Chapter 144: The Foundations of a New Network 1

"That was the idea behind the internet."

Adam could have stopped there.

He didn’t.

Not for a second.

While several women were still trying to grasp the magnitude of what he had just announced, Adam continued.

"And it changes a lot of things."

Vespera opened her mouth.

Adam immediately raised a finger.

"Wait, I’m not finished."

She closed her mouth.

A rare enough occurrence that Elaria turned her head slightly toward her.

Adam, however, was already continuing.

"Until now, our main problem was simple: we could imagine terminals, computing systems, interfaces, and even begin working on the runic computer..."

He raised the black blade.

"But all of that remained local."

He took a few steps in front of them.

"A runic computer in a room is still just a computer in a room."

Then he pointed to the blade.

"With this, we have the foundation for linking multiple devices together over long distances."

Elena frowned slightly.

"So multiple computers could communicate?"

"Exactly."

Adam immediately pointed at her.

"And not just two."

He started counting on his fingers.

"Ten. One hundred. One thousand. Potentially many more, depending on how we build the infrastructure."

This time...

Even those less familiar with the technical aspects immediately grasped the general idea.

Adam continued:

"And most importantly, the Archive’s knowledge can probably directly accelerate the development of the runic computer."

Elaria sat up straight.

"How?"

"Transmission systems need several things that are remarkably similar to what we’re already trying to build."

Adam started counting again.

"Information encoding."

One finger.

"Synchronization."

Second.

"Error detection."

Third.

"Signal repetition."

Fourth.

"Destination identification."

Fifth.

"Prioritization."

Then he looked at Elaria and Vespera.

"What if their technology already allows them to transform information into a structured, magical signal, transmit it, and then reconstruct it correctly at the destination..."

Elaria finished immediately:

"Then some of the necessary logic already exists."

Adam smiled broadly.

"Exactly."

Vespera leaned forward.

"Even stabilization systems could be useful." "

"Yes."

"And if the signals use several distinct states..."

Adam nodded.

"We could investigate whether they’ve developed something equivalent to logical states."

This time, Elaria had completely forgotten the rest of the room.

She was already thinking.

Adam continued:

"Their technology isn’t a computer like the ones in my old world. But it likely contains solutions to problems we’re currently trying to solve separately."

He looked at the blade.

"We could save years."

Silence.

Then a voice rang out.

"Years?"

Shiora.

Adam turned.

Mistake.

The merchant’s expression had just changed.

He knew that look.

All too well.

Shiora sat up slowly.

"If we’re really talking about a technology that allows information to be transmitted instantly, or almost instantly, between several cities..."

Adam closed his eyes.

"No."

Shiora continued despite himself.

"Merchant guilds would pay fortunes to receive market prices without waiting several days."

"Shiora."

"Contracts could be validated remotely. Orders transmitted immediately. Trade routes reorganized according to the—"

Adam raised his hand.

"Stop."

Shiora stopped.

"But—"

"No."

"Adam, you don’t understand the economic value of—"

"I understand it perfectly."

He pointed to an armchair slightly removed from the center of the group.

"Financial corner."

Shiora remained silent.

Lyriana lowered her head to hide her smile.

Selene didn’t even make the effort.

"You just put her in the corner?" "

Adam replied:

"Temporarily."

Shiora crossed her arms.

"That’s deeply unfair."

"You were already trying to sell a technology we don’t even know how to build."

"I was anticipating that."

"Go to the corner."

Shiora glanced at him.

Then she picked up her cup.

"Very well."

She moved a few feet.

Adam looked at the others.

"Now... we can talk about technology before Shiora founds a continental company."

From her armchair, she replied:

"The name is already being considered."

Adam ran a hand over his face.

Isadora chuckled.

"You should have put it further away."

Vespera was the first to resume the discussion in earnest.

She stared at the blade as if everything else had ceased to exist.

"If what you saw is correct, the first thing to determine is the precise nature of the signal."

Adam nodded.

Vespera continued:

"Is the mana directly transferred between the transmitter and the receiver?"

She raised a finger.

"Or does the transmitter simply create a disturbance in an already existing flow of mana?"

Adam thought for a moment.

"From what I’ve quickly read, both exist, according to the system."

Vespera’s eyes lit up.

"Even better."

She almost stood up.

"Ground transmission could utilize telluric currents."

She began to walk.

"Atmospheric transmission could harness the natural flows of Wind mana."

Then she looked at Astraea.

"And here..."

Astraea understood immediately.

"The World Tree."

"Exactly."

Vespera looked at Adam.

"If its spiritual network already distributes mana throughout the world, it might be possible to use some of its branches as a transmission medium."

Astraea immediately raised a hand.

"With caution." "

Vespera paused.

Astraea continued:

"Study, yes."

Her tone remained calm.

"Altering the World Tree’s flows without knowing exactly what you’re doing, no."

Vespera nodded immediately.

"Obviously."

Adam looked at her.

"I appreciate you responding ’obviously’ before even proposing a dangerous experiment."

"I don’t always conduct dangerous experiments."

Everyone looked at her.

Vespera remained silent.

Then:

"Not always."

Adam sighed.

But Vespera had already regained her enthusiasm.

"I’m going to dedicate myself to this project."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Completely?"

"Not exclusively."

She thought about it.

" "But enough for it to become one of my top priorities."

Elaria nodded almost immediately.

"I’ll work with you."

Vespera turned her head.

Elaria continued:

"Rune structures alone probably won’t be enough."

She held up several fingers.

"We’ll need to design supports."

"Relays."

"Materials capable of withstanding repeated transmissions."

"Stabilizing circuits."

"Conversion mechanisms."

Adam smiled.

"And the rune calculator."

Elaria nodded.

"Especially the rune calculator."

She looked at the blade.

"If we find a reliable method of encoding and synchronizing in the Archive, it could solve several problems we’ve overlooked."

Vespera smiled.

"I’ll take the runes and the fluxes." "

Elaria replied:

"I’ll take the circuits and the supports."

Adam looked at them both.

"I’m already starting to regret bringing you two together."

"Too late," they replied almost simultaneously.

Isadora then spoke up.

"In that case, there’s another point."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"The laboratory beneath the mansion is almost finished."

Adam immediately remembered the work.

Isadora continued:

"The main rooms are ready. The shielding will be completed soon. The sections reserved for Elaria and Vespera are already usable."

Vespera was about to reply.

Adam interrupted her.

"Actually..."

He looked around.

The Bridal Chamber.

Then the large inner door.

"For this particular project, I’d prefer we work here." "

Isadora raised an eyebrow.

"Here?"

"With the door open."

Elaria understood immediately.

"Normal time. Work authorized."

"Exactly."

Adam stood up slightly.

"Think about it."

He gestured toward the walls.

"The Chamber is virtually impossible to breach from the outside."

"It controls its own access."

"It can modify its layout."

"It already has storage areas."

"And most importantly..."

He looked at the blade.

"If this technology is truly as important as it seems, I’d rather avoid a spy discovering our research simply because they managed to infiltrate the mansion’s basement."

Lyriana nodded immediately.

"I agree."

When the infiltration specialist approved a security measure...

Adam usually considered the discussion over.

Isadora thought for a moment.

"What about the lab?"

"We use it anyway." "

Adam replied immediately.

"Anything that can be safely shared or shown can be developed there."