The hill was the perfect bait, and the spreading gory marsh increased its range, attracting more distant packs that fell under Khan's claws.
The additional corpses enlarged the marsh, its scent reaching packs even further away, attracting more battles and starting a new killing cycle. Khan could continue the conquest without moving from the mineral, but the task barely occupied a fraction of his mind.
As fearso and relentless as the monsters were, Khan simply couldn't consider them a threat. He kept training, focusing on increasing his attunent with mana in that natural environnt while his runes dealt with most incoming enemies. Occasionally, Khan had to stand up and finish off a few survivors, but the process never took longer than a minute.
The full imrsion in the training was beneficial. Khan's body had changed too quickly for him to uncover all its secrets, and that prolonged ti alone increased his confidence in his abilities and deepened his understanding of his new limits.
It was worth ntioning that Khan wasn't an evolved human. The mutations had transford him into sothing different, superior, so the Global Army's records couldn't help him. Even Khan didn't know his full potential and could only uncover it through tests and training.
The fruitful training session continued for slightly over a week when a disturbance arrived. Khan caught the scent of the synthetic mana, so he sent an order toward his surroundings to hide his abilities. The Leviathan's scanners had always pointed at him, but their recordings were bound to be superficial, and he wanted to have a few secrets.
The eight runes hovering around Khan destabilized, softly releasing their energy. Trails of purple-red gas shot upward, but Khan quickly added a line to the symbol before his chest, enhancing its suction force.
The dispersing mana made a U-turn in the air, converging toward the [Blood Vortex]'s rune. A tide of energy surged in Khan's body, threatening to burn his skin. Slowing down the process would save him so injuries, but he ignored the pain to get the best out of that sudden interruption.
A small ship eventually appeared on the bright horizon, flying close to the ground and toward Khan's position. He recognized it as one of his own but focused on completing the mana absorption.
By the ti the ship reached its destination, all the runes had disappeared. The vehicle didn't land but kept hovering a few ters from Khan, turning sideways to show its doors.
The side doors opened, revealing two young figures. Prince Richard and Moses stood at the cargo area's edge, their stances conveying their different mindset. Moses showed nothing but reverence during his bow, while Prince Richard couldn't help but inspect Khan's surroundings.
The hill wasn't a hill anymore. Khan's spells didn't distinguish between ground and monsters, and the grooves they dug had accumulated until the mineral had transford into an uneven tower covered in cracks. Only its top, where Khan sat, was sohow intact.
The destruction had spread on the ground below. Deep grooves filled with blood, fur, and gore encircled the tower. The marsh was shallower in so areas, allowing the mineral below to reflect Senerth's white star. Corpses also littered the soil past that dark lake, creating a terrifying scene.
Nevertheless, as terrifying as the area was, Khan remained scarier. The forceful absorption of the previously accumulated mana had tried to scorch Khan's skin. Injuries and burns had failed to appear, but smoke still rose from his sitting figure.
Adding Khan's wild look to the smoke put him closer to a monster rather than a human leader. Moreover, the runes left a lingering violent vibe in the air, making Prince Richard wonder whether Khan recognized him at all.
As for Khan, he mostly focused on Moses. The young man's reverence had only intensified in that short period. He looked utterly devoted to Khan and ready to follow his every order. Doubts didn't exist inside his mana. Moses had probably beco one of Khan's most loyal subjects during the war.
Moses' fervent reverence told Khan that the Headquarters had studied his recent accomplishnts. However, the two-week period wasn't over, so the arrival of an envoy hinted at problems.
Lieutenant Dyester obviously couldn't leave the army due to his leadership position, so the role of ssenger had fallen on Moses. As for Prince Richard, his family na had probably tasked him to confirm that the communication had reached its target.
"Speak," Khan announced.
"Reporting to Prince Khan," Moses responded, straightening his back to perform a military salute. "Master Carl is requesting your return to the Headquarters. Senerth's situation has changed, requiring your presence."
"Changed how?" Khan asked.
"Most packs have been dealt with, Prince Khan," Moses explained, "Either by you, the periter defenses, or the monsters themselves. Only one large group remains, and Master Carl feels these are the perfect conditions for a final attack."
Khan's face didn't show it, but he felt surprised. In theory, Senerth's situation shouldn't have developed and reached that point so quickly. The simulations put it at least one month away. Still, Khan knew what had changed. He had joined the fray, claiming the hill for himself. Khan also had to admit he had lost count of how many packs he had slaughtered so that developnt could be reasonable.
"Is the army ready?" Khan questioned.
"Master Carl spent the last few days expanding the periter and getting the Scalqa ready, Prince Khan," Moses confird. "We only need your order to launch the attack."
"Very well," Khan exclaid, standing up and walking toward the ship. He crossed the intact foothold, but his steps kept pushing him forward. The air acted as his new surface until he
reached the cargo area.
Prince Richard and Moses moved aside, making way for Khan. The latter ignored the young warriors and headed for the cabin, where a human pilot had already stood up to perform a military salute. Khan only needed to glance at him, and the soldier stepped away to leave the pilot's seat to him.
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