Wandering Knight-Chapter 407: "Algorithmic" Optimization

After their playful sparring, neither Avia nor Wang Yu lingered on the earlier subject. Once the initial excitement of handling such a bizarre, otherworldly contraption faded, Avia's mind quickly turned to its applications.

"If we could study the internal structure of this thing," she mused, prying open the newly replicated laptop Wang Yu had conjured, "couldn't we recreate it in the material world with similar techniques?"

"I don't think so." Wang Yu shook his head. "I've tried using void energy to reproduce it in the physical world. It doesn't work. Some of the materials that make it up don't exist here—or maybe there are underlying rules in this world I haven't uncovered yet. Either way, ‘replicating' it just isn't possible, not for now."

He had considered this before. The laws of physics in this world were not quite the same as those of Earth. He hadn't noticed it while he was weaker, but with his growth in terms of both knowledge and power, the differences had become clear. Earth's technology simply couldn't be transplanted here.

"That makes sense," Avia agreed. "That said, in Skyborne City, there are inventions not entirely unlike this, like the magical arrays in the great libraries. They may not rival a computer in efficiency, but in principle, they can reproduce the same functionality."

She thoughtfully pressed a fist beneath her chin. This laptop was invaluable from the perspective of knowledge, yet its immediate utility was limited. It existed only in the void, and thus could not be handled directly in the material world.

"Still, the fact I can bring the laptop out at all means I'm one step closer to unraveling the secret of this door. Maybe it really does lead to another world."

Wang Yu smiled as he patted the wooden door that led into this void domain.

Even if his plan of using the laptop for something practical had fallen flat, he now glimpsed a potential path back to Earth. If he could strengthen his door enough and force another evolution, perhaps the truth would reveal itself then.

Avia's eyes glittered with a different spark of excitement. "No—I think this laptop has pointed us toward a far more meaningful path."

Her gaze shifted to the Lady of the Night and the Tree of the Night in the distance. Her lips curved into a smile.

Much as Wang Yu himself had once theorized, if this world truly wished to do so, it could probably develop something akin to computers. But why bother? Ice arrows and fireballs worked for air-conditioning and heating, and magic could already achieve what Earthly science still struggled with.

Earth's advanced technology had come about only because individual strength had reached its limits. Science had taken over in terms of weapon and technological development.

"What we can take advantage of right away is the laptop's superior algorithms. With them, we can optimize the Lady of the Night, unlocking even more of her processing power."

Avia's eyes shone. The half-formed idea that had flickered in her mind earlier now took on a more defined shape. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

She had once worked alongside the Lady herself, engaging in "void programming" and helping her optimize the Tree of the Night. Now, she saw the way forward.

Wang Yu caught on quickly. "You mean that, even if we can't fully understand the computer's principles, we can still transplant some of its structures into the Tree and let it handle the calculations that currently rely entirely on the void?"

He glanced over at the Lady of the Night, still hunched over his laptop, utterly engrossed in a card game she was losing spectacularly. If this worked, she would certainly be able to free up more of her strength. The only question was, would she also become smarter in the process?

The Tree of the Night already acted like an "external brain," or perhaps her subconscious. Once she set the parameters, it ran on its own.

It connected her believers, distributed divine power, and judged the strength of their faith—all through immensely complex calculations fueled by the void.

Avia's earlier optimization had simply been a crude "algorithm" that let the Tree achieve the same effects with less void energy. But now, with the computer as a model...

"Well, a single laptop's computing power can't compare to the Tree," Wang Yu mused. "It's still bound by heat, latency, bugs... all sorts of limitations."

The more he thought about it, the more he felt the Lady was nothing but a mascot. The Tree of the Night was the one doing all the actual work. Wasn't she just idling all day while her tree handled everything?

"But this is the void!"

Avia spread her arms wide and laughed.

Of course. Here, all those limitations vanished. A tiny trickle of void energy could nullify problems caused by heat and any other issue besides. With the machine freed of its earthly shackles, its performance might well soar to unimaginable heights. This would become, without question, the most powerful "algorithm" they had ever wielded.

"So, why not try it?"

Wang Yu's eyes gleamed. The thought of replacing the Tree of the Night with a cluster of void-powered laptops, an utterly mad idea, suddenly seemed irresistibly tempting.

"The overall principle is no different from what we did before," Avia replied. "The Lady's compatibility is astonishing. We just need to connect the computer to the Tree."

She spoke with confidence. Her earlier work had given her ample experience. The void was endlessly convenient, a truth Wang Yu never tired of marveling at.

"What do you think?"

Wang Yu turned to the Lady of the Night, who was still absorbed in her game.

"I'll leave it to you."

Her answer was curt, though it was hard to say whether it was out of sheer immersion in the game or simple trust in the two of them.

"Alright, then." Wang Yu grinned. "Let's give it a try."

Wang Yu led Avia to the Tree of the Night. Under Avia's direction, they wiped one of the laptops clean of all content, leaving only the default system software, then pressed the machine into the trunk of the colossal tree.

"Uh... that's safe, right?"

Wang Yu watched uneasily as the towering Tree began to flicker, like an old television breaking into static. His understanding of the void—and of deities—was far too shallow to make sense of what he was seeing.

"It's fine," Avia assured him. "The Tree is merely altering its outward form. After all, the Tree itself is nothing more than the Lady of the Night's power made manifest.

"The reason it grows larger as her following increases is simply because it requires such vast strength to maintain those countless connections. But now, it seems, that bulk is no longer necessary."

Avia remained calm, as if she had expected this transformation all along. Watching Wang Yu get all flustered was part of the fun, after all.

Pure darkness flowed from the Tree of the Night in a tide, spilling out into the Lady's divine realm.

The torrent was staggering. There was so much power released that it swallowed Wang Yu and Avia whole. Yet for them, the darkness was gentle. Even when completely engulfed, they could still see what lay in their surroundings.

"Whoa. That's... small."

When the flood at last abated, the Tree revealed its new form. It was utterly different from the world-straddling colossus it had once been.

Before them now lay...a computer. On the surface, it looked identical to Wang Yu's laptop, save for one comical detail: it was connected to an absurdly large tower case, as tall as a person and several spans wide, humming faintly like an oversized desktop rig.

By ordinary standards, its bulk was ludicrous. Yet compared to the titanic Tree that had once loomed over them, this new incarnation was minuscule. This single machine had inherited every function the Tree had once performed.

This was no ordinary computer. Optimized by the void, it would never overheat, never break, never freeze, and never suffer any delay. Every part worked with flawless precision—a true "supercomputer."

"Let's see..."

With a casual gesture, Wang Yu conjured up a table and two chairs. He sat, hand on the mouse, and began testing the new Tree of the Night. He held the necessary permissions, after all.

The screen flickered alive, data racing across it faster than he could follow. He could only grasp the barest gist of it all. The data was about the Lady's devotees, cross-linked with the Midnight Library and the Void Chatroom.

Abandoning his mouse, Wang Yu switched to interfacing with the system directly via his mental energy. Instantly, the experience became seamless.

The frantic flood of text on the screen halted, giving way to a stream of Prayer Network messages. Wang Yu could, for instance, see Elliot corresponding with another guild leader about which goods to put up for sale.

"And this?"

Avia leaned over, clicking twice. The display shifted again, resolving into a tidy catalog, titles neatly bracketed, mirroring the Midnight Library's holdings. If she wished, she could access any book directly.

"The blending of two worlds' technologies," Wang Yu murmured, half in awe. "I never imagined it would take shape like this."

Watching Avia manipulate the new Tree, he felt a rush of wonder. As expected, when the world's extraordinary powers were woven together with Earth's sciences, the results bordered on the miraculous.

"Though it also makes me wonder even more," he added, his voice low, "just what the void truly is. And these gods, so deeply bound to it—just how were they born? How do they wield such power?"

Amid his delight, Wang Yu felt his interest in the void grow ever stronger. It was all too convenient and all too mysterious.