The defining characteristic of the [Matrix] space was that it aligned far more closely with human thought than the traditional online world did. Though both were worlds composed of zeros and ones, aside from optimizing computational equations, the greatest change in the [Matrix] space—or rather, the MX system—was its compatibility with human logical thought. The so-called "intelligence" of the MX system was merely a superficial product of simulating human logical thinking.
Within the [Matrix] space, Kamiyā Yuu could perceive much more clearly the subtle differences involved in converting his thoughts into data. It was an extremely peculiar sensation, as though nothing had changed at all, yet he could still clearly sense the transformation of his consciousness. Previously, when he had used the immense processing capabilities granted by his consciousness space to directly invade the network space of the previous world, his approach had been extremely crude. That was why it had caused enormous fluctuations in data, sometimes even affecting local networks and producing fluctuations severe enough to burn out the CPUs of tens of thousands of computers.
Now, Kamiyā Yuu had deliberately begun studying the process of converting thought into data. When entering this world's network from his consciousness space, he no longer caused violent fluctuations in data. The greatest difficulty Kamiyā Yuu faced in converting thought was computational equations. The [Matrix] space had been created by simulating the way humans thought and calculated, but that did not mean the [Matrix] space could completely contain or simulate human thought. Simply by being inside the [Matrix] space, Kamiyā Yuu could sense the fundamental difference between this space and the real world.
...
"Crack-crack-crack!"
Inside the [Matrix] space, a strange sound like stones colliding rang out. Immediately afterward, countless skyscrapers rose from the ground, forming a bustling modern metropolis. The black sky brightened, sunlight piercing through thin clouds and spilling onto the streets. Modern cars emerged one after another from street corners, while pedestrians indistinguishable from real people chatted and laughed. An old man hobbled past with a cane. An impatient driver leaned on his horn. In a gloomy alleyway, a homeless man stared blankly at the sky. Elegant ladies in high heels walked arm in arm, speaking softly to one another.
It was an ordinary modern British-style city, except no one seemed capable of seeing Kamiyā Yuu standing steadily in midair, looking down over the streets.
"Yuu, we've already reached the limit. If we continue, we'll burn out the processing center."
Blake, dressed in a black women's business suit beneath a white lab coat, came to Kamiyā Yuu's side and quietly explained. Looking at the lifelike cityscape before her, a trace of astonishment appeared in her otherwise calm gaze.
"No matter how many times I see this, it's still astonishing."
"Have you finished collecting the data?"
Blake looked down at the streets and nodded.
"Mm. The [Matrix] space has already begun restructuring itself."
Some of the pedestrians and towering buildings along the streets gradually faded away and disappeared. The two went to an open-air café on a street corner and ordered coffee. Before long, a waiter respectfully brought over several pastries along with their drinks.
"Just as I thought, the changes happening to Yuu are the same as what happened to us."
Kamiyā Yuu raised an eyebrow. He picked up his café au lait, then put it back down.
"What do you mean?"
Blake had ordered a bitter black coffee. Without adding any sugar, she took a sip and reported in a serious tone, "When Yuu tries to use his consciousness to interact with network data in his own world, the sensation should be similar to what we experienced when Yuu first created us. But we had Yuu's help, so we easily made it through that difficult adaptation period."
"Be more specific. Do you have any good suggestions?"
Blake shook her head.
"This is a process Yuu will have to adapt to personally. The best solution should be to start by learning the fundamental code that makes up software. Use your consciousness to delve into how the Windows system operates software and how the code changes while the software is running."
"I know, but in my world, the capabilities of my consciousness might be even worse than yours." Kamiyā Yuu spread his hands helplessly.
That was already putting it modestly. In the real world, Kamiyā Yuu's mental strength and thinking capabilities might only be one percent—or even one-thousandth—of Blake's. Blake was the theoretically perfect human he had created, as well as a special existence uniquely compatible with both the consciousness space and the world of data.
"Yuu, you know about the domino effect."
"Mm, that's common knowledge." Kamiyā Yuu nodded. His hand paused as he picked up his cup, but in the end, he still didn't drink the café au lait.
"Interaction between consciousness and data is just like the domino effect. What Yuu needs to do is understand the function of every domino, know which domino each one will affect next, and understand what changes will occur in the domino that gets affected."
Blake folded her arms. The cat ears atop her silky black hair twitched slightly as she pondered.
"I've named the changes caused by interaction between consciousness and data the [Domino Maze Effect]. Knocking over a single domino doesn't affect just one line—it affects the entire system. That's why consciousness must guide and propel the process until it finds the correct route you want. If Yuu wants to use software to type a single character, then in reality, Yuu only needs to type its pinyin on a keyboard. But if you do it through consciousness, you have to start with the most fundamental code that makes up the computer system, then use the system to understand the rules governing how the software operates. Only then can you find the correct route through the dominoes and type the character you want to record."
Kamiyā Yuu understood the complicated theory. Thinking about the limitations of his mental processing abilities in reality, he said speechlessly, "Then I might as well invade the language-processing area and type directly. That sounds a lot more convenient."
Blake looked at Kamiyā Yuu in confusion.
"If you're going to do that, why not just type with your hands?"
Kamiyā Yuu opened his mouth.
"..."
Seeing Kamiyā Yuu rendered speechless, Blake took another sip of black coffee and couldn't help but let out a playful giggle.
"I never thought Yuu would have moments when he gets muddleheaded too."
Kamiyā Yuu accepted the second café au lait handed to him by the waiter. Its texture and flavor were indistinguishable from the real thing, yet he knew it wasn't real.
Using the sugar tongs, Kamiyā Yuu picked up a sugar cube and dropped it into Blake's black coffee.
"Yes, yes. In that case, I'll have to trouble Teacher Blake to continue teaching me."
Blake rested her delicate chin on her right hand, her golden feline eyes gazing gently at him.
"I'd be delighted."
Blake, who had devoted herself to researching virtual worlds in this world, was unquestionably a master in this field. The [Matrix] Company had already begun researching biological neural control and thought-capture technology. Combined, the two amounted to the full-dive simulation devices commonly found in online-game novels. Before long, ordinary people would also be able to control computers using thought-sensing headsets. Fundamentally, this was the same thing Kamiyā Yuu wanted to accomplish by directly interacting with data networks through his consciousness.
After discussing the matter for a while, Kamiyā Yuu clarified his objective: just as Blake had suggested, he would start from the absolute fundamentals, including the Windows 7 system architecture and basic code, then use his understanding of the computer system to learn how software operated.