Chapter 743 Steel
Khan and Fergus stared at each other, creating a stalemate neither wanted to break. The impa.s.se seemed unsolvable with words alone, and the alternative could create ma.s.sive problems.
Fergus had half-expected a similar stance but still experienced surprise. He had read about Khan, but there were limits to gall and arrogance. The two men"s military uniforms marked the difference in their power, something that almost every soldier would respect. However, that detail didn"t seem to matter to Khan.
It wasn"t even a matter of confidence or readiness. Khan didn"t look deluded or ignorant. He simply stood there, uncaring about the potential consequence. Levels and experience didn"t exist in his mind. He had his way and would fight to defend it.
"I admit," Fergus broke the silence. "I"m growing curious about the rumors around you."
Khan didn"t reply. His eyes also remained dark before that implicit threat. A similar curiosity existed in his mind, and his fingers itched to reach for his knife. He wanted to fight, to test himself against a fifth-level warrior, but things weren"t so easy on Baoway.
"Shall we leave the scanners" range?" Fergus asked.
"Do you want to?" Khan wondered, almost challenging the man.
Fergus almost smiled. He was growing to like Khan"s gall, and his curiosity inevitably intensified. He had the monster of Nippe 2 right before his eyes and the chance to fight him. Few soldiers would ignore the opportunity.
"Lead the way," Fergus stated, and Khan promptly sprinted deeper into the forest. He didn"t give any warning, but Fergus immediately reacted and matched his speed.
Khan had long since grown familiar with the forest, so his directions were as precise as possible. He knew a few suitable areas outside the scanners" range, and the two took some minutes to get there.
Fergus matched Khan"s every move, stopping as soon as he halted his steps. The two had ended in a relatively clear area with no tribes or animals in the surroundings. The scanners couldn"t get there, either, making it the perfect place for an internal scuffle.
"Are we outside?" Fergus questioned.
"Yes," Khan nodded. "There"s nothing for several hundreds of meters in every direction, too."
"I hope you don"t think this will be to the death," Fergus announced. "I"m not sure the Global Army can even give such orders."
Khan remained silent, inspecting the man. They were both too experienced to be so naïve, but the latter seemed to believe his words. Khan found it odd, but reviewing his political position partially justified that trust.
Baoway would be the perfect place to eliminate Khan, but his position was also the most secure. He was the most high-profile soldier in the mission, and the team had to prioritize his safety to a certain extent. Nothing could happen without him due to the connection to the Empire, so he had to remain alive.
That didn"t even account for Khan"s connections among humankind. He had used Princes and Princesses, relied on one of the wealthiest families in the Global Army, and accomplished countless fantastic deeds. The general public also liked him, so his eventual disappearance had to be planned properly.
"Do you simply want to test me?" Khan asked.
"If your worth matches the rumors," Fergus exclaimed, "Your eyes might be better than our lab."
"So," Khan sighed, his gaze wandering among the trees behind Fergus. "There is a lab."
Fergus couldn"t help but smirk. The matter wasn"t exactly a secret. Actually, his team had probably shared the information with Randall and the others by now. Still, watching Khan gave birth to a different feeling.
The gall was praiseworthy, and Fergus liked it. Yet Khan"s uncaring and detached behavior started getting on Fergus"s nerves. Fergus was an experienced fifth-level warrior, and even monsters had to pay attention to him.
"Won"t you draw your knife?" Fergus questioned.
Khan looked at Fergus, and the surrounding mana suddenly converged toward his legs. His figure disappeared without making any sound, and Fergus almost gasped as he dodged to his left.
Fergus instinctively stepped back. He avoided jumping to keep his feet on the ground but still retreated. Khan had appeared in his previous position, and his brain told him that losing his foothold would be a fatal mistake.
"Those were instincts," Khan commented, half-turning toward Fergus. "Not reactions."
Fergus" smile disappeared, replaced by a stern face. Khan"s comment had been spot-on. He didn"t expect the sudden attack, but his eyes had still failed to follow him. In theory, that was impossible.
"I"m not the speedster-type," Fergus thought, "But failing to follow him with my eyes is …"
Fergus" surprise was more than deserved. His body was supposed to be superior in every field due to the higher concentration of mana. However, Khan had still slipped past his senses. Fergus had dodged the attack through pure battle experience.
Martial arts and special techniques could fill the gaps between levels, but something told Fergus that Khan was different. That speed clearly wasn"t natural, but the soldier worried about another detail. That quality was only the foundation of Khan"s power, his very baseline.
"Is he as strong as a fifth-level warrior?" Fergus wondered although that felt like a realization. After all, he had seen Khan"s speed, leaving only that conclusion.
Khan could almost read Fergus" thoughts, but his character mostly found flaws. His transformation, alien techniques, and training with the blue bush might have made him touch the fifth level. However, soldiers in that realm had skills, too, and Fergus didn"t use any to dodge his attack.
"If you can do this when you aren"t ready," Khan commented before his figure disappeared again.
Fergus was ready now. His eyes moved together with Khan, and he half-turned to dodge the incoming kick to his shoulder. His hand also shot upward, wanting to grab Khan"s ankle, but his fingers gripped nothing but air.
Fergus lifted his head, inspecting the figure hovering above him. Khan was in the air, seemingly standing in the complete absence of solid surfaces. His ability to fly was almost impossible to counter, but both warriors knew he wouldn"t use that advantage now.
"Still no techniques," Khan thought. Fergus seemed able to keep up with his speed without using any mana or special skill.
"I expected more," Fergus mocked, his smirk returning to his face.
"You expected less," Khan corrected. "Entertain me for a bit."
Fergus wanted to reply, but his eyes widened at the sudden movement. Khan dived toward his opponent, putting as much weight as possible into his descending foot. The angle made the attack unavoidable with short dodges, and Fergus promptly lifted his arms to block it.
Nevertheless, Khan accelerated, interrupting his attack to ricochet through the air. He reached Fergus" back, spinning with all the force of the acc.u.mulated momentum, and his leg slammed on the soldier.
Khan had hit countless items and bodies with his leg, so the contact with Fergus" back filled his mind with information. The soldier"s muscles resembled steel that wouldn"t break even under the full power of Khan"s best kick. Yet, the attack had enough energy to bend it.
Once again, Fergus was caught by surprise. Although he could follow a single sprint, Khan had mixed aerial maneuvers, sudden accelerations, two attacks, and blind spots. His offensive had been impeccable, leaving Fergus powerless.
That was mostly Fergus"s fault. He was holding back, so Khan had cornered him. Even jumping forward wouldn"t prevent the ma.s.sive force behind the attack. Fergus had to endure it.
Khan"s eyes shone when the sensations coming from his leg changed. Fergus" muscles suddenly grew denser, becoming tough enough to endure the kick. Fergus was still in the same position and stance when the attack had depleted its power.
Khan promptly retreated, landing on the ground before lifting his left leg. His bright eyes inspected his limb to understand the recent exchange better, and Fergus calmly waited for him to speak.
"It"s not a defensive technique," Khan concluded, bringing his eyes to his opponent. "That"s your element."
"Correct," Fergus stated. "I didn"t think you would have understood after a single exchange."
"A non-elemental technique wouldn"t have been enough to stop my kick," Khan summarized.
"You look disappointed," Fergus declared.
"Defense doesn"t work well with chaos," Khan commented. His element was known as the most destructive one, so it sounded dumb for the Global Army to send that type of warrior to keep him in check.
"Should we try it?" Fergus asked. "I"m curious about your chaos spear."
Khan"s eyes were about to darken, but a new brightness invaded them. The name of his spells wasn"t exactly a secret, but Fergus" request had been too specific to be a case. It almost sounded like he had prepared accordingly.
Fergus wanted to add something, but Khan didn"t give him the chance. The latter joined his palms, summoning mana to create the unstable and bright spear. The spell took form in less than a second, and Khan immediately wielded it above his head.
"No hesitation, huh," Fergus uttered, and his smirk broadened when he saw Khan throw the spear.