Chapter 819 Pebbles

Chapter 819 Pebbles

Complicated emotions washed over Khan as he stared at the transparent container on the floor. A chunk of a dead Nak was within his reach, ready to be studied, but his hands didn't move.

Khan remained still inside the empty reinforced hall for minutes, sitting cross-legged before the item. His senses studied the dead flesh, but part of his mind explored his strange emotional state. He had spent seventeen years with the Nak as his sole goal, and they were finally here.

Of course, that wasn't Khan's first time facing the Nak or their traces. He didn't even actually get to them. Milia 222 and Cegnore had only featured consequences of the Nak's mutations, and the lab had nothing more than dead flesh.

Nevertheless, that flesh was now in Khan's power. He owned it and could do anything he wanted with it, which had to count for something. Even his mind acknowledged that.

Khan knew his true goal was still far away but couldn't stop experiencing those strange emotions. That result spoke louder than any promotion, political acknowledgment, or additional star on his shoulder. He had reached the point where he could touch Nak's flesh with his bare hands, vouching for his progress in his journey.

The hall's atmosphere reflected Khan's emotional state. On the surface, everything was calm, albeit slightly cold. However, anyone with sharp senses would feel the violence brewing in the air. Khan seemed about to explode.

Khan eventually moved, exuding his usual grace. He kept the violence inside him as he reached for the container, lifting its lid to expose the chunk of flesh to the hall.

The symphony's nature instantly changed. Truthfully, the chunk of flesh didn't do much to the synthetic mana, but Khan experienced it differently. The Nak's influence washed over him, trying to fuel urges he barely suppressed.

Khan took his sweet time calming down before reaching for the chunk of flesh. He expected lightning bolts to flare through his arm at the direct contact, but nothing happened when his fingers touched the body part. He only experienced its dry fabric, which seemed ready to crumble at the faintest pressure.

Even the air outside the transparent container seemed too much for the dry flesh. That lump of bones, tendons, and skin was centuries old and had survived many experiments. Khan had to be grateful there was anything left to test.

Khan carefully pulled out the body part before placing it on the floor. He closed his eyes, reviewing what his mind had concocted. He was no scientist, but his experiences had given him some ideas.

On Milia 222, the Nak's hand had reacted to a spark of Khan's mana, but the flesh in his possession lacked many of its qualities. Khan didn't believe he could kickstart that maimed body part back to life with a bit of energy. He probably needed tons of it, but quantity wasn't a problem.

Luckily for Khan, he had come prepared. He pressed another label on the floor, and the door behind him soon opened. Soldiers entered the hall, carrying a large metal container and placing it beside Khan. The troops quickly left, restoring the privacy Khan needed.

Khan waited until the door behind him closed before opening the container. A series of flasks appeared and popped out, showing their dark green liquid. Khan had harvested a bunch of the blue plants' substance before the trip, bringing it with him in case the situation required it.

Truthfully, Khan didn't know whether the green substance would have any effect. However, he was out of options. If that failed, he would have to leave things to proper scientists.

Nevertheless, the theory was on Khan's side. The blue plants' substance facilitated transformations, and Khan was providing the fuel with his mana. There was a chance the Nak's flesh could absorb his energy after being exposed to the green liquid.

Khan didn't have to worry about destroying samples anymore and had brought enough green substance with him, so he took it slow. He didn't immediately pour the toxic liquid on the fingers. Instead, he opened one flask and placed it near the flesh before summoning his mana again.

The substance's influence tainted the symphony, even stretching toward the Nak's fingers. Khan could see it trying to affect that dry flesh. However, as minutes passed, it became evident that passive interaction wouldn't lead anywhere.

Khan moved to the next step, pouring a few drops of the green substance on the fingers before summoning his mana again. The toxic liquid dug holes into the dry skin, threatening to damage the rest of the sample during its expansion. Yet, an awaited reaction finally invaded Khan's eyes.

The green liquid was too dense for the brittle sample but didn't immediately destroy it. The Nak's flesh and bones survived a few seconds, enough to fall under the effects of Khan's mana.

Khan had to suppress his aura when he noticed the awaited reaction. The flesh bathed in the green substance absorbed his mana, interrupting its shattering. Not everything survived, but Khan noticed small pieces of the sample growing stronger while cracks spread in their surroundings.

The drops eventually pierced the fingers, falling to the floor and leaving holes behind them. The sample broke around those cavities' edges, but Khan didn't care. Much of the body part remained brittle and dead, but tiny pieces continued absorbing his mana.

The tiny pieces' absorption affected the remaining brittle skin. As their state improved, keeping them attached to their frailer counterparts became impossible. New cracks opened, separating the dead pieces from the living ones, and the former didn't survive the process.

Eventually, Khan was left with nothing more than a few pebbles, dust, and shards. The last two merely bathed inside his mana, but the former continued to absorb it, seemingly refilling themselves until they reached their structural limits.

Khan pressed on for a while, but no additional changes arrived. It seemed the pebbles had reached their best form, so he retracted his mana. The absence of his energy highlighted the now-blue chunks of flesh, which retained their new state without requiring more fuel.

Khan's eyes darted left and right, inspecting the hall. A sigh eventually escaped his mouth, and his hand rose to reach for the blue pebbles. That interaction could start another Milia 222, but he didn't fear it.