"I think it was the gods. The demon race might have suddenly risen, but the gods have been ruling the cosmos for much longer; the advantage should still be theirs."
"Not necessarily. After so many years of infighting, who knows how much strength they had left?"
"Not to mention their arrogance and not initially taking the demon race seriously. All signs showed they should have been the winner."
"Well, I think it resulted in a tie with both sides suffering."
"On what basis?"
"All the previous epochs ended with the race at the top of the food chain out of commission. The same should apply to this epoch."
"Well, professor, what's the answer?"
"The winner was…the gods," Professor Burbank smiled.
"I knew it."
"Calm down; you're too excited over nothing."
"Sorry, I don't speak loser."
"You want to fight? I can see you in the training hall after class?"
"Alright, you too, quiet down. Professor, how did it happen?"
"Good question," Professor Burbank continued. "The gods learned from their predecessor: the dragons. They built [Heaven] inside the Astral Plane, which granted them an immense advantage in the war."
"What kind of advantage?"
"I'd like to know too. I'm still confused about the benefit of building a layer in the Astral Plane."
"The benefits are endless. From decreasing the difficulty of navigating the Astral Cosmos to easier access to the Aether and the [Quintessence Tapestry], faster healing speed after injuries, endless energy to build angels and Divine Armies, the process can even increase a race or civilization's luck; there are too many benefits to count."
"Wait, luck? Are you talking about the luck that I know, or is there a translation issue here?"
"Yes, luck — an invisible but consequential force that applies to everything: from the individual, to a race, and even an entire civilization," Professor Burbank nodded. "Someone lucky will have things work out for them, making anything they do face fewer challenges or obstacles; the same idea can apply to a country, a race, and even a civilization."
"How fascinating."
"Do you think Earth can one day build a base on the Astral Plane?"
"Keep dreaming."
"Why not? After we deal with the demon race, as long as we work together, I don't see a reason we couldn't."
"You talk as if the demon race wasn't a huge hurdle."
"It is, but it's one I believe we can overcome."
"I admire and pity your optimism."
"Professor, what do you think? Do you think Earth can succeed?"
"In the Astral Cosmos, such an achievement is the mark of a high civilization. So, it's not a bad thing to have high aspirations or goals."
"What a nice way of saying we are aiming too high," the student said, eliciting cackles from a few others.
"Let's focus," Professor Burbank stated. "Yes, Mr. Lee, what's your question?"
"Sir, I just realized you didn't tell us how the Primogenitor Epoch ended?"
"I didn't?" Professor Burbank asked, recalling what he had said, and the student was correct. The professor shook his head, sighing to himself that he was getting old. "That epoch ended because of a catastrophe. No one knows exactly what it was: some believe it was an experiment gone wrong; others believe the Primogenitors had offended forces even more ancient than themselves.
"However, records have shown that the Primogenitors knew their civilization was about to collapse. That's why they left so many ruins across both the Material and Astral Plane; they wanted their legacies to survive, to leave their marks in the world."
Many students couldn't help sighing deeply. Such an old and powerful civilization was eradicated so easily. What about Earth? Could it be that the Demon Lord Invasion would be the end of theirs? And even if they survive, what next? The Astral Cosmos seemed very dangerous. Can Earth survive in that terrible world that follows the Law of the Jungle?
"No need to be melancholic," Professor Burbank smiled. "The rise and fall of civilization is a natural order of the universe. What you should focus on is doing your best and ensuring yours lasts for as long as possible."
Many students nodded, acknowledging this sentiment. Others were nonchalant, not truly caring about the future. Professor Burbank did not continue on the topic. Instead, he asked if there was anyone else. Once he confirmed no one had any more questions, he glanced at the hologram, remembering where they were in the lecture before continuing:
"As I said before, the gods eventually won, but it was a pyrrhic victory. Nevertheless, they still ruled over the epoch for another 5000 years — until the human race showed, until the Gremor Empire showed its fang."
A new picture appeared at the front of the class, showing a portrait of a king holding a sword while standing in a magnificent library with shelves as tall as a house. Oddly, though, his face was empty, and it was impossible to tell whether the artist had removed the facial details or painted them as such.
"While the gods were recuperating from their victory, there was this little dimension called [Akasha] and a small kingdom called [Gremor]. Their leader — Edward Gremor IV, depicted in this painting — grew tired of the Pope's power over his kingdom; he did not like that the gods could simply determine whether he was fit for the throne.
"But, there was nothing he could do. The church controlled everything: the means of raising foot soldiers, healing, crop cultivation, commerce, taxation, and everything else. Forget how the gods could wipe out his kingdom with a wave of his hand, the fact that they controlled the kingdom's military, finance, and even had immense socio-political sway was enough for him to despair."
Professor Burbank looked at the painting.
"As fate would have it, the gods of Akasha participated in the final battle with the demon; most died, and the survivors took their kingdom to [Heaven] for a faster recuperation. With their absence, the church's power was no longer absolute; it was the perfect time to act and change his situation.
"With his secret support, the Gremor Kingdom eventually became a sanctuary for all mages in the Akasha Dimension, and what happened next is history. The Gremor Kingdom became a place ruled by magic, and soon enough, they took over the entire dimension. But that was just the beginning.
"The Gremor Empire — also called the Arcane Empire — is, without a doubt, the greatest civilization the Astral Cosmos has ever given birth to. They ended the Age of Gods and created the longest epoch in history. They opened the Path of Sage or the 10th tier, and truly reached the end of the path of magic."
"Professor, there is something I don't understand," a student asked. "Science and technology evolve over time; shouldn't it be the same for magic? Why has no one surpassed the Gremor Empire if it existed hundreds of thousands of years ago?"
"That's a good question, and I've already touched on this at the beginning of class," Professor Burbank replied. "The simple answer is that science is objective, and magic is subjective. No matter the dimension, the laws of physics are constant; if something is true in one dimension — for example, the speed of light in a vacuum — it will be the same in another. Now, I'd like to emphasize that I'm speaking about Pure Materialistic Dimensions, which are worlds unaffected by any extraordinary energy. Earth Dimension used to be such a world until mana appeared a few thousand years ago."
"Wait, Earth had magic before the tower arrived?"
"You didn't know? Apparently, there are many hidden shamans on the planet."
"That's the first I'm hearing about this."
"Let's focus," Professor Burbank said in a slightly raised voice. "But, unlike science, magic is more individualistic. Forget that magic doesn't operate the same way in every dimension; there are certain spells, or even entire fields of magic, that only one person can use. Some magics are unique to an individual's soul, and sometimes, to an entire civilization.
"So, when the Gremor Empire suddenly disappeared from the Astral Cosmos, other civilizations rushed to pick apart their knowledge and technology. However, the majority of them could not be replicated. It also did not help that much of the technology was destroyed when these civilizations fought over it."
Professor Burbank sighed, lamenting the irresponsibility of allowing such powerful and valuable knowledge to be destroyed. Just thinking about it made him grit his teeth in anger.
"That's how the Gremor Epoch ended? With their disappearance, not their destruction?"
"Arcane Epoch, but yes, 90% of their citizens suddenly disappeared, along with all their greatest magical creations," Professor Burbank nodded. "And before you ask how and why they disappeared, no one knows — well, at least, the people who do have not made it public."
"Was it an experimental accident or an unknown catastrophe just like the Primogenitor? Or maybe, something even more terrifying?"
"That's one prevalent theory, but as I said, I have no idea," Professor Burbank shrugged. Many students had questions — including Zane — and he answered a few of them before stopping:
"The crux of your questions is about Gremor Society, so let's talk about it." He changed the hologram to display two mages: both dressed in blue robes, but one wore a white-and-gold cloak and a pin on his clothes with three gold stars.
"Can anyone tell me the difference between those two? I mean, besides their fashion sense."
"Hmm, one is a three-ring mage, and the other is not?"
"You would think so, but no," Professor Burbank shook his head. "They are both 3-ring mages, but one is a 3-star Arcanist."
The professor saw the confusion on the student's face and was not surprised. So, he explained:
"Gremor Society was very hierarchical. They divided their citizens into 11 classes. Class 0 citizens were slaves, situated at the bottom of the pyramid."
"Such a powerful civilization still needs slaves?"
"How do you think they achieved so much? Through killing, conquering, and enslaving countless other civilizations," another student replied.
"While you're telling the truth, it was not as bad as you think," Professor Burbank stated. "As a civilization, they were quite accepting and diverse. As long as someone used magic, the Gremorian would accept you into their fold. More importantly, their society was a meritocracy with plenty of opportunities for upward mobility. There are many records of slaves who eventually ascend to the highest position of the Gremorian Ruling Society."
"That still doesn't make it right."
"Fair, but can we view their civilizations with the same lens as ours?" another student asked.
"Slavery is slavery — no matter how much you put a spin or bow on it, it does not change that it's morally wrong."
"I'm not saying otherwise, but there are other civilizations in the Astral Cosmos. One day, when Earth comes into contact with them, should we judge them by our principles? Do we try to force our ideas on them? Do we not interact with those who don't align with our thinking? All I'm saying is that this is a conversation worth having."