W

C437 Surprise

Tobias fell to the floor, but Professor Odse moved only when Khan nodded at him. Oscar reached for Tobias' arm at that point, and faint orders left his mouth. "Come on, Tobias. Stand up!"

Professor Odse managed to get Tobias on his feet, but that didn't help the young man. Tobias' face was a mess of blood, tears, and glass shards, and standing up only revealed his state to the entire class.

Tobias sobbed louder when he noticed the many gazes that had fallen on him and even tried to hide his face in Professor Odse's chest. The latter was too angry to accept that shameful reaction, but his scolding didn't lead anywhere.

"Raise your head," Professor Odse scolded. "This isn't appropriate!"

Tobias ignored those orders, and his sobs eventually calmed down Professor Odse. The physical injuries were mild, but Khan had delivered a powerful mental blow to the young man. Orders couldn't fix that.

"I will bring Mister Odse to the medical bay," Professor Odse announced while looking at the class. "Class is adjourned. I'll see you all next week."

Professor Odse didn't hold back from glaring at Khan when his announcement ended, but he only saw the same fake smile from before. Khan feigned complete innocence even while the Professor carried Tobias away and left the hall.

An awkward silence fell in the hall. The students were bewildered by that development, and none left their seats. They inspected each other, trying to understand what to do, but the situation was clear. The lesson had ended.

A sigh replaced Khan's fake smile. Raging emotions still surged into his mind and made him aware of how much he resented the recent events. The situation had been completely unfair, especially to him, and it was too late to take his actions back.

A short laugh soon resounded among the awkward silence and made everyone turn toward a specific spot in the audience. George stood up and jumped on his desk before leaping over the others to descend through the various seats.

Some complaints resounded whenever George risked bumping into the students or left footprints on their interactive desks, but he didn't care. He quickly reached the bottom of the hall, and Khan's complicated smile welcomed his arrival.

"You are as subtle as ever," George mocked, forcing Khan to shrug his shoulders.

"I messed up earlier than I expected," Khan sighed again.

"That guy was a dick," George snorted before wearing a serious expression when his gaze fell on the hall's exit. "You should contact the big guns."

​ "I'm," Khan began to say before accepting that his mental state was still a mess. "I need some time to calm down and think."

George had grown used to Khan's confident side, so seeing him in that conflicted and confused state alerted him. George felt unable to do anything for his mood, but time was something he could provide.

"Alright," George cleared his throat while approaching the professor's seat and spreading his arms. "Since the Professor had a complication, I'll take over this class. You can address me as sir from now on."

Some laughs resounded among the audience. George's idiotic announcement moved the attention on him and gave Khan some room to breathe.

"Thanks," Khan whispered when he and George exchanged a glance before sprinting toward the exit. The students realized that he had left only when it was too late to do anything about it.

Khan hurried through the corridor and descended staircases without bothering to inspect his surroundings. Luckily for him, the area was pretty empty since everyone was attending classes, so he could sprint freely without meeting any problems.

The sprint didn't improve Khan's mental state. He was boiling inside. The sole thought that such a petty grudge could cost him the Harbor, George, and Monica made him angry beyond reason, and that feeling stretched to his collar and the walls around him.

Everything felt too tight. No matter how freely Khan chose to be, limits still existed around him, and he was in no position to ignore them. He could handle a spoiled brat, but a mere professor probably was too much for him.

'Do I really need to involve Monica?' Khan wondered once the elevator gave him better privacy.

The anger didn't diminish as the seconds passed, but Khan's thoughts remained strangely clear. He could experience the desire to break everything without falling prey to it. His state would typically create a duality inside his mind, but that didn't happen now. He was wild and calm at the same time.

Monica was Khan's first option but also his least viable one. Her family had already put him in the Harbor. Making them aware of his reckless behavior might force them to go back on their decision.

Still, Khan's options stretched far past Monica. He didn't want to cause problems for George, but Luke wouldn't miss the chance to earn a favor. The same went for Lucian, and Khan wasn't even considering Rick for now.

'Asking favors that I can't repay would only limit myself even more,' Khan realized once the elevator opened and a couple of soldiers arrived to escort him out. 'I can't resort to that so quickly.'

The issue had no proper solution, and Khan couldn't even take advantage of the situation. He had made a mistake. That was undeniable. He could only work toward limiting the punishments.

Exiting the embassy was a breath of fresh air for Khan. His anger didn't diminish, but being able to move freely helped, and leaving the district eventually put an end to his internal struggle.

'Fuck them,' Khan cursed as he walked through the street connected to the next district. 'Fuck the professors, the families, and the Global Army. I'll ask for help only if I can't handle things by myself.'

Reaching a conclusion allowed Khan to focus on his state, but he found nothing surprising there. He knew what was happening to himself. He had only hoped that the changes wouldn't be so evident.

George's presence had brought stability, but Khan had simply changed. Pretending was fine, but his true face was bound to come out whenever someone pushed his limits.

'Holding back was never an option,' Khan mocked himself as a faint smile appeared on his face. His mana cheered when he accepted that point, and the anger transformed into a vague intensity that leaked into his presence.

The path back to the seventh district was long. Khan could hop on a train, but he wanted to walk, and the idea of rejecting his desire didn't even cross his mind.

Nevertheless, Khan didn't face the matter without thinking about its consequences. Someone would eventually approach him to discuss the punishments, but he remained a student until then, and classes were waiting for him that afternoon.

'I don't have time to go home and come back as long as I walk,' Khan calculated when he checked the map on his phone. Truth be told, he would love to spend those hours with Monica, but she was also busy, and it was probably better if he avoided meeting her right now.

Khan eventually opted to kill time in his current district. The place mainly contained shops, restaurants, and other services, but Khan spotted a few training halls on the map. He could eat and destroy some metal puppets while he waited for his next class to begin.

'I should check how much I have now,' Khan recalled when he began to cross the main street to head for the nearest restaurant. However, a peculiar sight suddenly caught his attention and almost made him forget to keep walking.

A huge, black spaceship left one of the channels meant for flying vehicles and hovered right under the dome as it crossed the district. The ship was too big to go unnoticed, and its shape forced Khan to scour his memory to connect it to a model.

'Isn't that exclusive to the army?' Khan wondered when his search didn't lead anywhere. He had seen and memorized similar models but couldn't find a name for the vehicle flying through the district. He could only find common features with ships studied in the past.

'Some big shot must have arrived,' Khan thought as he reached the opposite sidewalk and followed the ship with his eyes. He found no surprise when he saw it heading for the embassy's district.

Thinking about ships made Khan remember how much he liked flying, and the idea of purchasing something for himself returned stronger than ever. He was even in a shopping district, so he picked up his phone to recheck the map, but the big vehicle suddenly made a turn and claimed his attention.

Khan frowned at that sudden turn. The path to the embassy was right ahead, but the ship ignored it and began to descend. The scene kept Khan curious, but surprise replaced that feeling when the vehicle stopped above him.

The ship didn't give Khan time to think since a circular platform detached itself from its bottom and descended at high speed before slowing down once the street became close. Khan saw the item expanding in his vision, and the sensations captured by his senses only deepened his surprise.

The platform carried four third-level warriors and a blank spot. Someone strong enough to trick Khan's senses was descending toward the street, but the faint influence leaked onto the synthetic mana partially revealed his identity.

'Their response can't be so quick!' Khan shouted in his mind, but the platform landed in front of him before he could complete that thought.

The platform's arrival confirmed the initial idea caused by the synthetic mana. The blank spot gained a face after the landing, and Khan almost couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Colonel Norrett.

"I thought I recognized you," Colonel Norrett announced while jumping off the platform. "Your new hair almost made me ignore you."

The four third-level warriors followed Colonel Norrett on the sidewalk and took firm stances at his sides. The group had two women and two men, and none bothered to inspect Khan. The street claimed their attention, and they glared at it as if threats could hide behind every corner.

'Why would a fifth-level warrior need protection?' Khan wondered before voicing the first polite comment that popped into his mind. "You have good eyes, sir."

"The scanners did most of the work," Colonel Norrett laughed. "So, you were quick on getting rid of the job I found for you."

Khan snapped out of his surprise and performed a military salute. Still, the words that came out of his mouth ended up being way too honest. "Sir, I'm grateful for your recommendation. I simply grew bored of the training camp after a while."

The answer left the Colonel surprised, and he wasn't the only one. Even Khan realized that he could have put the matter into better words. He simply didn't want to.

"Spoken like a true soldier," Colonel Norrett eventually voiced. "Is the Harbor treating you any better?"

"Sir, didn't they tell you?" Khan questioned. "Aren't you here to punish me?"

"Punish?" Colonel Norrett repeated. "What did you do?"

'I guess it was a coincidence,' Khan thought before choosing to exploit that fortuitous situation. "I assaulted one of the students and threatened a professor."

Colonel Norrett's face remained perfectly still, but the four guards shot surprised glances at Khan. Their reaction told Khan that his actions were no joking matter, but he didn't try to justify himself just yet. Somehow, he felt that waiting for the Colonel's comment was better.

"Is there a reason for that?" The Colonel quickly asked.

"They plotted to deny me merit points," Khan shortly explained. "They belong to the same family, which apparently holds grudges against commoners."

Colone Norrett scratched his beardless chin before scoffing. "Even the Harbor is no stranger to these issues. It's sad. Give me their names."

"Will you take care of this for me, sir?" Khan asked.

"It will send the right message," Colonel Norrett revealed. "People need to understand that you have my support."

Khan had hoped that explaining his situation would have put the Colonel on his side, but the actual outcome surpassed his expectations and made him understand that something was off.

"What did I do to deserve your support, sir?" Khan asked before opting for a more specific question. "What brings you here?"

"Winning Onia's tournaments is no small feat," Colonel Norrett pointed out. "Still, I'm here because a common friend put a good word in for you. Your efforts on Milia 222 didn't go unnoticed. I'm promoting you."

Shock, confusion, and coldness rushed through Khan. The news was obviously good, but he didn't share any friends with Colonel Norrett. However, he could guess who had enough authority to convince such a lofty figure.

"Mister Raymond did this?" Khan couldn't help but gasp.

"You earned this," Colonel Norrett corrected before showing his palm to one of his guards. The woman quickly opened her backpack and took out a rectangular container that she didn't hesitate to place in the Colonel's hand.

"For the courage shown against our oldest enemy," Colonel Norrett announced while approaching Khan and handing the container to him, "I offer you this gift and a new rank. Congratulations, Captain Khan."

Khan had yet to accept that development, but he still seized the container. At that point, the four guards turned toward him and performed a military salute, which made the situation more real in Khan's mind.

"Captain Khan," Khan whispered before the intensity of Colonel Norrett's gaze increased, forcing him to focus.

"Still wary of your superiors," Colonel Norrett chuckled. "Still too young."

Khan wanted to question Colonel Norrett about those words, but the latter suddenly frowned and tilted his head. His eyes inspected Khan from head to toe, and the process only deepened his confusion.

"Do we have a scanner down here?" Colonel Norrett asked while stretching an arm toward his guards.

One of the men opened his backpack to take out a cylindrical item and hand it to his superior. Colonel Norrett pressed a few keys on the device before rotating his forefinger to voice a silent order.

Khan obeyed. He turned to show his nape, and the Colonel placed the scanner there. A few seconds had to pass before Colonel Norrett broke the silence with a proud chuckle.

"I knew it," Colonel Norrett exclaimed while pushing on Khan's shoulder to bring them face to face. "Your uniform needs an update. You are missing a star."

To be continued