Chapter 807 Supplement

Chapter 807 Supplement

The wind blew on Khan's face as he free-fell from the sky, but the sensation wasn't intense enough for his messy mind. His ankles twitched, generating a sudden acceleration that pushed his skin's resilience to its limit. Yet, even that couldn't silence his thoughts.

Khan closed his eyes, flew at full speed, and let the symphony guide him. He had no target or destination. He let himself go, hoping the wind could quell the chaos in his brain.

Eventually, a wet sensation spread on Khan's face, and his nostrils became unable to seize oxygen. The change didn't surprise him, and he let it lull him for a while. However, his mind continued to shout, forcing him to resurface.

Khan took a deep breath when his face peeked past the water. He was inside a lake surrounded by trees, and the symphony confirmed the absence of technology. He didn't know his exact location, but that hardly mattered anymore. Even without official announcements, Baoway was his planet. Every drop of water belonged to him.

It was barely past lunchtime. Baoway's star shone high in the sky, illuminating the lake and creating charming flashes on its surface. Khan caught all of them, but his eyes failed to appreciate their beauty. Even the best paradise couldn't do anything against his worrying troubles.

'A god, Khan thought, relaxing to float belly-up on the lake. 'What even is a god?'

Religions were an idea of the past. Humankind had to rebuild itself from scratch after the First Impact, leaving no room for those notions. Some cults and relatively large beliefs had reappeared, but nothing comparable to what the few historical records described.

Khan's situation was even more unique. The Slums had small cults, but most citizens only cared about surviving. Food was their god, and everything was allowed to get it. Information and knowledge gathered during various, sparse lessons flowed through Khan's mind. Notions learned years ago popped out, trying to bring clarity. He wanted to define godhood, but that concept felt too ethereal for him.

Khan lived in a world of his own. He saw energy flow with his bare eyes and could communicate with it through his thoughts. However, part of his brain still held tightly to the cynical and realistic ways of the Slums, preventing him from considering reverence toward higher powers. It simply was a matter of strength in his vision.

'Strength I have,' Khan thought. 'But strength doesn't make me a god.

That wasn't entirely true. Monica was right. Many Scalqa already saw Khan as something close to a divine entity, but he couldn't settle for the perspective of primitive minds. Khan wanted to be the real deal if he had to establish a cult. 'Maybe miracles, Khan considered. 'Gods do those.'

Khan immediately found flaws with that idea. The Scalqa saw most of what he did as a miracle. Even some humans probably thought that, and Khan couldn't accept it.

Still, something about the concept pushed Khan's thoughts into a new direction. Miracles were only a matter of perspective and strength in his mind, but the latter had a quantifiable source. Mana enabled that power. Everything started with that energy, making it the closest thing to a divine trace he could find.

'Mana makes us strong, Khan thought. 'Mana creates miracles.'

Flames suddenly burst out of the symbol, rising into the sky to create a scarlet pillar. Dark smoke accumulated around it, suppressing the fire but lingering in the air. That was a pale imitation of Monica's eruption, which Khan had learned to replicate during his attempts at controlling her element.

A ship flew into the area before the smoke could disperse and descended toward the lake. Khan let it reach its surface before shooting up and appearing before its side doors.

The doors instantly opened, showing two soldiers wearing military salutes. They simultaneously chanted a "Prince Khan", but Khan ignored them and headed toward the main deck.

"Miss Solodrey apologizes for not being here," One of the soldiers explained, following Khan into the main deck.

Khan waved his hand dismissively as he reached the pilot's seat. The soldier behind the controls promptly stood up, moved aside, and performed a military salute. Khan ignored her, too, sitting down to take control of the ship.

Monica's absence was understandable. She would love to spend time with Khan, but her duties made her busier than him. Khan could beat her at it while conquering settlements, but the temporary break in the expansion had cleared his schedule.

Still, the plan required Khan's help, and he had wasted enough time. A map appeared above the pilot's console, and Khan stepped on the pedal to return to civilized areas.

Even with all the added resources, half a day wasn't enough to prepare everything for the new strategy. Establishing a city and planning a mass migration would take time, especially since the trend had to culminate in Khan's coronation as a religious leader.

The strategy's initial phases didn't require much from Khan, but he wanted to be there anyway. His presence would make everything smoother, and it was the role of a leader to show his face during significant changes. The ship quickly reached areas he had colonized, and his phone began to buzz as it regained a connection to the network.

Khan usually ignored his phone. It always rang anyway, and

Khan usually ignored his phone. It always rang anyway, and most messages came from reporters or relatively powerful parties requesting political meetings. That wasn't the time to attend to them, but glancing at the endless stream of notifications revealed a message worth opening.

'Abraham's lab?' Khan thought, unlocking the screen. The message had come from a secure channel and contained an encrypted file, which his genetic signature opened.

Khan almost forgot about the ship's controls as he went through the file. He initially split his attention, but the explanations on the screen quickly forced him to concentrate.

The file contained many scientific talks, but a shorter summary for less knowledgeable people followed. Khan's interest only intensified when he reached that part, and the final line almost put a smile on his cold face.

'We developed a supplement, The message said. 'If the data is reliable, this tool can almost double the infusions' efficiency!