Chaos Heir

Chapter 1204 Potions

Trips in space were dull by their own nature, especially when they involved navigating through empty stretches of the universe to avoid known landmarks, regulated areas, and bustling flight routes.

Nevertheless, Khan's recent trips were incomparable to his current one. There was no loneliness or boredom. Each day felt like a miracle, even if the ship couldn't help but disagree.

Once the couple reaffirmed their feelings, history repeated itself. Liiza lost control of herself, and Khan's new state made him join her in those crazy outbursts that knew no limit or breaks. After all, their stamina was monstrous, enabling routines almost as unhealthy as Khan's worst training sessions.

Of course, mere metal couldn't endure the lustful frenzy of two terrifying entities, no matter how resilient it was. The ship suffered at each twist and turn. Furniture broke, machines stopped working altogether, and the floor, walls, and ceiling gained dents and holes that would require specialized engineers to fix.

It turned out that Khan and Liiza's greatest threat on the trip was themselves. They were too powerful for the ship to accommodate when they lost control of their actions. The trend was becoming concerning, but their bodies eventually adapted to that new intensity, allowing calmer and safer routines.

The new calm made room for sweet, needed talks. Khan and Liiza had much to relearn about each other and countless stories to share, especially the former. So, they used that time when they could keep their hands off each other to start catching up.

That wasn't all. Khan still needed to adjust the ship's course regularly, adapting it to what the scanners picked up. Flying outside the unregulated part of the universe was a dangerous task and required constant care. Much had to be taken into consideration, forcing him to spend hours looking at star maps.

As for Liiza, her expertise lay elsewhere, in a field that had transformed the state-of-the-art cargo area into her lab. Khan had counted five fuming buckets the last time he had checked it and could only thank his ship's air purifiers for keeping the environment breathable.

The clock on the scarlet holographic menus told Khan that the trip had entered its fourth week, but he barely glanced at it while hovering cross-legged before the control desk. The pilot's seat had been one of the first victims of the crazed frenzy, forcing him to use his innate abilities to drive.

That was hardly a problem for Khan. He had even forgotten he was in mid-air while looking at the star map before him. The ship was finally approaching areas he knew better, but that brought its own set of problems.

The fact that Khan had information about those areas meant someone had shared it. It meant that someone could be using those illegal flight routes for criminal activities. It meant that the ship might have company soon.

Khan wasn't worried about pirates, smugglers, or other criminals. They weren't a threat. The problem was with being seen inside such an eye-catching ship.

Theoretically, big forces preferred to keep political incidents a secret to salvage their reputation, only informing specific parties to deal with the aftermath.

However, the current mess involved at least three species, and Khan didn't know how far their claws stretched. He believed they wouldn't put actual wanted posters, but sharing relevant information with criminals so that they could recognize his ship was a possibility.

It didn't help that Khan couldn't check the network until he reached Merth 290. His ship was currently invisible, but his phone wasn't, nor were the accounts connected to it. Khan didn't know much about those fields, but something told him that leaving the device at the scarlet control desk was safer.

Faint steps resounded behind Khan while he was immersed in those troubling thoughts. Of course, he not only sensed that incoming cold figure far earlier. Khan had also felt when Liiza decided to visit him on the bridge.

"What's troubling you?" Liiza's voice resounded above Khan's head before a kiss landed on his hair. A fuming cup soon appeared in his vision, as well as the dark-blue hand holding it.

"New batch?" Khan asked, taking the cup and looking up. Liiza was holding a drink of her own while wearing a slightly stained black tracksuit. Some drops of something had also formed tiny green spots on her face, but Khan only noticed her beauty.

"It still isn't close to what Doku can make," Liiza sighed, climbing on Khan's floating, crossed legs to settle sideways between them, "But it should be far better than the last."

Khan supported Liiza with an arm while the two performed a traditional Niqols toast. The cup's liquid was green and dense, almost reminding him of the toxic substance, but Khan couldn't wait to taste it.

A scorching sensation hit Khan's throat as soon as he drank, but pleasant warmth filled his chest afterward. The booze tasted good and was of far higher quality than anything stocked in his cargo area turned lab. Also, it contained mana, so it could try to affect him.

"It's good," Khan exclaimed before glancing at the expectant face to his left. "You have to stop speaking so highly of Doku when you can make this. The reality will never meet my expectations otherwise."

"He is that good," Liiza insisted, also taking a sip from her cup. "And you aren't too reliable since you'll say anything to get between my legs."

"It's good," Khan reassured, pulling Liiza closer, "Even if I want to get between your legs."

Liiza giggled, leaning on Khan's torso and lying her head on his before switching to her language. "[Wait a few hours. It has to take effect first]."

"[What did you put into our drinks]?" Khan questioned, already knowing where that conversation was going.

"[We are fighting against our different species, my mutations, and your genes]," Liiza awkwardly said before her voice grew timid. "[We need all the help that we can get]."

Khan turned his head, forcing Liiza to retract hers and allow him to face her. She was blushing, and her meaningful look told a story of its own. Liiza had taken the marriage part to heart, as well as its marital obligations.

The topic was tricky for Khan, especially after Garret's warnings, but Liiza had also learned about those in the past weeks. She didn't give up hope, even summoning her Shaman expertise to concoct something that could help, and Khan couldn't be the one to drag her down.

Khan lingered in that stare for a few more seconds before refocusing on his cup, gulping down all its contents in one go. He even showed her the empty container afterward, only to be greeted by a kiss.

"[I love you]," Liiza whispered, kissing Khan again before placing her head on his again. "So, what was troubling you?"

"We might encounter ships soon," Khan revealed, feigning ignorance toward Liiza's tighter hug. "Chances are they have no connections to our species or the Kros, but they remain variables."

The façade was pointless since Liiza felt what Khan felt. Still, the couple had learned to pretend they didn't know about some superficial stuff to avoid making their mental connection control their lives.

Khan knew what the safest option was, and Liiza also understood that. After all, dead men told no tales. Killing any potential witness would remove any variable altogether.

However, killing someone just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time was a bit too much. Khan would still do it to protect what he had with Liiza and avoid the worst possible outcome, but it wouldn't feel good nonetheless.

Still, Liiza sensed Khan's hesitation and internal conflict and couldn't let it stand. She had to be Khan's salvation from the corruption he had been forced to accept, not a magnet for more of it. Luckily, her expertise could help there.

"Can't we force them to follow us?" Liiza wondered.

"It's too risky," Khan rejected. "This ship can catch up with almost anything, even if they try to take us by surprise, but that's more fuel and time wasted."

After Khan returned from his solitary trip, Garret had loaded the ship to the brim. Fuel was nowhere near a problem, but wastes accumulated, and enough small mistakes could end up cornering Khan into diving into the worst-case scenario.

"I can concoct potions," Liiza revealed, "Restrictions, like the one you drank to be in [The Pure Trees]."

Khan's eyes widened, darting left and right while he pondered the matter. He wasn't fond of restrictions due to what had happened to his father, but he recalled the Niqols' to be quite flexible. That was a great compromise, and the universe obviously didn't hesitate to ruin that good news.

"How long would it take you to concoct them?" Khan asked.

"It depends on how specific they have to be and other features," Liiza explained. "I don't have the best materials here, so extracting the right properties before starting the concoction can take some time."

Khan tinkered with the control desk, zooming in on his current route and summoning other holograms. The scanners had picked up something, and Khan pointed at that beeping light.

"Can you make a few in thirty minutes?" Khan coughed. "We have guests."