Khan and Fergus' return to the ships attracted much attention from both teams. After all, they were the de facto leaders of their squads, and their appearance raised countless questions.

Fergus had lost his military uniform during the exchanges, so Khan had given him the upper part of his clothes to hide his most private parts. Basically, they were both half-naked, and their teams didn't know whether to cry or laugh at that sight.

Moreover, the two men were quite good-looking, and their perfect builds attracted specific looks. Celeste and the scientist found themselves staring at Fergus' bulging muscles rather often, while Amy almost scolded Khan with her eyes for ending up in a similar situation again.

Still, no one said anything, and they waited for the two leaders to announce the conclusion they had reached. The absence of injuries from both sides seemed to hint at something good, but tension built up anyway due to the prolonged silence.

"Margaret,

" Fergus called once the two got close to the ships.

"Give the Major a tour of the lab.

"

"Yes, sir,

" The scientist responded, wearing a military salute. However, a tinge of hesitation appeared in her mana when she looked at Khan.

"We are still going to the settlement today,

" Khan continued, looking at his team.

"Major Veril will join us.

"

Amy nodded and hurried inside the main ship to retrieve the necessary equipment. Meanwhile, Randall wore a questioning expression, and an exchange of stares with Khan told him that the answers would arrive later.

Khan headed directly for the scientist, who turned to escort him inside her ship. The two soldiers beside her even stepped away to open the path, so Khan and Margaret climbed the metal ramp without encountering any obstruction.

"It's messier than your ship, Major,

" The scientist exclaimed, crossing the small main deck and living quarters to head into the back of the ship.

"We had the necessary equipment ready but no time to assemble it. Most of that was done during the trip here.

"

Margaret led Khan into the ship's cargo area, a clustered mess of various machines. He saw scanners, interactive tables, needles, transparent containers, and more, yet his experience told him he was inside a lab.

"Is it even operational?

" Khan wondered. The mess made it hard to navigate the lab, so he couldn't imagine it being functional right away.

"Everything is online and working, sir,

" Margaret revealed.

"We plan on sorting things out in the following days, but all the equipment is operational.

"

'Can a Scalqa even fit in here?' Khan wondered before moving to his next question.

"Describe the equipment.

"

"There's more than fifteen different tools, sir,

" Margaret explained.

"Some have functions so specif-.

"

Margaret couldn't finish her line because Khan stared at her with a look she knew far too well. He wasn't asking. He had given an order, leaving no room for complaints.

Moreover, Margaret was only a third-level warrior. Khan's mere presence applied a pressure she couldn't ignore, and something told her he was holding back. After all, it seemed Fergus had acknowledged him, and he was a fifth-level warrior.

"I'll start with the basic ones, sir,

" Margaret eventually said, clearing her throat.

Margaret complied without hiding anything. She even added explanations whenever Khan asked more specific questions. His lack of expertise made him unable to understand everything, but Margaret repeated herself and added details to bring a certain level of clarity.

After ten minutes, Khan gained a general understanding of all the lab's functions. Everything was in line with Khan's description of the Scalqa and their potential uses. The second ship could provide answers Khan's eyes couldn't see, but blood and corpses were the price for that knowledge.

"Theoretically,

" Khan broke his silence after sorting out his thoughts.

"You can cultivate the Scalqa cells without needing alive guinea pigs.

"

"Not right away,

" Margaret responded.

"That's supposed to be the last phase of the experiments since we can't remain chained to a finite resource.

"

Margaret realized her mistake as soon as Khan pointed his eyes at her. A chill ran down her spine, but it was too late. She could only lower her head and hope Khan wouldn't snap.

'Finite resource,' Khan cursed. 'That's how the Global Army sees the Scalqa.'

The news didn't come as a surprise, but Khan still disliked it. It would have been different with Tainted animals and monsters, but the Scalqa's sole fault was in their primitive state. They were simply powerless against a superior species.

"Rok-Go home,

" Kru-Zi explained, moving inside the settlement to escort the group.

"Kh-Han go to Rok-Go?

"

"Rok-Go meet Feh-Ru-Gus,

" Khan shook his head.

"Feh-Ru-Gus drink plant.

"

Kru-Zi stopped in his tracks to show his serious expression. He inspected Fergus before looking at Khan again. Drinking the dark green liquid was a big deal with the tribe, but Khan was the one asking that.

"Rok-Go decides,

" Kru-Zi eventually said, and Khan nodded before watching him hurry toward the rectangular tent.

"What is happening?

" Fergus asked as Khan led the group toward the settlement's center.

"I asked for you to drink the toxic substance,

" Khan summarized.

"You should get an idea of what I said in the report like that.

"

"Why didn't you discuss it with me first?

" Fergus asked. He wasn't completely against the idea, but the report mentioned unwanted reactions. He didn't want to drink the dark green liquid without additional tests.

"You should be fine,

" Khan reassured.

"You are actually perfect for this.

"

"How so?

" Fergus wondered.

"You are tough,

" Khan explained,

"And a fifth-level warrior. If someone can confirm my theory, that's you.

"

Fergus fell silent. His resilience was off the charts, even when it came to poison. Also, if Khan were right, the exposure to the dark green liquid would help with the evolution. That advantage was priceless for someone in the fifth level.

"What if I go wild like you did?

" Fergus asked.

"You are a human,

" Khan reassured again.

"Also, I'm here.

"

"Do you think you can contain me?

" Fergus almost challenged.

"I know I can,

" Khan responded. Khan and Fergus weren't looking at each other, but even Zu-Gru could feel the tension building between them. Amy could only hope the two Majors didn't end up fighting in the middle of the tribe's settlement.

Luckily for the group, Rok-Go soon left his tent, interrupting the discussion. The partially blind Scalqa followed Kru-Zi toward Khan and the others before focusing on Fergus. He tapped his cane on the tall man a few times to check his muscle density, and it soon became clear that another monster had entered the settlement.

Rok-Go retracted his cane before muttering something, and Kru-Zi echoed that order, bringing life to the settlement. The Scalqa left their tents to gather around the human group while two aliens carried the same bone cauldron from Khan's first visit.

Rok-Go sat before the cauldron, and Khan nodded at Fergus to make him do the same. Another Scalqa then retrieved a bone cup and handed it to Khan, who dipped it in the fuming liquid to fill part of its contents.

Fergus wore a stern face when Khan handed him the cup. The latter had poured less liquid than before but still a consistent amount, and Fergus stared at it for a while before gulping it all down.

The man grunted and closed his eyes while Khan inspected the changes in his body. The liquid was spreading, albeit meeting more hindrances. Fergus' element activated to stop that foreign substance, but the latter melted inside him, slightly altering the nature of some of his tissues.

Fergus recovered rather quickly without showing side effects. He looked slightly dizzy, but nothing a fifth-level warrior couldn't endure. Even his complexion had remained the same, and a questioning look soon unfolded in Khan's vision.

"Try to meditate,

" Khan suggested, and Fergus complied. He crossed his legs and entered a meditative state to force his mana to flow.

Fergus exited the meditative state after a matter of seconds. A frown invaded his expression as he looked at his chest. He had felt something, so he promptly unbuttoned his military uniform to inspect his skin.

To everyone's surprise, dark blue patches had appeared on Fergus' chest. Those spots moved, expanding and shrinking according to the flow of his mana. They almost seemed alive and breathing, but Khan recognized them. They carried the same shade Fergus wore when using his element.

Fergus lifted his head to show his wide eyes as if to confirm Khan's idea. Even without heightened senses, he knew what was happening, and his mind struggled to acknowledge it. That truly was a partial imitation of the evolution process.