Chaos' Heir

Chapter 956: Variable

Chapter 956: Variable



The Headquarters had changed once again while Khan was away. The cluster of central buildings had moved, getting closer to the defensive perimeter. Long-range turrets had also joined them, planning to help in the incoming battle.

The defensive perimeter itself had changed. Many turrets had gathered there, separated by a series of deep trenches. That arrangement said a lot about the imminent battle strategy, but Khan kept his thoughts to himself.

The Scalqa inside the trenches and defensive perimeter noticed the ship and cheered at its arrival. Some even followed it to its landing area, crowding the place.

The cheers grew louder when Khan's figure appeared on the ship's side doors. General excitement invaded the army at the return of its true leader, and Khan let that feeling wash over himself before setting off, flying toward the war council's building.

Khan's trip could have been immediate, but he decided to remain visible, slowly approaching his destination. Countless gazes followed his flying figure before he disappeared underground.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The underground meeting room was empty, but Khan calmly seized one of the available bottles and sat down, waiting for the war council to assemble. He placed his feet on the circular table, ignoring the holograms to focus on drinking. Meanwhile, the elevator opened and closed, allowing figures inside.

Prince Richard and Moses were the first to arrive, followed by Bruno. Garret didn't take long to descend into the underground room, either, while Lieutenant Dyester came last.

Each new addition to the underground room conveyed different reactions. Both young warriors now had nothing but respect and reverence. Bruno looked indifferent, while Garret's calm face hid some amazement. As for Lieutenant Dyester, a trace of sad exhaustion tainted his mana, having Khan as its target.

Those reactions mostly ignored Khan's appearance. His stay on the mineral had been far from clean. Dirt and sweat covered him. His body and clothes needed a bath, and his aura seemed to yearn for a prolonged break. Still, no one addressed it, especially since Khan cut the inspection short with a question.

The turrets would share Khan's advantage, firing at will until the army and pack merged into a chaotic battlefield. The pheromone would also allow Khan to choose the fighting ground, allowing him to exploit humankind's superior military intelligence.

The idea of a bloody battle annoyed Khan, but it was too late to do anything about it. Senerth's fauna was giving its everything in a last attempt to resist that powerful invader, and Khan had to respect its effort by meeting it on the battlefield. That was what the Thilku had taught him.

Still, one detail remained unclear, gnawing at Khan's brain. The army had spent months studying the monsters' bodies and behavior, so Khan couldn't help but spot something odd. "Do we know what's special about this leader?" Khan questioned.

Generals were common among humans, but the monsters had hunger at their core. They didn't fight for leadership positions out of ambition and pride. Leading a pack simply secured them more food.

The last pack clearly had three alphas, so there had to be a reason behind their cooperation or subservience. Strength was the most obvious explanation, but mana-enhanced creatures weren't as simple as they looked. Khan knew that far too well after experiencing Nitis' outburst.

"We spotted the same incongruence, Prince Khan," Garret revealed. "The pack's structure and movements have been odd, but we couldn't find anything specific. The leader probably underwent some strange mutation that awarded it new powers."

'The power to control two alphas,' Khan thought. 'It can't be simple. However, does it

matter?'

As if reading Khan's thoughts, Lieutenant Dyester finally spoke. "Variables can be scary, but overwhelming strength can deal with all of them."

"What do you suggest?" Khan asked.

"Meeting the pack on the battlefield," Lieutenant Dyester snorted, "And dropping the two of us in its middle to deal with the leaders. A dead variable is no variable at all."