In the autumn-winter of 623, the Celdar Defense Navy launched an attack with hundreds of fortified warships against the floating camps of the Harsavert Naval Forces. This offensive came after intelligence reports indicated:
In early spring, when the Izanjk River waters rose, the Harsavert Naval Forces opened their dams, allowing hundreds of diverse vessels to reach the Black Sea to harvest Zazak.
"I urgently request His Majesty, King Schumar IV, to immediately provide logistics and armaments for war…!"
"Kio II intends to break the treaty!"
In a mere three days, the Navy, alongside the Air Force, deployed tens of thousands of warships and stone-dropping airships, closing in on the Harsavert Naval camps, leaving only about two miles between them.
One late autumn morning in 623, a Harsavert soldier shot and killed a Celdar patrolman who had approached him, disguised as a fisherman. Less than two hours later, Celdar dispatched a seemingly pre-written accusation letter to all their allies in the North-Eastern region: "We demand that you re-establish relations with Harsavert; we have been attacked, a soldier has died, and they intend to seize the Black Sea…." Following the letter's transmission, Celdar once again attacked Harsavert, seven years after the two had established peaceful diplomatic relations.
Six days later, Celdar suffered another defeat in a battle on the Vonzaclo coast, east of Harsavert.
The Black Sea conflict erupted in the spring of 615, as Harsavert's resources dwindled. They sought to exploit resources in the Black Sea but were frequently killed by Celdar customs officials before they could even begin harvesting.
In late spring of 615, during a patrol near the center of the Black Sea, Admiral Guza Kaslako and his crew were attacked by three small and medium-sized Celdar warships.
BOOOOM... WHIZZ... KABOOM!!!
"Steer! STEER FASTER!" "The ship's been hit by a cannonball!" "Damn it, those Celdar bastards!" The Celdar Navy had shot a hole in Kaslako's ship's hold, even though their warships were not yet within his firing range. The sound of frantic footsteps echoed, and Kaslako's crew panicked, unsure what to do. The ship was slowly sinking; some jumped into the sea, others shouted, desperate to escape.
"HAHAHA… You Harsavert fools are the first to get a taste of our Celdar cannons!" Celdar soldiers cheered.
"Kaslako!!! Admiral!!! Admiral Kaslako!!! What should we do?!" "You're asking me what to do?! We're ambushed... fire the cannons!" "Understood!" No sooner had Kaslako finished speaking than another cannonball struck, obliterating the command bridge above and killing him instantly.
"Hehehe… that shot must've blown those commanders to smithereens." The Celdar Navy shouted, brimming with excitement.
Meanwhile, on the Harsavert side, the crew was in disarray.
"Oh, no! I've only been an officer for eight days…" "FIRE THE CANNONS!!! LIGHT THE FUSES!!!" Naval Officer Amaldo Shinkradd yelled, his shout immediately bringing the chaotic sailors on deck to their senses.
The soldiers, with nothing left to lose, frantically lit the fuses, but it was too late. Three cannonballs flew in, tearing apart the warship. Blood mingled with the seawater, and drops of blood splattered into the air. Less than fourteen minutes after spotting the enemy, a warship lay in ruins. Their honor was buried in the deep sea. The three Celdar warships, after sinking their target, approached to salvage some floating debris as a mark of their victory.
"A bunch of useless fools. Is this the mighty Harsavert Empire??" The Celdar commander's voice rang out across the deck, filled with contempt. Suddenly, he frowned, squinting out at the sea. "Hmm? Someone's trying to swim! Archers? Eliminate him now!"
In the blood-reddened water, Amaldo Shinkradd struggled to swim amidst the floating corpses, clutching a rotting piece of wood. He didn't understand why he was still alive, or rather, how on earth he was still breathing.
WHIP... WHOOSH... THWACK!
An arrow shrieked like the voice of death tearing through the air, heading straight for his head but veering off at an angle, striking his ear.
"Missed!? Let me shoot again! He's dead for sure this time!" WHOOOOSH!
The second arrow whistled through the wind, flying straighter and more accurately…
GULP… GULP… A column of water, nearly a meter high, unexpectedly rose before Shinkradd, deliberately blocking the arrow. The Celdar soldiers froze in astonishment. A hand made of water, as transparent as blue glass, emerged beside Shinkradd, bobbing in the sea of blood.
Someone shouted loudly among the ranks: "A wizard! That man is a wizard!!"
Celdar warship commander Dolo Zecumn stepped out, his eyes gleaming with suspicion. He folded his arms, then snarled: "Archers, simultaneous attack!"
Four archers aimed their bows and released their strings at the same time.
WHIZZ! WHIZZ! WHIZZ! WHIZZ!
Four arrows flew like harbingers of death. But this time, there were no water columns. Instead, the transparent water hand beside Shinkradd extended, catching all four arrows mid-air.
In that silent moment, Shinkradd's hand contracted, then shot out like a living crossbow.
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!
Four arrows flew back, piercing the chests of the four Celdar archers. Each body slumped onto the deck.
"Retreat!!!" Zecumn roared, his voice cracking with panic.
The sailors scrambled to steer, hoist sails, and shout in chaos. The screams of men, the creaking of ropes, and the clatter of wood against wood were even more chaotic than when Shinkradd was first attacked.
They thought they had escaped. They were wrong.
GRROOOOAR…!!!
Three enormous waves, nearly four meters high, rose from the deep sea like three colossal water serpents. They crashed down on the three Celdar ships that had just turned around. In less than five seconds, the three warships were swallowed whole, wood splintered, masts snapped in half, and men plunged into the depths. No one had time to scream, no one had time to help anyone; almost all the Celdar soldiers drowned, with only a few physically strong ones holding a glimmer of hope for survival.
Amidst it all, Shinkradd was still breathing. His eyes wide, he looked at the water hand beside him, silently dissolving into the ocean as if it had never existed.
"I… I can't believe it worked?" "Still… still alive?"
He didn't understand. He climbed onto the piece of wood floating in the sea, staring blankly at the blue sky before glancing at the ocean. The salty seawater had filled his lungs, seeping into the corners of his eyes.
Reinforcements arrived; a fleet of small boats rapidly approached. The sound of oars and shouting men immediately brought Shinkradd back to his senses. He raised his hands, bruised from the waves and cannon fire, and desperately tried to wave for help.
The navy approached, rushed to him, pulled him up, and cheered:
"Here he is! Someone's alive!" "Careful, he's badly injured!" "Is he one of ours? HE IS! He's an officer!" "Quickly, save him, NOW!"
Shinkradd immediately lost consciousness, falling into a deep slumber.
Six months after the battle, in a secret facility deep beneath a dilapidated wooden house in the heart of Vlendereinch—Harsavert's central capital—Dimer Solanke, a senior scholar of the nation, held secret meetings for seven consecutive days. The person he summoned was none other than Amaldo Shinkradd—the young naval officer who had miraculously survived the Black Sea battle.
After a series of discreet exchanges, Solanke introduced Shinkradd to Orosho Kinsmak, an experienced geologist under his wing.
The three then quietly left the capital, heading towards Vạng Forest, taking advantage of the Aridonia land forces' relaxed defenses. In the forest's shadows, Kinsmak led them to a giant ancient tree, where a secret tunnel had been dug deep in times no one could clearly remember.
As he stepped into the tunnel, Shinkradd paused.
"Gah… PFFT!!"
A piercing cold sensation shot from his neck down to his abdomen. He staggered and collapsed, blood gushing from his mouth, hot to the touch.
Solanke gasped, his face paling. Without hesitation, he scooped up Shinkradd and returned him to Vlendereinch that very night.
A day later, a letter was sent to Kisko Lamir, the supreme commander of the Harsavert army.
"What we researched is true. Karma truly exists. Its seed lies within Vạng Forest. One of our naval officers accidentally activated it."
Acting on orders from his superiors, Solanke was immediately assigned to examine all soldiers in the Harsavert army. After the examination, only Shinkradd possessed an unusual energy waveform.
This was quickly reported to Leona Vierra, a powerful scholar from the Bonerad Institute of Scientific Research. She organized several private meetings with Shinkradd, listening intently to his experiences in Vang Forest.
Finally, Solanke was summoned to Beriod Headquarters, where a secret internal meeting took place. There, he revealed the first truths about Karma—a type of power that had never been officially documented.