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n878 Mastery

nThe lab was empty at night, but soldiers still patrolled the area. The cloud's explosion had created a ruckus, forcing them to intervene and contact more personnel.

nThe soldiers' response was immediate. Less than a minute after the explosion, they barged into the lab, granting them an unfiltered view of the mess. Dark-grey smoke tried to hide the scene, but everything remained visible enough for them to study the area.

nSizzling wires and tubes flashed inside the fumes flowing out of the many charred holes in the lab's equipment. Those black spots weren't limited to the machines. The walls, floor, and ceiling also had some, indicating extensive damage.

nThe smoke accumulated on the ceiling but seemed to avoid a specific spot. The soldiers noticed a bright-eyed figure floating in that clear location, and his overwhelming presence almost made them miss the young man hanging from his hand.

n

"Prince Khan!

" The soldiers shouted almost simultaneously, but Khan ignored them, slowly descending and dropping the descendant to the floor.

n

"I'm sorry!

" Roger said as soon as he regained stable footing.

"I'm sorry, Prince Khan! I didn't mean to!

"

nThe soldiers took that statement as an admission of guilt. They exchanged a glance before focusing on Roger, ready to seize him. However, Khan lifted a hand, preventing the action.

n

"It's fine,

" Khan reassured.

"I lost count of how many training halls I destroyed.

"

nKhan had already studied the lab from the ceiling, and his second inspection revealed nothing new. The scarlet sparks' power was as destructive as he had predicted. Their area of effect was a bit lackluster, but their piercing properties more than compensated for that.

nThe reassuring words couldn't do much against Roger's panic. His brain had just reawakened, updating him on his interaction with his element. Adding the lab's damage to the equation was too much for his mind to handle, worsening his distress.

n

"I-I'll pay for everything!

" Roger exclaimed.

"I'll work and-.

"

n

"Shut up,

" Khan interrupted, flicking Roger's head.

"I told you it's fine.

"

nRoger groaned in pain but calmed down. Still, that only reminded him of his injured status. The wounds under the bandages hurt, and some red spots even appeared on his torso.

n

"Get him medical attention,

" Khan ordered to the soldiers before looking at Roger.

"And you, think about what happened tonight while you heal. We'll talk again once you are better.

"

nKhan didn't wait for a reply as he headed for the lab's exit. No one stopped him, either, but whooshing noises welcomed his arrival outside. Ships had flown toward the area, bringing more soldiers and specialized figures.

nAbraham was obviously among the scientists, but Khan also saw Monica descending one of the ships' metal ramps. She had noticed Khan's lateness and immediately connected the dots when she heard about the incident.

n

"Patch him up again,

" Khan ordered before Abraham could ask any question.

"I'll update you later.

"

nAbraham shouted a simple

"Yes, my Prince

" before hurrying inside the lab. Instead, Monica calmly took Khan's hand, peeking past his figure to catch a glimpse of the mess.

n

"I tried something,

" Khan explained shortly.

"His element went rogue.

"

n

"He took that from you,

" Monica commented.

n

"He is a good kid,

" Khan nodded,

"But you should have been stricter with him.

"

n

"I'm not the one spoiling him,

" Monica complained, leading Khan toward one of the ships.

"He'll think we'll always bail him out of problems if you don't let him face some consequences.

"

n

"What's the point of being rich if he has to worry about a training hall or two?

" Khan scoffed.

n

"It's about responsibility, dear,

" Monica pointed out.

"You don't want him to become like the other descendants, do you?

"

n

"You came out well,

" Khan stated.

n

"I am an exception,

" Monica claimed,

"And I was never meant to inherit a crown.

"

n

"What should I do?

" Khan laughed as the ship's doors closed behind the couple.

"Ground him? No spicy chicken for a week?

"

n

"You could start by taking a bath,

" Monica commented, ending the jokes.

"It's almost dawn, and the arena demands its owner's presence.

"

n

"I'll also have to explain tonight to the nobles,

" Khan sighed, feigning innocence.

"I'd usually ask my fiancée's advice, but I don't know if I'll have the time with the bath and everything.

"

n

"Scoundrel,

" Monica chuckled.

"I guess I'll have to join you to discuss politics.

"

nKhan smirked, but Monica promptly repeated her last words.

"To discuss politics.

"

nNeedless to say, the couple didn't discuss politics in the hours before the tournament's battles. They barely talked at all, but that didn't prevent Khan from addressing the nobles' inquiries with vague truth only he could understand.

nInquiries aside, the day went smoothly. The Thilku Lords were in a good mood due to the Hunt's victory and often engaged in the usual banter with Tlexicpalli. The matches also featured no incidents, and the night eventually descended.

nTheoretically, Khan was free that night. He had no major events on his schedule and had even addressed the mandatory issues with the most important guests. Abraham and the Fuveall were also busy with Roger, so visiting him wasn't an option.

nMonica had her girls' night to deal with, and the guests knew that, so they tried to kidnap Khan, hoping he would join some of the parties. However, he politely refused, making promises for future days. His father's death prevented eventual complaints, granting him some alone time.

nKhan didn't have specific reasons for avoiding the public eye that night. Actually, he would only benefit from finally interacting at the parties held in his quadrant. After all, they were part of the tournament's advantages, and he was failing to capitalize on them.

nHowever, a hunch had taken root in Khan's mind since the experiment with Roger, and reviewing the issue with mere thoughts didn't disperse nor solve it. He needed to test something, and that urge brought him to the sky above his city.

nKhan stared at the vast encampment, knowing where his training halls were. He would typically head there directly, but causing an incident while guests were in the city wasn't ideal. Roger had shown him how much the public feared him, and he didn't want to add fuel to those rumors.

nAfter a while, Khan decided to head into a more remote area. The caves would perfectly suit him, but he avoided them, flying past them to reach something more unknown and safer to destroy.

nThe flight brought Khan into a forest at the quadrant's edge. Due to its relatively contained width, the place didn't have much fauna, and ruining it wouldn't cause real damage to Baoway's environment. He never used that spot for private times with Monica, either, effectively making it disposable.

nKhan stood on short grass, surrounded by thick and tall trees. His bright eyes reflected the symphony, and closing them sharpened his other senses, allowing him to feel the mana flow inside the flora and under the ground.

nThat diverse ensemble of colors radiated various meanings that matched their purpose. Still, Khan's senses went deeper, identifying the frailty of the materials that mana occupied. His mind almost resonated with that intrinsic desire to fall apart, but he failed to affect most of it.

n'Entropy,' Khan thought. He had studied that scientific concept since it matched one of his spells, but knowing it didn't bring any enlightenment.

nA wave of invisible mana suddenly shot from Khan, expanding spherically in his surroundings. The environment barely noticed that attack, but reactions eventually unfolded.

nThe trees and grass remained unaffected, but cracks opened on the ground. The most barren spots featured bigger fissures, which expanded in an attempt to make everything crumble. Still, the surface held strong, only unleashing faint tremors.

n'I still can't do it on living beings,' Khan realized after a quick inspection of his surroundings. 'I can shatter metal, but some grass can survive it.'

nKhan was only thinking about the spell created after the mental trip, the same attack the Nak's hand used. That ability seemed to embody the chaos element's destructive nature, but its limits were evident.

n'Yet,' Khan thought, opening his eyes to look at his palm. 'I can influence the mana, even that inside other living beings.'

nKhan reviewed his actions with Roger, summoning the sensations he had felt when altering the descendant's mana flow. That wasn't his first time doing something similar, but he had never accomplished the same on such a vast scale. Khan had basically hypnotized Roger, vouching for his influence's power.

n'How can I not apply it to something everything in the universe wants to do?' Khan wondered. 'Is the Nak spell too soft? Do I need a better channel?'

nKhan considered his options, but his hunches provided an answer before his rational side could get to it. He straightened his fingers, turning his hand into a blade before swinging it forward.

nThe hand conveyed a specific meaning that the symphony echoed. The mana in the air gained a deadly sharpness, flew forward, and slammed on a trunk.

nA shallow cut opened on the trunk. The tree didn't suffer much damage, but Khan didn't use any mana, either. That was the Divine Reaper at its weakest, albeit fueled by Khan's advanced proficiency level.

nThe negligible execution tingled Khan's hunches, giving birth to ideas he had yet to translate into words. He didn't even try to clarify them and let his instincts guide him. Khan knew his body knew the path even if his mind had yet to realize it.

nA purple-red membrane enveloped Khan's hand before he swung it again. The symphony almost transformed in its entirety, becoming a sharp force that stretched Khan's attack, allowing him to reach the tree without losing energy.

nNo bright slashes flew, but a new cut appeared on the tree. The second was far deeper than the first, almost spanning half of the trunk. In terms of width, that was more than four adult Scalqa, but Khan barely focused on that superficial result.

nThe attack didn't end at the cut. Energy still lingered in the fissure, invading the trunk's fabric while retaining its sharp features. Soon, a spiderweb of cracks opened above and below the horizontal cut, and chunks of wood fell.

n'Finally,' Khan exclaimed in his mind, opening and closing his hand to disperse the numbness in his fingers. 'Full mastery over the Divine Reaper.'

n

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