"We aren't picking the [Blood Graph]," Khan declared.
"It's [Blood Vortex]," Liiza corrected, "And we are definitely picking it."
Khan had hurried toward the cave in the marsh after the meeting with the hooded Niqols. His knowledge of the aliens' old ways was basically non-existent, so Liiza walked him through them. She didn't know too much either, but she could inspect them from a different perspective, and that was already a lot.
"I'm not picking a method that will hurt you," Khan stated seriously while turning to glance at his girlfriend.
Khan was sitting between Liiza's legs. His back was on her chest, and she played with his hair or left soft kisses on the top of his head whenever he said something that made her emotions burst.
The two had studied the scroll together, but they had quickly come to the conclusion that all the methods were outside the range of Khan's abilities. The list described advanced techniques that only Niqols with excellent proficiency in the manipulation field could approach, and Khan didn't even come close to meeting those requirements.
Moreover, a good level of expertise in the manipulation field was only the initial requirement. Most methods had at least one additional material or condition which only Nitis could fulfill. The plants, or wood, or liquids described on the scroll were iconic of the alien planet.
Khan hoped to remain on Nitis as long as possible, but he didn't delude himself. Finding the Nak remained one of his priorities, so he would eventually leave the planet, and he didn't want to end up with a method that he couldn't use. He couldn't even confirm whether the Global Army could grant him access to those materials, but he guessed that the prices would be far higher through that channel.
The list described many interesting methods. They went from an old version of the azure symbols that filled every Niqols' structure to many branches of the alien alchemy. Yet, they all had steep requirements in terms of manipulation of mana, and they even needed many materials, which even Liiza struggled to recognize.
Only three methods appeared somewhat approachable, even if they would still force Khan to wait until his expertise in the manipulation field reached the intended level. They were respectively a defensive ability, a technique that allowed to absorb mana from the environment, and an offensive skill.
The offensive skill was interesting, but it required many steps. It described how it was possible to replicate an enemy's unique aura and control its mana. It was actually terrifying to think about the applications of the technique.
The only problem was how long it could take to gain an exact idea of an enemy's aura. The method described how Niqols might even require to suffer direct injuries to reach that level of understanding. They could achieve the same results by eating pieces of the opponent, but the technique almost lost its meaning at that point since they could already hurt it.
Also, the level of control of the opponents' mana depended on how deeply the Niqols understood it, which could lead to long battles. The method seemed to go against Khan's fighting method, so he didn't feel too interested in it.
Instead, the defensive method was interesting. It required some preparations since the user would need to eat specific materials to gain the ability to clot blood and turn the skin into a shield. The only problem there was that the ingredients usually involved coagulated blood that could even belong to monsters or similar creatures. The abuse of the clotting skill could even lead to lasting injuries, and the limits changed according to the body's resilience.
In the end, the absorption method, the [Blood Vortex], used tattoo-like marks to attract the mana in the environment. Applying those signs on a body would increase its attunement with mana and could replace human meditations. The only issue was that blood usually was the best ingredient for the ink, and it also required infusions with mana that carried a specific nature.
Khan had felt stunned during his first read of the list. The old ways were gruesome, barbaric, but powerful. All of them could cause backlashes, but that felt almost normal since they allowed the Niqols to use abilities able to surpass spells in terms of power. Those methods could also ignore the differences among the various elements since they relied on external materials to achieve their effects.
Liiza didn't need to think too much about it. She felt that the [Blood Vortex] was perfect for Khan since he could use the monsters' blood once his manipulation ability increased. The other techniques required too many materials of complicated procedures, and he might need years to start practicing them.
Khan's current ability didn't allow him to use the [Blood Vortex] either, but he wasn't alone. Liiza's proficiency in the manipulation field was outstanding. She also fell short when it came to the method's requirements, but she could fill that gap by using her own blood during the procedure. Needless to say, Khan was completely against that.
"Your hair is getting long," Liiza whispered while fixing her gaze on each azure strand she found. "I never understood why humans cut it short."
"I'm not using your blood to get stronger," Khan repeated.
"You won't," Liiza stated after leaving a kiss on Khan's lips. "I will."
"[Liiza]," Khan scolded while turning to face his girlfriend.
Khan took Liiza by her sides and lifted her while turning completely. Liiza ended up on his lap when he put her down, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. She showed an affectionate smile at his concerned face, and the two inevitably exchanged another deep kiss.
"Look," Khan while raising the scroll to their side. "I can pick the [Blood Shield] and get your help gathering materials. It feels right to get a defensive ability."
"You said it correctly," Liiza voiced a sweet smile while squeezing Khan's head in a hug. "You are getting good at my language."
"I have my reasons to learn," Khan teased while bending forward to lie Liiza on the ground.
The two started to exchange intense kisses, but Liiza didn't forget the previous topic, and she didn't hesitate to remind Khan as soon as their lips separated. "You are still picking the [Blood Vortex]. It's the only method that can give some results before the daylight."
Khan heaved an exasperated gasp while lying on her. His head pointed at the dark wall, but Liiza pulled his hair softly and giggled until he turned to face her.
"[I don't want to use you]," Khan revealed when their eyes met.
"[This is me being selfish]," Liiza stated while placing her hand on his cheek. "[I want to sacrifice something for you]."
Liiza had never stopped smiling since the beginning of that discussion. It was as if she knew that Khan wouldn't give in unless she showed him how much that mattered for her.
Khan knew that the [Blood Vortex] was the best option. The fact that Liiza could probably help him right away was too important with the daylight getting close. Even a slight one or two percent increase in his attunement with mana could help during the crisis. It might also turn him into a first-level warrior before everyone else in his year.
Khan would even become able to use the technique on his own at some point, and blood was everywhere in the universe. The method also affected something that he could easily justify with his talent or mutations. After all, he would have to keep his new ability a secret from the Global Army since it would immediately investigate otherwise.
"How much blood are we talking about?" Khan eventually gave up in front of Liiza's loving expression.
"I have no idea," Liiza revealed in an awkward tone. "It might be a lot."
"I'm definitely picking something else!" Khan shouted, and Liiza laughed happily.
It took a while, but Liiza slowly made Khan accept that he had no better option. She actually had to explain how resilient Niqols were and had to make him promise to be as accommodating as possible after each procedure. Khan would have never accepted such a big favor otherwise.
"Are you sure my mother said that you can pick only one of them?" Liiza asked while reviewing the list. "The [Mana Control] feels too difficult, but the [Blood Shield] doesn't sound bad. I think I've even heard Zalpa mentioning it."
"She said one field," Khan explained.
"I think she added these abilities on purpose then," Liiza uttered. "She knew that the various alchemic fields and our runes would have been too hard for you to learn, so she put something more approachable for a human."
"How nice of her," Khan commented before laughing when Liiza glared at him.
Khan continued to laugh as he straightened his position to sit cross-legged. Liiza didn't hesitate to lay her head on his lap while handing him the scroll. The item was interactive, so he only needed to press on one of the names to make his choice.
"Do you think I can pick two?" Khan asked.
"Try to press them at the same time," Liiza suggested. "Maybe someone on the other side will notice it and accept to give you both."
Khan didn't need explanations on how to interact with the item. He placed the scroll on the ground and gathered mana on his forefingers before pointing them at the names of the absorption and defensive technique.
"Don't try to get slow on your right hand," Liiza warned since Khan's right forefinger was on the [Blood Vortex] label.
"I can't control it completely," Khan joked. "I'm left-handed."
Liiza snorted and turned the scroll upside-down while making sure that Khan's glowing left forefinger pointed at the [Blood Vortex] now. She then left a kiss on his knee before resting on his lap again.
Khan could only laugh before lowering his fingers at the same time. The [Blood Vortex] and [Blood Shield] labels lit up together with their descriptions, but nothing happened when he interrupted the contact.
Khan tried multiple times, but the scroll kept rejecting his choice. He had to reach his twelfth attempt to trigger a reaction on the item.
The names and descriptions of the two techniques continued to glow even after he removed his fingers. The scroll had accepted Khan's choice, but it surprised him by catching fire on its own.
Khan's first instinct was to suppress those blue flames, but Liiza promptly grabbed his wrists to stop him. She also shook her head before explaining the nature of that event. "That's how secret conversations among tribes happen since it's incredibly hard to delete something once it enters the cubes."
"I guess we can only wait now," Khan sighed as he watched the scroll burn.
His hand went on Liiza hair as multiple thoughts filled his mind. Liiza experienced something similar as her eyes remained on the flames. The flickering noises resounding in the silent cave made both of them fall in a daze and reminded them that the daylight would arrive in less than two months.
****
Author's notes: 3-4 hours for the second chapter.