Chapter Four: The Lost Empire

The bus Liu Tian was riding was already one of the later routes. By the time he arrived, several cars were parked at the entrance of Rose Academy. Above, startled white doves fluttered through the sky, occasionally bestowing an unlucky blessing of droppings upon a few “fortunate” individuals below.

“It’s been a whole holiday—why does the academy still keep so many pigeons?” grumbled one of the recent victims nearby, his complaints trailing into the evening air. “We’ve raised this issue so many times—can’t they do something about it?”

“Well, the dean is fond of pigeons, isn’t he? If you want change, it’s not impossible—just wait until someone important gets hit. Then things will change in an instant. Until then, we’ll just have to wait.”

“So there’s no hope for at least three years, is there? Important people always drive straight into the campus without getting out of their cars. It’s not that easy…”

“Not necessarily. Maybe your family will become prominent, and you’ll be the next important figure everyone talks about. By the way, I heard your family just bought an island to build an amusement park—when shall we visit?”

“Bring your sister along, and I’ll consider it.”

Liu Tian slowed his steps to eavesdrop on the conversation drifting beside him. Realizing the topic had shifted to matters far beyond his reach, and wanting to avoid being crushed by their effortless privilege, he hastened his pace and quickly entered the academy.

...

The first class was history.

A hand-drawn map of the world adorned the blackboard, and the drowsy, soporific voice of the balding old scholar drifted from the lectern.

“Five centuries ago, the storm that shrouded half the world—including the New Continent—finally subsided. From that moment on, humanity entered an era of rapid progress. A brand-new, uninhabited continent captured the imagination and aspirations of countless people. In their quest to reach this new land, a wave of innovative inventions emerged, marking the first great leap in scientific advancement. Within fifty years, humanity’s footsteps spanned the entire planet, providing irrefutable proof of the spherical Earth theory!”

“Thus, when the world war sparked by the New Continent ended twenty years ago, all nations agreed to adopt the year the storm ended, five centuries prior, as the start of the New Era—this is the origin of our current calendar.”

“From that day forward, human history has been divided into two epochs: the Old Era, when the storm raged, and the New Era, after the storm dissipated.”

The lecturer spoke with practiced ease. This world was unlike the one Liu Tian had once known—not only did martial arts truly exist, but, most fantastically of all, there had been a colossal storm lasting at least three thousand years, enveloping half the globe. According to archaeological evidence, a highly advanced civilization—known as the Lost Empire—had once flourished on the New Continent six thousand years ago. The time and reason for its disappearance remain unknown, but it left behind many remarkable ruins, some of which, even after millennia, still functioned, yielding a wealth of “black technology” for modern humans.

For this reason, archaeology—a once obscure profession—had become a prestigious field in the New Continent, now synonymous with adventure and treasure hunting. Tales of someone stumbling upon a piece of lost technology and becoming rich overnight were common. Among the most prominent was Blue Dream Corporation, headquartered at the northernmost tip of the New Continent, famed for producing a mysterious powder capable of healing wounds rapidly and even reattaching severed limbs, dominating much of the world’s pharmaceutical market.

The Lost Empire, archaeological expeditions, sudden riches—these were the lures used to attract waves of immigrants to the New Continent. To this day, countless people still ventured forth, chasing their dreams of fortune and discovery.

Perhaps the object hidden in my sock right now also came from the New Continent? After all, anything mysterious is usually attributed to the Lost Empire. If it’s connected to the New Continent, maybe I can gain more Source Points? Liu Tian mused, feeling the gentle warmth emanating from the prismatic object tucked in his sock.

“On that note, there’s a rather irresponsible theory regarding the disappearance of the Lost Empire,” the teacher continued, having finished the introduction and now weaving in anecdotes to capture the students’ attention. “According to the latest archaeological research, the Lost Empire widely embraced the concept of the Maze Particle. They believed all things in the world were fundamentally one, interconnected by these mysterious particles. Each Maze Particle corresponded to another, and intelligence was the ultimate manifestation of this principle. Through these particles, one could achieve feats such as traversing time and space, resurrecting the dead, and perhaps even becoming a god in human form.”

“So, recently, some in the archaeological community have joked that the Lost Empire completely unlocked the secrets of the Maze Particle, and that all its people, regardless of age or gender, unified as gods through these particles. That, they say, is why the New Continent teems with wildlife but not a single human being.”

“Of course, this is an irresponsible jest, with little credibility or feasibility,” the old scholar clarified, despite his solemn tone. He was, in fact, quite a garrulous man, not above using such stories to enliven his lectures. To avoid confusion, he explained further: “Perhaps it is precisely the Lost Empire’s advanced science and mysterious disappearance that has fueled endless speculation among historians.”

“There are theories of mass migration to other planets, of natural extinction due to plummeting birth rates, of deadly viruses or time anomalies—countless conjectures abound.”

“For nearly five hundred years, the mystery of the Lost Empire’s disappearance has remained unsolved. Perhaps one day, historians will finally uncover the truth, or perhaps it will remain an eternal enigma.”

“Whatever the case, the legacy of the Lost Empire endures, shaping our world to this day, and its influence will continue for the foreseeable future. Now, open your books to the first chapter—let us study the discovery of the Lost Empire…”

Soon, the time for idle chatter ended, and the old scholar began his earnest instruction. With nothing left to distract him, Liu Tian too focused intently on the lesson, dutifully taking notes in his textbook, the very picture of a model student.

After all, in any world, knowledge is power—this has always been true.