章 30: Hesitation

Khan and Lieutenant Dyester reviewed the first lessons of the Lightning-demon style together. Both wanted to gain a general idea of the martial art before starting the actual training, and a feature eventually stood out.

The Lightning-demon style heavily focused on footwork. The initial moves featured different techniques that only involved legs, ankles, and waist. They weren't even attacks. Khan had to learn all the different types of sprints and sudden accelerations before moving to the actual abilities.

'They are all so different from the shadow step,' Khan thought after that inspection. 'No wonder Luke and Bruce didn't want to learn it. Some of these moves go against that basic technique.'

The Lightning-demon style's footwork wasn't only entirely different from the theory behind the shadow step. It also featured far more complicated moves that involved specific flows of mana.

One of the first sprints wanted Khan to reinforce his knees and ankles with mana while part of his remaining energy had to flow in opposite directions depending on the dominant leg.

The palm force had required a straightforward flow of mana, and executing a weaker version of the technique had taken Khan an entire day. Instead, the Lightning-demon style wanted him to make the mana do three different things at the same time.

"How long did it take you to go past novice with your first martial art?" Khan asked as helplessness filled his mind.

"One year of constant training," Lieutenant Dyester revealed. "I started with a medium-level martial art. I guess you wanted to know that."

Khan nodded while his dreams of deploying a few techniques in the next weeks shattered.

'I have been too arrogant,' Khan sighed in his mind. 'The path is harsh for everyone, and my advantage only consists of a few weeks over my peers. Yet, they will most likely rely on synthetic mana and surpass me in no time.'

Khan felt slightly disheartened when he thought about the long journey and the environment around him, but Lieutenant Dyester soon placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Talent is useless without training," Lieutenant Dyester announced. "You won't be able to use training rooms like the other kids, so you need to work harder than them."

"Don't forget about the specific Masters," Khan reminded the Lieutenant. "They will also have experts suitable for their elements. Can I even keep up with them?"

"That depends on you," Lieutenant Dyester explained while going to his chair and lighting a cigarette. "I won't blame you if you decide to give up now. I have already cleared my debt in the end."

Lieutenant Dyester gave voice to a loud laugh while stretching his legs on the table.

"Trust me when I say that remaining on Earth is the best," Lieutenant Dyester continued. "You can bully everyone even if you have little to no power."

"And remain trapped in an eternal nightmare," Khan sighed, but Lieutenant Dyester ignored the real meaning behind his words.

The soldier believed that Khan didn't want to remain on Earth due to the bad memories connected to the Second Impact, and he was partially correct. Yet, he couldn't even begin to imagine the real drive behind Khan's action.

"I'm quite strict as a Master," Lieutenant Dyester eventually added. "I will never allow you to slack if you decide to step on this path. You will wake up in pain for the next months, and you won't have the time nor the energy to take care of your girlfriend."

Khan didn't react to that joke. He continued to inspect the instructions behind the footstep of the Lightning-demon style. Those difficult teachings made him desire to give up, but the images of his nightmare appeared in his vision whenever his determination started to flicker.

'Why do I even pretend to have a choice?' Khan sighed in his mind. 'Giving up because the path is hard is lame. Also, how much can those wealthy kids even endure?'

Khan had seen how Luke and the others trained during Professor Norwell's lessons. They had no interest in those weak techniques, but that alone didn't manage to hide their laziness.

Instead, Khan could continue to perform the same exercise until his palm bled. His determination wasn't something that the simple desire to learn better techniques could generate.

The life in the Slums, the Second Impact, and his nightmares had imprinted that determination inside him. His desperation had given birth to an ability that his peers couldn't imitate.

"You said one year," Khan eventually broke his silence. "Can I succeed sooner?"

"The Lightning-demon style is definitely complicated," Lieutenant Dyester explained. "It's more difficult than my initial martial art. Yet, you succeeded in performing a decent execution of the palm force in one day. Who knows? You might surprise me."

Lieutenant Dyester didn't fully believe in his words. He valued Khan a lot, but there was a limit to how quickly a body could adapt to those moves. His lines only wanted to create a challenge for his disciple.

"Fine then," Khan announced while weakly slapping his cheeks to disperse his hesitation. "Let's begin right away. Teach me the mental training that you mentioned yesterday too. I want to learn it now that my body still holds."

Lieutenant Dyester couldn't help but smile at that sight. It was normal to hesitate in front of a painful process that could take more than a year to give its first rewards, but Khan had made up his mind in a matter of minutes.

'His mindset is his best quality,' Lieutenant Dyester thought before pointing at the writing on the hologram that marked the first lesson.

It was time to start the actual training, and they had to hurry since the curfew would give them only a few hours together.

Returning to the dormitory ended up being extremely hard. Khan's ankles felt sore, but his expression showed only determination.

Lieutenant Dyester had managed to teach the mental training to Khan before the latter had to begin his exercises with the Lightning-demon style.

Khan had initially struggled. He didn't try to use mana on that night, but he still had to spend some time to forget the habits obtained after training into the shadow step for an entire week.

'I need to notify Professor Norwell tomorrow,' Khan thought as he limped inside his flat. 'I can't keep training in those techniques. One week has almost rendered a whole night of exercises useless.'

Luke and Bruce had been right since the beginning, but Khan couldn't blame himself. He couldn't predict that he would have found a Master so quickly.

Samuel was already sleeping, and Khan decided to eat a food can before throwing himself in bed. Still, he didn't immediately try to rest. Lieutenant Dyester had taught him something that he had to test before returning to his nightmare.

'All the spells require control over the mana stored in my head,' Khan repeated Lieutenant Dyester's words in his mind. 'This training should theoretically improve my ability to cast spells.'

Khan entered his meditative state, but he didn't focus on his nape at that time. His attention went on the small azure lights in his head before he tried to execute Lieutenant Dyester's teachings.

'Up and down,' Khan thought as his concentration intensified, 'Left and right, and circles in the end. I need to do it without losing control over the mana before moving to a harsher exercise.'

Khan chose one of the small azure lumps and tried to move it upward. He wasn't trying to raise his attunement, so the process didn't hurt. Yet, he still failed to retain control over that small amount of energy.

Khan didn't give up and tried multiple times to move that lump of mana in a specific direction. Controlling the energy inside his brain felt different compared to when he executed his techniques. That ability seemed to depend on other factors that he had yet to understand fully.

'My thoughts should influence the process,' Khan exclaimed in his mind. 'Go up! I want you to go up!'

Lieutenant Dyester had tried to explain to Khan how to handle that training, but everything had sounded too vague. The former had even stated that every mind reacted differently, so part of the teaching might not work for him.

Only one detail was universal when it came to the mana inside the brain. The first time was the hardest. Khan would be able to memorize the sensation generated by the movement of that energy and try to replicate it until he mastered the procedure.

'Come on,' Khan continued to shout in his mind. 'Do it at least once. I only need you to move up a single time.'

The mana didn't listen to him. His thoughts ended up affecting the energy released by his nape instead.

Khan had set the alarm before beginning that training. Disappointment inevitably filled his mind when his phone rang, but he had yet to succeed in the exercise.

'I'll try again tomorrow,' Khan sighed before setting another alarm and going back to the meditative state.

Khan couldn't ignore part of his training to focus on his martial arts and mental exercises. Doctor Parket had already destroyed his hopes toward the synthetic mana, so he had to work hard on his attunement too.

'I waste twelve hours between sleep and morning lessons,' Khan thought after stopping the second alarm and checking the hour. 'I need to divide the other twelve among the Lightning-demon style, the mental exercises, and the meditations. I can't leave Martha completely alone either.'

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章 31: Insults

"Technology and mana" didn't get any more interesting the next morning. Khan was behind compared to his peers when it came to types of machinery, and everything seemed to favor mana on its own anyway.

Instead, "xenolinguistics" continued to stir Khan's interest. He kept guessing right whenever Professor Thogett used the Nak's language, which forced him to disregard the idea that the event was a simple coincidence.

Two lessons weren't enough to make Khan sure about anything, but his doubts inevitably started to transform into reasonable hypotheses. After all, he seemed able to understand the Nak's language even without paying attention to the few words that Professor Thogett used as examples.

The peculiar event didn't let Khan ignore his priorities, especially since he couldn't get clear answers yet. He had to notify Professor Norwell about his attunement with mana and martial art, but he didn't forget to spend time with Martha during the usual break.

"Did you really expect to learn a martial art in weeks?" Martha laughed when Khan told her about his hesitation.

"I'm a simple man," Khan sighed. "I just want superpowers."

"You still have to work hard for them," Martha covered her mouth to suppress her laugh. "Even Luke will have to sweat to learn a few moves."

"That would be a fun scene," Khan joked. "Luke sweating. What a sight!"

Martha laughed again, but the duo eventually fell silent. They had to start their training to make the best out of the time before Professor Norwell's lesson, but they both desired to talk a bit more.

"You shouldn't worry about the wealthy kids," Martha eventually said before Khan was about to close his eyes. "You can definitely keep up with them even if you don't have Credits to purchase synthetic mana. They can't buy determination and experience."

"I hope you are right," Khan revealed an honest smile. "I wish to reach a decent level before the first missions. I might stand out and gain something if I'm stronger than them by then."

"I see you have a plan," Martha commented before a tinge of sadness appeared in her eyes.

Obtaining that level of expertise in less than a semester would be impossible unless Khan spent most of his time training. That would leave them barely any time together. They even had to limit their conversations during the breaks to focus on their mediations.

"Do you miss me already?" Khan winked toward Martha when he noticed her reaction, and the latter promptly wore an annoyed expression.

"Stop wasting time and meditate already!" Martha snorted. "We are here to become proper soldiers, not chitchatting."

"Aye aye, ma'am," Khan chuckled before closing his eyes and moving his focus on the energy flowing out of his nape.

Martha stared at his earnest expression for a few seconds. She inspected the occasional tremors that ran through Khan's face whenever his body tried to oppose the expansion of the mana. He had already learnt how to continue to meditate when the pain wasn't too intense.

Martha heaved a faint sigh before closing her eyes. She decided to dive into a meditative state instead of sorting the thoughts that filled her mind. Her education and financial situation didn't give her the time to handle that stuff yet.

Khan exited the meditative state a few times before the alarm rang and put an end to his training. Martha also woke up, and the duo went toward the basement even if the lesson would take thirty more minutes to start.

The basement held the class of recruits who had scored B in the initial test. Most of them were already exhausted since the lesson was almost over. Khan even spotted Samuel in the corner of the area.

Professor Norwell was walking among the recruits. She shook her head whenever she saw a boy or a girl panting on the floor, and she reacted in the same way at the sight of the red lights on various menus.

Khan raised his hand to attract the Professor's attention, but some of the exhausted recruits also noticed his gesture. Samuel's friends were busy sparring with their partners, but they didn't miss that event either.

Khan and Martha were members of the special class, and their friendship with Luke made them even more famous inside the training camp. Moreover, the other recruits often saw them meditating together in parks or walking at night through the streets, so rumors had inevitably spread.

"You can make appointments through your phone if you want to see me," Professor Norwell whispered after she neared Khan and Martha. "I believe every matter can wait until Sunday."

"My attunement with mana has reached twenty percent," Khan immediately revealed to calm down the Professor. "I've also already obtained a martial art."

Professor Norwell remained speechless for a second. She was aware of Khan's background, so she immediately doubted that statement. However, Martha nodded as soon as the soldier's gaze fell on her.

"Continue sparring!" Professor Norwell shouted after turning back toward the class and gesturing to the duo to go in the corridor.

Then, Professor Norwell reached Khan and Martha in the corridor to explain her recent actions. "Your feat is quite amazing. Did you consider all your options? I can put you in a special program of the army and give you access to good martial arts."

"How good are we talking about?" Khan asked while feigning interest in the offer.

"Are you aware of the classification of martial arts?" Professor Norwell asked before continuing when she saw Khan nodding. "The Global Army will surely treasure your talent. I can probably obtain a medium-level martial art up to sixty points."

Khan faked slight surprise before lowering his head to pretend to think about the matter. He had already refused that offer in his mind, but he didn't want to risk ruining his relationship with the Global Army.

"Do you mind if I continue like this for a while until I learn more about Ylaco?" Khan asked while wearing an honest expression. "I don't want to lock myself on a single path already. I want to keep my options open for a little more."

"That's completely understandable," Professor Norwell announced while revealing a smile. "My offer will stand as long as your talent keeps you above the others. Even matching the growth of your peers will be enough."

Khan expressed his thanks while Martha remained silent and studied that interaction. She knew that Professor Norwell would probably call the medical bay to confirm Khan's attunement, but the soldier still appeared fooled by his honest behavior.

"You are really great at pretending," Martha commented when she escorted Khan outside of the main building.

Khan didn't need to attend Professor Norwell's lessons anymore, so he could go directly to the prisons of the camp and continue his training with Lieutenant Dyester. Yet, the class would still take ten minutes to start, and he didn't mind spending that time with Martha.

"You have already told me that," Khan laughed before teasing the girl. "Are you jealous that my charm has managed to fool Professor Norwell?"

"She is a beautiful woman," Martha commented, "But you need to get far stronger to get a shot at her."

"I guess you aren't in the mood for jokes," Khan sighed.

"You'll know the reason behind that in a second," Martha closed her eyes before wearing a broad smile and looking in the distance.

Khan suddenly noticed that three girls at the end of the street had started to wave their hands toward Martha. Their faces expressed pure joy, but Khan could sense the pretense from his current position.

"You are always so on time, Martha!" One of the girls exclaimed.

"She works harder than the entire special class," Another girl said. "We should praise her for that."

"I have already told you that you don't have to worry about synthetic mana," The third girl shouted. "My mother will take care of all my friends. It's a tradition of the Blackdell family!"

"Female Luke incoming," Martha whispered before raising her voice and greeting the girls with a tone that Khan had never heard.

"Why don't you introduce us to your friend?" The first girl asked. "He is the boy from the Slums, right?"

Martha shot a meaningful glance toward Khan before resuming her pretense. "Sisters, he is Khan."

"It must have been hard to make the transition from that dirty place," The first girl announced. "Even Martha had started to gain your bad habits before meeting us. I'm Beth Merwood anyway."

"It's not his fault," The second girl complained. "He has probably survived eating cockroaches. It's a miracle that he knows how to take a shower. It's nice to meet you. I'm Cora Pensloo."

"The background doesn't justify someone's behavior," The last girl snorted. "He is in the training camp now. He should behave like a recruit. I'm Alison Blackdell."

The three girls had spewed insults before announcing their names and stretching their right hands forward. Martha asked Khan for forgiveness with her eyes. A tinge of shame also appeared on her expression, but she had to endure that behavior due to political reasons.

Khan looked at the three hands stretched toward him. The girls clearly wanted something from him, but he had no idea what to do. Still, his knowledge about characters made him understand the three girls would never respect him.

'I might as well make things easy for Martha,' Khan sighed in his mind. 'Nothing like a common enemy to improve a friendship.'

"Is that makeup?" Khan asked while pointing at the girls' faces. "I've never seen it on such young girls. Only the hookers wore it in the Slums, and you never wanted to know what they hid with it. I hope it's not the same for you."

The three girls opened their mouths, and anger filled their eyes, but Khan walked past them while they were busy going through his words. A few screams resounded from behind him at some point, but he was quite far away by then.

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