The following morning, the two teams started their daily routine as usual. The two soldiers from Fergus' group stepped outside to patrol the area. Marcus booted various check-up software, Kirk headed for the lab, and Randall and Celeste occupied their consoles on the main deck.

Meanwhile, Khan, Fergus, Zu-Gru, and Amy gathered outside the ships to prepare for their daily trip to the Bone Tribe's settlement. A few bags were with them, carrying additional rifles and supplies to deliver to Kru-Zi, and nothing seemed off.

Khan had it easy holding back casual peeks at Amy since his senses constantly updated him about her. As expected from a third-level warrior, her drunkenness had vanished, leaving behind a tinge of tiredness. Her aura conveyed some embarrassment, but she hid it perfectly.

Amy appeared to be her usual self, cheerful and supportive of Khan's orders. Her looks at him didn't hint at anything, slightly reassuring him. Even after the previous night's conversation, Amy showed professional behavior.

Since there didn't seem to be any problem, Khan prepared himself to give the order to depart, but Margaret suddenly stepped outside the second ship, hurrying in his direction. She had a device with her and promptly explained her intentions.

"Major, the results,

" Margaret announced, waving the rectangular item.

"I've reworded them to make them more comprehensible.

"

"Thank you,

" Khan honestly said, drawing his phone and showing it to Margaret. The scientist tapped on her device before forwarding the file to Khan.

"Review it and share your opinions, sir,

" Margaret exclaimed.

"I'll see if there is something I need to adjust before sending it to the team.

"

"Will do,

" Khan promised while storing the phone.

"We'll depart now.

"

"Have a nice trip, sir,

" Margaret uttered before glancing at Fergus.

"Sir.

"

"Good job,

" Fergus praised, and the group seized their bags before diving into the forest.

The forest's edge had the usual crowd of wandering Scalqa, but the team easily ran around them, reaching the settlement in no time and without encountering problems. Kru-Zi welcomed them, leading them to an area inside the barrier the tribe had prepared for the occasion.

Khan and the others had shown the rifles' power in the previous days, but the demonstration had been limited to Kru-Zi and a few other Scalqa. Today, the group planned to reveal the guns' might to the entire tribe, which required a specific setting.

Explaining the issue to Kru-Zi had been hard, but Khan and the others felt satisfied when they saw the result. Kru-Zi had cleared a big area of the settlement and had filled it with expendable tall rocks. The distance wasn't ideal, but the human group could definitely use it as a shooting range.

The group dropped their backpacks, and Khan retrieved a rifle. It was safer for him to handle the demonstration, so his companions stepped aside and left him alone with the distant rocks.

Meanwhile, Kru-Zi voiced a loud cry that the other Scalqa in the settlement echoed. Soon, most aliens left their tents to gather around the shooting range to witness the demonstration.

Khan waited for the audience to settle before lifting the rifle. The weapon was nothing special, but the unaware Scalqa underestimated it even more due to their ignorance. That piece of metal was too small to be of any use, and throwing it couldn't cause much damage.

"Sky tribe sling!

" Khan shouted, examining the audience to ensure everyone had heard him. Needless to say, the announcement captivated the Scalqa's attention, bringing their focus to the lifted rifle.

Khan waited a few more seconds before aiming the weapon at the most nearby rock. He wasn't great with guns, but it didn't take an expert to demonstrate their power, and pulling the trigger achieved that goal.

A blue mass of mana shot forward, slamming on the targeted rock and destroying its upper part. Debris flew in every direction and gasps resounded through the audience. The Scalqa had never seen something so destructive, and many struggled to understand what had happened.

Khan had a perfect read on the symphony, so he sensed the general confusion and proceeded to fire again. He now targeted a more distant rock, hoping that even the weaker Scalqa could notice the mana bullet. Then, he fired, and debris flew.

The second demonstration worked better than the first. More Scalqa began to understand the rifle's functioning, but the specifics remained too advanced for their primitive technology. The weapon resembled proper magic, but its power was self-evident.

Still, a different emotion joined the symphony, bringing Khan's eyes to his companions. Fergus had an awkward look on his face while Amy was doing her best to hold back her giggles.

Khan's evident confusion prompted Amy to step forward and lean toward his ear to whisper the issue.

"You are holding it wrong.

"

Amy then fixed Khan's aiming posture, lifting his elbow and improving his overall firing stance. Khan didn't feel any difference since his physical strength more than compensated for stability flaws, but he still fired again to continue the demonstration.

"Thanks,

" Khan whispered after destroying another rock, but the symphony warned him again, making him peek at Amy.

Adjusting Khan's stance had made Amy blush. That closeness and physical contact had reminded her of the previous night, and her porcelain skin couldn't hide her embarrassment. She even realized her condition, and her shy eyes slowly rose to meet Khan's.

Khan met Amy's eyes, and a strange atmosphere fell around them. The issue was so evident that even some of the Scalqa realized something was up, and silence unfolded.

Amy's gaze contained more than shyness and embarrassment. It also conveyed a tinge of hope.

As for Khan, he felt a bit sad. He noticed the honesty in Amy's gaze but was helpless about it. A pure emotion filled his vision, but he couldn't meet it.

Amy was professional enough to realize that the situation had stretched too long. She quickly lowered her head, hiding her expression behind her hair and returning to her companions. Khan could only watch her leave before resuming the demonstration.

Khan fired until the magazine was empty, and the rifle's might soon made the Scalqa forget about the awkward interaction with Amy. The weapon became their sole focus again, and their turn soon arrived.

"Zu-Gru,

" Khan called, and the Scalqa didn't hesitate to reach his side. Amy also approached the two, delivering a new magazine, and her presence didn't lead to any awkward interactions now.

Khan focused on his duty, changing the magazine before handing the rifle to Zu-Gru. The Scalqa's size made that human weapon unsuitable in many ways, but Khan had spent the previous days developing a firing stance those aliens could use.

Zu-Gru seized the rifle, holding it with one hand while placing the other on the trigger. His fingers were too big for the lever, so he used his nails to achieve higher precision.

The alien waited for Khan's signal, which he gave through a nod. Zu-Gru then aimed and fired, hitting one of the few rocks that had survived Khan's demonstration.

Seeing a Scalqa using the human rifle had a deeper impact on the alien audience. It showed that the weapon's power didn't change depending on the user and proved that anyone could wield it effectively.

Zu-Gru fired a few more times, further convincing the audience. He didn't always hit the targets, but the bullets that landed on the ground still dug big holes, stating their power. The Scalqa could compare them to their slings and accept how superior human technology was.

"Teach Kru-Zi,

" Khan eventually ordered, and Zu-Gru complied.

Having a Scalqa educate another Scalqa would make demonstrations more straightforward, so Khan let Zu-Gru handle the following stages of the trade. The alien reached Kru-Zi, and the two began to discuss the rifle's specifics while the audience listened.

At that point, Khan returned to his companions since his presence had become superfluous. He joined Amy and Fergus in inspecting Zu-Gru and approving his teaching methods. Having a Scalqa on the team ended up being quite helpful, and the group planned to use him in future trades as well.

"He might hold a rifle better than you in no time,

" Fergus teased.

"I tend to be on the other side of the guns,

" Khan commented.

"My back can prove that.

"

"I've seen those scars,

" Amy said before realizing what her comment could imply. Still, Khan quickly covered for her.

"Ecoruta left many marks on me,

" Khan sighed, his gaze wandering into memories.

"It feels like a lifetime ago.

"

Fergus and Amy fell silent to respect Khan's longing expression, but he quickly broke it.

"Amy can handle Zu-Gru. Let's meet with Rok-Go.

"

After tasting the dark green liquid, Fergus had gained access to the rectangular tent. Most of it came from Khan's influence on the Bone Tribe, but Fergus didn't mind it as long as he could spend time with the blue plant.

Fergus and Khan quickly left the shooting range and headed for the rectangular tent at the settlement's center, and the latter used the walk to review Margaret's file. He hoped for the best, but something told him the results wouldn't be happy.

"You shouldn't worry too much about it,

" Fergus exclaimed during the walk.

"It's quite normal during a mission.

"

Khan initially disregarded the comment, but his eyes landed on Fergus when he realized the meaning behind his words. The Major wasn't talking about the tests' results. His statement was about Amy.

"That's none of your business,

" Khan coldly said. He had barely met Fergus a few days ago, and the man had no right to pry into his private matters.

"I apologize,

" Fergus chuckled.

"It just reminded me of other instances. It's hard keeping your heart whole when your life is split into two.

"

Khan ignored the statement, but his mind instinctively accepted it. His loneliness flared, but nothing reached his expression. Urges he couldn't fulfill showed their presence, reminding him about his unique situation.

If nothing changed, Khan knew he would spend the rest of his life like that, and the sole thought saddened him. He felt so sad a clicking cry resounded in the back of his mind, begging him to destroy any artificial limit holding him down.