Chapter Twelve: The Stamping Incident (Part One)

In the year 4000 of the Kara calendar, the Star Spirit Empire finally discovered a civilization at the edge of the Andromeda galaxy, one still in its atomic era. This civilization, named Karati, was now embroiled in a civil war.

Ael-Koshaka—Council Hall

"Lord Zulas, are you suggesting that the Empire intervene in their civil war? Isn’t that too reckless? We should wait until they unify before establishing contact." A senior High Templar elder voiced his opposition to Zulas’s proposal.

"Esteemed elders and consuls, the Karati civilization is the first we have encountered in so many years," Zulas tried to persuade them. "I know the High Council has always monitored other races in parallel universes, but, constrained by the laws of spacetime management, we cannot communicate with those civilizations. We can only watch as they inexorably march toward extinction. But Karati is different!"

A ripple of emotion stirred within Zulas, quickly quelled. "Karati is a civilization of our universe, situated at the border of the Star Spirit Empire. We are fully capable of helping them overcome this ordeal and avoid annihilation. Isn’t that a worthy endeavor?"

"But Lord Zulas, Karati is merely undergoing a civil war. It doesn’t mean they are doomed," a scholar objected, producing relevant data. "According to parallel universe observations by the Star Spirit Empire, only one in ten civilizations are completely destroyed by civil war. Three in ten stagnate after suffering severe blows, two in ten establish a unified government, and four in ten plunge into even more protracted conflict."

"Consider these harrowing statistics—only two in ten civilizations survive such trials by their own strength. Can you guarantee Karati will be one of those two?" Zulas was not swayed; instead, he used the data to counter the elder. "The Star Spirit Empire has spent countless years to find a new civilization, and you want to gamble on those two out of ten?"

"But Lord Zulas, our intervention could lead to worse outcomes. What if Karati mistakes us for invaders?" an elderly elder raised his concern.

"We come with peaceful intent. Our psychic powers do not lie. Our formidable weapons will deter reckless actions, and once they feel the radiance of Kara, we can, like the great Kars, end their war." Zulas’s excitement could no longer be contained. The prospect of inheriting Kars’s legacy thrilled him; if successful, he would surely attract the gaze of the gods and earn divine favor.

Madonis glanced at the other elders. They seemed persuaded by Zulas’s words. "Karati is indeed the first civilization we've encountered in so long. If we guide them onto the Path of Kara, we may not only quell their civil war but also earn the blessing of the gods. Elders, please vote."

Soon, the High Council passed Zulas’s request with 20 votes in favor, 10 against, and 70 abstentions, appointing him as the chief leader of this rescue mission. The primary objectives: to end Karati’s civil war and to guide Karati onto the Path of Kara.

Why did the Star Spirits wish to propagate the Path of Kara? Since Kars’s ascension, he had pondered how to advance his cultivation. Watching Ael send avatars into the multiverse inspired him: spread his Path of Kara. After consulting the Supreme Deity, who approved, Kars realized that the essence of the Path of Kara was order, and propagating it would deepen his understanding of the laws of order.

Thus, in the year 3030 of the Kara calendar, Kars delivered an oracle to the Supreme Preservers: spread the Path of Kara to other sentient beings. It was not compulsory, but seemed such an innocuous, grand enterprise that few would refuse—and almost none could withstand the emptiness and loneliness that followed acceptance and then loss of Kara.

And so, Zulas led his followers to descend upon Karati. This planet, originally named Nero, was renamed Karati after the Star Spirit Empire discovered the Karati civilization there and updated its designation in the star charts.

Upon arrival, Zulas used a cloaking field to hide his group, then approached a battlefield where the Karati were fighting, preparing to appear suddenly.

"General, should we launch the charge now?" a Karati staff officer asked his general.

"Wait a bit longer. The Empire’s latest weapon is about to arrive. This operation is not just to annihilate the enemy, but to test the weapon’s power... Who!" The bearded general, mid-conversation, suddenly heard a voice in his mind.

"People of Karati, lay down your arms at once. I am Zulas, Executor of the Star Spirit Empire. Your self-destructive conflict is utterly foolish..." Following the source of the voice, the general and his men left their tent. They found all soldiers had ceased their actions, looking up to see four or five figures standing upon a blue disc, one of whom was transmitting messages into every listener’s mind by unknown means.

"You must immediately halt this war. This is a wholly erroneous act. Does slaughtering innocent compatriots not fill you with shame? If you do not lay down your arms, you will share the fate of that mountain." Zulas imitated a scene he had observed on the viewing platform from a parallel universe, where an alien had ended a world’s war by destroying a mountain with a gesture. He had specially brought a one-use matter disintegrator for this occasion.

Zulas raised his hand. A blue beam shot toward a nearby hill, and in an instant, the hill was reduced to dust. What Zulas did not know was that this hill was the sacred mountain of the Karati civilization. His act enraged the Karati below, and this clumsy imitation was doomed to failure.

"G-General, the aliens destroyed the sacred mountain. W-What should we do?" The aide, trembling, broke the general’s stupor.

"What are you waiting for? Target those alien freaks—fire!"

With the general’s command, all soldiers on one side of the battlefield opened fire at the aliens in the sky, while the other side, after a brief daze, also unleashed a barrage at Zulas and his group.

"Lord Zulas, what now? It seems we’ve made a mess of things." One of Zulas’s followers watched as the incoming fire struck their blue shield, his expression bitter. The operation, which should have been straightforward, had become a disaster, and explaining this to the High Council would be difficult.

"Don’t worry. They’re just a bit agitated. Let’s withdraw and recover, then try persuading them on another battlefield." Zulas hadn’t anticipated the situation becoming so difficult, but he was unconcerned. This was only one battlefield on the planet; perhaps the failure was due to his poor imitation. After some rest, he would try elsewhere.

What Zulas failed to expect was that, as soon as they left the battlefield, news of aliens destroying the sacred mountain spread across the entire Karati planet. Their departure was interpreted by certain ambitious figures as fear, and these individuals sought to obtain the mysterious shield and weapon technology from Zulas’s party. They began vigorously promoting the alien threat theory, portraying Zulas and his followers as heinous villains, wicked extraterrestrials intent on ravaging the planet.

Thus, the peoples of Karati all came to hate Zulas and his group. When they had recovered and arrived at another battlefield, they were met with relentless fire before even announcing their purpose, forcing them to flee again. This behavior was interpreted by the ambitious as cowardice and fear, fueling an even stronger wave of resistance.

During a period of recovery, one of Zulas’s followers was ambushed by local villagers. He had only kindly assisted them, not paying attention to the hostility he sensed from them. Carelessness led to him being drugged and rendered unconscious, then sent to a laboratory, where he suffered all manner of torment.

After his companion disappeared, Zulas tried to communicate through Kara, but the companion remained unconscious and unable to respond. Zulas was forced to search everywhere for him.

Upon acquiring an alien specimen, the local government launched a fierce attack on Zulas and his group, determined to prevent other nations from obtaining the alien’s body. Under relentless artillery fire and new weaponry, the portable shield generator Zulas carried finally failed, and surrounded by mushroom clouds, the blue shield’s glow grew ever dimmer.

Having set out with full confidence, Zulas had not brought stronger energy shields or extra weapons, wishing to show sincerity. He never imagined falling into such a predicament. Now, he could only appeal to the High Council through Kara, while the local leader, oblivious to Zulas’s plight, grew ever more excited at the prospect of obtaining more alien specimens. He ordered the dissection of the previous alien with a crystal on his head.

Star Spirit Empire—Ael, the High Council suddenly received an urgent transmission from the Supreme Preserver: Zulas’s mission had failed. Not only that, one of his team members had been vivisected, enduring untold suffering, all of which the Supreme Preserver shared directly into their minds.