Ambushing recruits inside the training camp was hard. Drones patrolled the streets non-stop, and groups of boys and girls often occupied the various parks and benches.
Some of the older recruits even ran from one building to another at random hours. It was almost impossible to find someone completely alone.
"Does he ever get tired?" Bloke asked his three friends.
The four bullies had gathered in the corner of the fence that surrounded Khan's dormitory. Professor Norwell's lesson had ended just a few minutes ago, so the curfew would still take a few hours to arrive.
The group had the time to plan their ambush, but Khan's tight schedule made it almost impossible to find the right moment. He had never changed his habits during those months, but that consistency didn't help the bullies.
"I told you countless times already," Samuel complained. "He comes back late and starts to meditate. I swear. I've never seen someone training so often."
"He must sleep or show an opening at some point," Duke, one of the bullies, said.
"I have been in the same flat for almost three months," Samuel continued, "But I've never seen him sleeping. That guy is a damned robot!"
"How much can someone even learn in three months?" Kyle, the other bully, said. "He has been the first to push his attunement to twenty percent, but martial arts are something entirely different. I bet he can't use them in battle."
"He will still be stronger than us," Samuel added, hoping that his friends would change their minds. "He has spent more than two months with attunement above twenty percent, while we have yet to reach that stage. We can't match his physical prowess."
"You don't need to remind me about my attunement," Bloke snorted. "I would have already reached twenty percent if I weren't still growing! Also, these damned mandatory lessons leave us drained. How can anyone even meditate in these conditions?"
The three bullies looked at Bloke, and the group exchanged meaningful glances. They were aware that they were lying to themselves, but that was better than accepting the truth.
Their cores weren't exceptional, but their routine didn't help their training either. The four boys had spent their time outside the lessons sleeping or hitting on girls. They even had the chance to bully some of the poorer kids.
In their minds, the four bullies believed that their families would fix their power through synthetic mana. Yet, they didn't expect that the complete disregard for their training would have put them in a situation when they couldn't use that energy.
The bullies' attunement had to reach twenty percent to use the synthetic mana. Their failure to achieve that result in almost three months had forced their families to reconsider their priorities.
The synthetic mana was expensive, and its price rose exponentially depending on its quality. The four bullies had decently wealthy families behind them, but they were losing their claims on that energy due to their lack of progress.
After all, the families could always wait a few years for a better descendant. Using good synthetic mana on recruits who couldn't even bother to meditate was a waste since it probably wouldn't lead to decent achievements.
The families had to produce results to obtain spots in the government of Earth, so balancing their expenses on their descendants was an essential part of their financial and political experience.
Samuel and his friends clearly weren't good material. Their current performance showed that they wouldn't seize any merits for their families. They were a bad investment.
However, everything would change if they managed to get their hands on synthetic mana on their own. The four bullies could make up for the time lost during the initial months in the camp and generate wealth for their families.
The only hindrance in that plan was the hardworking and astute Khan.
"I still think that this is a bad plan," Samuel almost begged his friends. "Why don't we all start meditating? I bet we can hit twenty percent in two weeks if we work hard."
"We will pass the third month in two weeks," Bloke replied. "Our families will never believe in our talent."
"Face it, Samuel," Duke continued. "We messed up. Getting the help of the Blackdell family is the only way to regain some credit."
"Our families might even reward us if we establish a decent relationship with Alison," Kyle added. "The Blackdell family has connections with the noble families. We have the chance to hit the jackpot here."
Samuel bit his lower lip. He didn't like the plan, but there seemed to be no way out of his situation.
His friends didn't share his worries because they didn't see Khan as often as him. Samuel had studied his roommate in the last months, and he had been one of the few witnesses of his transformation.
"Alison isn't a patient girl," Bloke eventually announced. "We should prepare our ambush soon. I think that attacking at night is our only option."
"Sunday then," Duke added. "That's the only day when Khan goes back to his dormitory slightly earlier than usual."
.
.
.
Khan was completely unaware that the bullies from the first week were planning to ambush him. He had even started to forget about them since his training occupied the entirety of his days.
His demeanor had changed during the last months. The exercises for his element had forced him to develop a firm control over his thoughts and emotions, and his face showed his improvements.
Moreover, the relentless training with the Lightning-demon style had removed every trace of fat from his body, giving him a slender body that hid firm muscles.
Khan didn't do anything special during the past months. He had only alternated the morning lessons to the various exercises featured in his two training programs.
The training program for the chaos element had made his expression grow aloof since most of its exercises forced him to separate his emotions from his thoughts. Khan's mind had grown sharper, but his face now lacked its previous vitality.
Still, his new mindset had ended up benefitting the training in the Lightning-demon style. Khan could focus harder on his martial art since his mind had grown far more resilient, and his emotionless thoughts had even given him a few advantages during the practice of the various moves.
'I should be able to succeed in the fifth lesson tonight,' Khan sighed as he walked back toward his dormitory. 'Then, I have to master it before moving to the sixth. Dammit. I still have seven exercises to complete before the Wave spell.'
It was the Sunday night before the change of the lessons. The Global Army would resume teaching general subjects unrelated to mana starting from the next week, and that trend would last until the end of the fourth month.
Khan's mood was quite poor due to that event. He couldn't help but find the subjects related to mana far more interesting. He would rather have an entire month of Professor Conche than following math and other boring lessons four hours a day.
'I'll definitely pick xenolinguistics and politics,' Khan thought as he crossed the familiar streets that separated him from his dormitory. 'I probably need to add something else, but I still have three months and missions before the second semester.'
Khan had started to gain an idea of what he wanted to become in the Global Army. Remaining a simple soldier that patrolled dangerous planets was a decent option, but he had found a better one thanks to Martha's help.
The Global Army needed ambassadors to handle the relationships with the alien races. Those political figures could travel from planet to planet easily, and eventual scouting parties even required their presence.
It was the perfect job for someone who wanted free access to the map of the universe and priority over interplanetary travels. Also, that role would prevent Khan from becoming a simple pawn in the hands of his superiors.
Becoming an ambassador would even give Khan merits helpful in the political ladder. He didn't care about his rank in the army, but he didn't forget Lieutenant Dyester's words either. He had to become a Colonel to gain access to the classified files about the First Impact.
The path was still long, and Khan had yet to understand all the requirements for that political role, but having a goal helped him. He didn't feel like a foreigner anymore after setting his eyes on a target. He had become like the other recruits who wanted to become someone inside the army.
Khan checked his phone. It was already half past nine, and a sigh inevitably escaped his mouth.
'My body has become used to the Lightning-demon style,' Khan thought as his dormitory appeared in the distance. 'I barely need lotions anymore, and I can endure a full day of training even on Sunday.'
Lieutenant Dyester was a severe Master, and Khan was a dedicated disciple. He never skipped a training session, and he always tried to push his limits.
Khan had basically convinced himself that the wealthy kids would surpass him if he dared to go easy on his training. Losing his spot as a talented recruit would close the doors opened by Professor Norwell, which he wanted to keep open.
Maintaining the halo of the talented recruit from the Slums could help him becoming an ambassador, and Khan didn't want to lose that chance. Also, remaining without any clear affiliation would increase his value once offers from other families appeared. Khan only had to hold on to his status until he became a first-level warrior.
Of course, Khan didn't think about that on his own. Martha had to walk him through that scheme. It was nothing too complicated, but Khan still felt like a stranger to the political environment.
A strange sensation eventually hit Khan's mind. He felt a peculiar fluctuation coming from a dark area in the park next to the end of the street.
His sensitivity to mana had increased after the training for the chaos element. Khan felt sure that something that contained mana was behind the bushes and trees near the end of the street.
'Robots?' Khan thought, but he quickly disregarded that idea.
Some of the robots inside the training camp contained mana that Khan could sense. However, the sensation coming from behind the bush and trees was different. He even felt a familiar vibe.
'Is that Samuel?' Khan wondered.
His sensitivity to mana wasn't exceptional. It was the best among the recruits but still weak compared to proper soldiers. Yet, he had slept in the same room with Samuel for the past three months, so he couldn't fail to recognize his vibe.