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C151 - Ploy

Khan weakly nodded before accepting what had just happened. A professor had given him a communicator meant only for him. That decision was probably something that only the higher-ups of the Niqols' species could make, but they had considered him worthy of that reward.

"Why now?" Khan asked while studying the cube and thinking about different Niqols.

Khan could quickly find the connection with Azni's device, and the same went for Asyat and Zeliha. Khan could even sense Liiza lost cube in the distance. Still, something strange happened when he thought about the professors. There seemed to be a barrier that the knowledge inherited when he touched the item didn't hesitate to describe.

The cube had multiple functions. It could work as a communicator, a tracking device, and a notebook. It could even connect to the menus in the various alien buildings and enhance their functions. Moreover, it only needed mana to work, and Khan could refill it easily.

The item gave Khan the chance to contact the professors, but they had to accept his call. It wasn't the same immediate connection experienced with Doku. The same went for some of the important figures met during his stay on Nitis. The link with Chief Alu felt weak and restricted, but the same didn't apply to Bula and the other Niqols encountered during past hunts.

The only Niqols that Khan seemed unable to contact at all was Ambassador Yeza. He couldn't find the connection with her device even if he knew her face and name, which were the only requirement for those types of communications.

Khan couldn't help but feel marveled at the flexibility of the cube. Phones could perform similar functions and even surpass what those alien devices did in some fields. Still, everything appeared miraculous when he considered the almost complete absence of technology.

The cubes only needed mana to work. They were nothing more than items built with a special alloy. The azure symbols on their surfaces dictated the functions they could perform, while the core of the network handled the various permissions.

The superiority of the humans felt slim in front of such a pure dedication toward mana. Khan couldn't help but think that his species had only learnt how to use that magic. Instead, the Niqols were magical at their core. There was a qualitative difference that only centuries of research could fill.

Moreover, technology was easier to learn since the Niqols only had to gain access to the latest discovery to be almost on par with the humans. The opposite couldn't happen since it would require a thorough transformation of society and training methods.

Khan had dreamt about the vastness of the universe multiple times, but that often happened due to his desperation. Those feelings had even intensified after Zalpa had granted him access to the entirety of his nightmares. However, he only felt pure wonder now. All his pain and problems almost disappeared when he considered how spectacular each different species could be.

"It takes a while to make a good impression on our higher-ups," Doku laughed. "It's even harder for you due to your species. Still, it was about time they accepted you."

"Why would they accept me?" Khan asked while turning toward Doku.

Azni and Doku were smiling at him. The girl still had tears running down her face, but her sadness didn't suppress the happiness that she felt for her friend. Khan noticed that Asyat was showing a similar expression, and Liiza was also wearing a proud face while she looked at him.

The four Niqols seemed to know something that Khan ignored, and he managed to hold back his curiosity only because he realized how positive that news was. His companions kept him waiting for a few seconds, but they eventually stopped teasing him.

"I have given a report of the mission while we were flying back here," Doku explained. "I'm not surprised they gave you a communicator."

"Did you tell them everything?" Khan asked again.

"I even praised how you have thrown yourself in a horde of monsters to retrieve one of the backpacks," Doku continued.

"I don't remember the horde," Khan complained.

"The professors don't know that," Doku winked again, "And there was ground all around us. The horde was completely possible."

Khan didn't know what to say. He knew that his relationship with Doku and Azni was good, but they had known each other for less than two weeks. They had hunted together for an entire night and had shared some time inside the academy, but nothing more.

However, Doku was already willing to inflate Khan's feats, and the other Niqols didn't oppose that decision. They actually seemed to agree with him and play along so that Khan could get more benefits.

That behavior left Khan speechless. He didn't expect that unanimous and warm decision in his favor after such a short time.

"Everything is a plan to force you to do an entire party without running away," Doku joked. "Don't think too much about it."

"You really are…," Khan whispered before closing his grasp on the cube and performing a polite bow toward Doku.

"It's fine, Khan," Doku added. "You deserve it. You are the first human to accept our ways so openly. It would bring dishonor to our entire species not to reward such behavior."

"Though Professor Zakhira will have her eyes on you from now on," Azni chuckled while sniffing to clear her nose. "You have earned the right to experience her cane now."

"How hard can it even hit?" Khan asked when he thought about the seemingly frail professor.

The Niqols' expressions immediately darkened at those words. Only Liiza remained relatively fine, but she still diverted her gaze and resumed staring at the forest.

"She is a master in the manipulation field," Doku explained after clearing his throat. "Have you ever tasted a wooden cane carrying the same texture as a fiery metal?"

"Is that even possible?" Khan asked as his eyes lit up both in curiosity and worry.

"Mana can make everything possible," Doku continued before taking Azni's hand and standing up. "Humans use it as a fuel, but it has always been more than that."

"We have so much to learn," Khan sighed while approaching the couple and picking one of the backpacks.

Doku and Azni did the same, and Asyat joined them as they started to move back to the academy. The latter even made sure to walk around the couple to be next to Khan as they approached the trees.

Khan decided to turn toward Liiza since the situation would give him many reasonable excuses if someone were to question his actions. The girl had remained on her tree, and she limited herself to glance at Khan before walking toward her Aduns. Most of the eagles were still resting in the empty spot, so she flew away in no time.

"Don't mind her," Asyat commented. "She is always liked that."

"She isn't bad," Azni replied, "And she promised to attend the party tonight."

"Do you think it's proper to celebrate and have fun tonight?" Khan asked, clearly hinting at the two boys' death.

"That's how we handle things," Doku revealed. "We suffer, we fight, we die, but we never forsake our feelings. It doesn't matter how much it hurts."

Doku wrapped an arm around Azni and held her close. It was clear that he could handle the loss of the two Niqols better than her, and he didn't hesitate to give his emotional support.

On the other hand, Asyat swayed her body left and right, ending up touching Khan's bare shoulder whenever she went toward him. Khan initially thought that to be a case, but the reoccurring nature of her gesture eventually forced him to accept that she was doing that on purpose.

'Don't tell me that she wants a hug too?' Khan wondered, and the couple at his side confirmed his thoughts.

Doku wore a knowing smile when he noticed the scene and Khan's confusion. He even nodded while trying to hide the gesture from the girl in his arms. Instead, Azni's eyes were wide in surprise, but they soon become part of an admonishing gaze.

'Don't look at me like this!' Khan cursed in his mind while showing a cool smile and shaking his head. 'Help me out instead of judging me!'

Azni wasn't aware of Khan's exceptional lying skills. She had started to suspect them after learning about his secret relationship with Liiza, but she didn't know how deeply his ability stretched. She didn't understand Khan's call for help in that situation. His reaction almost made her think that he enjoyed those attentions.

Azni wouldn't believe that Khan wanted to cheat on Liiza, not after she had seen how intense their feelings were. They had become an ideal couple in her mind. Still, her idea of men wasn't great, especially after seeing many of her friends cared more about their urges than their emotions. She knew that anyone could fall prey to temptations, but she didn't want that to happen for Khan and Liiza after witnessing how cute they were together.

"Don't you have to report back to the other humans, Khan?" Azni suddenly asked while Asyat's request became more evident. "I bet they are worried about you."

"How could they?" Doku scoffed. "I bet the professors have yet to inform them about today's missio-."

Azni stepped on Doku's foot and forced him to interrupt his line. The girl then shot an admonishing gaze toward her boyfriend, and the latter completely misunderstood the meaning behind that gesture. Yet, he could vaguely guess her intentions, so he decided to play along.

"That's right!" Doku exclaimed without showing the slightest awkwardness about the sudden inversion in his opinion. "Khan should reunite with the other humans and prepare for the party. I bet he even needs a nap after his hard work."

Asyat frowned and shot a confused glance toward the couple, but Khan acted before she could say anything. He made up a few quick excuses and goodbyes while handing his backpack to the girl and sprinting deeper into the forest. He had been incredibly fast, but a few words spoken in the Niqols' language still managed to reach his ears.

"[Why did you stop me]?" Asyat asked while shooting an angry glance toward Azni. "[I thought you had accepted him]!"

"[You should still take it slowly]," Azni suggested. "[He has a good mind, but he remains a human]."

"[Maybe you are right]," Asyat heaved a disappointed sigh. "[I'll try to know him better at the party]."

Only faint words managed to reach Khan after that, but he felt to have listened enough. His steps quickened as another issue appeared in his mind. The party had just turned into a dangerous event.

'Getting so much attention from girls surely boosts my self-esteem,' Khan thought as many trees crossed his vision.

The events in the underground area had been awful, but everything that had followed it had been incredible. The Niqols had officially accepted him as part of their society, and he had even confirmed that his good looks ignored the differences between the species.

Azni had also become a helper that Khan and Liiza could use to protect their relationship. Everything seemed to turn for the best. He only had to check something before letting his mind bathe in the satisfaction obtained through his achievements.

'It works!' Khan exclaimed in his mind while he held the cube.

Khan had almost reached the underground habitations, but he had to test something crucial to the survival of his secret relationship before relaxing.

The cube could work as a tracker, meaning that the Niqols had the chance to learn about his secret relationship. However, Liiza had sneaked out of her home and academy for many years already. There had to be a way around that function.

The knowledge inherited by Professor Zakhira didn't say anything about turning off the tracker, but Khan could vaguely guess how the cube worked. Thinking about stopping transmitting his position was enough to halt that function without affecting the others.

'Did the professors keep this hidden on purpose?' Khan wondered while he waited for a call to reach his mind.

Nothing arrived. No Niqols tried to question him about his actions. Khan didn't know if the superiors had yet to notice his actions or didn't care about the matter, but he remained suspicious.

'I guess I can't avoid political ploys even after being accepted,' Khan sighed in his mind as he reactivated the tracker and stored the cube in the rubber band of his underwear. 'Maybe the Niqols have someone like Lieutenant Kintea. Ambassador Yeza is willing to ruin her family to improve the relationship with the humans. I bet some of the students are the same.'

A wave of sadness fell on his happiness and swept it away. Khan found himself unable to enjoy some peace. There was always something capable of affecting his mindset and revert him to the cynical man who had survived the Second Impact and Istrone's crisis.

'I can only trust four people on Nitis now,' Khan reminded himself. 'George can't betray me after we went through together, Doku and Azni are good friends, and Liiza is Liiza. I can't let anyone else too close before confirming their character. I bet that Veronica isn't too bad, but Liiza would find other ways to mark me if I get too close to her.'

Those complicated and messy thoughts filled Khan's mind as he reached his habitation and descended the staircase. The recruits were meditating on their beds, but they all opened their eyes to stare at their companion. Needless to say, their mouths opened when they saw his condition.

Khan was almost naked, with rags instead of shoes, covered with soil from head to toe, slightly injured, and with two devices stretching the rubber band of his underwear. Helen and the other girls would have directly attacked him if they didn't recognize his azure eyes.

"The mission has been a partial success," Khan explained while moving directly toward the bathrooms without bothering to inspect his companions. "Doku will probably kick you out of the academy himself if you don't come tonight. I'll tell you the rest once I clean myself up a bit."

"What has even happened out there?" Kelly shouted while standing up and using an angry tone. "Your priority is to report everything to us."

Khan rolled his eyes. He had almost reached the bathrooms, but Kelly didn't seem able to accept his character. Luckily for him, he had a deadly blow with him that day.

"Right," Khan announced while taking the cube out of his underwear and turning to show it to the other recruits. "I told you that I would have gotten a communicator."

To be continued