Chapter 793 Training

Chapter 793 Training

Baoway's financial problem was unsolvable, but Khan took steps to limit it. His former classmates had suggested a few decent ideas, and his unique position opened other paths.

The brothels were easy enough to get. The quadrant had a steadily rising population, and those soldiers had needs. Besides, Lord Vegner's establishments weren't illegal, so sealing a deal to get a couple in the canyon barely took hours.

Lord Vegner would receive most of the brothels' income but had to pay a tax to be in the quadrant. He also needed to cover part of the food demand, which lightened Khan's financial burden.

The brothels also kept the Credits in the quadrant. Khan paid the soldiers, who often spent that money inside Lord Vegner's establishments. Part of that came back to him, further helping his cause.

The Solodrey family handled most of the second step, but Khan's presence enabled the option. Baoway was between the Global Army and Empire's domain, having a unique location that could facilitate preexisting trade agreements. Moreover, the Empire's trust in Khan could smoothen and cheapen many aspects of them.

Of course, Khan's political figure had taken a significant hit, but the Solodrey family vouched for him, and few organizations would say no to lower expenses. The sea station soon became the home to many trades, bringing more money and relevance to the quadrant.

Khan limited himself to those financial moves for the time being. More options would become available once his political figure and quadrant achieved the necessary power and relevance, but that was it for now.

Having dealt with the most pressing financial issues left Khan plenty of free time. Monica and his other companions handled most of the quadrant's management, and the settlement didn't require him to go hunting anymore, allowing him to focus on other matters.

'Why is this so hard?' Khan wondered, almost glaring at his left leg.

It was a quiet morning in the quadrant. Everything was in order, and no pressing matters bothered Khan. That was the perfect moment to enjoy the peace he had created, but his aura only radiated annoyance while he sat on the central bone chair.

'Again,' Khan ordered to himself while his cold eyes reflected the mana inside his stretched leg.

Khan's mana split into two strands, which flowed through his limb in opposite directions. That energy gained speed before crashing near his ankle.

The impact between the two strands of energy released a surge of power, which Khan tried to send toward his ankle. He succeeded, but his joint opposed the influx of mana, bending and shaking to disperse it.

The process obviously hurt. Lesser soldiers would even suffer injuries, but Khan's body had long since surpassed the human limits. His ankle felt slightly sore, and a tingling sensation invaded it, but everything returned to normal after a minute.

Instead, the Transcendent Step style was something new. Similarities aside, Khan's body had never performed those moves. The blue plants gave his flesh the ability to grow, but he had yet to establish a clear direction.

Training inside the blue plants' influence could facilitate Khan's improvements, but the same went for the opposite result. Khan's body would grow distant from the required shape if he gave it the wrong instructions. His attempted executions had to be precise to avoid the issue.

'I'll drink some once I succeed a few times,' Khan planned. 'That should solidify the changes and facilitate the next steps.'

A few calculations happened inside Khan's mind before every thought disappeared. He focused solely on the Transcendent Step style's requirements, attempting another execution of its most basic theory.

The two strands of mana collided, releasing violent energy Khan pushed toward his ankle. His foot bent again, dispersing the power accumulated inside the joint. Soreness invaded it, but Khan felt slightly satisfied. The adverse reaction had been lighter, hinting at improvements.

'Should I go at it again?' Khan wondered. 'Should I alternate with the Lightning-Demon style?'

Another danger of forced transformation was the potential loss of previous achievements. Khan didn't want to make himself weaker before getting stronger again. He couldn't afford it, so reminding his body of its initial shape was necessary.

'Maybe a few more tries,' Khan considered before something else attracted his attention.

Khan's eyes went to the sky past the crowns, which showed a few vehicles descending and departing. That became a common sight after the sea station had come fully online, but one of the ships looked too close to belong to that category.

Khan had delegated many matters to his companions, but everything always ran through him, so he knew shipments weren't in order. Besides, the ship looked too small to carry resources for the quadrant. It seemed a leisure vehicle, hinting at an informal visit.

Khan's figure immediately disappeared from the bone chair. He wanted to use the Lightning-Demon style anyway, so he saw flying to the canyon as killing two birds with one stone. Soon, the Thilku encampment expanded in his vision, as did the human ship that had landed nearby.

The ship didn't carry any flag or clear mark of ownership, but Khan's brain lit up as soon as its doors opened. Familiar auras fused with the symphony, almost bringing a smile to his face.

Luke, Bruce, and Martha descended from the metal ramp, followed by a few soldiers. The latter carried metal boxes, probably delivering gifts, but Khan only had eyes for his oldest friends.

"Would you look at this," Martha announced. "I almost thought you'd build your first home out of food cans."

"I have a secret stash buried somewhere," Khan responded.

"That I'm sure of," Martha giggled before jumping forward, trapping Khan's torso in a hug he didn't hesitate to accept.