Chaos' Heir
chapter-850

Khan's current political value didn't come from his strength. While that had worked in the past with minor families and soldiers, the nobles required something else. Those immense organizations simply didn't care about his battle prowess.

Owning something no one else had was the only way to gain value in those environments. Khan's supplement, magic item, and unique relationship with the Thilku were his best weapons and shields against the nobles, especially the latter, since it was connected to his figure. That advantage would disappear without him, making his figure necessary.

Amassing other advantages with a similar nature was Khan's best strategy in a world filled with political powerhouses. The more necessary his figure became, the safer he would be. His influence would also grow accordingly, earning him true power over otherwise untouchable environments.

Besides personal power, Khan's true worth rested in his unique relationship with multiple alien species. The years spent flying to different locations and earning their residents' trust were finally paying off, allowing him to capitalize on something almost no one else in the Global Army could match.

Inviting the Ef'i to Baoway had been Khan's first move toward exploiting his unique advantage, but he could push things forward. The Fuveall were a great addition, but Khan couldn't gain much by mere workers. That would limit his benefits to better buildings and equipment, which wasn't enough to shock the nobles.

Instead, using the Fuveall to improve and unlock a new scientific field would add another incredible card to Khan's hand. The Global Army had countless maimed soldiers with subpar metal prostheses who could benefit from the Fuveall's expertise, and things wouldn't stop there.

The Fuveall's implants weren't prostheses. They bordered organic metal, becoming part of the owner's body. They worked and behaved as proper flesh, solving problems humankind had been unable to fix.

Khan inevitably thought about Major General Arngan, one of the guests during Colonel Norrett's attempted evolution. The man had been unable to approach the same process due to his missing arm, but the Fuveall's implants could solve the issue.

That was even an extreme case. Successfully adapting Fuveall's implants to humans could turn countless weaker soldiers into decent or even great warriors. The Global Army had no shortage of useless troops, which Khan could mass-recruit to build a bigger, improved army, turning him into a savior of the common folk and a military powerhouse.

Moreover, Khan was living proof of the advantage of mixing different arts. The endeavor was bound to improve humankind's overall standing, which he felt would be necessary against the scarlet eyes.

Sen-nu didn't share Khan's excitement and long-term prospects. Although the offer intrigued him, he couldn't help but consider all the problems attached to it.

First, Khan had hired workers, not scientists. The Fuveall generally were all-rounders regarding technology, but Khan's request required specialists, which Sen-nu's team lacked. A few aliens could approach the project, but tackling it would require additional personnel.

Also, Khan was basically asking for human experimentation, which wasn't an easy topic to tackle. The act didn't only have giant political repercussions. It could also be seen as reprehensible, especially if incidents and casualties happened.

Khan sensed and understood Sen-nu's hesitation, so he cleared the most problematic issues. "[Everything will be legal and voluntary. The Global Army won't hold you accountable for any incident]."

Khan had yet to request and obtain the various authorizations, but his noble status made the issue non-existent. Due to his many friendships in high places, he could get it even without playing the noble's card.

"[Humans and Fuveall have different values]," Sen-nu pointed out. "[The process you are asking for might not be received well by the Global Army]."

"[I already vouched for that]," Khan stated. "[Either you mistrust my authority, or you can't do it]."

"[Sen-nu can do everything]!" Sen-nu snorted.

"[So]," Khan continued, his aura showing its full strength. "[It's my authority]."

As airheaded as the Fuveall were, their brains were still capable of survival instincts, and Khan could easily trigger them. His aura conveyed his true nature, allowing everyone to see past his human form. He was no mere mortal. His flesh hid pristine destructive power.

Khan's presence was so heavy that the ground reacted to it. Dust flew away, seemingly frightened by his aura, and cracks opened on the nearby soil, threatening to cave in and transform into proper holes.

The human technicians had to hold their breath and muster all their strength to remain on their feet. However, some fell, and a few saw sweat covering their foreheads. Breathing near Khan became impossible, and the trend didn't seem close to stopping.

The Fuveall experienced something similar. Yet, they were overall stronger than the human technicians, and their implants broadened that power difference. Most remained on their feet, and few even inspected the ground, surprised that Khan could affect the ground with his mere presence.

"[Don't waste my time]," Khan added when he felt sure the Fuveall had acknowledged his power. "[If you don't do it, I'll find someone Fuveall enough who will]."

Sen-nu couldn't help but compare the current Khan with the one from his memory. Khan's battle prowess had always been incredible, and his character shared that quality. Even the Nele had accepted him, and Sen-nu didn't bother trying to understand how.

Nevertheless, the current Khan surpassed Sen-nu's wildest imagination. The alien couldn't even begin to study his power. There seemed to be something unnatural and unreasonable about him, and none of that came from technology.

Usually, the Fuveall would keep their distance from species they didn't understand. However, Khan was asking for their specific expertise. Even with all his power, he wanted their technology. He also acknowledged their superiority, which felt like a great compliment from such an incredible individual.

"[Sen-nu is your best bet]," Sen-nu claimed, "[Because Sen-nu is a genius]."

"[Will you do it]?" Khan asked.

"[We would need multiple facilities]," Sen-nu explained, "[Fuveall good facilities. The same goes for volunteers. Sen-nu would also need to call some friends]."

"[Write down all you need]," Khan said. "[I'll have everything ready by the time you are done with the arena]."

Khan retracted his aura, allowing the human technicians to catch their breath. Still, as soon as they started to recover, he added an order.

"Escort my guests to their quarters," Khan ordered. "Meet all their requests. I'll be in my cave."

Khan then turned toward Sen-nu again to add one last directive. "[Get to work as soon as you are settled]."

Sen-nu didn't get the chance to reply since Khan suddenly disappeared. He had set off, but no one lifted their eyes in time to catch a glimpse of his disappearing figure.

The idea of applying Fuveall's implants to humankind wasn't a secret, but Khan didn't discuss it with anyone, either. However, some technicians from the meetings spoke that alien language, so the news quickly reached every corner of the quadrant.

The trend didn't stop at the main quadrant. Soon, the entire planet learned about Khan's newest project, and the news eventually hit the network. The gossip around Khan had been relatively positive recently due to the imminent tournament, but the latest update about him sparked many controversies.

Some were angry about the idea's nature due to its necessary experiments on humans. Others criticized Khan for rejecting the Global Army's businesses in favor of alien ones. A few praised his innovative mindset, but the complaints far outclassed that positive feedback.

Khan didn't bother about the network and even ignored his buzzing phone while training in his cave. The way he saw it, people couldn't stop him, so he wouldn't deal with the complaints. However, there was one type of feedback he couldn't silence, and its steps soon resounded on the rocky, wet ground.

Everyone in Khan's inner circle knew where he spent his free time, so finding him wasn't a problem. Still, Monica wouldn't disturb his training, and his Uncle and Aunt generally avoided those dirty environments. As for Lieutenant Dyester, he didn't care about any of that.

Lieutenant Dyester dived into the cave, stopping when the complicated rune hovering on Khan's bare torso illuminated his entire figure. That was his first time inspecting Khan's alien technique, and the scene captured his attention for a few seconds. However, Khan quickly dispersed it to focus on his friend.

Darkness invaded the cave, but a few purple-red orbs appeared near the rocky ceiling, illuminating the area. Khan could transform those spheres into spears or other spells, but the situation didn't require that.

Lieutenant Dyester glanced at the orbs before heaving a deep sigh. He drew a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it up and blowing a big cloud of smoke. He didn't know how to handle the topic, so he started with a joke.

"Are you planning to invite every species in the galaxy here?" Lieutenant Dyester asked. "Are the Kred next?"

"I considered them," Khan admitted, "But there's too much history. I don't want to start suppressing internal conflicts."

"I think your last move might start some," Lieutenant Dyester pointed out.

"If they do," Khan said, "I'll remind everyone where they are."

Lieutenant Dyester sighed, sitting on the ground. Heavy was the crown, so he couldn't reprimand Khan's firm stance. He wasn't even against most of his political moves, but his worries remained founded.

"Why didn't you hire human specialists?" Lieutenant Dyester questioned. "The Global Army is good there."

"The Fuveall are better," Khan declared.

"They are," Lieutenant Dyester agreed, "But you must see how this looks. You are offering humans as guinea pigs to an alien species."

"That's how medical trials work," Khan commented. "That's how humans developed their first martial arts and spells."

"They were made by and for humans," Lieutenant Dyester said.

"Using Nak's blueprints and mana," Khan corrected. "Learning from those better than them is humankind's greatest quality. It's part of its flexibility."

"It's also alienating," Lieutenant Dyester uttered, "Especially coming from someone like you."

Khan knew what Lieutenant Dyester meant. Many on the network questioned Khan's loyalty to the Global Army, and most of his political moves justified that suspicion. The tournament had bought him some goodwill, but hiring the Fuveall would probably destroy part of it.

"An alien substance pushed you to the fourth level," Khan reminded. "You yourself are mixing human and Thilku arts to educate the Scalqa. This is the future I want."

"It might blow up in your face," Lieutenant Dyester warned. "I'm not disagreeing, but you could have taken the time to introduce this new project."

'I'm not sure I have time,' Khan thought, offering nothing but silence to his friend.