Chaos Heir

Chapter 1360: Rejection

Khan would have been ready to jump at the offer after his father died. After all, he had promised to save his loved ones and the universe as a whole on Bret’s deathbed.

Khan would have also been ready to agree to those terms after breaking up with Monica. His curse had become his life’s mission at that point, making him more than willing to sacrifice everything he had and was to ensure the universe’s safety.

Yet, that time was now long gone. Khan hadn’t only found another reason to live. His mindset as a whole had also changed, affecting his element and the kind of existence he was.

There was far more to Khan’s life than his curse now, and the cold hand holding his own acted as an undeniable reminder of that.

Khan would still shatter mountains, split seas, and burn planets to protect his loved ones, but the price the Nak wanted him to pay wasn’t acceptable anymore. He was no sacrificial pawn or martyr. He was no key to some grand, universal mission. Khan was a happy husband and father, and he wouldn’t let the Nak take that away from him.

Khan wouldn’t give up on that even if it meant ensuring the universe’s safety.

"Don’t get me wrong," Khan announced, not caring whether the Nak’s language could convey what he meant in its entirety, but still nodding at the spinning sphere. "I’ll absorb that thing and probably the whole planet. I need all the energy I can get, but I won’t become an avatar."

Liiza had chosen to remain silent, not wanting to affect Khan’s decision. The whole point of fixing him was to make him able to make those tough choices on his own. Giving Khan happiness had never been the goal. He needed to want happiness.

Still, despite Liiza’s resolve, hearing the Nak’s offer had made her tense. She couldn’t have helped but worry, but that feeling was gone now. Her husband had decided to remain her husband instead of becoming a puppet, or weapon, of a greater purpose.

"That’s the path of the True Chaos," The Nak warned, turning to point its three, glowing eyes on Khan. "The mana will disappear if-"

The Nak didn’t get the chance to finish its line since the air around it stopped trembling, preventing it from conveying its message. The temperature in the area also dropped, and tiny ice crystals started to appear in the alien’s surroundings, seemingly threatening to freeze it whole.

"[Tell this Nak that my husband won’t repeat himself]," Liiza said in her native language, earning herself a curious glance from Khan.

Khan was pretty sure Liiza could speak the Nak’s language, but she avoided doing so for some reason. It was probably her way of avoiding undermining his authority in that situation, so he limited himself to a brief peek at her before refocusing on the Nak.

"Don’t worry," Khan reassured, waving his free hand dismissively. "I’m not into the whole tainting others to make them my followers. It’s already a pain to lead people who actually want me as their leader, and I don’t want things to get any worse there."

Khan then stepped forward, letting go of Liiza to slowly approach the sphere, making sure to mention another point.

"And the mana won’t really disappear, right?" Khan rhetorically asked. "Only this iteration will. All the other beings that already wield it will continue to wield their iterations."

The Nak couldn’t reply with Liiza freezing its means of speaking, but Khan didn’t need answers. He kept stepping forward, stopping at some distance from the alien to point his glowing eyes at the spinning sphere above him.

"I only have two questions now," Khan muttered, seemingly absent-mindedly. "How do I get rid of my nightmares? And why the chaos element specifically?"

Liiza didn’t need Khan’s words to understand he wanted an answer now. The tiny ice crystals in the air evaporated, vanishing as the temperature rose, allowing the Nak to speak again.

"You completed the implanted path, Khan Sodsi," The Nak declared. "Reaching the mana’s heart fulfilled it. You won’t see it anymore."

Khan arched his eyebrows in surprise, glancing at the Nak, who had continued to follow him with his gaze. He didn’t feel any different after reaching the valley, but his first night of sleep after that event might prove him wrong. At least, Khan hoped it did.

"And Chaos is the origin of everything," The Nak continued. "From Chaos, anything can be born, especially diversity."

Khan lingered a bit longer in that look before refocusing on the spinning white-azure sphere. He had to be wary of his perception due to the blinding item’s irresistible attraction, but his attention only had to review superficial details.

Khan needed energy, and the more the better. He couldn’t jump into the universal war against the Scarlet Eyes while his attunement was still incomplete, but satisfying his body’s demands bordered on impossibility. Yet, the spinning sphere and the azure planet could fix that.

"Mana’s heir," The Nak spoke during that silent inspection. "The path you want to walk is uncertain. It might lose to the mana’s enemy."

"Yours might, too," Khan pointed out. "You are also flawed. The mana failed. It wouldn’t have given birth to the Scarlet Eyes and their True Chaos otherwise."

Khan crossed his arms, turning toward the Nak, expanding on his point. "Why would I trust your plan now? What makes you so sure it isn’t another mistake?"

Khan glanced at the sphere again, unbothered by its light, adding his final point. "I’d rather bet on myself. I won’t inherit the mana. I’ll take it."

"The Nak and the mana will cease to exist and expand," The Nak argued. "There won’t be any more possibility of evolution, of achieving a superior version to defeat the mana’s enemy."

"I’ll take my chances," Khan shrugged his shoulders. "And it’s not like I care about the Nak. You have earned your extinction many times over."

Khan didn’t explain his argument, but didn’t need to. It seemed the Nak was aware of his scale of values, despite that species following a far grander mission.

"So," Khan uttered, looking at the Nak, one finger in his crossed arms stretching to point at the spinning sphere. "Will you oppose me? Do we have to fight, or can I just eat that thing?"

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