As Harof immersed himself in the grandeur of the stars, a sudden change occurred. The massive, crimson star seemed to grow larger and brighter by the moment, affecting the orbits of planets. A strong sense of impending crisis flooded Harof's mind. Before he could react, the colossal star expanded to its limit and then rapidly collapsed inwards.
In the next moment, an endless burst of light bathed the entire universe. The star, now on its final journey, unleashed its ultimate radiance.
It was the spectacle of a supernova eruption. Planets that once orbited were instantly shattered, and powerful electromagnetic radiation illuminated the entire dark galaxy. Infinite matter spewed from the star's core, creating an incredibly vivid tapestry.
Harof was left speechless, unable to recover from the overwhelming sight. He murmured to himself, "What is this?"
A deep, elderly voice broke the silence in the now tranquil cosmic space. "This is a star's path to extinction."
Harof turned to see four figures in this space beside himself. The one who spoke had an unusual appearance, with dishevelled white hair that resembled the chaotic expanse of the universe. An eerie pressure emanated from him, akin to facing a star, as if he were radiating boundless energy outward.
The speaker was none other than Lynn, but he had temporarily adopted the appearance of Albert Einstein. The previous supernova display had been a calculated show to establish the grand image of the Society of Mystical Arts.
Harof looked at Lynn, who appeared somewhat distracted, and wondered if the excitement had been a tad too much.
"A star's extinction?" Harof struggled to grasp the idea that such a colossal celestial body could meet its end.
"There's nothing surprising about it. Such events happen in the universe all the time. What you witnessed was merely a reenactment of a supernova explosion," Lynn explained.
Harof carefully considered each word Lynn used, looking around cautiously before asking, "Where is this place?"
"A simulated microcosm of magical energy," Lynn explained before adding, "Welcome to the beyond of space and time."
"The beyond of space and time…" Harof repeated, understanding it as a place beyond time and space.
Harof managed to suppress his inner amazement. He hadn't forgotten that he was representing the entire realm of wizards. His earlier loss of composure left him feeling remorseful. He silently reminded himself to remain calm in any situation.
"Let's begin our agenda with the light brought by this supernova eruption," said another person under the control of an AI, her tone slightly rigid.
Harof's expression turned peculiar. How could such a terrifying supernova explosion, which appeared like an event of impending doom, be discussed so casually?
Harof quickly adjusted his emotions and considered the possible topics for the meeting, such as the so-called gravitational constant, or discussions about space and time magic. He wondered how he should respond.
However, Lynn's next statement caught him completely off guard. "I believe the entire universe was born from a cosmic explosion."
Harof was momentarily dumbfounded. Is the universe... exploding? He even began to doubt if he had misheard. Could the universe really explode?
Before Harof could recover, Lynn continued, "The universe's initial state was a tiny point with extremely high temperature and density. I call it the singularity. Then, at some unknown point in time, it suddenly began to rapidly expand. At that moment, all forces were unified. However, as the universe expanded and its temperature dropped, gravity separated as an independent force..."
Lynn's explanation of the theory of the cosmic explosion left Harof bewildered. Terms like quantum, vacuum, inflationary epoch, particle era, and matter era were all foreign to him.
For a moment, he even wondered if Lynn was telling a bizarre story about the universe.
After listening for a while, Harof realized that the structure of Lynn's narration was highly rigorous, although he couldn't understand most of the terminology. He could sense that it held some magical secrets.
Harof had always believed that his research into the laws governing celestial bodies was grand in scale, but he hadn't expected the legendary wizards of the Society of Mystical Arts to be exploring the origins of the universe.
"What is your basis? The redshift of galaxies?" The character in the form of Madame Curie timidly inquired, following someone's instructions, even though she had no idea what galaxy redshift meant.
Lynn shot a disapproving look at Madame Curie, encouraging her to speak more confidently. "That is indeed one of the pieces of evidence."
Following this, the AI-controlled figures provided a few more rehearsed statements. Then, the four figures in the room turned their attention to Harof, as if they were waiting for his valuable input.
Lynn was curious to see how the legendary wizards would react to the theory of the cosmic explosion. This theory had been prevalent in his previous world but might not hold the same status in this new world. After all, it hadn't taken magic into account and was likely flawed in some aspects. Still, as a magical theory, it was perfectly acceptable.
Harof appeared calm on the surface but was breaking into a cold sweat inside. He had no idea what Lynn was talking about. But this was a gathering of legendary wizards, and they were actively discussing the universe's truths. He couldn't suddenly say he didn't understand or didn't know, could he?
In a sudden realization, Harof opened his eyes wide and tugged at the sleeve of the languid witch, Aurora, who was sitting beside him. He urgently asked, "Aurora, please tell me, what does cosmic redshift mean?"
At that moment, he felt extremely fortunate to have Aurora, who shared his passion for celestial research, right by his side. At least he had someone to consult.