Life in [The Pure Trees] was mostly peaceful and busy. Everyone knew about the arrival of the daylight, but no one dared to ruin the relaxed aura that filled the forest at the center of the seven mountains.

Kelly and the other skeptical recruits eventually had to accept that the new environment brought clear advantages. Their training felt smoother, their improving sensitivity to mana increased their overall awareness, and their constant efforts to control that energy benefited their martial arts in ways that they didn't expect.

Only the manipulation field remained too complicated for most recruits since it belonged to a type of training that was too distant from what the humans believed to be useful.

Of course, that realization didn't arrive in a matter of days. The recruits had to spend two more weeks immersed in that alien environment to notice and accept that their level was increasing in ways that the human training camps had never managed to provide. That realization didn't even come on its own. Brandon, Kelly, and George had to reach the competent proficiency level with their martial arts to make the clear advantages of the alien academy impossible to deny.

The three recruits weren't poor like Khan or lazy like Luke. They were Martha's rich version. Their families had given them martial arts before their enrollment to the Global Army. That had only allowed them to memorize most of the techniques before their attunement level granted them access to mana, but it was a significant advantage nonetheless.

Khan had managed to match that advantage through sheer willpower and discipline in his training, but his early access and talent to mana had played an essential part in his achievement. Still, his talent didn't refute the importance of what his three companions had accomplished. Stepping into the competent proficiency level only eight months after their enrollment remained an amazing feat.

George was the first to accomplish the important feat, but his companions used Istrone's crisis to justify the event. Kelly's advancement arrived only a few days later, but the other recruits viewed her stern approach to her training as the reason for her achievement. It took Brandon's breakthrough to make them accept that the academy had something to do with their sudden growth.

Some took the events as a natural consequence of the increased workload. The recruits had to spend nine hours a day immersed in exercises meant to improve their sensitivity, control, and manipulation of mana. Adding their normal training to those lessons had basically doubled the amount of time they spent on the physical subjects.

Nevertheless, others didn't completely disregard how the Niqols' training methods and the peaceful atmosphere of the academy had affected their growth. They all could feel their approach to mana changing after that prolonged stay among the aliens. The recruits inevitably stopped taking it as a simple fuel and started viewing it as a core part of themselves.

The recruits didn't have actual conversations about that realization, not general talks at least. They vaguely mentioned the topic every once in a while, but no one wanted to go too deeply in that field. Cracks appeared in their confidence about the superiority of their species, but that was the best it could happen in only three weeks.

The faint and silent changes experienced by the recruits were far more evident when it came to Khan, and some recruits failed to see them only due to his almost constant absence.

The two weeks after the events with the leeches didn't feature any mission or unexpected crisis. Khan could immerse himself in his new life and become a core member of the academy's social network.

Rumors about his battle against Ilman had inevitably spread, and George was partially to blame for that. The boy had no ill intention when he bragged about his friend during parties or lunch breaks, and his ignorance about the secret relationship didn't make him realize how troublesome his actions were for Khan.

Ilman had a great image among most Niqols due to his dedication to his innate emotions. Learning that Khan had fought and won against him made many aliens reevaluate the human boy and his companions as a whole. Khan started to build deeper relationships with Niqols outside of Azni and Doku, and most of them featured girls interested in more than a simple friendship.

George took that development as an absolute victory, but Khan could only see problems piling on in front of his eyes. The parties became battles that required his best performances to remain polite and admirable without offending or openly rejecting those attentions. Leaving them also became a problem when he had to handle interested girls, friendly Niqols, and happy drunkards. Luckily for him, he had a helper during those loud events.

Khan didn't know how he would have managed to continue seeing Liiza if Azni didn't help him come up with excuses to remain alone long enough to escape the parties. The girl turned out to be an expert in gossips and parties, and her support helped Khan avoid creating misunderstandings.

A few problems followed Azni's blatant help. Doku started to suspect that something was up, but his girlfriend's behavior never made his thoughts think about an affair. Moreover, Khan's mysterious disappearances only improved his image in the Niqols' eyes. He became Ilman's opposite. Both good-looking and talented, but one was openly intense, while the other appeared full of secrets.

Khan limited himself to look at the positive side of that matter. The Niqols didn't even begin to suspect something about his secret relationship. They all had seen him the night before his battle with Ilman, and everyone agreed that the alien had fallen prey to unreasonable jealousy. Khan had even been kind enough not to take the matter to heart and teach him how different perspectives existed.

Other problems involved the recruits. The group of humans created two different factions, and Khan appeared to be outside of both. Kelly's team tried to maintain a distance from the aliens, while George's side did its best to blend in.

Khan couldn't belong to either of them because he didn't exist. He didn't sleep in the underground habitation, he always escaped from the parties, and he spent most of his free time inside the academy training.

His companions began to take his disappearances as a needed search for privacy, and even Kelly started to accept that after seeing how popular he was among the Niqols. They couldn't imagine that Khan's problem stretched even outside of the academy.

"That Zezag bitch!" Liiza shouted as she stomped her feet while walking up and down the cave in the marsh. "She always clings to boys to make sure that they notice her big chest! How would anyone miss it when you keep your robe open all the time?!"

"Even Kheda joined her!" Liiza cursed without stopping her steps. "Why are girls with a big chest so bold? How is Ilman even causing more problems now that he can't enter the academy? Why are you even smiling?!"

Liiza's last comment only broadened Khan's smile. He was watching his jealous girlfriend while sitting at the bottom of the cave. The tiredness accumulated in the previous two weeks was trying to fill his head, but he didn't feel anything when he saw how angry Liiza was about his situation.

"It's funny to see you like this," Khan chuckled. "I don't even need to tease you to get these reactions."

"Shut up!" Liiza snorted. "You are just happy that I'm too jealous to care about my initial deal."

"I'm still respecting it," Khan responded before diverting his gaze, "Most of the time."

The couple was approaching their second month together. Only a bit more than a week separated the two from that celebration. The happy event had initially put Liiza in a good mood, but the attentions that Khan had received in the last two weeks had made her jealous beyond reason.

The fact that Liiza had held back words that she was desperate to say for two entire weeks only worsened the situation. Luckily for her, Khan had been perfect in reassuring her. He often reminded her how it was enough for them to know about their feelings.

Liiza even felt bad about being unable to remain completely focused on Khan during the time that he managed to find for them in his packed schedule. It was the second day of his fourth week in the academy. He had gone through twelve hours of lessons, a party, and a long flight to have a few moments with her, but she found herself unable to ignore how popular he had become.

"You are draining yourself for me," Liiza whispered as her eyes went on the ground. "Sometimes, I think you'd be better off without me. You would be able to sleep properly, train all you want, and have sex with many big-chested girls."

Khan knew that he had to console her, but her third remark on the chest issue made him explode into a laugh. Liiza had ended up gaining that inferiority complex due to the comparison with her mother's beauty, and she couldn't help but reveal it when her boyfriend received the attention of girls with similar curves.

"Don't laugh!" Liiza complained while glaring at him. "This is serious. I'm one step away from rushing to the next party and kissing you in front of everyone. You have no idea how hard it is to stay here alone knowing that hordes of girls are trying to get inside your pants."

"I wouldn't call them hordes," Khan laughed.

"Please," Liiza snorted. "I might have been an outcast for years, but I know how Niqols girls think. Damn you. You made me unable to enjoy my time alone in less than two months."

Liiza crossed her arms and moved her eyes back to the ground. She hated her comments. She knew that Khan wouldn't take her words seriously, but she didn't want to talk badly about their relationship, even when joking or angry.

"[Liiza]," Khan said in the best Niqols' accent he could muster, "[Come here]."

Khan's knowledge of the alien language had continued to improve, and Liiza was the main reason behind that. Yet, the couple had started to use it as a trigger for their intimate moments.

Liiza pretended to struggle, but she soon glanced at Khan. He had broken his cross-legged position and had stretched his legs to create a comfortable seat above him. Liiza wanted to make him wait a few seconds, but his lap appeared too appealing that day. She didn't manage to resist it for even a second.

"[I didn't forget about the four hours that you owe me]," Liiza whispered while spreading her legs to sit on Khan.

Her arms went around his neck as the two exchanged a long kiss, but Liiza retracted her face and showed a warm smile when she sensed Khan's hands going under her robe and sliding on her thighs. The warmth spreading on her bare skin made her bite her lower lip, but she shook her head anyway.

"[I just wanted to feel your]-," Khan said before diverting his eyes as he tried to recall the word that he was looking for.

"[Butt or legs]," Liiza giggled. "[Pick one]."

"[Both]," Khan smirked, and Liiza's smile broadened before she left another kiss on his lips.

"[Let me show you something]," Khan announced before pointing his feet on the ground and standing up while lifting Liiza with him.

Liiza laughed as she wrapped her legs around his waist and let Khan carry her outside the cave. She immersed her hands in his hair and left light kisses on his head, but she focused on her surroundings when drops of water started falling on her.

Khan had stopped before the waterfall right in front of the cave. The ground there was mostly muddy. However, he had learnt to recognize the stable spots in the area after flying there for weeks.

"[I thought we could take baths together only early in the night due to Doku's nose]," Liiza whispered to Khan's ear. "[Getting me naked won't make you skip your hours either]."

Khan showed a smile and kissed her cheek before whispering to her ear. "[Get down]."

Liiza bit her lower lip again as she made her legs slide over his body slowly until they reached the ground. She waited for Khan to turn and dive on her like he often did, but a surprised expression appeared on her face when she saw him drawing the knife sheathed at his left side.

Liiza's curiosity intensified when she felt Khan holding her tightly. Their heads touched as he raised the knife in front of her eyes and used his mana to cover its dark-grey blade.

The membrane of mana appeared completely stable. Khan showed how he could wave the knife almost freely without creating ripples on that glowing cover.

The demonstration didn't end there. The membrane became thinner and sharper when Khan kept the knife still. Liiza noticed how his grip on her lower back relaxed as he focused on the technique. She even felt a faint sharp feeling when she inspected the weapon.

Khan stopped when he reached the limits of his concentration. He neared the knife covered by the sharp membrane to the waterfall and showed how a hole appeared among the water even before the weapon touched it.

"[My training is going well]," Khan suddenly announced as the membrane broke and a white mark appeared on the blunt edge.

Khan still couldn't use the Divine Reaper in a battle, but he was getting there quickly. His progress almost scared him. Yet, he knew that his growth came from his efforts in the lessons about the manipulation of mana.

His manipulation was immature and unstable, but it was improving quickly. The changes that Khan managed to apply weren't intense either, but he wasn't in a hurry. Achieving so much in less than two months without sacrificing the important aspects of his life was already an incredible achievement.

Liiza understood that Khan didn't bring her there to try to get past her restrictions about sex. He was trying to improve her mood, and that realization made her snuggle closer.

Khan stored the knife and turned toward Liiza. The girl was staring at him with loving eyes. She appeared in a daze as she studied all the features she had memorized in the last period.

"[I don't care about the other girls either]," Khan whispered. "[I only want you]."

"[Even if their chest is bigger]?" Liiza asked in a pleading tone.

"[Even if their chest is bigger]," Khan confirmed while showing a loving smile.

The two slowly drew close until they exchanged a long and affectionate kiss. The couple separated only to end up in a tight hug that made the two almost unable to breathe.

"[How long do you have]?" Liiza eventually asked without moving her face from his neck.

"[Less than one hour]," Khan revealed through a sigh. "[Let's spend it like this]."

"[I wish we could be like this forever]," Liiza whimpered in a cute voice.

Khan chuckled, but a smile appeared on Liiza's face when she felt him nodding. The two immersed themselves in the sensations that their hug generated and let themselves forget about the problems that surrounded them.

"[What is it]?" Liiza asked when she sensed Khan had suddenly tensed up.

"Liiza," Khan said without adding anything else, and Liiza understood that something was up since he had stopped using the Niqols' accent.

Liiza's head left the embrace and noticed that Khan was staring at a point in the distance. His eyes were wide, so she quickly followed his gaze.

Liiza didn't immediately understand what was happening. The waterfall filled her vision with its flowing water, but a strange multicolored glow eventually attracted her attention. She had never seen that liquid generating that reaction. The sight was clearly odd, but she didn't understand the reason behind Khan's astonishment.

Khan's hand reached for the waterfall at that point. His fingers pierced the flowing water before he used his palm to create an opening in that thin structure.

The rest of the marsh expanded past that opening. Liiza could see the sparse vegetation becoming thicker in the distance, the dense water covered in mud and small leaves, and the dark sky farther away. However, her expression froze when she noticed that an area appeared brighter than usual.

Khan and Liiza took slow steps forward and crossed the waterfall to gain a broader view of the areas past the cliff, and their gazes slowly went upward after converging on the brighter spot. Their astonishment transformed into terror when they noticed that the usual dark sky had gained pale-azure shades as it spread a faint light in the environment.

****

Author's notes: Second chapter in 2-3 hours.