couldn't pinpoint the reason from his position but decided to stop looking to avoid causing problems.
The sitting Thilku had the same idea. He stopped inspecting Khan and began interacting with Ambassador Abores. The two exchanged basic pleasantries Khan couldn't hear, and his interest in the conversation quickly waned too.
The contest of stares with the opposing team never ended. Khan's companions inspected the Thilku, doing their best to assess their prowess. They were evenly matched in mana, but the aliens' size remained a scary sight. Their interest in Khan was the soldiers' only consolation.
Silent and tense minutes went by under the soft morning breeze. Acarro seemed unaware of the imminent conflict and continued to bathe the teams with pleasant sensations. Khan would love to lie on the ground, relax, or meditate, but his job had very different plans.
A trace of synthetic mana eventually joined the symphony, making Khan lift his eyes to glance in the distance. His companions followed his gaze, and the Thilku felt confused about that gesture until whooshing noises reached their ears.
A relatively big ship became visible in the clear sky and flew in the teams' direction. The vehicle was triangular and resembled human technology, but the red runes on its wings revealed its belonging to the Thilku Empire. Those two symbols weren't enough to make its design unique, but the cage hanging from its base kept everyone's gazes glued on it.
A series of thick metal bars created a three-meter-tall square cage that didn't hide its insides. The box contained a huge creature that grew clearer as the ship closed its distance with the teams. The animal had six muscular legs, yellow fur, a tiger's body, and a three-eyed pig's head. Its size was impressive, but its flesh lacked any trace of fat.
The odd creature was enough to keep everyone interested in the ship, but Khan's inspection went past the simple flesh. His sternness intensified when he sensed the Tainted animal's level. That monster was as strong as him.
'They aren't holding back,' Khan thought. He had studied the past [Hunts], so the choice of the Tainted animal said a lot about the Thilku's intentions. They wanted the game to be tough and challenging.
"It's an Ilqiex," Khan announced, glancing at his companions. "Do you remember the tactic we planned for it?"
"Yes, sir," One of the soldiers faintly said before the others echoed his statement. Nods unfolded, and Khan checked their mana to confirm their knowledge. Still, the inspection also revealed a general lack of confidence.
'I can't really blame them,' Khan thought, holding back a sigh as his eyes returned to the Ilqiex. 'That thing is dangerous.'
The Ilqiex didn't stay still. It repeatedly bumped its head on the metal bars, uncaring of how pointless its efforts were. The ship remained unaffected by that aggression, but Khan didn't let that fool him. He could sense the strength behind those attacks. No second-level warrior could survive a direct hit.
The ship changed direction when it was about to reach the teams and flew toward the woods before stopping at its edges. It left the cage on the ground and set off again to disappear somewhere in the distance.
The Thilku in front of the alien team wore a broad grin that showed his long canines, and Khan replied with an emotionless stare. The two looked at each other for a while before the Thilku finally broke eye contact to nod at his companions.
The gesture made the Thilku approach the vehicles. The motorbikes were the most popular choice, but two opted for the jeep. As for the alien in charge of the group, he remained in his spot and resumed his stare toward Khan.
Khan could only imitate the Thilku. He nodded at his companions, who approached the vehicles to prepare for the [Hunt]. Four took two different jeeps, while three opted for the bikes, but Khan didn't hesitate to scold them.
"The Ilqiex will run into the wood," Khan explained. "Ignore the cars."
The woods in the distance weren't too thick, but a jeep would still have problems navigating them. Instead, the bikes offered more flexibility, and the soldiers followed Khan's orders since they understood his point.
The alien team leader seemed to approve of that choice but didn't say or do anything to convey that feeling. His stare was unfazed even when engines began to resound in the area, and Khan didn't let him be alone in that gesture.
Once everyone was ready, the cage opened on the side facing the woods, and the Ilqiex stormed out of it. The creature headbutted a tree, taking it down before running deeper into the new environment.
No one moved. Khan didn't bother inspecting the woods either since his senses were taking care of that. His gaze left the Thilku only when the latter looked at the hill to await orders.
The crowned Thilku exchanged a few more lines with the Ambassador before standing up to show his huge frame. He was taller than the average alien, and his face conveyed pure pride that his simple smile couldn't attenuate. The Thilku walked outside the gazebo to make himself more visible, and a short cry eventually escaped his mouth.
The cry had no meaning, but both teams were ready for it. Bikes and a single jeep shot forward, accelerating at full speed toward the woods. Their tires left heavy marks on the ground that disrupted the beauty of the place, but no one dared to decelerate.
Khan and the Thilku in charge remained at the hill's base as they inspected their teams hurrying toward the woods. They could move, but the alien didn't, and Khan played along. He wasn't interested in gaining that advantage when the Thilku wanted a direct face-off.
The Thilku nodded at Khan's decision, and his grin broadened even more as he completely turned toward the woods. He crouched forward, placing his six-fingered hands on the ground and bending his knees. His mana also moved, and crackling noises resounded as black sparks seeped past the thick cape.
Khan pretended to prepare to sprint too, but his attention remained on the alien. The Thilku saw mana like humankind, but Khan still found the topic interesting. He wanted to see a Thilku in action. Sadly for him, his eyes couldn't do much in that situation.
The sparks' noises intensified before thundering altogether. A roar-like sound filled the plain as the Thilku shot forward. His acceleration was incredible, and the grass burned whenever his feet touched the ground.
The Thilku instantly caught up with the vehicles before disappearing inside the woods. That speed was more than inhumane, managing to leave Khan speechless too. His mouth would hang in surprise if he didn't force himself to remain calm.
'Is he faster than me?' Khan wondered, but the flames rising from the grassland forced him to accept the truth. He couldn't achieve that explosive and destructive acceleration even with Maban's technique. The Thilku Empire had simply found him a perfect opponent.
