Chaos' Heir

900  Den

More metal shards fell from Major General Arngan's arm until only the stump remained. His punch had destroyed the prototype and ruined part of the lab, causing uncountable financial losses.

Khan didn't mind the damage. He had never cared for money, and scolding the General for something he was similarly guilty of felt hypocritical. Training halls and areas rarely survived when Khan was around, making Major General Arngan a kindred soul.

The experimental nature of the procedure also partially justified the General. He had overreacted, but his rash actions had conveyed his point. The Fuveall were going too easy on him, and even someone with poor scientific knowledge as Khan understood why.

The Fuveall were proper scientists. That job was a core aspect of their species, so they planned to standardize the new field. They didn't want to create something for Major General Arngan. They aimed to develop implants every human could wear.

Nevertheless, Khan had started to realize that his extreme personality had attracted fellow extreme characters. Monica was hands down crazy, and his family had yet to produce a sane person. His friends weren't any better, and the latest additions to his organization also followed that trend.

Khan glanced at Garret, who promptly stood up to retrieve some decorum. That relatively young man wore the mask of rationality, but few scientists in the entire universe would have played along with Khan's revolutionary, often mental ideas. Garret had to have some crazy in him, making him perfect for Khan's organization.

Colonel Norrett and Major General Arngan matched that crazy, albeit in different ways. One wielded immense ambition, while the other had jumped at the chance to return to the battlefield as soon as it appeared. Few soldiers and higher-ups shared those characteristics, but everything felt normal inside Khan's organization.

Khan's reasoning never stretched to the aliens. It was pointless to do so. The Thilku and Ef'i's representatives spoke for themselves. Khan could stuff them in the "crazy" category without even pondering it.

'Did I do this on purpose?' Khan wondered. 'Is it a natural development?'

Instead of building a diverse and balanced organization, Khan felt he was amassing fellow monsters, and the issue failed to bother him. Truth be told, he preferred it that way. Regular people wouldn't be able to follow him anyway, especially considering the secret goal of defeating the scarlet eyes.

'A den of monsters,' Khan thought, moving his attention to Major General Arngan. 'I like it.'

"You brute!" Sen-nu shouted, also standing up. "Do you know how much work Sen-nu put on that prototype? It wasn't even close to being battle-ready!"

"What's the point of a prosthesis if I can't use it in battle?" Major General Arngan complained.

"It's not a mere prosthesis," Sen-nu argued. "It's an implant. A Fuveall implant!"

The bickering continued, but Khan ignored it. His attention fell on the hole and the damage the lab had suffered. Everything still worked, so Khan's mind wandered toward more battle-related thoughts.

Khan was no stranger to fifth-level warriors. He had fought and killed a few, even from different species, so he could sort of classify their strength and compare it to his.

However, Major General Arngan's sheer physical might seemed superior to Major Fergus Veril's spell-enhanced one. The former's punch could do more damage than the latter's, surprising Khan. He had always known the General was strong, but he looked able to do far more without half of his right arm.

"Prince Khan," Garret eventually called, clear helplessness in his tone. "This situation needs to be handled, and I don't have the authority to give orders."

Khan's gaze lingered on the hole even as eyes fell on him. Ordering Major General Arngan to play nice would be a wise choice. After all, Khan had to defer to the experts' judgment, implying Sen-nu in that case.

Yet, if Major General Arngan was anything like Khan, those safe and wise approaches would only slow him down. Those extreme characters had reached their current level by walking untrod paths, and conventional methods and standards no longer applied to them.

"[Sen-nu]," Khan called, using the Fuveall language. "[Can you make something a hundred times stronger]?"

"[This isn't how the Fuveall work]," Sen-nu complained, "[And Sen-nu has a reputation to uphold. That's a bad way to pursue technological improvements]."

"[Can you do it]?" Khan repeated, exchanging glances with the alien.

Sen-nu could already imagine Khan's answer to an eventual refusal. Baoway's gates were open now. Multiple Fuveall teams had landed on its surface, so Khan would have it easy finding a replacement for Sen-nu. He only needed to ask and provide proper payment, and aliens would fly there.

Khan didn't know it, but the news of the revolutionary project had also spread among the Fuveall. Those aliens didn't care for money or allegiances but found the idea of experimenting on humans appealing, especially due to its legitimacy. Many wouldn't refuse the chance to try to develop a technological field that had been on hold for decades.

Sen-nu shared that sentiment, and Khan's question also touched on his pride. Khan didn't ask whether the new prototype was doable or would work. Khan wanted to know if Sen-nu could build it, and only one answer existed.

"[Sen-nu can]," Sen-nu claimed, "[But your friend will die. At best, he will lose more of his arm]."

"Hey, brat," Major General Arngan intervened, annoyed by the conversation in a language he couldn't fully understand. "Don't go around making decisions for me. I know what my body can handle."

"You came to me," Khan reminded, his voice growing cold as his eyes snapped to the General. "You put your hopes in me. You will do as I say."

Major General Arngan's battle instincts kicked in. His face grew serious as his body automatically prepared for a fight. Tension spread in the lab, but Khan didn't indulge the General in a staring competition.

"Make it," Khan ordered, nodding at Sen-nu. "He won't die that easily."

"It's your money and friends," Sen-nu said, washing his hands of potential blame. "Sen-nu will do it."

Sen-nu left the hole's edge, summoning the other alien scientists into the lab's corner to discuss the next move. Meanwhile, Major General Arngan jumped out of the cavity, a slight tremor running through the floor as his heavy body landed near Khan and Garret.

"Finally," Major General Arngan exclaimed. "Enough with this playing-safe stupidity. As if I haven't gone through that years ago already."

"You are forbidden from dying," Khan announced. "Mark and you are my best shot at loyal evolved warriors in the immediate period, and I don't want to look elsewhere for them."

"Mark?" Major General Arngan wondered. "Is he here?"

"He arrived tonight," Khan revealed before recalling that the dawn was close. "Last night. He'll also train here to achieve his evolution."

"Indeed," Major General Arngan nodded, patting his stump to remove the remaining debris. "Your father is a rare breed. Few would let their sons claim so much spotlight undisturbed."

14:09

"So, even Mark joined you," Major General Arngan commented, seemingly happy about the news. "You hear that? Now, only your father is left."

Garret understood those words were for him and couldn't blame the General for speaking them. Many scientists from his family had already landed on Baoway to handle Khan's projects. The network had probably already made up its mind about the Bizelli family's allegiances, and Colonel Norrett's arrival was bound to reinforce that idea.

Soon, Garret's father would be forced to make a public announcement, probably resulting in internal opposition from the Bizelli family's other factions. Khan was a noble, and his support was priceless, but his infamous actions could push the more reactionary parties away.

"I hear from him often, Major General," Garret revealed. "He wishes for me to reinforce my position here before flying to the planet. I'm lucky to have such a considerate father."

"Indeed," Major General Arngan nodded, patting his stump to remove the remaining debris. "Your father is a rare breed. Few would let their sons claim so much spotlight undisturbed."

Khan didn't join the conversation but followed it closely. He also understood the topic better than the two men could imagine. His meeting with the wealthy descendants showcased an opposite situation, with his allies' parents doing their best to retain power and authority, threatening to go against their offspring.

"I'm lucky," Garret repeated, politely accepting that praise.

"The Global Army is changing," Major General Arngan sighed. "It's changing faster than I could have ever predicted, and we all have this cocky brat to blame or thank."

"I'm only playing by my own rules," Khan stated. "It's not my problem if they can't keep up."

"Does that apply to us, too?" Major General Arngan wondered, a challenging smirk appearing on his face.

"Of course," Khan exclaimed. "You'd better work hard and perform, or I'll leave all of you behind." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"And what happens to those left behind?" Major General Arngan asked, following Khan's departing figure with his eyes.

"They won't get to see what the future has in store for the universe," Khan announced, uncaring about his arrogant, vague words. "Right. Garret, fix the General's mess and tell Abraham to hurry with the pool. We have more monsters to make."