The noise that accompanied Khan's kick announced something that he had struggled to confirm on Nitis. His technique had felt different, smooth in ways that his previous executions couldn't achieve. His mana and body had moved without requiring thoughts or strategies, and the power expressed by the blow marked his arrival in the superior proficiency level.
It had taken Khan almost eight months of relentless training, constant struggles, traumatic experiences, and unshakable resolve to achieve what most soldiers would see as a turning point for their battle prowess. The Lightning-demon style had finally fused with his instincts and habits to make him reach the competent proficiency level and unlock a path that went beyond the correct execution of his techniques.
Martial arts could develop new effects and abilities as the synchrony among mana, muscles, and moves surpassed a certain level. Those techniques had the chance to evolve once a soldier successfully absorbed them into his core. Khan could go past perfect executions now, but his situation didn't allow him to appreciate his achievement.
Professor Supyan had just voiced a vague warning about the dangerousness of the illusions during George's test, and Khan had taken his words seriously. Yet, his sudden attack didn't come from his failure in separating the fake pictures from the real world. His kick was a simple expression of the feelings that he had bottled up for almost twelve years.
Khan's attack pierced the Nak's head, and the upper part of the picture dispersed into a few faint lights before the glow coming out of the lake rebuilt that figure.
The Nak wasn't real, and its appearance came from the nature of Khan's mana. He couldn't destroy it simply because nothing was standing in front of him. That opponent came from inside him.
Khan didn't lose himself in his feeling. His mind had never been clearer. He experienced the same reassuring coldness that had filled his mind after the crash on Istrone, but that mental state felt far more intense now.
His mind had instinctively recognized his sworn enemy and had made the entirety of his focus flow on the creature. Khan's vision was clear, his breath was steady, and he could study every feeling captured by his senses in instants. He was in a perfect battle state, and he didn't hesitate to use it to unleash his full power on the alien that had cursed his nights for so long.
The attack didn't stop the Nak from playing the images that had afflicted Khan's mind for years, but he didn't limit himself to a single technique either. His body spun and created seamless circular ripples that expanded from his foothold as he performed a roundhouse kick that aimed for the alien's head again.
Still, a shadow suddenly moved in Khan's peripheral vision until it appeared in the trajectory of his attack. Professor Supyan had shot forward to stop the kick and prevent the boy from falling into the illusions even more. His hand rose to block the incoming leg and capture it in his grasp, but his glowing eyes widened when he saw that Khan's foot stopped before reaching his palm.
Professor Supyan almost couldn't believe his eyes when Khan retracted his leg and jumped backward to reach the shore in a single leap before performing a polite bow. The alien understood that the young human had always been in control of himself. His attack had been the consequence of a cold decision generated by a calm mind.
The image behind Professor Supyan started to vanish after Khan left the waters, but the latter didn't stop inspecting it. Khan kept his eyes on the Nak as its figure grew dimmer and the lake stopped releasing its azure glow.
Professor Supyan didn't miss that action. He turned to glance at the disappearing Nak before moving his eyes back on Khan. His gaze fell on the azure scar at that point, but his face didn't betray anything. It remained expressionless as complicated thoughts ran through his mind.
Khan and Professor Supyan ended up exchanging a long glance after the Nak completely disappeared. The Niqols could see the coldness in the boy's expression slowly relaxing without ever leaving him completely free of those feelings. It was clear that they were part of Khan.
A tinge of sadness seeped past Professor Supyan's poker face when he connected that coldness to Khan's young age. The Niqols didn't have any bias toward humans, so he experienced the sadness of Khan's situation as if he were a simple boy from his species. His gaze inevitably fell on the ground as his empathy became unbearable.
'I know the answer to my old doubt,' Khan thought as he studied the alien Professor. 'I'm glad that fear didn't freeze my movements.'
Khan had wondered about what would happen once he met a Nak, but the experience in the underground lake had given him a satisfying answer. He would fight without showing any hesitation nor fear.
The strange mental state that Khan had experienced during the sudden event had left him slightly surprised, but he didn't mind that. Actually, he felt glad that his mind could reach such high levels of concentration on its own without requiring the mental barrier or other techniques.
"We'll also have a talk once we reach [The Pure Trees]," Professor Supyan announced once he felt able to bring his eyes back on Khan.
Khan limited himself to bow again, and Professor Supyan inspected that action without revealing any emotion before nodding at the two envoys.
The two Niqols bowed and whispered a few orders that made all the recruits get in line again after everyone went back into their uniforms. Khan remained immersed in his thoughts while he wore his clothes and took his position at the back of the line, but George didn't forget about him.
"We are really moody," George whispered as a faint chuckle accompanied his voice. "No wonder we can't get laid."
"Talk for yourself," Khan smirked as George's efforts to lift his morale warmed his mind a bit. "I choose not to."
"As if anyone would even believe it," George scoffed as the group climbed the staircase back to the surface. "Maybe your tastes have moved closer toward a certain white and dark-blue species after your first day on Nitis."
"Don't even joke about that," Khan sighed. "They will send me back to Earth in an instant if they even suspect that I like Miss Liiza enough to flirt with her."
"Look at the bright side," George continued to joke while keeping his voice down. "You can improve your abilities as an ambassador in the academy."
George had turned and winked at him when he said those last words. His hidden roguish meanings were evident, and Khan couldn't help but shake his head at that sight. Still, a faint laugh accompanied his action since his friend's jokes had dispersed his overflowing coldness.
"What are you even whispering about?" Veronica asked once the group returned to the surface.
"Men's stuff," George exclaimed without any shame, and Veronica giggled when she saw Khan shaking his head behind him.
"That's from the Second Impact, right?" Brandon suddenly asked as the whole group turned toward Khan.
The two envoys wanted to hurry back to the Aduns, but they understood that the humans wanted to talk a bit among themselves. The Niqols would usually never allow such delays, but they felt that the recruits deserved a short break, especially after witnessing Khan's test.
Moreover, the group had flown for almost half a day already. It didn't hurt to give the Aduns a short break before moving to the last part of their trip.
"They aren't good memories," Khan replied while showing a complicated smile.
"No wonder," Kelly exclaimed while crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Though, you should take pride in your achievements. Reaching the competent proficiency level so early proves your hard work."
Khan's eyes widened at that remark. He had yet to accept his new state, but it seemed that all the other recruits had already understood what had happened.
Khan's first instinct was to dismiss those words with fake polite excuses, but he noticed that habit in time to stop it. He decided not to say any words and broaden his smile to accept that compliment.
The fact that Khan didn't deny nor add anything to Kelly's words filled his gesture with a mature vibe. He acted as if those achievements were only a regular part of his life.
"Look," Brandon cleared his throat while diverting his gaze, "I'm sorry for earlier. It's just, this mission is really important, right? You are already so famous on Nitis. I didn't want to fall behind."
"I thought you were arrogant," Khan laughed while reminding Brandon about Professor Supyan's evaluation.
"It doesn't mean that I have to be a dick," Brandon also laughed before going back to a severe expression. "There are only eight of us in this mission. Our focus should be on working together for the greater good of humanity, so I hope that everything is okay between us."
"No problem at all," Khan answered in a warm voice. "Everyone wants the spotlight. I believe this mission will give all of us the chance to get it."
"Especially with the crisis around the corner," Rodney added. "Be sure not connect too much with the alien. We don't want them to know about our strategy."
Khan couldn't help but feel slightly angry about Rodney's cold words since they seemed to target his relationship. Still, nothing appeared on his face as the group glanced at the two envoys from the corner of their eyes to make sure that they weren't listening to their conversation.
"Are you ready to leave?" The male Niqols asked, and the recruits didn't hesitate to give positive answers.
The group quickly hopped back on their Aduns before setting off to complete their trip. The eagles had loyally waited near that secret area, so it didn't take much for the travel to resume.
Khan noticed how the secret trapdoor had closed by the time the group returned in the sky. He didn't see Professor Supyan leave the underground area before the passage disappeared, and the lake didn't seem to have tunnels either.
Of course, Khan didn't believe that the Niqols had remained underground. It was very likely that the lake had secret passages similar to the trapdoor connected to the staircase, but that would mean that [The Pure Trees] was closer than he imagined.
His guess turned out to be correct. The group only had to fly for two more hours before reaching a thick forest surrounded by seven mountains. The envoys didn't hesitate to dive at that sight and land in a small area devoid of trees.
The group didn't feel sure if they had arrived until the envoys jumped off their Aduns and gave specific instructions. "The academy is at the center of the valley. You can say goodbye to your Aduns for now. We'll complete the last part of the trip on foot."
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Author's notes: The second chapter should arrive in less than an hour.