Chaos' Heir

Chapter 922: Price



Khan had always known he was unique, and Bruno's comment further confirmed that thought. Humankind had a limited understanding of mana, but the evolved warrior was one hundred and fifty years old. Giving him a first had to be worth something.

The urge to dive into Bruno's knowledge invaded Khan, but he temporarily suppressed it. As curious as he was, he didn't trust the evolved soldier.

"I never understood something," Khan announced. "The evolved warriors are humankind's highest fighting power. Why do they serve families or Generals?"

Bruno's brown eyes showed a hint of surprise before understanding the issue. He had studied Khan's life. The latter was a man with no flag or home. His family name was nothing more than something picked up alongside his many achievements. He had never relied on a single source of support, either, making his confusion reasonable.

"Young Prince," Bruno called. "As you surely know, the evolution's price is steep. The process requires humankind's best knowledge and resources, and even then, it's far from a certainty. No evolved soldier got where they are on their own."

Khan couldn't disagree with that statement. Even he was abusing Baoway and the Nognes family's resources to get stronger. Yet, humankind was no stranger to betrayal, so he found it hard to believe every evolved soldier accepted subservience.

"Debts aside," Bruno continued, "What would evolved soldiers achieve by engaging in politics? We are free to do as we wish, and the families we serve fulfill our every demand. Rebelling or claiming positions of power is beneath us."

"Is that it?" Khan wondered, disappointed. "Is this the limit of your ambition?"

Khan and Bruno had very different perspectives on life. Khan's mindset had always been broader due to the nightmares, and becoming aware of the scarlet eyes' threat had given him a purpose that involved the entire universe.

Meanwhile, Bruno was a proper human, a soldier who had built his strength inside humankind's systems until he reached his current lofty stage. His view of the world was

narrower but deeper, allowing him to provide wise pointers.

"Young Prince, you have good eyes," Bruno commented. "You can see the wonderful world of mana. What purpose would it have for someone like us to focus on such material things?"

Khan suppressed the urge to open his mouth. He didn't want to admit it, but the spiritual loneliness had been an annoying curse in his mind. Still, even if it made him unable to relate to ordinary people, it didn't cut him away from the real world.

"Besides," Bruno continued, "And forgive my bluntness, but you are young. Very young. Material pleasures lose appeal as the years flow, especially after attuning to our elements. There are exceptions, but I'm sure you understand what I mean."

Khan didn't reply. He couldn't compare his life experience with Bruno's, but the same went for him. Bruno was limited to narrow human ways, while Khan's mindset had enveloped multiple alien theories.

Nevertheless, Bruno's words had concerning details. The evolution heavily changed depending on the element, and Khan knew what his chaos wanted. The doubts about his future intensified, but he dismissed them for now.

"So," Khan eventually muttered, "Are you really not here to spy on me?"

Khan almost felt dumb asking that question. No spy would reveal his true nature, but Bruno was no ordinary human. His aura was silent but honest. Khan didn't believe he would lie. Even if Bruno did, Khan probably had no way of knowing, so any precaution would be pointless.

"I'm here to see the meeting's agreement to its end, young Prince," Bruno reassured. "As for my personal reasons, I'm truly curious about you. If possible, I'd like to see your training method or talk about mana."

Khan tried to find lies in Bruno's expression, voice, and mana, but everything looked genuine. His paranoia didn't wane, but refusing to use an evolved soldier's knowledge and insight would be idiotic. The benefits far outweighed the risks, especially in Khan's situation.

The ship didn't take long to land on one of the city's main buildings. Princess Rebecca and Prince Thomas had already warned the soldiers, making them clear every corridor and room on the upper floors. Few figures could witness an evolved soldier's arrival, and one waited for him on the terrace.

Only four people exited the ship. Khan, Bruno, Prince Thomas, and Princess Rebecca calmly stepped onto the terrace, and Monica approached them to deliver a proper welcome. Khan's Aunt and Uncle had warned her about the meeting's outcome, so her attention inevitably fell on the unknown figure.

Prince Thomas and Princess Rebecca instinctively remained behind. Meanwhile, Bruno materialized before Monica without causing any violent reaction. His sudden appearance would startle most people, but Monica had long since become used to Khan's speed, so she showed her hand, waiting to be greeted properly.

"You must be Miss Solodrey," Bruno announced, taking Monica's hand and bowing down to kiss it. "The network said you were enchanting, but the word sounds like an insult after seeing you with my own eyes."

Monica didn't let those words trick her. She would generally accept them and even try to twist something to make Khan jealous, but Prince Thomas and Princess Rebecca's warning had made her aware of the situation. Bruno was no ally, and keeping her distance was the best way to avoid creating problems for Khan.

"You would be?" Monica asked, clear detachment in her tone.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"My apologies," Bruno chuckled, still holding Monica's hand. "I'm Bruno, one of the Nognes family's soldiers."

Bruno's smile was genuine and welcomed trust, but Monica only looked at the hand in his grasp. He was ready to let her go, but a violent reaction unfolded behind him before he could.

Thudding noises filled the terrace as cracks suddenly opened on the floor. Chunks of metal directly shattered, falling into the room below. The destruction expanded for almost a quarter of the area, and the ship tilted to its side due to its new, unstable landing spot.

"Old man," Khan called. "Don't play games."

Bruno had applied no force in his grasp on Monica's hand. She could easily slip out of it on her own. She refrained from doing so out of politeness, but his lingering in the gesture had still triggered Khan's anger.

Of course, that wasn't the sole reason behind Khan's outburst. He couldn't follow Bruno's initial movements. The evolved soldier had appeared in front of Monica before he could react, basically telling him he had no way of stopping any of his actions if he became serious.

Bruno let go of Monica and turned, inspecting the cracks on the floor and the air above them. His influence had never wavered, but Khan's aura had pierced it during that outburst. Bruno wasn't trying to suppress him or anything, but that outcome still shocked him. After all, Khan was a fourth-level warrior. His mana should have been powerless against his mere passive

existence.

Small flares could slip by, especially considering Khan's violent element. However, the terrace's state was nothing close to that. Khan could pierce Bruno's symphony when he was serious, and that wasn't even a proper attack.

"Let us speak in private, young Prince," Bruno announced, calmly crossing Monica and heading inside the building.

Khan followed Bruno, but his eyes met Monica's when he was about to cross her. She was worried, and he could only caress her cheek while walking by. Bruno noticed the affectionate gesture but remained silent, and the two soon disappeared inside the building.

Bruno walked ahead of Khan, but the latter quickly reached his side. That was Khan's building, Khan's home, so he wouldn't let someone else escort him. Bruno accepted that subservient position, but his mouth didn't hold back from uttering sharp comments. "Quite the powerful element, young Prince," Bruno commented. "Troublesome but

powerful."

Khan didn't reply. His mind grew unstable as his aura intensified. He was in the presence of an evolved warrior, so the entirety of his concentration went on his senses, almost preparing for

a battle.

"I hope you know I mean no harm to Miss Solodrey," Bruno continued, "Or anyone, really. I'll merely act as a witness and report back in the instance of problems."

Khan kept ignoring Bruno, leading him into specific areas of the building. Soon, the two arrived inside a reinforced training hall, which Bruno inspected with a smile.

"It must worry you, young Prince," Bruno exclaimed, his eyes lingering on the training hall before focusing on Khan's distancing figure. "Your dangerous element isn't for the weak. There's a price to evolving through it."

"Monica can pay it," Khan muttered, stopping near the hall's center.

"I hope she can, young Prince," Bruno stated. "Though, the problem usually is elsewhere. You should know. You have good eyes in the end."

Khan snorted, suddenly appearing before Bruno. The same violence as before unfolded, opening cracks in the hall's floor. Still, the destruction only spread around Khan. Bruno's figure acted as a wall, blocking that influence and keeping the metal surface behind him

intact.

"Prince Khan," Bruno called, his face still showing a genuine smile. "I have nothing against testing me, but a training hall isn't suitable for our battle."