Chaos' Heir-Chapter 1124: Unexpected results
The absorption of the distant echoes didn't get any less tortuous and painful in the following days but brought unexpected, positive results.
Khan still stuck to the lightest echoes, alternating their absorption with short naps to disperse the headaches and mental fatigue the process created. Those memories were mostly useless, and the Great Old One's absence of thoughts in them seemed to agree with that evaluation, but Khan occasionally obtained something valuable.
The lightest memories contained information and sensations the Great Old One took for granted and didn't bother studying. Most involved the weather, Coravis' sea's movement, the air's taste, or the vague connection to a wave of pale green mana.
However, some involved the ancient creature's movements. The snake didn't need to think when slithering or using its gargantuan body for menial purposes, but the experience was priceless for Khan.
Khan was learning in reverse what the giant snake did instinctively, and translating those habits into his brain improved his control over his new body. Summoning his cells' energy became more natural with each absorbed suitable echo, bringing results only weeks of training could produce.
The discovery was obviously welcome. Khan had half surrendered himself to the idea that the initial part of that mental training would be all pain with no gains, so he was happy to have been proven wrong. Some excitement joined the absorption of those mostly useless memories, making the tedious process more bearable.
Of course, those instances were quite rare. Khan still wasn't at the level of being able to recognize the memories' meaning, so everything was up to luck. The body-related echoes also seemed fewer in number, making the process mostly unfruitful.
Yet, Khan could now look forward to something in that otherwise dull and painful absorption, and his training improved because of that. The hope of a reward made him push himself harder than usual, deepening his already unhealthy habits in the field.
More days went by without any change in Khan's routine. He rarely left the reinforced room while the autopilot kept steering the ship toward Nott Station. He only moved to seize food, skipping on the drinks to retain as much mental awareness as possible.
By the end of the following week, the ship sent a warning to the training hall, awakening Khan from his nap. Nott Station had appeared in sight, and the vehicle needed to perform maneuvers that could disturb Khan's dangerous training.
Khan's recovery period had shortened during that period, but the warning had interrupted it. A faint headache still hovered in his mind as he left the reinforced room and headed for the bridge. He half-planned to handle the landing manually, but walking past a mirror updated him on his poor state.
Few things could ruin Khan's appearance like his intense training sessions. His mindset completely regressed to his time in the Slums during them, forsaking health, personal hygiene, and more to focus solely on the workout.
Khan's physical resilience was monstrous, but mental stress had a way to show its marks despite his incredible recovery. His reflection in the mirror showed deep, dark eyebags, slightly caved in cheeks, and an unusually unfocused gaze. Khan seemed to have lost weight, but the issue barely crossed his mind.
Personal appearance had never been one of Khan's primary concerns. If anything, looking ugly, dirty, and sickly would help to keep women away from him on Nott Station.
However, some of Khan's forces had already teleported and settled in the space station, including members of his inner circle. Showing his face in that condition would only worry them, and he didn't know what his Aunt would do if the news got out.
Khan inputted a few commands on the control desk before diving into the relatively cramped shower. The cold liquid that fell on his head and shoulder washed away the accumulated sweat, dirt, and mental fatigue. His headache finally disappeared, but that separation was bound to be short.
Nott Station's main structure didn't change much in those two months. It still only consisted of a cylindrical building with a circular ring spinning around its center, but its orbit was clustered with workers now.
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Ships of various sizes and shapes hovered all around Nott Station, dealing with different tasks. Each vehicle was relatively small, but most had all sorts of working gears attached to their hulls. Mechanical arms, welding tools, and more stretched from them, handling and modifying materials directly in the middle of space.
Khan only saw the scene when he returned to the bridge but found nothing surprising in it. He didn't know the specifics but had never stopped receiving updates on the various projects in the work around Nott Station, so he could recognize some of them.
Nott Station was simply too small and old. Improving it was possible but with clear limits. Unless the Nognes family dismantled and rebuilt most of the space station, the structure wouldn't be able to hold much more modern equipment, especially something befitting a Prince.
The easiest solution was to build around the space station, filling its orbit with the required structures before connecting them. It was dangerous work that demanded more specific tools and materials, but the Nognes family could easily afford both.
The space station obviously prepared for Khan's arrival. Most of the workers kept focusing on their job, but the structure released a series of ships that formed a path toward a private hangar.
Khan let the autopilot handle everything while wearing a simple black tracksuit. He inspected the slow landing from behind the canopy, adding the finishing touches to his appearance. His silver crown had somehow survived the fight against the ancient snake, and he put it over his long, wet hair, while the red cape was severely mangled, but he still used it to cover his shoulders.
A welcoming party waited inside the private hangar, and Khan recognized a few familiar faces. They mostly belonged to his family, but Captain Lochport had brought a small crew with him, and Mary was at his side.
"Gordon!" Khan called as soon as his ship opened to release a metal ramp. "It has been a while."
Gordon had been the soldier in charge of the rescue team on Baoway before becoming Khan's personal guard once his noble status was announced.
Of course, Khan had never needed Gordon's protection, which mostly relegated the fifth-level warrior to a glorified manager's position. Khan actually didn't see the man that often anymore, but his Uncle had probably thought about sending as many familiar faces as possible to those distant reaches of the universe.
"My Prince," Gordon said, wearing a firm military salute. "It's an honor to work directly under you again."
The rest of the welcoming party imitated Gordon, but Khan ignored the salutes to focus on another familiar face. His eyes only ran over Captain Lochport, Mary, and other soldiers he had seen in the past to focus on the real leader of those teams.
"Garret," Khan called, walking toward one of his lead scientists. "I'm sorry for making you come so far on such a short notice."
"It's no problem at all, Prince Khan," Garret responded, glancing at Khan's eyebags before continuing. "I know you must be tired from the trip, but could I steal some of your time for a moment before you retreat to your quarters?"
"Lead the way," Khan nodded, sensing the distress in his scientist's mana.
Garret promptly turned, and the welcoming party split, with a small part of it following Khan and the scientist across the hangar. The group entered the narrow corridors, which were crowded with workers performing all kinds of jobs on and inside their surfaces. All of them stopped what they were doing to salute Khan, but the escort never stopped.
After a few minutes, the group reached the medical bay, which was in a far worse state than Khan recalled. Most of the walls around it had been taken down, probably planning to expand and enhance it. The space station needed a proper lab now, and Garret seemed to plan to have it there.
All the previous equipment was still active, and Khan spotted new machines while walking through the area. Still, Garret eventually stopped before a sealed door, throwing a glance at Khan that spoke louder than a thousand words.
"Wait outside," Khan ordered to the escort, following Garret once he unlocked that entrance.
The door led to a simple meeting room. Except for the circular and fancy interactive table at its center, everything matched Khan's first tour through the space station. It seemed his family had only replaced the preexisting equipment with something far better.
"Prince Khan," Garret called, not wasting any time to approach the interactive desk and summon a series of holograms. "Forgive me in advance for my language."
Khan only needed to glance at the holograms to know what was about to arrive. Various pictures of a familiar snake shone above the interactive table, as well as data that highlighted its gargantuan size.
"But," Garret continued, attempting to retain as much decorum as possible before sharply turning, pointing his arm at the pictures. "What in the fucking galaxy is that?!"
