The defensive technique Khan had upgraded with the Great Old Oneâs flesh and blood was theoretically indestructible, capable of enduring the mightiest blows from fellow evolved warriors.
However, the taller alien had summoned an imitation of Khanâs element, empowering it with that glowing black smoke that kept making his mana vanish.
The dim, dark light weakened the [Blood Shield]âs structural integrity, and the black sparks doubled down on that effect, ultimately piercing the defensive technique. The taller alienâs hand stabbed Khanâs side, making him experience the full extent of his destruction and more.
The stab hurt, but Khan was by no means a stranger to pain. He barely cared about that wound, but what followed threatened to make him scream.
Some smoke seeped into Khanâs body, weakening his mana-enhanced tissues at a structural level. The black sparks also raged inside him, releasing their destructive energy and finishing the job the dim gas had initiated.
Khan felt as if a raging fire had set off inside his very waist. Cracks opened over his skin, muscles, and blood vessels, attempting to stretch dangerously close to his organs. His body wanted to fall apart, begging to listen to the entropyâs entrancing call, but his cells kept everything in one piece.
Despite the boiling pain and anatomical tissues getting closer to the critical point with each passing second, Khanâs attention remained on the taller alienâs companion. The shorter alien had opened a gap in the surrounding purple-red storm with his mere presence and was shooting at high speed toward Liiza.
That was simply unacceptable. Khan disregarded any notion of self-care, his anger flaring with more raging intensity than he ever thought possible. The glowing black energy had weakened him, but he was far from powerless.
Martial arts required mana. That was the accepted norm. Those techniques had been built around that mystical energy and were possible to execute because of it, but Khan had no such limits.
Khan had learned to perform the Transcendent Step with only mana, eventually adjusting it to his new abilities after inheriting the Great Old Oneâs bloodline. Yet, his skill set featured another option.
Khan had never performed or attempted to perform the Transcendent Step only through his cellsâ power, but his combat instincts were among the sharpest in the universe. Also, he had mastered those inherited abilities, making them as natural as breathing.
Moreover, the mana seemed unable to exist in the black smokeâs presence and under the aliensâ influence, but the process wasnât instantaneous. Both Khan and Liizaâs elements could briefly oppose that erasure, and that was enough for him.
Khanâs very existence echoed his raging anger. His mana core went into overdrive, producing as much energy as it was capable of, flooding his body while the taller alienâs presence kept obliterating.
Part of that newly produced mana disappeared, but the rest became food for Khanâs cells, empowering them more than any banquet could. Khan usually did the opposite when performing his techniques, but that alternative approach felt almost instinctive, succeeding without requiring extensive training.
That process didnât involve the spot where the alienâs crackling hand had pierced Khanâs side. It didnât even affect the surrounding tissues. Khan didnât care about protecting himself. Only retaliations existed in his mind.
Khanâs still-stretched leg finally bent, pointing his knee at the taller alien while advancing slowly. Of course, that was an optical illusion. Khanâs attack was indeed failing to approach his opponent in any meaningful way, but only because it consisted of almost unnoticeable back-and-forth movements.
The area had no mana, and Khan couldnât release any of that energy since the glowing black smoke would simply erase it. Yet, the planetâs dense air was still around him and the taller alien, and his technique affected it.
Everything unfolded instantly. The taller alien only noticed that the air around him had started trembling before those effects began to affect his very being.
The alienâs black skin shook, and the same went for his insides. Even the black smoke rising from his figure stopped flickering, freezing to follow those rhythmical tremors.
The area had fallen prey to an earthquake that built up energy, freezing it as it approached the critical point. Each tremor was more violent than the previous, and even the empowered taller alien eventually suffered from their effects.
It was merely a discomfort at first, but undeniable repercussions arrived. Blood spurted out of the taller alienâs ears and eyes, and the tremors immediately trapped it, forcing it to follow their rhythmical momentum.
More of that black liquid came out of the alienâs orifices. Drops accumulated all over his face, exploding into smaller beads when the following tremor arrived. Even the blood in the air remained still, awaiting the earthquakeâs permission to crumble further.
The absence of mana didnât stop Khanâs existence from expressing its nature. He was destruction incarnate, and his attacks conveyed that even if they lacked his iconic element.
The few seconds the taller alien had remained stuck inside that invisible earthquake seemed to last an eternity, but he didnât let it freeze him forever. The attack was growing increasingly deadlier, so he had to get out of it immediately.
The glowing smoke on the alienâs back flared, rising higher toward the sky and filling him with newfound strength. The sparks on the hand inside Khan raged with greater violence, ready to finalize what the evolved warrior had begun.
Except, the taller alien suddenly discovered that his hand couldnât destroy anything. That wasnât due to the earthquake or another technique. Khan had disappeared, leaving his blood-covered fingers and sparks with no target.
It turned out Khan had never planned to deal with the taller alien. His improvised technique had only acted as a decoy to create the chance to escape his predicament and fly after the shorter opponent.
The taller alien looked down to search for Khan, but the sudden movement caused a chain reaction inside his body. His pores released more blood, and the same went for his insides, filling his mouth with that black liquid.
As improvised as it was, Khanâs attack had still inflicted significant damage. Still, the taller alien disregarded it, manipulating the glowing smoke to flow through him to deal with the injuries.
The alien healed quickly but was in no hurry to assist his companion. His previous peek at the situation under him had confirmed that Khan had been too late since the shorter alien had his whole arm stabbed in Liizaâs belly.