Chaos' Heir

Chapter 992: Alien



The battle had many scanners pointed at them. Khan knew he was being recorded. He had pushed for that point to show his superiority and deter further attacks.

The holographic screens on the walls showed precisely that. Still images and videos from different perspectives of the battle played, highlighting past and current key moments.

Khan saw himself in Gadus D's sky, facing the rain of bullets and crushing them with a single word. The images became unclear when the array of spears formed, but the scanners perfectly recorded the destruction it caused.

Khan also saw himself landing inside the fort and tanking a direct bullet to his head. The video then focused on his announcement before moving to the soldiers' behavior. Those shocked and speechless troops moved aside, incredulous about what had just unfolded.

Pictures from the siege were also there. Khan saw the Scalqa invasion and their fearless assault at the first firing line. Those giant aliens achieved success in no time, diving among the human troops and causing as much chaos as possible.

Other screens showed the invasion consequences. The battlefield split into multiple fights once the ground battle started. The human troops initially managed to stop the Scalqa, relying on their numerical advantage to restrain and isolate the huge aliens. However, the aliens kept pouring inside the fort, shifting the balance in their direction.

Many holograms focused on the Scalqa's individual battles. They showed human troops mercilessly crushed by those aliens' physical superiority or sudden energy waves. Humankind had no data about the Scalqa's progress, so the human soldiers were caught by surprise, often perishing under those unexpected and sudden abilities.

A few constantly flickering screens showed the exchange between Khan and Brigadier General Meadrey. They perfectly depicted the General's majestic spells before turning into confused and messy images, which regained clarity only after Khan finished destroying his opponent's abilities.

Khan saw more than most, but even he had to admit that the scanners did a good job capturing the dragon's power. Their bright light, vast reach, and detailed shapes could only belong to masterpieces of humankind's research, but Khan's alien methods had easily dealt with them. The recordings felt biased, portraying the human side as an honorable, desperate force struggling against an alien invasion. Even Brigadier General Meadrey's attempts to fend off Khan looked brave and selfless.

The scanners seemed set on creating propaganda of some sort, and Khan would feel angry if he didn't agree with them. The perspectives, scenes, and zoom had highlighted the intended bias, but the screens still showed the truth.

Moreover, the biggest screens inevitably captured Khan's attention. Those holograms only featured a still image, which spoke louder than a thousand words. Khan saw himself and found nothing wrong with his appearance, but the same couldn't be said about the other spectators.

The large screen showed a Khan covered in bulging, clotted blood vessels from head to toe. The [Blood Shield] significantly altered his appearance, turning him into something fearsome and monstrous. No one would connect that picture to a human, and Khan couldn't blame them. He would actually agree with that conclusion.

The Global Army had already seen the [Blood Shield] in action, but Khan had never shown something so extensive. He would have, but he wasn't capable of that before. Still, as much as Khan couldn't find problems with the picture, he wasn't blind to its inevitable perception.

Khan knew he wasn't a human. He had claimed so long ago and had come to terms with that realization. Even without accounting for the mutations, Khan had strayed too far from humankind, becoming something that could only be seen as alien.

An internal battle started inside Khan's brain. Two opposite but reasonable forces fought, trying to prevail and decide a winner.

One side saw Khan's understanding of humankind's mindset. He had detached himself from his species, but many humans still belonged to his inner circle. Most of his loved ones were human, so he knew how they felt, especially after seeing their reactions to his changes over the years.

Monica, Lieutenant Dyester, George, and the others felt shocked about Khan's prowess and abilities, but deep respect and affection prevented that emotion from turning dark. No matter how alien Khan became, they accepted him.

The same couldn't be said for the rest of the Global Army. Most of humankind had no special affection toward Khan, so its shock would inevitably birth fear and wariness. He would never gain their acknowledgment, especially after showing the monstrous face the screen depicted. Instead, the other side reminded Khan of how and why he had become like that. The [Blood Shield], in particular, had been a reward for his efforts and loyal love. Khan had earned that incredible technique and felt no shame using it to protect himself.

In Khan's mind, power had no owners or limitations. Its origin had no meaning or value. It didn't matter where a technique came from as long as it was helpful.

However, Khan realized that only he could think in that way. His broadmindedness made him accept everything, and humankind simply couldn't agree with him. He had won over other species and slightly changed their minds, but the Global Army had only put more distance from him.

Khan glanced at the square, checking with his own eyes what the screens depicted. The Scalqa were winning, slowly overwhelming the human forces. Soldiers died left and right, occasionally looking in his direction. They searched for their leader's support, but seeing Khan's victorious stance filled their faces with terror.

That scene repeated itself multiple times, and the screens didn't fail to capture it. Khan even saw much more, understanding how the human soldiers felt in their last moments. He was no stranger to those sights, but something told him most of humankind would now echo that sentiment.

Khan looked at the massive screen with his alien face again before lowering his eyes. Helplessness invaded him but didn't confuse him. It only cleared his mind, reminding him why he was struggling so much to obtain humankind's acknowledgment. That effort wasn't for himself, and he found no reason to force the situation even further now.

"Ok," Khan sighed, reaching a painful conclusion. "You win."