Chaos' Heir

Colonel Norrett and Major General Arngan listened attentively, and their emotions underwent many changes as Khan's tale progressed.

Initially, the two took the matter lightly, half-confused and half-curious about Khan's seriousness. After all, they had just fought against an evolved warrior. In their minds, nothing could be worse than that.

Nevertheless, the Colonel and the Major General soon realized how wrong they were. Countless questions filled the former's mind, but he remained silent to let Khan finish his story.

Meanwhile, Major General Arngan lost any desire to crack jokes, his brain wholly absorbed in Khan's tale. He would usually struggle to believe many of its details but trusted the messenger enough to know he wasn't lying.

It was always odd for outsiders to learn about Khan's real struggle. His public life told a tale of countless problems and endless series of fights that would leave any ordinary soldier with no time to breathe.

Yet, Khan had somehow found the time to fight a secret war, gradually uncovering its secrets, depths, and various shades. Everything had started when he was nothing more than a clueless kid in the Slums, culminating with his current awareness of the universe's true enemy.

Silence fell in the small, isolated medical bay when Khan finished speaking. Colonel Norrett and Major General Arngan wanted to talk but couldn't find the words. They limited themselves to occasional peeks at Khan, but their gazes mostly were lowered in thought.

In hindsight, everything fell into place. Even Khan's oddest and most confusing actions started to make sense after learning about the monsters inside his mind.

Colonel Norrett and Major General Arngan had doubts, but neither believed Khan was lying. His understanding of his mission could be wrong, but the two warriors knew he truly trusted his conclusions.

That trust led to a massive problem. If Khan were right, those political struggles inside the Global Army and among the nobles would be nothing short of meaningless. The universe's life was far more important than those puny battles for relevance and power.

"Do we have a timeline?" Major General Arngan eventually asked, breaking the silence.

The scarlet eyes' looming threat required more than ordinary preparations. The Major General wasn't playing around with the Fuveall, but learning about that incoming danger put everything into perspective, making him want to take the experiments with the implants more seriously.

"No," Khan admitted. "I plan to depart and find out more details. My absence will also bring stability and growth, which the universe will probably need."

Khan was amazing, but the universe needed an army, and the effort couldn't be limited to one species. Baoway's diverse environment suddenly made sense, too. The planet was Khan's initial experiment at creating a joint force that could rival the scarlet eyes.

"Do we at least know how strong they are?" Major General Arngan questioned. "These scarlet eyes?"

"No idea," Khan replied, shaking his head. "I only have the emotions the Nak implanted in me as clues. Luckily, they were enough to convince the Emperor."

Major General Arngan crossed his arms, becoming pensive. The Emperor's support added much value to Khan's story, but the General also spotted another layer that served the same purpose.

The battle against Miss Christen was to blame for that realization. Evolved warriors had more than met the eye. Feelings at that level didn't result from simple chemical brain processes. They involved actual events, making the Major General trust Khan's story even more.

Major General Arngan only needed those two questions to make up his mind. The Global Army and the world as a whole were on the clock. They couldn't waste time weakening themselves anymore. The universe now required unity and strength, and Baoway was the perfect starting place.

Khan had already laid the foundation. Baoway only needed to expand past it, and Major General Arngan had already started considering how.

The Major General was more of a soldier than a politician, but his vast knowledge of the battlefield gave him a clear idea of which species were worth befriending and adding to that joint force.

Khan had taken care of the Thilku Empire, but the Ef'i had yet to be properly secured. The same went for the Fuveall and all the more spiritual species Khan was quite formidable at befriending. Milia 222 was also a treasure trove of potential, powerful allies, which Baoway needed to work hard at securing.

Colonel Norrett went through similar thoughts, but his mind inevitably moved to different, more personal topics. He had known Khan since the tournament on Onia. Unlike Lieutenant Dyester, he had never seen him as a simple kid, but some proper affection had appeared anyway.

The Colonel had also grown invested in Khan's love life, and learning about his story added a deeper layer. Now, he saw Khan as a man desperate to secure a modicum of happiness inside a cursed life, opposed by all kinds of powerful parties and regulations, something he probably would have to abandon.

"What about Miss Solodrey?" Colonel Norrett asked before realizing which words had left his mouth. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

Khan was still calm and seemingly disinterested during the conversation, but the question made his glowing gaze shoot at the Colonel. Clearly, the topic was dear to his heart, and the sadness that invaded his eyes when he lowered them already provided a partial answer.

"If she can't relate with me anymore," Khan announced, using Monica's own words while standing up, "She wasn't worthy of being with me in the first place."

Colonel Norrett studied Khan from head to toe, and something in his body language felt wrong. The answer also didn't match his history, so the Colonel felt confident in his following words.

"You don't believe that," Colonel Norrett stated.

"I don't," Khan admitted, "But love has always been beyond me. Besides, these are Monica's words."

Khan approached the medical bay's exit. Nothing would be done that night, and the two warriors needed time to process his tale anyway. The bandages on his hands had already taken care of his shallow injuries, so his presence was superfluous.

"Khan," Colonel Norrett called before Khan could open the medical bay's door. "You fought too hard to be unhappy."

"Happiness might come," Khan responded, "After I deal with this."

Major General Arngan didn't want to butt in that sentimental conversation, but another gripe had started to scratch his brain, and he couldn't help but voice it.

"Brat, what about your family?" Major General Arngan asked. "You just killed one of its evolved warriors in the end."

"Ah, that," Khan exclaimed, seemingly just recalling the matter. "If my relatives are even slightly smart, they won't force me to destroy the Nognes family."