Bluish flashes disrupted the dark scenery and illuminated a distant patch of trees in the valley between the two mountains. The large dark leaves created thick crowns that hid the surface, so Khan didn't manage to see much from the sky.
Liiza made her Aduns land at the edges of the forest, and Khan didn't hesitate to follow her. The two dismounted and let their eagles leave before turning toward the incoming group of Ugu approaching from the distance.
"Did you manage to get some sleep?" Liiza whispered while the two kept straight faces and continued to stare at the Ugu.
"Not really," Khan replied, "But I'm not tired. How could I?"
"Don't let it get to your head," Liiza sneered. "You are cute, but I want to know you more before that."
"I'll tell you more," Khan promised.
"Don't do it for the wrong reasons," Liiza complained. "Niqols might have fewer restraints than humans, but we share the same feelings."
Khan frowned. He felt that was something wrong with Liiza, but that wasn't the right situation to question her properly.
"Hey, it's not simple attraction on my side," Khan revealed while mustering the entirety of his self-control to keep his face fixed on the Ugu. "It's deeper. I don't know how to explain it."
"I know," Liiza whispered. "I can read it in your eyes. I feel the same. Our mana is probably telling us that we are a match."
"Mana?" Khan asked as he failed to relax his frown. "Why would it have something to do with us?"
"That's so human of you," Liiza replied while clearing her throat to avoid giving voice to a short laugh. "Did you think that mana would have only changed your strength? Your feelings come from your brain, and you have mana there."
Understanding suddenly dawned upon Khan. Liiza was right. The human approach was quite barbaric now that he thought about it.
Mana already filled multiple spots inside his body, brain included. His base physical strength had increased due to that energy, so it was only normal that his feelings and sensations had gone through similar changes.
"Do I like you due to our mana?" Khan asked as a tinge of disappointment seeped into his voice.
"Khan, our mana is only an expression of ourselves," Liiza explained. "It's the most honest part of our character. Niqols consider it to be the purest form of attraction."
"That's a good thing, right?" Khan exclaimed as his eyes flickered.
He was dying to see Liiza's expression, but he couldn't leave any clue about their relationship. Appearing too intimate or relaxed next to the daughter of the ambassador handling the humans would only make the incoming group suspicious.
"That's really good," Liiza sighed, "But it means that now I'm worried about your safety."
Liiza didn't let Khan speak anymore. She stepped forward and walked toward the group of Ugu carrying Paul and the other recruits. Khan couldn't help but remain in a daze when he stared at her long white hair fluttering in the wind and revealing her captivating back. Still, he promptly shrugged his shoulders, wore a fake helpless smile, and pretended not to have control over his actions when he noticed Paul's admonishing gaze.
Some of the boys on the Ugu hid their smiles, while the girls shook their heads and revealed disgusted expressions. Yet, Paul soon glared at all of them and made them regain stern faces.
Khan's expression grew cold as soon as the others stopped focusing on him. He preferred his companions to believe that he was an idiotic horny kid rather than endangering his relationship with Liiza.
Her last words had made him desire to hold and reassure her, and his lustful thoughts had even dimmed after learning about the influence that mana had on his mind. Khan found himself wanting to talk about feelings with Liiza rather than thinking of ways to get her naked.
Khan followed Liiza, making sure to keep enough distance from her. He even took his position among his group once they reached their destination without getting close to the Ugu.
"My superiors have contacted me during the flight," Liiza announced while the human troops waited for her instructions. "The situation appears more dangerous than they had initially predicted. We must reach the Niqols group right away."
Liiza didn't wait for an answer and turned to walk toward the forest's edges. The other recruits dismounted from their Ugu, and Paul approached Khan while carrying two backpacks almost as tall as him.
"You get one," Paul ordered while dropping a backpack on the ground.
"I was only looking," Khan complained while crouching to wear the backpack.
The item was incredibly heavy and forced Khan to bend forward to carry it properly. Still, his current attunement with mana and training with the Lightning-demon style made his balance quite firm even with the additional weight.
"We have fine butts in the camp," Paul snorted. "Look at them next time."
Paul reunited with the group, and Khan followed him after regaining his cold face. The soldier shot glances at him while everyone walked toward Liiza, but he could only see the most driven recruit in the world now. The heavy backpack on his back didn't even manage to slow him down.
"I don't get you at times," Paul whispered.
"You aren't the first to say that," Khan revealed as a sad smile appeared on his face.
"I'm sorry," Paul quickly said when he noticed that his words had awakened sad memories. "Just focus on doing well in the hunt. Handle it like you handled Lieutenant Kintea."
Khan smirked, and the conversation ended there. Paul made sure to walk in front of the group and reach Liiza, who entered the forest when everyone gathered at its edges.
The group moved on foot among the uneven terrain inside the forest. Large roots came out of the ground and made it impossible to walk through the area in a straight line, but Liiza's steps never faltered as she led everyone across the seemingly identical trees.
A relatively large empty spot eventually unfolded in everyone's vision. Khan and the others could see twenty Niqols sitting in a circle while an older alien drew maps on the terrain.
"[Our allies]!" The older Niqols exclaimed when he noticed Liiza and the humans behind her. "Come, come. We were just starting the briefing."
The older alien had the aspect of a middle-aged man who carried the Niqols' iconic features. He was slender, with dark-blue skin and glowing white eyes. Long white hair combed into multiple braids fell on his back, and a gentle feeling filled his face.
"Chief Alu," Paul exclaimed while performing a polite bow once he approached the group. "It's an honor to meet you again."
"You are too polite," Chief Alu laughed. "It's always nice to work with humans. It's a pity that the situation today is quite serious."
Paul gestured at the recruits to form a circle around the sitting Niqols. Liiza took her seat on the ground next to some of them, and Khan couldn't help but notice how her companions appeared rather dismissive toward her arrival.
That reaction didn't apply only to Liiza. The young Niqols in the circle barely glanced at the humans even after they stood behind them. Only a few aliens took their time to inspect all the recruits before moving their attention on the map again.
"I believe we can start," Chief Alu announced in his perfect human accent. "I'll explain the situation and plan in both languages to make sure that all of us understand them properly."
Chief Alu resumed his explanation in the Niqols' language, and the human group politely waited for him to finish. Khan had the chance to inspect the mana in the aliens during that time, but their level seemed to be on par with his companions.
Only Chief Alu appeared clearly stronger than Paul. He gave off the same sensations that Khan felt with Lieutenant Kintea and other stronger soldiers. It was clear that he wasn't a simple squad leader.
"It's your turn now," Chef Alu announced. "As I said to the others, the monster has keen senses capable of warning it about potential threats. We have already tried to hunt it with stronger soldiers, but it keeps escaping them. Only those that aren't dangerous in its mind can approach it without making it run away."
Chief Alu then moved his gaze toward Khan and revealed a warm smile before continuing. "You have seen the forest from above. Hunting this monster with the Aduns will only put them in danger."
The young Niqols shot curious glances toward Khan at that point. They all knew the human language, and they had even heard that a human had successfully tamed an Aduns. However, they didn't think that he would have fought with them.
Khan saw different feelings on their faces. Some Niqols were angry, while others felt slightly curious. Still, they all made sure to glance at Liiza before moving their eyes back on the ground.
Anger inevitably built inside Khan's mind when he saw Liiza ignoring those glances. Nothing appeared on his expression, but it didn't feel good at all to see his girlfriend going through that treatment.
"We would normally send higher-ups with the recruits during these hunts," Chief Alu continued, "But the careful personality of this monster doesn't allow them to get too close. Even Paul will have to remain a bit far away during the hunt."
Chief Alu basically explained that the recruits wouldn't have any backup during the hunt. Paul would be nearby, but he would still need a few minutes to reach their position if something happened.
"Let me be clear," Chief Alu explained. "We have broadly evaluated the monster's power. You are more than enough to kill it. The only problem is that it can also kill you, so be careful."
Chief Alu then cleared his throat and moved his attention to the drawings on the ground. "We have other groups ready to intercept the monster if it decides to escape. Try to push it toward one of the exits marked on the map in that case."
The map was quite simple. It depicted the two mountains, the valley, and the passages connected to the area. The forest was vast, but the region only had a few clear entrances. The monster would sacrifice its favorable position if it tried to escape through other paths.
"A few warnings now," Chief Alu added. "This monster has developed special abilities. I believe you have heard the crackling noises when entering the forest. It has also subdued a few animals and created a small pack, so it won't be your only opponent."
The explanation continued with a description of the monster. Khan vaguely understood that it resembled a tiger with grey fur and black stripes, but it was hard to convey those details due to the differences between the two species.
Chief Alu even revealed that they had never managed to get a picture of the creature with their devices due to the lightning bolts that it released. However, he reassured the group by explaining how impossible it was to miss it.
"Rest for a few hours now," Chief Alu ordered. "I'll send a few explorers forward to confirm the monster's position. Make sure to gather your strength."
Paul and the others performed a polite salute and settled in a different corner of the empty spot. Khan could eat and take a short nap while the group waited for the explorers to come back, and he felt at his peak when Paul summoned everyone.
Niqols and humans gathered and created a simple battle tactic. Those groups couldn't work together correctly, but they could plan approaches that would make them cooperate better.
The two groups divided themselves into smaller teams that would approach the target from different angles and call for help whenever the battle started.
Khan had George, Sonia, and a tall boy called Glenn in his team. The four of them exchanged glances with the other teams before walking on different paths. Paul and Liiza remained behind the groups and started to follow them only after a few minutes.
The dark environment would normally prevent inspections from their spots, but Paul had brought two binoculars that featured precise heat sensors. Liiza could see the entirety of Khan's silhouette even if dozens of trees separated her from him.