Khan entered the room under everyone's shocked gazes. He didn't know what to do with it since he had already dropped his backpack, and the area didn't give him any idea either. After all, the bed was the only item inside it.
'Where do they pee?' Khan wondered, peeking past his shoulder to inspect the corridor. The Thilku were still staring at him in amazement, hiding the walls with their huge figures, so he stepped into the air again to inspect the area.
Khan almost reached the ceiling, and the new location allowed him to see all the runes in the area. Most belonged to rooms, but a couple had a few different lines marking the bathrooms.
The astonished stares continued even after Khan landed, but a whooshing noise suddenly broke the silence. Another door had opened in the corridor, and a tall Thilku stormed out of it.
"[What's this ruckus]?!" The newly arrived Thilku shouted. That hoarse voice tried to hide it, but the golden hair revealed her sex. She was a woman that everyone in the corridor seemed to fear.
'Aren't the rooms soundproof?' Khan wondered, curious about that development.
"[Xai]!" The woman shouted again, glaring at the Thilku who had tried to tease Khan until now. "[It's you, isn't it]?"
Xai gasped and retreated, only to end up with his back on the wall. The other Thilku also moved away to open a path, and the woman crossed it to reach the target of her glare.
The woman reached Xai and delivered a downward slap that landed at the top of his head. Xai bent forward due to the violence of the impact, and a grunt escaped his mouth before apologies followed.
"[Forgive me, Naoo]," Xai exclaimed. "[We were just welcoming the human soldier]."
Naoo moved her glare to Khan and lifted her huge arm again. Her hand descended toward Khan's head, but the attack failed to reach its target.
Surprise spread and a few gasps highlighted it. Even Naoo couldn't escape that feeling when she saw her arm stuck a few centimeters above Khan's head. Khan had grabbed her wrist to block the attack, matching her raw strength and locking her limb in an unbreakable grip.
Khan's reaction had been instinctive. His smiling face had also turned cold. The tension that had weighed on him until now had flared during the attack, but realizing where he was quickly sent his true feelings into hiding.
"[Oh, sorry]!" Khan exclaimed, his cold face breaking into another smile while he let go of Naoo's wrist. "[Please, go ahead]."
Khan lowered his arm and head, trying to welcome Naoo's attack. The Thilku in the corridor felt surprised again, but that gesture gained a few aliens' silent approvals. One Thilku even smiled until her canines became visible, but all those reactions vanished when Naoo glared at the audience.
"[Slackers]," Naoo snorted, focusing on Khan again. "[Captain Khan, I assume]."
"[Khan is fine]," Khan announced, lifting his smiling face to look at the tall Thilku. "[I'm a simple soldier here]."
Naoo ignored the comment and glanced at Khan's right arm. Bandages popped out of the sleeve, forcing the alien to question them. "[Can you use that arm]?"
"[Of course]," Khan reassured, lifting his right arm. "[I'm left-handed anyway]."
Naoo didn't let Khan's cheerful behavior affect her. Her hand snapped toward Khan's right arm, grabbing the center of his forearm. Her fingers closed near the injury, causing a wave of pain that could make anyone scream.
Khan was an exception. He could have avoided Naoo's gesture but decided to let himself get caught. He also suppressed his reactions, limiting them to closing his eyes briefly to endure the pain.
Naoo studied Khan even after he reopened his eyes. She didn't tighten her grip but still tried to get a reaction out of him. However, his calm eyes were impossible to pierce. His poker face was too advanced for that alien.
"[Don't get in our way]," Naoo eventually said, releasing Khan's arm. "[This is our planet, not your playground]."
Khan wanted to reply, but Naoo abruptly turned to face the team and give more orders. "[You are on cleaning duty today. Get to it]!"
Naoo didn't wait for the team's response and stormed back into her room, isolating herself. The tension slightly relaxed after her departure, but the Thilku hesitated to break their stances.
Khan lowered his arm and closed and opened his hand while the check-up technique ran through his body. Naoo's grip didn't worsen his injuries, but his forearm still hurt more than before.
A series of groans ran through the corridor, and a few Thilku shot annoyed stares at Khan. It seemed they blamed him for that new task, but no one dared to complain openly for fear of summoning Naoo again.
Khan imitated his new companions, opting for silence while watching the corridor get busy. Many doors and lockers opened as the Thilku retrieved their uniforms or belongings and started dressing up. The process was quick and smooth, showing how used the team was to it.
The lack of additional orders forced Khan to go with the flow. Once everyone was ready, the team left the corridor and hurried into the initial hall. The area was still crowded, but Khan's companions ignored the mess and headed for one of the big runes near the main gate.
The team formed an orderly line as each Thilku interacted with the rune to retrieve tablets that reeked of synthetic mana. Khan pretended not to inspect the process, but glares still flew in his direction, both from his companions and aliens in the hall.
Khan didn't mind that wariness. He knew how odd his role was in that environment, so he retained a humble façade and imitated anything his team did. He didn't join the line but was right behind his companions once they approached the gate.
The security measures were far shorter there. The gate opened, allowing the entire team inside before clearing the way for the other side. Soon, everyone stepped on Cegnore's ground, and the group split to head for the many vehicles behind the trench.
Khan didn't dare to jump on vehicles uninvited. He was ready to fly above them if the situation required it. Still, the team started paying attention to him as everyone occupied their respective rides, and many stares converged on Xai.
Xai had already taken position inside a bike when he noticed the stares, and an annoyed expression followed. He looked conflicted but quickly gave up and looked at Khan.
"[Blue hair]!" Xai called. "[Ride with me]!"
Khan snapped back to reality, smiling as he hurried toward Xai. The Thilku scoffed when Khan sat behind him, but that didn't get in the way of the task.
The entirety of the team had opted for bikes, which turned on at the same time. Engines whooshed as the circular wheels spun, making the vehicles accelerate. Khan couldn't help but worry about the trench ahead, but the Thilku had a simple method to cross it.
Xai and the other Thilku bent forward before forcefully jumping without removing their hands from the steering wheels. The bikes leaped with them, crossing the trench's gap and safely landing on the other side.
Khan smirked at that display of skill and recklessness, but the symphony soon sent worrying feelings that made him peek past Xai's cape. Cracks and holes became common as the bikes put more distance from the trench, and the stench of dried blood eventually filled the area.
The environment worsened as the bikes advanced. Larger and deeper cavities filled the plain, forcing the vehicles to slow down and pay more attention to the road. Half-dried, black puddles also appeared, and some featured gory limbs belonging to creatures Khan had already fought.
The body parts became more common during the ride, and some almost intact corpses also appeared. Dead and maimed wolf-like monsters filled the area, which stretched beyond what Khan could see with his naked eyes.
Khan had already seen a similar scene when riding toward the Thilku building, but what expanded in his eyes was completely different in terms of magnitude. The team had reached an immense battlefield that seemed to have seen hundreds or thousands of fights.
The symphony sent information that Khan struggled to believe. A few holes and cracks were old, but most were new, and counting them created a scary picture in his mind.
'How many packs do they fight every night?' Khan wondered. 'Ten? Twenty? Do they come in waves?'
The immense manpower deployed on Cegnore suddenly made sense. The Thilku needed to have so many soldiers on the planet. They would lose ground otherwise.
The bikes began to stop as the number of corpses lying on the ground became too numerous to advance. Xai was no exception and parked in the middle of that messy battlefield before jumping out of the vehicle.
Khan imitated Xai, and his gaze wandered as soon as he landed on the ground. The symphony allowed him to look past the limits of his eyes, almost giving him a complete idea of the battlefield's size, leaving him stunned and excited.
"[Don't laze around]," Xai snorted when he noticed Khan lost in the scenery. "[You get no privileges here]."
"[What should I do]?" Khan questioned.
"[Grab corpses and create a pile]," Xai explained. "[Once the pile is big enough, make a new one]."
"[Can I use your pile]?" Khan asked, showing his fake cheerfulness again.
Xai didn't fall for the joke. He showed a serious face while looking at Khan and thinking about his next words.
"[Let me make this clear]," Xai announced. "[Your presence here is an insult. The Thilku don't need nor want you]."
That wasn't a joke or part of the previous teases. Xai showed utmost seriousness, and Khan couldn't complain. He was an outsider who had forced his way into an alien environment. The sole fact that the Empire had agreed to his demands hurt those soldiers' pride.
Khan knew that jokes or pretenses wouldn't work there. He couldn't lie his way toward those aliens' respect. He could only do what he did best, and that battlefield seemed ready to give him that chance.
