Alien soldiers froze mid-sh.


    Both sides had shed in a chaotic ballet of destruction, their strange appearances etched into my mind. Kuzon and Aloe stood beside me, their eyes also taking in the scene before us.


    ''With time frozen still, it''s definitely easier to see what''s happening.''


    The air hung heavy with the stench of burnt metal and ozone, and an eerie silence enveloped the battlefield. I decided to walk around the area while critically examining the frozen figures before me.


    ''It seems two distinct alien species are locked inbat. And its a serious one for that matter.''


    One resembled a humanoid bird with vibrant plumage, while the other possessed the menacing features of a fish fused with an alligator.


    ''I''ve used Magic to spread my senses throughout this entire area. None of them seem to have any habitat around here.''


    Only destruction spread as far as I could tell.


    ''Maybe they live on others? Did they decide to use this ce as some sort of battleground? That would definitely make more sense...''


    Not only was this pretty much infertile, it wasn''t particrly suitable for any of them in terms of a suitable environment.


    "What are you thinking about? This should be simple, really. We just use our Magic to control them to stop fighting, extract the information we want, and then leave. It''s that simple." Kuzon''s voice echoed beside me.


    He had a good point. With the aid of [The Emperor], as well as the other Arcanas at my disposal, the both of us didn''t need to do too much to secure our safety and the cooperation of these people.


    However...


    "Have you learned nothing from our adventure in the previous world?" I smiled, shaking my head slowly.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t n on interfering too much in this ce. We''ll be in and out in no time."


    Still, I had to admit... I was curious.


    Time stood still, allowing me to contemte my next move. It was clear that extracting information from the soldiers would be the key to understanding their motivations and potentially brokering a peace.


    I approached the bird-like alien first, marveling at the intricate patterns adorning its feathers. Carefully, I ced my hand on its icy shoulder, feeling the coldness seep into my palm.


    "Let''s get their memories first." I nced at both Aloe and Kuzon, and while thetter nodded, the former appeared a little puzzled.


    ''Ah, Aloe can''t absorb memories.'' My thoughts echoed. "Don''t worry about it, Aloe."


    Using Magic on the target, my mind melded with the frozen soldier, his memories unfolding before me like a surreal tapestry.


    Visions of a dying homeworld, scarce resources, and the desperation that drove them to this war flooded my consciousness.


    The bird-like alien had been one of the protectors of his people, forced into battle to secure their survival. It was a poignant glimpse into their struggle, and empathy surged within me.


    "I see now. So that''s how they see it..."


    Apparently, the bird-like creature belonged to a race known as Avarians, and just as I suspected, their was a short distance from this one.


    The Avarianscked resources, and they needed after scouring beyond their homeworld for resources, they finally found a ce. Unfortunately for them, the Gatorians, the opposing race, already imed the territory for themselves, and they wouldn''t share resources with the Avarians.


    ''The Avarians believe the Gatorians have no legal im to the Oasis, as they call it, and that it''s a Free Domain, as established by the Grand Federation; as such, they are simply fighting for their right.''


    Still, that was only one side of the story.


    With a gentle sigh, I released my grip from the still Avarian and turned my attention to the fish-alligator hybrid not too far from me.


    Its scales shimmered in the frozen light, as if mocking the devastation surrounding us. "Let''s see what you have to say."<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    I ced my hand on its arm, absorbing its memories with a newfound solemnity.


    The memories revealed a history of territorial disputes and a cycle of vengeance that perpetuated the conflict. They, too, fought to secure a future for their species, driven by a desperate need to protect their home and kin.


    The weight of their struggles pressed upon me, deepening my resolve to find a peaceful resolution.


    "It seems the Avarians tried to take thend by force, rather than agreeing to the terms set by the Gatorians. I see..."


    Even though they could have been diplomatic about it and foundmon ground to settle on, the Avarians believed the Gatorians had no right to im thend, to begin with.


    As for the excuse of the Gatorians, apparently the Grand Federation hadn''t conscribed The Oasis, since it had naturally formed as a only recently, and without any proper inhabitants, and lots of natural resources, it hadn''t been reported yet.


    The Gatorians imed thend as theirs, even though the Grand Federation had yet to decree it so, and the Avarians dered that thend was a Free Domain, even though the Grand Federation never decreed such a thing.


    ''In the end, It all boils down to the issue of the Grand Federation, eh?''


    In this world, it seemed the inhabitants of the known Universe had be aware of the existence of one another, and they ventured on to create intricateworks among themselves.


    Communication. Commerce. Warfare. The list of interactions betweens and civilizations had advanced to a veryplex point.


    ''The Grand Federation is the body that supervises the known Universe, it seems.''


    Without them, a lot of things would have been thrown out of whack, and the gxies would have been destabilized. They divided sr systems and gxies into Zones, further dividing them into Regions. They also established amon calendar for every Zone to follow, and the time ratio was adjusted to suit the functions of every Zone.


    ''Time is rtive when ites to the Universe, since it has to do with gravity and space. It''s a huge feat that they were able to create a calendar that works.''


    Still, even though the knowledge I had of the Grand Federation painted the body to be very capable in their field ofpetence, they weren''t without ws.


    ''The very fact that these two races are fighting as a result of their oversight is proof of that.''


    It didn''t help that neither the Avarians nor Gatorians wanted to report the existence of ''The Oasis'' to the Grand Federation. They most likely wanted to keep the to themselves, and it was highly probable that the Grand Federation wouldn''t allocate thend to either of them.


    *


    *


    *


    [A/N]


    Apologies for all the extra info and all. I kind of have a thing for these kinds of stories. Don''t worry, it won''tst very long.


    Unless you''re all into stuff like these too.


    I have a new novel ongoing, and I would really appreciate your support.


    The title is "Only I Can See The End"


    Please support me by checking it out. Thank you all.


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