"…And as you know, the Arcane Epoch ended with the disappearance of [Akasha] and most of its citizens. Any questions before we move on to the 7th epoch?"
"Yes, professor," a brown-haired student swiftly raised their hands. "I want to know if the technology of the floating city has survived?"
"Yes and no," Professor Burbank replied. "A few perfectly intact floating cities have been retrieved, with many destroyed ones. However, so far, only one civilization has come close to re-creating its technology, and it's the goblin race."
"Those short, green creatures?"
"Yes, them. They built one of the brightest civilizations of the current epoch. Unfortunately, their hubris almost led to their extinction."
"I still can't believe those ugly creatures were that powerful."
"I think that's racist."
"Is it? I am not discriminating; I just don't find them appealing."
"Professor, what do you mean the goblin came close? Did they succeed or not?"
"There are three defining technologies of the floating city: the Space-Time Lock, the Annihilation Cannon, and the Miser Core. Many civilizations have recreated the lock or a unique version of their own. The Annihilation Cannon could tear apart most defenses — including crystal walls or a Divine Kingdom's barrier; a few civilizations have also created their own versions, though not exact replicas, but the effects are similar enough.
"However, the true challenge is the Miser Core. The Gremorians had perfected their utilization of energy. Most top civilizations can only reach 50% of the Miser Core's effect, and only the goblins reach 70%. And without the core, the invincible nature of the floating city has drastically reduced."
"Can't even Sages recreate the core?"
"As I said before, magic is highly subjective, and even Sages cannot break this fundamental truth," Professor Burbank shook his head. "And even if they could recreate it, it would only be applicable to the 9th tier and below. Meanwhile, the highest level of Miser Core was used by Sages during the Arcane Epoch."
The students nodded.
"Anything else?"
"Did the Gremorians build a base in the [Astral Plane]?"
"They probably did, but there is no record of it. Well, at least, as far as I'm aware."
"Sir, what about the other races, such as dragons, titans, and Gods? What happened to them in that epoch?"
"Ooh, I almost forgot," Professor Burbank gently tapped his head. "Thanks for the reminder, and to answer you, their fate was the same: they were primarily treated as resources.
"By the time the Arcane Epoch had arrived, the titans were on the verge of extinction, but the Gremorians reverse-engineered their bloodline and cloned them, a process which essentially saved or revived their species. However, it was not done out of the kindness of their heart.
"Titans were semi-elemental creatures, which meant their flesh was the perfect material for a body-strengthening potion; their bones were the best material for golems and for building the foundations of Void Towers. The most valuable part was their heart, which was used to create Golem Cores or to forge another weapon: the Elemental Cannons. There is a high chance they were also the main material for the Annihilation Cannons.
"The entire bodies of dragons were also valuable. Many Mages often injected themselves with Dragon Bloodline to acquire their abilities. Their heart is a key ingredient in a potion that can increase magical talent. Their skins were the best material for magical robes, and their souls were also the best material to create Arcane Spirits, or Artificial Intelligence.
"Gods were even more valuable. Divine Energy is one of the most nourishing high-dimensional energies in existence. So, whether it's used to nourish the body, the soul, increase mana, or increase potential, it performs at the highest level. More importantly, the Godheads could be used in a potion that can help a person access the [Quintessence Tapestry], which, as I have mentioned before, is the key to becoming an Archmage."
Professor Burbank saw the shock and horror in these students' eyes, but he did not stop: "The titans and dragons' situation was slightly better. There are records of many members of their clan serving in the Gremorian Senate, including some who have reached the rank of Arcane Emperor.
"However, the same cannot be said for the Gods. The majority of them were forced to hide in [Heaven], barely clinging to life. Meanwhile, the Gremorian Empire bred them like farm animals. They had designated worlds where they allowed the Path of Gods to spread and prosper, and once they needed the 'resource', they would go in and retrieve it."
"…How horrifying."
"Can't believe these races who once ruled an entire epoch were treated no differently than animals — especially those gods. They were truly pitiful."
"That's why I say they are false gods."
"Don't start with this."
"I'm confused. From what I can gather in the past week, most mages worshiped the Gremor Empire. But the actions of these people are no different from those of the Demon Race. I'm trying to understand why."
"Isn't the answer obvious? It's good PR. The Gremor Empire's achievements were so high, and with all these mages worshiping knowledge, strength — and even magic itself — it's normal for them to whitewash and glorify that epoch."
"And since the Empire is a human legacy, most human mages probably feel a strong connection, and will do everything possible to praise their achievement while ignoring their faults."
"Don't forget the aesthetic aspect. Demons looked, well, like demons, which makes it easy to villainize them."
Professor Burbank's face was slightly red. He did not expect these Earthlings to care very little about the Gremorian's accomplishments; instead, they focused more on the ethical aspects of the Arcane Epoch. Some of what they said hit too close to home, so he decided to take control of the situation.
"I'm about to move to the next epoch. So, this is the last chance for questions."
Zane raised his hand, "I have a question about the Gods. I want to know the difference between them and Egregores?"
"That's a good question," Professor Burbank said. "The relationship between Shamans and Gods is complex, and that's a truth that remains even to this day. And one of the contributing factors is the existence of Egregores."
The professor paused, trying to find a way to answer such a complicated question in a simple and easy-to-understand manner.
"The primary difference is their state of being. Egregores are pure spiritual beings, while Gods can be either pure spiritual beings or other lifeforms that have evolved or ascended into them."
"So, humans — or other races — can become Gods, but not Egregores?" Zane asked.
"Well, yes and no. No race can indeed become an Egregore, but an Egregore can be born from them."
Professor Burbank immediately saw the look of confusion on almost everybody's face.
"Egregores do not need [Faith] or devotion for their birth or creation; they can use it, and it's usually their primary source of power, but they don't need it. Instead, they require the simple belief in their existence; they need their legends, stories, or myths to be widespread and known to people. So, technically speaking, if a human spreads tales of their exploits and enough people believe them, with the right magic, it's possible to give birth to an Egregore. But that human will still be a human.
"Now, I must preface this information with a warning. Shamans believe in allowing nature to take its course. So, while they do not mind the birth of an Egregore through the natural process of a civilization worshiping and spreading stories and myths, they have immense disdain for people who try to create an artificial one; it reminds them too much of gods. So, do not try to create your own Egregore if you don't want to be hunted down by countless shamans."
Zane suddenly remembered how harshly his mother warned him about studying Egregores. Now, he had an inkling why. It's unfortunate since this was such an interesting subject.
"Sir, which is stronger? Egregores or Gods."
Professor Burbank shook his head; he knew this question would come up.
"Officially, the gods are 'stronger.' All Gods are 7th-tier lifeforms. Meanwhile, most Egregores are weak spirits that cannot even directly interfere in the material plane," Professor Burbank explained. "However, Egregore are slightly freer than the gods since they can move freely in whatever dimensions they were created in. And, some civilizations have cultivated Divine Egregores on par with Tier 7 True Gods and above."
"Professor, is it me or do Egregores sound similar to the Innate Gods, which you said were created by the Plane Will?"
"Great observation," Professor Burbank smiled. "Shamans created the first Egregore from studying the Innate Divine Gods. Their existence also served as one of the key sect divisions between the Faith Shamans — who believed in the creation of artificial Egregore — and Nature Shamans, who believed in letting things grow naturally through a civilization's development."
"I see."
Professor Burbank turned to Zane, "Are you satisfied with this answer?"
"Yes, but one more thing: what are the advantages and disadvantages of a personal or artificial egregore?"
The professor did not answer him. Instead, he looked at his watch. "We're getting off topic, so I'll answer your question when we cover Shamanism in detail."
"Alright."