Chapter 192: Chapter 192

So you want to know how to become a Lawbearer?" Lytheron asked with the air of an old scholar.

​"Yes," Zephyr confirmed. "You said Mother Aurelis struggled with it, and then everyone else found it easier. Why was the first step so hard?"

​Lytheron settled into a more relaxed position, putting the urgency of the contract temporarily on hold. It seemed he really took the duty of teaching seriously.

​"The barrier between Tier 6 GrandMaster and Tier 7 Lawbearer," Lytheron began, "is not about having more power. It is about a fundamental change in how the mana core processes magic. To understand it, you must understand the limitations of a GrandMaster."

​He paused, collecting his thoughts. "Any awakened’s mana core, at the peak of Tier 6, possesses a large number of activated mana nodes — hundreds, and for some, like me, even past a thousand... all depending on your original talent."

Zephyr swallowed a silent gulp. ’Past a thousand mana nodes at Tier 6!’

That would mean Lytheron awakened with at least... 256 mana nodes at the start!

What sort of talent was that?! ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴovelfire.net

Lytheron continued without pause. "Each of those nodes is a processor, a little engine of logic, just as you think of them." He leaned forward slightly. "However, even at Tier 6, those nodes work primarily through sequential processing.

They execute spells quickly, but they still queue and coordinate their results. If you want to cast a complex spell requiring two hundred of those nodes, they cannot simply fire all at once... They have to be carefully choreographed," he shook his head. "This creates a bottleneck... a sort of ’natural cap’ on raw complexity of spells..."

"...it was why no one could progress beyond that before Mother Aurelis," he sighed, one tinged with a sense of inevitability.

​"The breakthrough Mother Aurelis achieved was the greatest structural discovery in the history of all awakened. She provided the insight required to completely streamline the Tier 6 core," he had a look of deep respect on his face as he praised her feat.

"Everyone Tier 6 GrandMaster knew that there was surely a path further beyond Tier 6... but no one knew how or where to even begin. All methods of progression before peak Tier 6 did nothing to trigger an evolution at all. She was the one who paved the way forward through the fog."

"She realized that before you could take the next step, you had to turn your plentiful nodes... that cluster of individual spell logic circuits into a single, flawlessly coordinated unit. The goal was to reach perfect parallel efficiency."

​Lytheron used a term that had been sacred in his time. "This requires tying every single existing node together in a hyper-efficient, personalized matrix — what we called the Unified Logic Circuit. It’s the final, impossible test of a Tier 6 GrandMaster’s comprehension, and it’s why so many of the talented hit the wall there. They couldn’t force their nodes to stop acting independently and work as one seamless engine."

​’Parallel efficiency... Unified Logic Circuit,’ Zephyr thought. Those were terms that rang a bell in his mind.

​He’s describing the final CPU optimization step, host, Aegis inputted. It seems the point is not to gain raw power, but to ensure perfect Interconnect Fabrication and Pipelining for the various nodes. All forms of latency must be eliminated between every single one of them till they begin to act like one cohesive curcuit.

​’Right. So the Lawbearer stage isn’t just about making the core stronger, but making it perfectly stable and extremely responsive,’ Zephyr mused. ’But that’s only optimization. I think there’s only so much that can do... Where does the real power of a Tier 7 come from?’

​Lytheron continued, oblivious to the internal conversation going on in Zephyr’s head. "The Unified Circuit is necessary because the evolution to Tier 7 is structurally different. When a fully optimized GrandMaster evolves, the new nodes that Origin grants do not merge with the existing logic nodes. Instead, they form separately... and right when you get them, they feel inherently different from the rest—"

"Different?" Zephyr asked in confusion, "so, not like normal mana nodes?"

"Not exactly..." Lytheron looked like he was struggling to explain a feeling, rather than a concrete thing. He lacked the words to properly convey the explanation he had in mind.

Eventually, despite the scholar in him looking for the best way to describe it, he just gave up, sighing in exasperation, "You will understand the difference when you reach that stage..."

He continued his explanation.

​"What you need to know now is that, those new nodes are what allow a Lawbearer to render constructs onto reality itself. It takes the instructions from the Unified Circuit and converts it into tangible, reality-bending effects. You can’t command something that renders reality if your own command core is fragmented..."

"Ah, yes!" Lytheron suddenly snapped his fingers, like he’d had an epiphany. The perfect way to describe what he meant.

"Earlier, you asked why the new Tier 7 nodes feel inherently different, right?" He asked. "The key is in the purpose of the two systems. Your existing nodes — your Unified Logic Circuit — is built for sequential, step by step processing of your intention to create any spell. It handles one complex task by breaking it down into a careful series of steps. Your core receives your intention for a spell, your mana nodes then calculate, and then finally executes."

He leaned back, resting his monster palms on his thigh. "The new nodes — your Reality Engine — operate on an entirely different principle. They are designed for parallel processing on a scale your primary core cannot achieve. Think of it this way: to calculate the trajectory of a simple fireball, your normal nodes perform one complex calculation very quickly..."

Zephyr nodded at that.

"But to render an entire, functioning and convincing reality construct you do not only calculate one trajectory," Lytheron shook his head, "you are simultaneously calculating the trajectory, collision physics, lighting, texture, magical signature... for every. single. thingwithin that construct. You are calculating hundreds of thousands of individual points at the same time!"

’Massive parallel processing... specialized for concurrent calculations,’ Zephyr muttered with some level of understanding...

But Aegis understood it even more.

It’s exactly what a GPU does, but in a magical context, host. The difference is specialization, Aegis explained further in the understanding they both shared.

The nodes that make up what will form your full CPU at Tier 6 are excellent at latency, handling complex decisions, and ensuring coherence.

But the new nodes — The GPU — sacrifices versatility for pure quantity of processing. It’s not as versatile or as ’smart’ as your CPU... can’t make the quick level of changes required in specific spells... But it can calculate a million simple magical effects simultaneously.

From the elf’s words, the Lawbearer stage seems to be one of a fusion between the highly optimized CPU of a mage, and this new GPU... to render a reality.

"You now have this knowledge, young Zephyr," Lytheron’s voice drew his attention back to the outside world, "there is nothing that stops you from trying to render a reality... nothing except yourself," the elf’s tone was solemn, making Zephyr understand the weight of what was being said.

"You could try to make a render on a low energy world, just like the ’saviour’ you spoke of on that Grade 9 world..." he nodded slightly, "it is possible that you may come away with it depending on your talent and how well it is executed... but do not make the mistake to think for a second that you should try the same on a high energy world!" his voice rose in crescendo... then lowered to a whisper laced with finality.

"You will die a terrible death if you do."

Zephyr’s eyes narrowed involuntarily at those words.

"Even if you are at the point of death. Never try it. A normal death will be mercy compared to a death caused by the very world itself retaliating against you for infringing on the fabric of reality..."

Lytheron stared right into Zephyr’s eyes, waiting for a confirmation from the boy that he had noted the warning.

Zephyr nodded after a short silence, understanding the gravity of the knowledge he’d just received.

Some part of him felt like he shouldn’t have pushed to know more...

Zephyr knew himself. Could he actually, if at the point of death, hold himself back and willingly die when he knew of something he could try... something that could potentially save him in one fell swoop?

He didn’t answer that question. Instead he waved it off.

’I don’t think I’ll ever be pushed to that extent...’

He knew that didn’t address the main question. But he didn’t care.

Lytheron’s eyes flickered with something unreadable and he withdrew his gaze from Zephyr’s, nodding slightly.

"Your inquiry has made me derail yet again. I trust that there would not be a repeat of it with what you know now?" He stated rather than asked.

Too much knowledge could be a bane at times. The saying ’Ignorance is bliss’ was true in this scenario.

Zephyr nodded. Even he didn’t want to know any more than he should now. High tiers were that for a reason...

Lytheron sighed, and with a shake of his head, continued his earlier talk.

"In my era, many Lawbearers rose in manifold. Weaving and bending reality to their will. It was such a qualitative leap in power that the prior tiers looked like child’s play. Even I, after reaching Tier 7, also felt the same. The previous tiers were truly a child’s play," he scoffed.

"Battle at the level of Lawbearers was no longer about slinging spells, or casting quickly, or any other petty thing the tiers before held important..."

"It was now about impressing your will on the world. Refining and perfecting your render to the point where it resembles true reality to a tee..."

"Lawbearers battled only among themselves... A fight with anyone below them was not a fight... Instead it was for fun. To feel the thrill of slinging spells around," Lytheron snorted.

"Because once a Lawbearer brings you into a render... death is certain."