Just one day later, the military and citizens in key towns were surprised to receive free food – rations mixed with a small amount of special wood powder. The next morning, thousands of soldiers and civilians exhibited unusual symptoms: lighter bodies, increased vision, and some even awakened Karma overnight.
In a previous internal interview, Shinkradd shared, "I once mistakenly drank a type of elixir and gained this... I discovered it three years ago, before joining the Royal Navy…" The government immediately asked him to reveal the elixir's origin. According to Shinkradd, it came from the Lobren Forest, bordering Vạng Forest. Taking advantage of this discovery, Harsavert quickly harvested large quantities of the elixir and began large-scale testing.
Since Karma was introduced into the army, they regained their advantage in the Black Sea and achieved absolute victory. In an expanded operation, they also discovered a valuable ore hidden in a ravine, called Zazak. Upon examination, Zazak was found to have an effect similar to the elixir in activating Karma.
However, the famously astute Bakorof intelligence quickly discovered this. They spread the news to allied nations, starting with Celdar. The Celdar government, however, dismissed it, stating they "had already independently uncovered the cause." Two months later, Celdar announced new research on Karma at a conference of the Aridonia and Southwest Otik Union. Scholar Vlarido Beijioneri declared, "We have found three ways to acquire Karma: 1. Facing a life-threatening situation. 2. Absorbing Odergard saplings. 3. Exposure to Zazak ore."
Over the next three years, nations competed to develop Karma armies. Odergard saplings and Zazak ore became strategic commodities. Bakorof alone, due to difficult access to resources and diplomatic isolation, chose a brutal path: They threw children, from the moment they experienced fear and recognized danger, into deep ravines, forcing them to confront terror and near-death to self-activate Karma. Each year, over two to three thousand children died, with only a few dozen surviving, just enough to maintain Bakorof's military standing.
A year later, Leona and Shinkradd announced groundbreaking research: "Animals can also possess Karma." They also released the basic concepts of Karma. Karma exists in two forms: Karshia, which is energy not tied to the original owner, allowing them to control its free movement; and Kartocus, which is energy directly linked to the user's body. They also confirmed two methods for developing Karma: continued exposure to Zazak ore and controlled training. However, a terrifying warning was issued. Through experiments on animals, they discovered: Karma users are limited by Dinoera – a source of energy that replenishes every second. If this limit is exceeded, the original owner will completely vanish.
From that moment, the world entered the Karma era. Nations frantically armed themselves, and research institutes raced to improve technology: cannons used Karma amplification pillars, airships flew lighter and faster, and soldiers moved at speeds surpassing horses. Karma continued to develop with humanity for hundreds of years, and the original pure Karma users could seemingly exist indefinitely without aging. Four hundred years after Karma was first discovered, scholars of Caelum Nocasis – a small archipelago north of Olomo and southeast of Aridonia – discovered that Karma users could not die naturally; their Dinoera reservoir, randomly located within their bodies, had to be shattered. They also calculated that Karma users would live for at least seven hundred years.
In mid-1007, in the airspace off the Nyxoria coast.
WHOOSH… WHOOSH… WHOOSH…
The southern sky roared. A blade-shaped flying object sped at incredible velocity, trailing scorching hot vapor that seemed to burn the air.
"Excellent! Very fast! Far exceeds all Harsavert and Celdar airship models!"
Excited cheers erupted from the central observation deck. Under the pale blue Kobis light, the target leaped continuously across the crystal display.
"Commander report! Measured speed: two hundred forty-six miles per hour!" a soldier shouted over the comms, his voice shaking with excitement.
"Good! Very good!! This far surpasses those damned Tenebrae! Nyxoria will lead in technology! Send the report to Zigneri immediately!"
The soldiers nodded in unison, quickly recording the data and transmitting the code to the western communication line.