Chapter 1308: Conclusions
Most of the Nakâs mission had been about preparing Khan for that eventuality, and he had even witnessed one instance of something similar in his life. However, despite being ready for it, that conclusion still came as a surprise.
The mana had an enemy that could put its very existence at risk, so it had tasked the Nak with spreading it as far as possible to create something or someone who could evolve that energy.
That was a way of preparing the side of the universe that relied on the mana for the battle against that mysterious enemy. It was a call for help driven by survival instincts, and many species had paid the price for that decision.
Of course, many of those conclusions were still conjectures. Khan felt strongly about them but wouldnât know for sure until he reached the Nakâs home world and seized their legacy.
Nevertheless, Khanâs instincts and that strange ability to deal with his and Liizaâs spells seemed to confirm the conclusions he had amassed throughout that life. The manaâs enemy was real and was probably floating above him now.
That would have normally been a revolutionary event for Khan. The entirety of his curse had been for that very moment. It should have been the culmination of his decades of struggles, but he hardly dwelled on those spiritually fulfilling aspects now.
There would be time to study that incredible development and absorb its emotional repercussions. However, only the anger toward the aliens and the battle existed now, and those topics highlighted a problem.
The ability to imitate the lightning bolt took the backseat in Khanâs mind. As mysterious and worthy of studies as that skill was, Khan couldnât help but focus on the shorter alien and the cut that still marked his cheek.
Neither of the previous attacks had hurt the black aliens, but the seemingly simple spikes that had thrown the shorter warrior overboard had achieved that result.
The achievement couldnât be due to the surprise effect. Liizaâs previous spell had probably been more unexpected than her mid-flight attack, but had failed to hurt the aliens. Something else was up there, and Khan believed he knew what, even if its implications would be troublesome.
The lightning bolt, the rectangular mountain, and the simple ice that had frozen the shorter alienâs arm didnât suffice. Only the spell that had relied on Liizaâs red symbols had managed to hurt those black enemies.
Khan didnât know much about the Niqolsâ new old ways but could understand they were a way to unleash higher levels of power. As Liiza had described it, she had mutated herself past the Niqols, transcending how her species approached mana.
That was undoubtedly great. It meant that the side of the universe that relied on mana had a way of hurting the black aliens without forsaking that energy. There werenât many Liizas around, but that possibility remained.
However, that also seemed to mean that Khanâs mana wasnât there yet. The taller alien had used a defensive spell to deal with the lightning bolt, which could disprove that point, but the lack of injuries remained a clue Khan couldnât ignore.
That was inevitably disappointing. Khan believed he had made significant progress in that field, striving to meet the Nak only after his mana had already achieved what that species was ready to offer.
Yet, Liizaâs new old ways seemed superior in that aspect. Of course, more tests were necessary, but Khan didnât make a tragedy out of that initial conclusion. After all, he had far more than mana to unleash.
Liiza seemed to reach similar conclusions since she spread her right arm, making a short pillar rise from the frozen landmass under her. She closed her eyes, and her hand paled as a single drop of blood fell from her fingers, landing on the columnâs tip.
The temperature in the area dropped again. The frozen landmass began to shine with a dim, white light, radiating more of Liizaâs cold and gaining newfound power.
Meanwhile, Liiza reopened her eyes and dipped her fingers into the blood flowing down the column without looking at it. Her hand swiftly drew a symbol that radiated denser versions of her energy, inevitably claiming the aliensâ attention.
The shorter alien seemed set on repaying Liiza for the cut on his cheek. He leaned forward, preparing a downward leap to reach her, but his excited smile froze when a figure suddenly blocked his way.
The taller alien intervened, jumping at the newcomer, only for someone to appear behind him, interrupting his attack.
The two aliens couldnât dodge the attacks but used their arms to protect themselves, and the clash sent them flying away in the same direction.
The black entities quickly dispersed their momentum and stopped mid-air, only for the same situation to repeat itself. Except, they managed to see what was happening now.
Khan appeared above the shorter alien, delivering a descending kick. However, Khan also materialized behind the taller alien, his lifted knee aimed at his back.
The shorter alien crossed his arms above his head, while the taller one stepped forward, starting to turn to deliver a counterattack.
However, a third Khan appeared before the shorter alien, his lifted knee already a few centimeters from his grin. A fourth Khan also materialized under the taller alien, his raised, stretched leg pointed directly at his torso.
The two aliens couldnât dodge or protect themselves. Crushing noises resounded when Khanâs knee hit the shorter warriorâs mouth, and something also seemed to break when his kick landed on the taller enemyâs stomach.
At that speed and with Khanâs sheer strength, his attacks could be deadlier than spells. His martial arts had claimed the throne in the power ranking of his abilities, becoming weapons even those strange, evolved warriors couldnât resist.
Black blood spurted out of the shorter alienâs mouth as both enemies shot upward, flung away by the blowsâ violence. They quickly attempted to stop themselves to avoid falling prey to Khanâs offensive, which they did, albeit not by themselves.
Sharp spikes made of white, slightly glowing ice materialized behind the aliens, stabbing them all over and halting their momentum. Those spells also grew, freezing the evolved warriorsâ insides while spreading root-like protuberances across their bodies, trapping them on the spot.