I Felt Like I Just Entered A New World Today

Before Ren Haoyu could comment anything, he saw Azalea smile helplessly at him. "You must be confused, aren't you? To be honest, I'm not a good teacher myself. I was self-taught and could barely convey my knowledge accurately into words."

"It's okay, and you're doing great! Though, I still don't understand some parts you mentioned. Like, what's Stardust, and how do you guys, Aethers, able to earn various supernatural abilities through them? Is it like a form of energy or something else? Why does Aether's community choose to remain living in secrecy when they could reveal themselves and show their power to the world to install security? And why is it that most people have never even heard of Aethers before?

What happens if we lose control as an Aether? What kind of risks are involved? Also, I still don't understand how strong Aethers were to able to affect the balance of the universe. From what I have seen, you are certainly powerful, but I am not sure if Aethers pose the same level of threat as Nuclear or Atomic bombs, as those weapons have the ability to cause widespread destruction and long-lasting damage."

Ren Haoyu confessed honestly, his head throbbing as he tried to process all the information Azalea was sharing with him. It wasn't that she was bad at explaining things - on the contrary, she seemed quite knowledgeable and passionate about it - but there were just so many questions popping up in his head.

"Alright, let's start from the your first question." she paused, seeming to gather her thoughts. "Stardust is a substance that originates from a combination of celestial matter. When the appropriate celestial matters combine, they produce a unique type of dust known as Stardust, from which we can consume. If no mistakes were made during the process, one could expect Nebula to form within one's body after one consumed Stardust. From then on, one could call themselves Aether. By harnessing the uniqueness of Nebula, Aether was able to execute various supernatural abilities, depending on which Vocation does one takes."

"What's celestial matter? Celestial matter is essentially any material that comes from the cosmos. It can be a substance found on a distant planet, the blood of exotic creatures from another galaxy, or even the residue left behind by a passing comet. This matter is incredibly rare and difficult to obtain, which is why Aethers value it so highly."

Ren Haoyu, intrigued by Azalea's explanation, asked, "If celestial matter is found so far away from Earth, how did you and others manage to become Aether?"

Azalea smiled, "That's a good question. My previous explanation is just one of the many theories that have been passed down for generations. But, according to my understanding, celestial matter may have existed on Earth since the prehistoric age. When the dinosaurs were at their prime, a catastrophic event occurred which led to their extinction. It was during this event that celestial matter could have made its way onto Earth, carried by the meteor that struck our planet. The meteor not only brought destruction, but also the celestial matter that had been drifting through the cosmos for centuries."

She continued, "As humans began to form their first civilizations, they discovered celestial matter and began experimenting with it. Through trial and error, they eventually created Stardust, which led to the birth of the Gods we know today."

Azalea then paused before adding, "However, this is just one of the many theories I believe in, and the exact origins of celestial matter on Earth remain unknown. Many believe that it could have been brought to Earth by extraterrestrial beings, while others think it may have originated from within the planet itself. The truth may never be fully known."

"How credible are the other theories regarding the origin of celestial matter on Earth, besides your own? Additionally, is it possible for Stardust to grant godlike abilities to someone, turning them into a god?" Ren Haoyu couldn't help but feel increasingly perplexed as he listened to Azalea's explanation, as his questions continued to pile up rather than being answered. And, what the heck is Vocation? Is it like a job/class in video games?

As Ren Haoyu's frustration continued to mount instead of easing, Azalea found herself unable to contain her amusement. "Your reaction is precisely how I felt when I first learned about this several years ago," she admitted, a small smile playing on her lips. "As for the credibility of my theory and others, I don't think it's possible to rate them definitively. However, if we were to list them according to the number of adherents, the canons of major churches would likely rank at the top."

"Major churches? Like Catholic, Christian, or something?"

"Heh, this is where it comes interesting. You got it wrong!" Azalea chuckled seeing Ren Haoyu's dumbfounded face. "The major churches I'm referring to are the unorthodox ones that operate in shadow, with roots that go far deeper into human civilization than the major religions we know today. I believe they started to appear after the Age of Gods ended. These churches were initially open to the public and gained a significant following, even surpassing the popularity of present-day religions. However, as time passed, they gradually went into hiding and limited their membership to only a select few. This was due to the introduction of the secrecy policy of Aethers between churches."

Azalea took a brief pause and looked at Ren Haoyu's jaw-drop expression.

"Judging from the expression on your face, I believe we should call it a day for now. I fear that if we continue our session, your brain may become overwhelmed with the influx of information, leaving you unresponsive, much like an overloaded computer."

Ren Haoyu nodded his head unconsciously. "Yeah, I believe so."

His head was actually starting to hurt a bit. Age of Gods. Unorthodox churches that operate in shadow. Aether's secrecy policy.

'I felt like I just entered a new world today.' Ren Haoyu shook his head in disbelief.