Chaos' Heir

It had been a while since Khan had used a teleport, and he had changed greatly in that period. His element had always messed up with technology, but he had to add his evolved status and the Great Old One's mutations to it now.

However, if Garret said it was okay, everything would be fine. Khan trusted the scientist more than his senses in that field, so he stayed still, letting the synthetic mana accumulate on the oval platform.

The synthetic mana's stench had only worsened as Khan improved. He couldn't help but feel disgusted by that artificial energy, and his perception turned into an enemy whenever he was stuck in those situations.

Still, Khan had grown used to it enough to ignore the event. It would end soon anyway, and its outcome promised rewards he had waited for months.

Nevertheless, when the synthetic mana filled the oval platform, its structural stability crumbled, dispersing into waves of invisible energy that blew through the room.

Khan glanced at the two trembling horn-like structures at the platform's edges before looking at Garret. The consoles were flickering, but Khan wasn't to blame at that time. The lead scientist also knew that, so he reassured Khan without moving his gaze from the screens.

"There was a slight calibration issue, My Prince," Garret apologized. "I need a minute."

Khan didn't say anything, and the process soon restarted. Synthetic mana poured over the oval platform again, and Khan noticed its denser texture. It seemed the teleport needed something stronger to isolate and transport his existence, and Garret's calculations turned out to be on point now.

The world in Khan's eyes quickly changed. A blue landscape replaced the sterile, pale grey room, and the sound of calm waves soon reached his ears. Proper sunlight shone on his face, and the pleasant scent of natural mana invaded his nostrils.

The changes didn't stop there. A sense of familiarity expanded in Khan's mind, fueled by absorbed and still-lingering memories. An instinctive awareness of the area filled his brain, highlighting how much he had learned in the past months through the mental training.

Barely three months had passed since Khan had departed from Coravis, but his return showcased how much he had changed since then. The Great Old One had lived there for millennia, almost seeing the planet as its own home, and Khan couldn't help but experience that lingering, distant attachment.

Of course, Coravis had also changed during those three months, a small part of it, at least. The spot Khan had teleported to stood on a relatively big metal platform that floated over the sea and expanded underwater, and he could see a few more of those in his surroundings.

Those structures were cheaper and smaller versions of what the Solodrey family had installed on Neuria, but Khan knew his forces would eventually upgrade them. After all, that colonization project had just begun, and his soldiers had other problems to prioritize.

The structures' surfaces were mostly empty. The teleport Khan had landed on looked to be one of the few exceptions, but something told him things would change quickly. His forces were probably waiting for heavy weaponry to arrive in Coravis before filling those upper layers.

In the meantime, Garret had established an orbital lockdown. Khan couldn't sense it from his position, but updates about that development had reached his phone. The Nognes family had sent as many ships as possible around the planet, and more were coming.

Things would also accelerate now that Coravis had a teleport. Those machines had limits, but Nott Station's ongoing transformation had already proven their usefulness. Khan was only the first of the many revolutionary changes the planet would experience in the near future.

Of course, Khan's glowing eyes searched for more than technological changes. He stepped off the oval platform and reached the structure's edge to inspect the sky and sea. Their symphonies still carried waves of pale green mana, but they all looked thinner now.

Without the Great Old One's influence, the planet was gradually absorbing that invasive energy, transforming with it. It was unclear what the process would amount to, and Khan had already appointed that job to someone else.

As for Coravis' true priority and real appeal, Khan sensed it as soon as he arrived but moved his eyes toward it only after inspecting everything else.

The offhand sea stations not only provided actual living quarters and safe places to store useful technology. Their main purpose involved something far bigger than themselves, which was why they were floating right next to it.

The Great Old One's immense corpse stretched right past the sea stations. The latter were too few and small to encircle, but it seemed that the project had started. The Nognes forces simply needed more time to deliver the necessary structures.

In the meantime, Coravis' scientists were limiting themselves to superficial investigations, flying over the giant snake with ships equipped with powerful scanners or directly sending teams onto that immense corpse. Khan could even see some of those from his position while his senses perceived the others.

Standing before the Great Old One again reminded Khan of his incredible feat. He genuinely didn't know how he could have possibly killed something so big, but the proof stood before his very eyes.

Moreover, Khan had grown stronger since his achievement. He still had much to learn about his new transformation, but he reasoned that a second battle against the Great Old One would be easier now, which still felt unbelievable.

Still, that was the exact reason behind Khan's trip to Coravis. He planned to spend a long time there to absorb his recent gains. He actually expected scientists to receive and start nagging him, too, but the answer to that came in the form of the synthetic mana accumulating on the teleport.

Khan turned toward the machine, only to be surprised by the figure that appeared on the platform. He had expected Garret to follow him on the planet with a team of specialists, but someone else had arrived.

"Weren't you supposed to stay on Baoway?" Khan called, half-shouting.

The old man promptly jumped off the oval platform and hurried toward Khan, performing a military salute when he reached him. As always, his expression reeked of undying loyalty, but the scene that stretched past the sea station made it waver.

"I apologize, My Prince," Abraham announced, breaking his military salute to reach the sea station's edge, standing beside Khan. "My curiosity had the better of me."

Khan didn't scold the old scientist. He could read on Abraham's face how captivated he was by the gargantuan carcass. That discovery was too massive for someone at the peak of his field.

"I couldn't believe it when Mister Bizelli sent me the data, My Prince," Abraham gasped. "I thought he inputted the wrong one."

Khan turned to look at the Great Old One's corpse again. Abraham's reaction was more than reasonable. Khan had also been shocked when the ancient creature revealed itself in all its magnitude. Beings like that defied nature and weren't supposed to exist, but there it was.

"Incredible, My Prince," Abraham praised. "Truly spectacular. I don't have the words to describe your achievement. Your name should be added to humankind's short list of legendary explorers."

"I'm not part of humankind anymore," Khan remarked. "Technically, you aren't, either, since you work under me."

"And humankind shall never recover from that loss, My Prince," Abraham declared. "Though I admit my visit has a purpose that doesn't involve this old scientist's curiosity."

Khan glanced at Abraham, and the old man found the strength to stop looking at the giant snake to face him.

"The data is still unclear, My Prince," Abraham explained, "But terraforming Coravis might indeed be doable."