Chaos' Heir

The offer was appealing. Khan didn't care about the Hive's ideology and goal but could see the benefits of peaceful cooperation. After all, that organization had almost succeeded in kidnapping a Princess. It was capable and could definitely be useful.

Khan didn't only need as many allies as possible. The Hive's support could help him operate in grey areas without giving his enemies leverage. Moreover, securing its cooperation could shield him against other hidden threats. The parties connected to Raymond would find it hard to reach Khan with a criminal organization watching his back.

Besides, cooperating with the Hive would prevent it from looking for different allies. Khan could add a powerful asset to his political array while avoiding leaving that spot open to his enemies, killing two birds with one stone.

The Hive's representative was also correct. Khan was the perfect man for the job. His unique position and personal power would open countless opportunities, allowing the Hive to strike directly at the core of humankind's government.

Still, Khan had to admit part of him didn't want to fix the Global Army. His broader perspective and experiences had turned him into a man with no flag. He had no interest in improving things for a nameless crowd. That honest and noble dream had died, submerged by his many problems.

Khan would still help those dear and loyal to him, but the Hive wasn't the way to go. That criminal organization operated in terrorism, sacrificing many assets to get closer to their goal. Khan didn't forget what they had done to Monica and his entire class to kidnap Princess Edna. It was safe to assume he would have to join similar missions if he accepted the offer.

Moreover, Khan couldn't be sure the entire Hive was part of that offer. Every family had infighting, so it stood to reason criminal organizations would share that behavior. The vague man on the screen could simply belong to a more peaceful cell trying to secure Khan for himself.

The robotic voice respected Khan's silence. That was no easy decision to make, and the timing wasn't right either. The Hive would find it hard to plan meetings with Khan in the future, but he had much to settle yet. Truth be told, the man on the screen didn't expect a definitive answer that day.

However, no one could predict Khan's behavior after Baoway, and the current situation paved the path for another unexpected development.

"No," Khan declared, his interest in the meeting waning by the second.

"Major," The robotic voice continued, trying to hide its surprise. "Allow me to list your benefits before refusing."

Khan ignored the request and turned. His decision wasn't truly final, but the Hive could wait. Actually, delaying the matter could force the Hive to make a better offer in the future, especially if Khan's position ended up improving after the imminent meetings.

"We can give you the Nak!" The robotic voice suddenly exclaimed before Khan could set off. Needless to say, those words made him stop in his tracks.

Khan peeked past his shoulder, glancing at the blue screen. Talking with his father had partially made him lose interest in humankind's knowledge about the Nak. Yet, the topic remained close to his mind.

"We know labs," The robotic voice explained. "We know secret facilities. We have assets everywhere and places the Global Army wouldn't dare look. We occupy the real Earth!"

The Second Impact had turned the planet into a wasteland, and the noble families didn't bother recolonizing all of it. The official theory was that most of the human population lived in massive cities and Slums nearby, but the truth could be different. Khan had discovered that long ago.

"There's no price we won't be willing to pay for your cooperation," The robotic voice revealed. "Join us, and we will fulfil your dreams."

The offer grew more appealing by the second, but Khan couldn't consider it. Even the mention of the Nak couldn't make him give in to his curiosity. The Hive had played its cards right but had committed a simple miscalculation. What had returned from Baoway was no Major or Prince.

"No," Khan uttered, deciding to add something else now. "I won't be your champion."

"You already are," The robotic voice said, "Even if you don't realize it yet."

Khan almost set his mind to leave. He faced the trapdoor, ready to fly away. Yet, the man on the screen was right. At least partially, Khan was already doing the Hive's dirty work with his unrestrained behavior, and things were bound to worsen.

"You hide behind the mask of secrecy and ideology," Khan uttered, closing his eyes as his senses dived deeper into his surroundings.

"You talk for the Hive while being a measly cell," Khan continued. "You hope for my trust while sacrificing pawns and metal walls."

"Major, I-," The robotic voice didn't get the chance to convey its line since the screen suddenly flickered, destabilizing the connection. Khan didn't move or say anything, but the man on the other side understood it wasn't his time to speak.

"You think of me as a champion," Khan added once the screen stabilized. "You want me to be your weapon."

The six first-level warriors retreated toward the screen to put as much distance between themselves and Khan as possible. That gesture was pointless, but their instincts didn't listen to reason.

"You," Khan muttered, "The Nognes family, the Solodrey family, the Global Army, and all the other idiots fighting for a piece of me."

Khan suddenly opened his eyes, and a faint gust of wind spread from his body. The gale seemed harmless, barely ruffling the soldiers' hair without making the screen flicker.

"You all fail to understand what I am," Khan stated, stepping forward to approach the staircase connected to the trapdoor.

"What are you, then?" The robotic voice asked, but odd noises followed. Faint sounds came from the hall's metal surfaces, gradually growing louder and more intense.

"A calamity," Khan explained, his body gracefully rising toward the trapdoor. "Either submit to me or get destroyed."

Khan slowly disappeared into the upward tunnel. Strangely enough, he didn't use his incredible speed to leave on the spot, but only his mind knew the real reason for that.

As for the underground hall, the noises continued to grow louder, eventually revealing their nature. The metal was screaming, bending in multiple spots and seemingly random directions. Lines soon appeared on the various surfaces, turning into cracks that enlarged to cover the entire area.

The six first-level warriors panicked, and some jumped forward to approach the stairs. Yet, their feet only found brittle ground. The metal under them crumbled under their weight, hindering their movements and preventing them from escaping.

The man on the screen was the only person who could remain calm. The connection was still online, and he wasn't in danger, so his mind analyzed the event, connecting it to rumors he had heard years ago.

On the surface, Khan didn't use any spell or technique. The simple gale that had come from his body resembled what his aura could create on a whim. Yet, the hall's reaction hinted at something deeper.

The hall was crumbling seemingly on its own. Its metal couldn't stay put or together anymore, and that destruction soon affected the areas above. Everything was falling apart, and sandy waterfalls eventually leaked into the underground place.

"Be thankful, my brave warriors," The man on the screen announced as the connection started to fail. "Major Khan saved you from sure torture."

Khan flew through the upward channel while everything crumbled around him. He held back on his speed, rising only when debris threatened to touch him. He wouldn't let himself be submerged but wanted his senses to remain in contact with the underground hall.

Eventually, Khan's senses updated him on the consequences of his actions. The six weak auras in the underground hall were no more. The destruction had killed them.

Khan soon reappeared on the surface, but the ground continued to shatter. The small house crumbled on itself as the soil caved in, turning into a deep, sandy hole. The gap expanded, but everything stabilized before reaching other habitations.

Needless to say, the destruction lifted a big dusty cloud, attracting the attention of any nearby Slum citizen. A small crowd formed around the hole while the area grew clearer. Eventually, everyone could see Khan calmly floating above the vast gap, but his eyes never lingered on them.

Khan's expression didn't flinch even as a wave of synthetic mana touched his senses. He kept his eyes fixed ahead as his figure rose, reaching the sky above the various habitations to meet the incoming vehicle.

The crowd on the ground heard the whooshing noise of engines before a ship appeared in the sky. The vehicle stopped before Khan, and its side doors opened to let him inside.

Waiters and soldiers gathered around Khan when the doors closed behind his back. The latter wanted to question him about the recent events, but nothing escaped their mouths. Something in Khan's aura told them silence was mandatory.

"To the Harbor," Khan announced, approaching the table in the middle of the rearranged cargo area. He had dealt with his father, so it was time to settle the issue with Baoway.

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