Chapter 39: Meeting (1/2)

Khan's friends didn't immediately give much thought to his condition. They would see a few injuries on him or a pale complexion every Monday, but they initially disregarded those features since training with mana could lead to those events.

Even they would show a few wounds from time to time. They weren't as evident as Khan's tiredness, but they still suffered from their training. The presence of proper Masters from Ylaco couldn't prevent them.

However, worries inevitably appeared when they noticed that Khan's situation didn't improve even after a few weeks passed. Usually, recruits would learn how to avoid suffering injuries as their expertise with mana improved, but Khan didn't seem to follow that progress.

”Are you ok?” Luke eventually asked during a Monday afternoon in the canteen.

”Everything is fine,” Khan replied as he wolfed his fourth plate.

Martha, Luke, Bruce, and the two kids from the Rotston family didn't buy his plain answer. Khan almost had a sick complexion, and a large bruise encircled his right eye.

”You come every Monday with a new set of injuries,” Martha pointed out. ”It has happened for almost two months.”

”Lieutenant Dyester is teaching me how to fight,” Khan briefly explained. ”His methods aren't for softies.”

The group didn't know how to react to that statement. Masters could be harsh, especially during actual combat training, but Khan seemed to go through a beatdown every Sunday.

”I wouldn't trust Carl Dyester so much,” Luke exclaimed. ”I asked my Master about him. The rumors about him aren't good at all.”

”What can you expect from someone called ”butcher of Istrone”?” April Rotston commented. ”That guy is the only survivor of a rebellion. Stuff like that leaves deep scars.”

”It's worse than you think,” Luke continued. ”My Master knows someone who has reached Istrone right after the crisis. The soldiers had yet to clean the battlefield back then, so he saw the reason behind that title.”

”Which is?” Jacob Rotstone asked.

”Khan is still eating,” Luke replied. ”I don't want to ruin his meal.”

”Go on,” Khan promptly said while munching his meat. ”Nothing can ruin my appetite.”

Luke glanced at his other friends before heaving a helpless sigh when they nodded.

”This soldier saw piles of fuming alien corpses,” Luke said while lowering his voice. ”His platoon found Lieutenant Dyester sitting on one of them. According to the story, he didn't even notice the reinforcements. He remained there with a cigarette in his mouth.”

”He must have snapped during the battle,” April Rotstone sighed. ”It a common thing for soldiers on the frontlines. I'm not surprised he decided to lower his rank on purpose and isolate himself in this training camp.”

”I can find you another suitable Master, Khan,” Luke revealed while turning toward him. ”Your training feels like abuse. Don't put up with his methods because you don't see other options.”

”Don't worry,” Khan replied while giving voice to a fake laugh. ”Thank you for your concern, but I'm getting better with this training. I know you disagree with his methods, but they are perfect for someone like me.”

”You are hopeless,” Bruce laughed while shaking his head. ”Both Luke and the Global Army want to give you a hand, but you stick with the traumatized soldier who handles the prisons. Is this another Slum thing?”

Bruce had always treated Khan with respect. Khan knew that those words carried no ill intention, so he didn't feel offended by them.

”It's about matching characters,” Khan explained. ”He pushes me to go beyond my limits, and that's all I want. I need a firm hand to get better.”

Martha's worries quieted down after that revelation. She was afraid that Khan was enduring that treatment because of her, but there seemed to be more to it.

Lieutenant Dyester seemed able to appeal to Khan's true character. The driven and resolute man hidden behind that young face wouldn't accept sophisticated Masters who barely made him sweat. He needed a warden who taught him the practical uses of his abilities.

Luke and the others didn't reach the same conclusions, but they let go of the matter anyway. They wanted to help Khan, but they couldn't fight his stubbornness. They only hoped that he wouldn't suffer any permanent injury during that hellish training.

The group finished eating and began to leave the canteen. All of them had to rest or reach their Masters, but a message arrived on their phones before they could split.