"That's a powerful support spell. The original Perfect Fractal didn't have enough computational power for sothing this complex, did it? Avia, were you able to optimize it?"
Wang Yu adjusted the translucent lens hovering over his right eye, cycling through its paraters. He noticed that the Perfect Fractal now filtered out irrelevant data far more efficiently—it no longer displayed aningless noise.
"I did," Avia replied, smiling. "I incorporated insights from my latest research on spatial properties between the void and material realms. But the main credit belongs to Lady Darkness."
As she spoke, she gathered void energy into her hand and infused it into Wang Yu's lens.
Instantly, he saw a faint thread of void energy extend from the lens on his face and connect to the girl's forehead, threading into her mind.
"The Lady of the Night?" Wang Yu asked, uncertain. He couldn't quite see the connection between the Lady and the upgraded capabilities of the lens.
"The Tree of the Night," Avia explained. "She gave a special privilege—permission to connect the Perfect Fractal lens to the Tree itself. Now, the spell can borrow computational power from the void. It's not perfect just yet, but its capabilities have multiplied."
The Tree of the Night was akin to a divine processor—an external void-based augntation for a spell.
"Impressive," Wang Yu said. "You're already putting that new spatial theory to work."
He was frankly amazed. Avia had barely ntioned her discovery before turning it into a functional system.
Based on what she'd explained earlier, Wang Yu had a basic understanding of how she was harnessing the void's computational power.
The void and the material world mirrored one another with corresponding spatial coordinates. But while physical space was stable, the void was chaotic and ever-shifting.
Despite that, any void coordinate was anchored to a fixed location in the material realm.
In other words, if one could enter the void and head to a specific coordinate, they could exit at the corresponding location in the physical world. That, Avia speculated, was how devils accomplished long-range teleportation.
Imdiately after arriving at that conclusion, Avia began to experint. She certainly didn't have the capability to shift coordinates in the void, but Avia was a good friend of the Lady of the Night, who was more than willing to help.
"So what you've built now... is a way to communicate with the sa void coordinate from anywhere in the material world?" Wang Yu asked.
That was plausible—every wizard was essentially an incomplete void rift.
"Exactly. Every ti I interface with the void, I can now anchor to Lady Darkness directly."
As she said this, a stream of liquid shadow flowed from her brow and coalesced at her side into the form of the Lady herself—Lady Darkness, the Lady of the Night.
"Hello," said the Lady with a wave.
"Ah—hello!" Wang Yu and Avia replied casually, used to her divine presence. Lilya, however, froze. This was her first ti seeing a god's avatar, and her nervous and stiff reaction was very uncharacteristic for her.
"You can even allow Avia to connect to the Tree of the Night now?" Wang Yu asked.
He had managed to set up a basic programming system with the Tree of the Night—but that was it. He had lost the ability to enter his mindscape shortly thereafter.
"I studied the little box you left at the base of the Tree," the tall goddess said. "After learning about their principles, I've been trying to make modifications myself."
Two translucent cubes materialized in her palm. Wang Yu recognized them instantly—they were the simple void constructs he had left near the Tree to prototype the Prayer Network.
He smacked his forehead. He'd been thrown off by the Lady's usually absentminded deanor—he forgot that she could actually think and learn, and apparently learn quite well, from the looks of it.
Back when she had lounged on a rocking chair in the capital's shadow, pretending to be a saintess, she had simply watched her followers like an intrigued researcher observing small animals.
After the Church of Nightfall withdrew from the capital's shadow, she had nothing to observe. Had she spent all this ti buried in the void, studying a simplified form of... the C programming language?
Wang Yu stared blankly for a mont. A god programming a network in the void... It was a ridiculous image, and yet...
"These constructs are fascinating," she said. "I once relied solely on instinct to perceive the prayers and thoughts of my followers. But now, by programming these systems, I can call up information at will using my own intention."
She seed genuinely pleased. Her voice, though soft and calm, was unmistakably satisfied.
"Thanks to Lady Darkness's help, I was able to bind the Perfect Fractal lens to the Tree of the Night via prayer. That's what allows it to tap into the void's processing power," Avia added, clapping hands with the Lady's avatar.
"Incredible," Wang Yu said. "Truly incredible. I'll try to recall and organize whatever programming knowledge I can from my university days. Can't promise much, but maybe it'll help."
He had never thought this far ahead. To him, the Tree had just been a divine waystation. But now, with the Lady's direct involvent and Avia's technical genius, it was quickly becoming sothing far more profound.
He figured he could at least use his now-enhanced mory to jot down whatever coding knowledge he still rembered to give this budding divine programr a helpful boost.
"I'll study it earnestly," Lady Darkness said, nodding. Her face was hidden behind its usual dark veil, but Wang Yu thought he saw a glint of pride.
"Give a little ti. My mory's not perfect—this might take a bit," Wang Yu said. Then a new idea struck him. "Wait. If, one day, Lady Darkness finishes refining the programming... could she distribute the Perfect Fractal lens to other followers through divine magic?"
It was a wild thought, but the connection between Avia's spell and the Tree was already in place. If the Lady could master the underlying logic, she could replicate it.
And he had just called Perfect Fractal a spellcaster's bane, too...
"If Lady Dakenis completes the programming as you described, I think it's entirely possible," Avia said, nodding.
Lilya and Wang Yu inhaled sharply at the sa ti. If every follower of the Church of Nightfall was granted a Perfect Fractal lens, how would any enemy spellcaster be able to survive?
"Very well, then. I'll continue studying this thing you call programming. Helping my followers is sothing I truly enjoy."
With a wave, Lady Darkness dissolved into liquid shadow and vanished from the material world.
"You two," Lilya said, walking over and slinging her arms around Wang Yu and Avia's shoulders, "you're just like Garcia said—always creating sothing the rest of us can hardly believe."
She gave them both a gentle squeeze. "And as luck would have it, you're both here today. Avia's mother has awakened, and I imagine you'll be leaving again soon. Who knows when we'll all et next? So how about it—let be your witness today."
She winked aningfully.
Wang Yu and Avia exchanged glances. A blush touched the girl's cheeks, but there was no shyness in her eyes. She nodded, composed yet hopeful.
Wang Yu had no objections. He didn't care much for formality, but certain things deserved to be done right. They had never officially confird their bond in front of Mira. Today was perfect.
"Let's go," he said, smiling.
Lilya caught the unspoken understanding exchanged between the two and smiled warmly, the corners of her lips curling in quiet delight. With a playful clap on their backs, she urged them toward the room where Mira was resting.
The trio made their way down the corridor to Lilya's chamber. When the door opened, they stepped inside together.
The mana lamp within cast a soft, golden light that filled the room with a gentle warmth, illuminating every corner of the room.
Mira, who had just regained consciousness, was propped up against the bedhead. Clad in a loose robe, her complexion remained a touch pale—but her mind was calm, and her gaze shone with genuine peace.
"Thank you," she said, her voice soft and sincere. "The curse that has plagued the Svein bloodline for so long... I never imagined it would end with and Avia, let alone in such a way."
Her words were directed at Wang Yu. She offered him a warm, heartfelt smile. What she had once believed a lifelong affliction, an unsolvable curse, had been undone by the knight who had appeared at her daughter's side more than two years ago.
She made to rise, as if to bow despite her lingering weakness, but Wang Yu imdiately reached out to steady her.
"There's no need for that," he said at once.
Though unversed in matters of formality, he understood enough: today was the day Avia's family would bear witness to their bond. It might lack pomp or ritual, but it was essentially a kind of wedding. And what kind of son-in-law would let his mother-in-law bow down to him?
As Mira looked up at the dark-haired young man supporting her, she felt a sense of ease settle over her heart. By conventional standards, Wang Yu could not be called handso—but the more she looked at him, the more pleasing he seed to beco. Her daughter had chosen a worthy knight. She was truly glad.
"Our family has troubled you greatly," she said gently. "Thank you for taking care of Avia all this ti. My gifts as a magician and a wizard have faded along with the damage to my soul. I can no longer accompany Avia on her journey. And so—allow to ask: may I entrust my only daughter to your care?"
Her eyes t his, solemn and maternal. In this mont, she was no forr mage, just a mother asking for her daughter's happiness.
"Avia has done just as much for ," Wang Yu replied. "Without your daughter, I would never have co this far. We've always supported one another and helped each other grow. Please entrust your daughter to . I will do right by her."
He gave his answer with firm resolve. He had no intention of turning away from that responsibility—not now, not ever.
"I'm glad," Mira said, gripping his hand with a smile. "It feels as though we've gained another mber of the family. And perhaps, one day, we'll gain one more—though she'll have to make her move first."
She gave a aningful glance toward her sister, Lilya, who stood nearby, and raised her brows with playful suggestion.
"Co here, Avia," Mira said, turning to her daughter. "That thing you left with for safekeeping, I've held onto it all this ti."
She waved Avia over. When the young woman ca to her bedside, Mira reached under her pillow and drew out a small velvet-lined box. Within it sat a simple ring.
It wasn't extravagant—just a plain band of enchanted iron, engraved with magical runes. Wang Yu recognized it at once. It was the first magitech artifact Avia had ever made for him back in the secluded grove where Lilya's academy had once stood. The original inscription hadn't been the modern Chinese characters for "Wang Yu," but rather a clumsy phonetic rendering in Common: "Wong Yuu."
The ring no longer shot out fireballs as it once had, but it bore a aning far beyond any spell.
"Will you be with , always?" Wang Yu asked Avia, ring in hand. "No matter the ti, no matter the place?"
Avia, who had learned about Earth's customs from him before, understood the gesture. Smiling with quiet joy, the girl shed her forr shyness. She reached out and offered her hand to her knight.
"I will."
There was no grand ceremony, no audience or altar. Just a ring, plainly marked with their nas, slipped onto Avia's ring finger in a room lit with warm golden light. In that mont, nothing else mattered.
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