Chapter 703: Alchemy System x Artificial Intelligence

Ezra placed his Zphone Tablet on the table in front of him.

He tapped the screen a few times.

A soft glow spread across its surface before a holographic image materialized above it. Lines of text and diagrams appeared in the air, displaying his written research on Alchemy Systems.

Ezra tapped the screen again.

Another holographic window opened beside the first. A moment later, he brought up a third one.

Three holographic screens now floated before him, each displaying different portions of his research on two related fields.

Alchemy Systems and Artificial Intelligence.

The light from the screens fell across Ezra’s face as he leaned forward slightly.

His eyes moved between the displayed notes, occasionally stopping at a particular line before shifting to another.

He had spent quite some time studying the subject with Cyrus. However, the discussion they had shared had given him several things to reconsider, especially concerning the use of Alchemy Symbols in Toy programming.

The first thing I was able to realize from what Cyrus talked about concerning the Alchemy Symbols used for Toy programming is how different Alchemy Symbols can be used instead of their conventional applications.

Ezra thought to himself while quietly examining what he had jotted down.

He moved his finger across the holographic screen, enlarging one of the sections.

The main detail about Alchemy Systems was that they functioned very differently from the actual Alchemy Circles an Alchemist used.

While an Alchemy Circle created things out of matter, an Alchemy System didn’t.

Instead, it created a function.

That was the fundamental difference between the two.

An Alchemy Circle was used to produce a particular result through the arrangement of its Symbols and Lines. Its construction was directed towards achieving an outcome, whether that involved manipulating matter or producing something through the use of Alchemy.

An Alchemy System, on the other hand, was built around the execution of functions.

It wasn’t necessarily about creating something out of matter. Rather, it involved arranging instructions and operations that allowed a device to perform a particular task.

Just like how Circuit Systems worked.

With Circuit Systems, an Alchemist could give a weapon or a material a fixed function through the use of Alchemy Lines.

Ezra shifted his attention towards another screen.

And from the studies covered about Alchemy Lines in Professor Giggs’s class on Alchemy Circle Conversion, he already had a full understanding of what Uncle Rogers had taught him about creating Circuit Lines.

He reached for his hard-copy note.

The pages made a faint sound as he flipped through them.

After finding the section he wanted, he placed the notebook beside the Zphone Tablet and opened it to the page containing his previous studies on Alchemy Lines.

There were three main types of Alchemy Lines written on the page.

The first was the Thin Line, containing 10 values.

The second was the Thick Line, containing 15 values.

And the third was the Heavy Line, containing 20 values.

Ezra looked over the three entries again.

These Lines might have appeared simple when written down, but their values played an important role in the construction of Alchemy Circles. They also had considerable importance in Circuit Systems.

In fact, Circuit Systems took their applications to another degree.

The difference between Circuit Lines and Alchemy Lines was that Alchemy Lines defined the amount of output the drawn Symbol would possess, while Circuit Lines defined the value of Cognis that could pass through the pathed Lines in a weapon or body.

That was an important distinction.

Although both involved Lines, their purposes were not the same.

One determined the output associated with a Symbol in an Alchemy Circle, while the other regulated the Cognis passing through a constructed path.

Ezra placed his finger against the notebook, following one of the entries as he reviewed the information.

In Circuit Line construction, the Lines needed proper alignment to establish the function of the gadget or weapon.

The arrangement wasn’t something that could be done carelessly. The Lines had to be aligned according to the function the device was meant to perform.

But Alchemy Systems offered something different.

They gave a gadget numerous functions and a wider range of capabilities for each particular function.

Ezra’s gaze shifted back to the first holographic screen.

That was where the difference became particularly interesting.

A Circuit System could establish a fixed function through its constructed Lines.

An Alchemy System, however, could make use of several Symbols to create a more extensive arrangement of operations.

The two fields shared certain foundations, but their applications were different.

He had initially considered them closely related because of their use of Alchemy Lines and Symbols. However, after studying the subject with Cyrus and reviewing Professor Giggs’s lessons, he was beginning to understand why they needed to be treated as separate fields.

Ezra closed his hard-copy notebook and fully returned his attention to the holographic display.

He dropped the copied notes onto the table and enlarged the screen displaying the Alchemy Symbol categories he had identified as the most important for creating Artificial Intelligence.

The screen expanded, revealing several entries he had arranged during his research.

From what he had discovered by observing the Toys in the Toy City of Thornwick, Ezra had been able to figure out that the Alchemy Symbol categories involved in programming the Toys were:

Process Symbols.

Advanced Formula Symbols.

He paused briefly, looking over the two categories.

These were the main categories he had identified from his observations.

The Toys in Thornwick didn’t simply move because someone had activated them. Their movements and other functions were made possible through the Alchemy Systems used in their construction.

And the Symbols involved in those Systems were worth studying.

From the Process Symbols category, the Rotation, Movement, Repetition, Activation, Stopping, and Reversal Symbols were used to create the Alchemy Systems responsible for the Toys’ functions.

Ezra moved his finger across the screen, bringing the corresponding notes closer.

Each of the listed Symbols had its own purpose within the System.

Their applications were not identical, even though they all belonged to the same category.

Rotation and Movement were involved in the actions a Toy could perform, while Repetition allowed an operation to be carried out again.

Activation and Stopping were also among the functions required for its operation, alongside Reversal.

They were individual operations, but their use within an Alchemy System allowed them to contribute to a larger function.

Then there were the Advanced Formula Symbols.

Spatial Formulae and Control Formulae from that category were mainly used as the primary additions to the Alchemy System to program a Toy to perform an action.

These were not simply additional Symbols placed into the System without purpose. They contributed to how the instructions were arranged and carried out.

Cyrus had also added to his knowledge of the subject.

According to what they had discussed, Calculation Formulae, Precision Formulae, and a few other Advanced Symbol Formulae could also be involved in Alchemy Systems.

Ezra had written down the information and arranged the different categories for further review.

He scrolled through his notes.

The next section displayed the general Symbols involved in Britannian programming.

Symbols Involved in Britannian Programming

Spatial Formula

Spatial Formula establishes the architecture of a program, including its instruction pathways, connections, and information arrangement.

It determines how different components are organized and how they relate to one another within a programmed System.

Ezra looked at the entry for a moment.

The Spatial Formula was concerned with the arrangement of the program itself. Its purpose was to establish the structure through which the different components could be connected.

Without a proper arrangement, the relationship between those components would not be properly established.

He moved down to the next entry.

Process Symbols

Process Symbols execute the individual operations and instructions required by a program. They provide the basic operations that allow a programmed device to perform specific actions.

Ezra tapped the screen, highlighting the heading.

This was the category he had already studied through his observations of the Toys in Thornwick.

The Process Symbols were responsible for the individual operations. They provided the instructions that allowed a programmed device to carry out its intended actions.

Their importance was clear when considered alongside the other Formulae.

Calculation Formula

Calculation Formula performs mathematical operations and evaluates numerical conditions. It allows a programmed System to process numerical information and make calculations according to its instructions.

Ezra continued reading.

Control Formula

Control Formula determines the operational order of instructions, regulates their execution, and manages branching pathways. It ensures that different operations occur according to the program’s established conditions.

He shifted his gaze to the next entry.

Conversion Formula

Conversion Formula converts inputs into the required outputs or usable formats. It allows information or other inputs to be transformed into forms that the programmed System can process or act upon.

Precision Formula

Precision Formula maintains accuracy and execution tolerances. It ensures that programmed operations are carried out within their intended measurements and specifications.

Resonance Formula

Resonance Formula facilitates interactions and communication between connected components, allowing different parts of a programmed System to coordinate their operations where applicable.

Ezra slowly went through the list again.

Spatial Formula, Process Symbols, Calculation Formula, Control Formula, Conversion Formula, Precision Formula, and Resonance Formula.

Each category had its own purpose.

He had written them down because they were relevant to Britannian programming, but their importance extended beyond simply knowing their names. Understanding what each one did was necessary if he wanted to make proper use of them in an Alchemy System.

He leaned back slightly, allowing his eyes to move between the three holographic screens.

There was quite a lot to study.

Even though he had already covered several of these subjects with Cyrus, he still needed to organize the information and understand how the different Formulae could work together.

He didn’t want to simply memorize their functions.

He wanted to understand their applications.

"Thank the Scholars that I have reached this level of study, to already have a good understanding of all these Symbols."

Ezra muttered in a low voice to himself.

He glanced at the hard-copy notebook beside his Zphone Tablet before returning to the holographic screens.

His progress in Alchemy Circle Conversion had certainly made the research easier.

Without the knowledge he had already acquired, understanding the different Symbol categories and their applications would have taken considerably more effort.

In the field of Alchemy Circle Conversion, an Alchemist or Scholar started from the Beginner level.

This was when they began learning about the Fundamental Symbols category.

They had to understand how all thirteen Fundamental Symbols functioned and what each one represented. They also had to study Alchemy Lines and understand their importance in the application of Fundamental Symbols.

It was the foundation of the entire field.

A student or Adult couldn’t simply move forward without understanding these basics. The Fundamental Symbols and Alchemy Lines were among the first things they had to become familiar with.

For many Alchemists and Scholars learning this field, it tended to take anywhere from one to three years to understand at least the five Fundamental Symbols, which were:

Fire.

Air.

Wind.

Earth.

Ice.

Even understanding these five required time and practice.

Only after gaining a good understanding of them could they be considered an Amateur.

At that level, they began studying the Process Symbols category.

And that took close to two to four years because of the number of Symbols in the category.

Of course...

The Process Symbols category had its own list of Symbols, with numerous subordinate Symbols that each possessed their own functions while still relating to the main Process Symbol.

It wasn’t enough to understand the main Symbol alone.

There were other Symbols connected to it, each with its own application.

This made the category considerably broader than the Fundamental Symbols they had studied at the Beginner level.

Ezra looked at the information displayed on his screen again.

The Process Symbols were only one part of the field.

Beyond them were the Advanced Formula Symbols, which required an even greater level of understanding.

He was currently at the late stage of Intermediate.

To reach even the Intermediate rank of Alchemy Circle Conversion, he had to master at least fifty Advanced Formula Symbols out of the total two hundred and four.

That was still a considerable amount of knowledge to acquire.

He had already made progress, but there were plenty of Symbols left for him to study.

Each one required an understanding of its function and how it could be applied within an Alchemy Circle or an Alchemy System.

So, at this level...

Ezra did have a good understanding of everything Cyrus was teaching him and what he was researching.

He wasn’t starting from nothing.

The lessons he had received from Professor Giggs, the knowledge Uncle Rogers had taught him about Circuit Lines, and his studies with Cyrus had all contributed to his current understanding.

The different fields were beginning to connect in his mind.

Alchemy Circle Conversion gave him the foundation to understand the Symbols and Lines.

His knowledge of Circuit Systems helped him understand how those Lines could be used to establish functions in weapons and gadgets.

Meanwhile, Cyrus’s research had introduced him to another way of applying those Symbols through Alchemy Systems.

It was an interesting direction of study.

Ezra glanced at the three holographic screens once more.

No wonder Cyrus didn’t need to take the Alchemy Circle Conversion course.

He thought to himself quietly while continuing to review what he and Cyrus had gained from their research.

His gaze lingered on the information for a moment before he moved his hand towards the Zphone Tablet.

He swiped the holographic screen in front of him, bringing the second holographic screen to his front.