The following days were beyond busy. Anastasia never stopped nagging the couple about the imminent event, and Monica struggled to keep her clothes on in Khan's presence. He was assaulted from every direction, and the problems didn't end there.
Once the new week arrived, representatives from the Solodrey family began landing on the Harbor, enforcing political dinners and similar meetings on the couple. Free time turned into a distant dream, and Khan failed to find a single chance to sort out his thoughts.
However, an opportunity arrived a few days before the birthday. Monica was busy picking up clothes with her mother, the representatives were appeased, and Khan had already cleared his duties. That granted him one free afternoon, which he didn't dare to waste.
Khan didn't hesitate to reach the greenhouse assembled by Miss Bevet to spend a few hours immersed in his version of the [Blood Vortex]. He could have endured the technique for the entire afternoon but stopped midway through it to attend to other tasks.
A short trip by cab brought Khan into a district full of top-tier training halls, which he immediately entered. Time wasn't on his side, but he sat at the place's center instead of starting any exercise.
'I'm no good as I am now,' Khan sighed, tapping the box at his side.
The box opened while Khan used his other hand to make the hall create a simple training dummy. The puppet came out by the time Khan retrieved the knife, and a swift movement sent a purple-red slash forward.
The slash didn't aim for the metal puppet, but the bloodthirst inside Khan's brain suddenly flared, reddening the attack. The latter also changed direction and accelerated until it crashed on the training dummy.
An explosion unfolded, but the mess couldn't hide anything from Khan's sharp senses. He saw the slash cutting through the metal before unleashing its mana. The detonation simply was the result of the last event.
Khan brought his attention to the knife afterward. The cursed weapon screamed inside his mind, requesting more energy. Its presence inside his brain even tried to expand, but a clicking cry arrived, keeping it in check.
The bloodthirst waned when Khan placed the knife back into the box. That weapon was too dangerous to hold in the open, making the container necessary in the Harbor. Khan still had to test its behavior on a battlefield, but the chance was bound to arrive soon.
Khan's thoughts moved to different problems after confirming that the cursed knife was as strong as he recalled. The birthday, engagement, and knowledge about his noble heritage created a terrifying picture. He was one step away from the big players, but his fantastic battle prowess failed to bring confidence.
'Things will get worse,' Khan recalled Anastasia's words and felt the need to agree with them.
Rick's marriage had elevated Khan's status but had also exposed him to the Nognes family. The nobles had their eyes on him, and his behavior had already earned him an enemy among them. He could balance that out with his allies, but things weren't that simple in that environment.
Moreover, the number of Khan's enemies would increase soon. Replacing Ambassador Abores would put a target on his back, and he didn't know how troublesome that would be. After all, Ambassadors had countless allies, and many would be willing to commit crimes to earn their favor.
On top of that, Khan had just promised Anastasia he would make Monica the Solodrey family's new Matriarch. That was no small feat, and even attempting it would put many powerful enemies against him. His power alone fell short by a lot, especially when considering the entirety of the equation.
'Factions of the Solodrey family,' Khan summarized, 'Anyone Ambassador Abores can bring to his cause, and nobles. I can't deal with them alone.'
Khan had worked hard on amassing allies for similar situations, but that couldn't protect him everywhere and all the time. The nobles, wealthy factions, and Ambassador Abores had played that game far longer than him. They could create the perfect opportunity if they wanted to take him out.
To add injury to insult, Khan realized that nothing could prevent that eventuality. Even spending the rest of his life lying low and avoiding making waves couldn't save him once those enemies were established. His nightmares also stopped him from considering that approach, leaving pure helplessness in his mind.
It didn't help that Khan's battle style was already nearly perfect. His recent breakthrough into the Niqols' arts had turned him into a walking calamity, and he had spells for every situation. Acquiring the cursed knife enhanced all that, exhausting his available paths.
'What can I do?' Khan wondered. 'I can't just stay still and wait for problems.'
Khan wasn't even close to staying still. His breakthrough with the Thilku runes had brought back the [Blood Vortex], filling it with new power. He was already advancing faster than third-level warriors with infusions, but nothing seemed enough in his mind.
'I should have accepted the martial art from Monica's parents,' Khan thought. 'No, Maban's technique already makes me faster.'
Needless to say, Khan was having a hard time planning his next move. He didn't lack anything, and no one at his level could beat him, but everyone knew that.
If someone wanted to take Khan out, they would send higher-level warriors with special techniques and spells. Khan was also certain those opponents would have extensive battle experience and capabilities, making tricks pointless against them.
The fact that Khan had defeated the fourth-level Thilku didn't bring confidence either. He knew he was weaker than that mutated alien on almost every field, and no new technique could fix that.
'I can't always rely on flying and symphony,' Khan sighed, 'But what can I even do? I'm still a third-level warrior.'
Khan scratched his head, but his eyes lit up when they fell on the box. The cursed knife could use his seemingly endless mana to launch attacks that surpassed his current level. That was a tremendous boost against stronger opponents, but Khan's thoughts had already gone beyond that.
The personal version of the Thilku runes opened countless opportunities, but Khan had only used them to replicate the [Blood Vortex]. The reason for that was similar to his current issue. He had no idea what to do, but something began to take form.
'The chaos spear is my most destructive attack,' Khan thought, 'But higher-level warriors can deal with it. Noble guards can probably deal with a rain of spears.'
Khan knew he couldn't be faster than specialized higher-level warriors. He was aware he couldn't surpass them in almost every field. However, there was something he could do, and the theory behind the cursed knife gave him the answer.
'Power,' Khan realized. 'Pure, unrestrained power.'
Khan promptly jumped to his feet and tapped the floor to make a circular, metal target appear on the other end of the hall. The vague idea quickly gained precise shapes as calculations happened in Khan's mind. He knew what to do, and his fingers reached for the air before him to actuate it.
.
.
.
"This might be your worst offense yet," Headmistress Holwen commented, disbelief filling her face.
"Thank you," Khan exclaimed.
"It wasn't a compliment," Headmistress Holwen scolded.
"It was," Khan stated, and the Headmistress glanced at his calm face before following his eyes again.
Headmistress Holwen and Khan were in the same training hall as before, watching a terrifying and stunning spectacle. Teams of soldiers also joined them, and the scene made them freeze on the spot.
Khan and the Headmistress were staring at one of the hall's walls or, rather, at the massive circular hole that had appeared at its center. Melted metal still flowed on its smooth edge, and smoke leaked into the area before heading toward the ceiling.
That wasn't the end of it. The hole stretched past the workshop behind the wall and into the next one, which had been pierced, too. Khan and the Headmistress could see the insides of the adjacent training hall, which had luckily been empty.
The Headmistress would have loved for the damage to stop there, but the scene destroyed that hope. The adjacent training hall had a long and sizzling channel that stretched toward the opposite wall, where another circular hole had appeared. The attack had only darkened the metal, but repairs were necessary anyway.
Khan wanted to feel bad for the Headmistress, but excitement inevitably leaked into his eyes while inspecting the damage. His attack had pierced two training halls, greatly surpassing the chaos spear's destruction. Nothing in his arsenal could even come close to that power.
"What seems to be the issue?" A familiar voice suddenly entered the hall, and Anastasia soon appeared. She was supposed to meet with Khan, but his lateness had forced her to check on him.
The scene left Anastasia speechless, too. Her eyes widened at the sight of the hole, and her surprise intensified when she noticed how far the damage stretched. It was simply insane to think that a third-level warrior could have caused that.
"Captain," Headmistress Holwen eventually cleared her throat. "You leave me no choice. I must ban you from the Harbor's training halls."
"There is no need to go that far," Anastasia intervened once she snapped back to reality. "The Solodrey family will cover the cost of the repairs."
