The Martial Unity

Rui narrowed his eyes. "That's not the only issue. Another issue that presents itself is the fact that the quality and scale of civilization that we see here vastly exceeds that of early human history on the Panama Continent. A thousand years ago or so, humans were still hunter-gatherers at best or nomadic tribes at worst. Thus, the anthropological discontinuity in the sophistication of civilization suggests that the hypothesis is deeply flawed or very incomplete."

"Makes sense…" Kane murmured. "I felt it was off, but that does highlight why it's off."

Rui had to agree that intuitively, he felt like it was incomplete or outright wrong as well.

"What about other hypotheses?" Kane asked, turning to Rui.

"Well, they're just possibilities that try to connect this part of human civilization to known history," Rui remarked. "There are all kinds of possibilities that anyone can conjure up. A forced migration. Independent civilizations inside and outside the Beast Domain. Maybe nigh-extinction events that led to a reset etc. The possibilities are endless as long as you are creative enough. They are not what's significant."

"Well, then, what is significant?" Kane asked, curious.

"The information that we have about the traces of ancient civilization in the Beast Domain that we have much greater confidence in than unsubstantiated hypotheses," Rui replied calmly. He continued, "For example, anthropologists, through data collected by Martial Artists commissioned through the Adventurer's Guild, have made very odd empirical observations of these so-called lost cities."

"Like what?"

better-preserved lost cities, they managed to gain a better understanding of the technological paradigms

if these civilizations did

with shock. "What?! What do you

how esoteric lighting

moonshine and glowflower plants,

Panama Continent that absorbed ambient light during the day and shined when ambient light around it reduced, serving as natural automated lighting

shine endlessly as long as

and cheap ways of generating light that there was practically no incentive to use anything else as

despite its massive inconvenience. There is some anthropological evidence that they even had processes for drying wood during monsoons to ensure that they could light fires. Why didn't this clearly sophisticated

swam around, deep in thought. "Yeah, that's kinda

as particular topographies like deserts, prevented them from having access to moonshine. But, as far as anthropologists can tell, this seems to be universal across lost cities," Rui remarked. "That isn't the only instance. Putting aside rare esoteric phenomena, lost cities did not have any records indicating that they were aware of more common esoteric phenomena

really weird," Kane

these lost cities are in the Beast Domain, which contains even more esoteric wonders than the Human Domain. So, a stark lack of esotericism in their civilization has completely flummoxed anthropologists and historians. It's just reality-defying. This is why no one has understood lost cities. Not even the best of minds that humanity has to offer in regard to these fields, like the Scrier, the Esoterist, and the Ecologer, have been able to whip up an explanation as to what all of

of this was common