Chapter 342 Breakthrough in Automagy
Shoutout to Bruh_Vista for beta-reading and providing extensive feedback for this chapter!
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Shuri was finally ready to admit that she enjoyed learning in the True World Sect. Throughout her life, she had been taught never to question anything because questioning leads to finding out things that may not be conducive to a long and healthy life. So, she had to suppress her natural curiosity and live her life in ignorance.
But in the True World Sect, it was the exact opposite. She was encouraged to mess around and find out. Nothing remained unknown for long here as most, if not all, questions had an answer in the Library. And the great thing was that they were even forced to question the information available in the library.
This mindset was eye-opening in many ways. For one, it helped Shuri understand the cultivation methods and systems of Automagy in the Yoruz Clan's texts with a completely new perspective. By applying the principles of modular spellmaking and compartmentalisation, she could now see patterns in the program prescribed in the texts that alluded to particular behaviours and actions. She wanted to test out her theory earlier, but she recognised that it was a very expensive and time-consuming experiment. A mistake in the program would turn an entire mana core defective, and could also lead to catastrophic consequences if the program happens to succeed.
Earlier, Shuri did not want to take risks like that. But now, things were different. The circumstances had changed - there was no point in trying to conceal herself, and there was no necessity for it either. On top of that, there was now a feeling gnawing away at her from within telling her that it was time and that if she didn't follow through she would miss out on something big.
An instinct.
What birthed this instinct?
Imagine a large and convoluted jigsaw puzzle, without any corner or edge pieces, and completely white. When Shuri learned the content from the Yoruz Clan's text, she managed to build a conjoined section. When she learned from the books on the reading list, she managed to build a conjoined section that completely encircled the previous clump. The last few sessions with Sect Leader Larks managed to bring to the forefront the required pieces that would join up the encirclement with the clump at the centre. All Shuri needed to do now was find out what goes where.
She had an idea - an image prepared in her mind.
Shuri's hands moved automatically as they traced out the image in her mind on the projection. The AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR gates were familiar; she'd seen patterns in the Yoruz Clan's programs that potentially had the same function. Now, it was a matter of testing the theory out.
In hindsight, she should probably test the hypothesised gates independently - for safety's sake, at least. But her instincts were urging her to throw caution to the wind and dive into the deep end right away.
Before she knew it, an hour had passed, but Shuri's hands showed no sign of stopping. She still had more to go!
Slowly, the image in her mind started to bloom on the ethereal canvas. And as this happened, unfelt by Shuri, her mana started to bubble frantically from her core. Above the dorms, a small whirlpool of mana started to take shape as well, attracting the attention of the Sect Leader and all others in the Foundation Establishment realms and above.
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"Someone is advancing," Markus said as he approached his Master from behind. "Is it Shuri?"
"Feels that way," his Master responded. The duo were currently standing outside the dormitory building. "She ran out of our session today with a honed-in expression, the kind you have when inspiration strikes you hard."
"Should we help her?" Markus probed worriedly.
"There's nothing we can do to help. Her path is her own, after all," his Master responded with a thoughtful nod. "However, we CAN help in the clean-up. I'll go get something for her to eat after her advancement; she missed Lunch (again!). Can you go tell Grace to prepare some new clothes for the girl; she probably hasn't prepared a fresh change."
Markus' face turned crimson red in embarrassment as the boy turned and fled in Matron Reva's general direction.
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"Your little pet project is finally advancing," Marie's Master commented while in meditation.
Marie hummed in affirmation before putting her documents aside.
"What's wrong? Taking a break?" Her Master probed.
"No. It's just that my efforts will become redundant very soon," Marie answered with a faint smile. "I can afford to waste a week or so."
Her Master looked at her with a confused expression before bursting into laughter. "I see," he said finally before returning to his meditative trance.
"Carry on, then," he added at the end. "And don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"That is an extremely specific warning, Master," Marie shot back with a sarcastic drawl. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind."
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Another hour later, Shuri's circuit was reaching termination. Her steadily moving hand reached an abrupt halt. She took a step back and allowed her gaze to inspect the intricate design etched onto the ethereal projection centred on the mana core. This was unlike anything listed in the Yoruz Clan's texts. Yoruz Clan's mana core programs were more profound, but the one she created using the principles of logic gates was more complex. The former looked more whole and was smoother, while the latter looked more ordered and had a lot of corners and connections.
Nonetheless, Shuri felt pride swelling through her as she beheld her brain-child. The ethereal projection started to compress into the core as she pulsed a burst of mana into the gem, and she waited for the core to accept her program. The inert core lit up and started to pulse with a fluctuating purple hue. Then a short sizzling sound escaped from the core before the core settled with a permanent ethereal sheen.
Her work had succeeded.
However, Shuri didn't celebrate just yet. Even if the program had succeeded, it did not mean that the core would function the way it was supposed to.
Shuri took a minute to centre herself. The moment of truth was nigh.
She sent a burst of mana into the core, causing it to light up brighter, and an ethereal projection to burst out from the sphere. The projection was in the form of a grid 4x5 grid, showing numbers ranging from 0 to 9, a decimal point, all for standard mathematical operators, a "delete," and a "=" button. Shuri pressed the "2" and "4" projected buttons, causing a new projection of the number 24 to light up above the grid. She then pressed the multiplication button, which caused an "x" symbol to project below the 24. She then pressed "1" and "2" causing 12 to project below the "x" symbol. She then pressed the "=" symbol, and almost immediately, a pulse of light coursed through the core, and the number 288 projected before her.
A luminous smile cut her face in half. She pressed the delete button twice and continued testing the core. She stress-tested it thoroughly with all possible operations she could think of. With every success, a euphoric tremor coursed through Shuri. She was getting drunk on success... and in the overflowing torrent of mana coursing through her body, cleansing her blood and marrow.
She was so engrossed in her work that she missed the multiple knocks battering on her door at that very moment. This went on for some time, and the knocks grew more vigorous with each passing minute until eventually, a familiar sound reverberated directly inside her head.
"Shuri!"
"Huh?!" Cast out of her euphoric trance, Shuri looked around, knocks restarted.
"Shuri!" This time, it came from beyond the door, and it was a searching for the source of the voice. This was until she realised that it was actually a mana transmission. At that moment, the knocks restarted.
"Shuri!" This time, it came from beyond the door, and it was a woman's voice.
"Matron Reva?" Shuri yelped.
A growl vibrated through the door, and the voice spoke up with an angry edge to it. "Open up! NOW!"
Shuri rushed towards the door, fearing the wrath of the woman beyond, slid it open, and came face to face with a rather annoyed Matron Grace Reva. The woman's eyes scanned Shuri before the irritation dissipated, replacing itself with exasperation. The woman quickly approached Shuri and nudged her inside.
"Child, you need to be more aware of your appearance. You can't go around exposing yourself like this!" The woman chided before proceeding to cover Shuri with the clothes in her hand.
"What do you-" Shuri looked down and realised that she was completely nude. "What in the world?!"
"The Sect Leader sends his congratulations towards your advancement into the Foundation Establishment realm," Matron Reva said offhandedly.
"W-Wait!" Shuri rushed away from Matron Reva and looked at herself in the mirror on her desk. A relieved sigh escaped her lips when she noticed that her hair was still silver in shade, though faint traces of red hairs were popping near her scalp (probably a result of her advancement).
She harkened back to Marie's warning.
"But you still have a few left in the quiver, don't you?"
Shuri's hand grasped the pendant hanging around her neck and fiddled with it anxiously. In fact, she had two arrows still left in the quiver.
"What's wrong?" Matron Reva inquired while patting Shuri's back in a calming manner.
"Umm, nothing," Shuri responded while putting on a pleasant facade.
Those two arrows... Shuri wasn't sure whether she would ever be ready to draw and fire them.
"I'm okay..."
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