Chapter 901 Avalanche

901 Avalanche

Time flew quickly, and Khan struggled to keep track of it among his many occupations.

The tournament was reaching its apex, and some representatives had even started disclosing their interest in specific descendants, triggering public auctions that entertained the arena for days.

That development could bring problems, but Khan realized he had overestimated the descendants' desire to retain political freedom. No one rejected the nobles' desire to bolster their ranks with promising soldiers. The involved young contestants saw the auctions as a great honor, making most of Khan's precautions and rules pointless.

As disappointing as that looked, Khan couldn't help but accept and focus on the development's positive sides. The poorer families remained loyal to their regressive mindset and couldn't even consider opposing the nobles. However, that also prevented problems, saving Khan from the need to intervene to handle them.

As for the other projects, everything steadily improved and progressed, albeit slowly. Khan's new presence had prompted the representatives and aliens to strengthen their relationship with him, but days weren't enough to build proper friendships. Those matters took time and couldn't be rushed.

The same went for the magic items, living elements, study of the Scalqa's flesh, and Fuveall implants. Those projects took time, often years of research, and Khan's unique insight was one of their key aspects. He was one of the projects' necessary pieces, and his packed schedule prevented him from giving them his full attention.

Nevertheless, three exceptions to that trend existed. Khan's little free time didn't stop him from developing magic items for Monica. Her new level demanded better equipment, and Khan saw that as a priority. Monica didn't only deserve the top spot in his mind. Khan also wanted to ensure her safety, enabling her to use her element.

The superior training grounds were another exception. The Thilku and Ef'i's renewed interest in Khan's growth forced him to prioritize those areas' development. Luckily, the blueprints were already in place. He only needed to put workers, scientists, resources, and spaces to the task.

As for the third exception, Khan kept prioritizing his new training method. In the three weeks after Monica's birthday, he used the toxic pool twice, each time obtaining different results that Abraham and Garret carefully recorded and studied. Many aspects improved with the additional session, but one issue remained constant.

'Eighty-three,' Khan read on the device, showing the last training session's scientific report. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Khan's eyes shone on the device, illuminating the lab around him. It was deep into the night, and Khan had just awakened from his last training session. He was alone, but Abraham and Garret had left food, drinks, and new clothes behind, as well as the full report of their investigation.

'Reduced organic tissues' damage,' Khan read. 'Progression in line with previous observation, indicating a positive trend. Fancy words to say, I'm getting used to the procedure.'

The only real problem was the public perception. Khan had built his fame and organization on his talent, strength, and growth. Slowing down the latter might raise doubts about his superiority, especially if descendants from the same generation started surpassing him.

Ideally, Khan would reaffirm his superiority in actual battles, but those opportunities grew rarer by the day, and his current enemies didn't act publicly. Khan might remain stuck at the fourth level for a long time, with no chance of showing his strength, giving the impression that his seemingly endless potential had reached its limits.

Sadly, the issue had no solution, and Khan didn't even consider holding back on the new training method to retain the image of a peerless talent. He would have to sacrifice his real growth, which wasn't worth it.

'Well,' Khan sighed, putting aside the device. 'Projecting weakness would attract more enemies, giving me the chance to reaffirm my strength. I'd just have to be more proactive if the public opinion starts to affect my businesses.'

The problem wouldn't even be with the masses. Khan only needed to watch out for the wealthy parties around him. The nobles and prominent families wouldn't hesitate to side with his enemies and act against him once they smelled weakness, and that wouldn't be easy to fix.

'It's always problem after problem,' Khan cursed. 'Luckily, the tournament is ending, and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. I needed a complete win.'

Khan put aside the political issues and jumped out of bed, stretching his body to check his state. A faint wave of mana also escaped his figure, tearing apart all the bandages around his body. His intact and healthy skin appeared in the open, but that scene went unnoticed.

A fit of hunger invaded Khan, making him hurry toward the plates left behind by the scientists. He wolfed them down without bothering to dress up, but his stomach demanded more. Luckily, the parties were still ongoing, and his phone carried specific updates on them.

Another peaceful night unfolded, and many followed. Khan's status and situation had truly stabilized, creating one of the longest peaceful periods in his life. Minor scuffles still happened, but Khan barely saw them as problems after everything he had witnessed.

Nevertheless, that peace was limited to Baoway. Many powers moved and plotted around the planet, hoping to forge secret alliances and prepare themselves for eventual opportunities. Still, the Thilku Empire acted as an unbreakable shield, preventing proactive actions.

However, one specific party saw that powerful ally as Khan's biggest flaw. That force had access to classified information even the Global Army's higher-ups lacked. Still, leaking it could start wars and forsake all the potential advantages Khan's special relationship with the Empire offered.

In short, sharing the classified information would only lead to a lose-lose situation, but the party in question didn't care about winning. Victory had a different meaning for it, so a secret meeting happened, throwing a pebble capable of unleashing an avalanche.