Star Forge Titan

In addition, the differential engine in the palace is much larger than the one that Alvin saw on the Golden Thought. A columnar structure composed of a large number of fine gears is superimposed on each other to form three large metal spires distributed in a triangular shape.

Because the differential engine performs digital calculations through the meshing, rotation, and translation of gears, this tall metal structure composed of a large number of gears is also called an operation room. Because the operating mode is similar to a group of people working in a workshop, technicians also call it a "workshop."

At the same time, gears are also a medium for data storage. Multiple gears form a unit sequence, and each unit can store numbers exceeding four digits. This led to the other spire being named "storage", and the technicians' abbreviation for it is "warehouse".

As for the third metal spire, it is the interface between the 'operation room' and the 'storage warehouse'. It can complete the input and export of data, and transmit and transport data back and forth between the 'warehouse' and the 'workshop', so its name is simply 'Exchange'.

The three do not exist independently. There are many pipes interweaving between them, making the entire difference engine look like an oversized metal container or a metal beehive, and the gears are the workers and worker bees that rotate back and forth.

The complex internal structure does not appear bloated, but instead gives it a beauty like a work of art, and even exudes a kind of inexplicably romantic industrial aesthetic.

The entire complex and huge machine almost filled up half of the room, and part of it extended through the window to the outdoors.

Directly in front of him was a large metal desk connected to the differential engine. It had a stand for notebooks, a mechanical typewriter fixed to the desk, and other accessories with different functions.

In fact, this is the size that most differential engines should have at this stage.

The ultra-small differential engine carried on the Golden Thought is a special case. It is a groundbreaking product created entirely at no cost and relying on high-level alchemy.

The difference between the two is like the size difference between the first computer and the first personal computer.

In addition, fully starting a difference machine requires two steps. First, the magic engine that powers the machine needs to be ignited. The first generation of magic engines need to be adjusted frequently, so early difference machines mostly used magic steam engines for power.

After using the heat generated by the magic machine to heat the water stored in the steam engine, the gears pushed by the steam will drive the other parts of the differential engine to start working. This is the second stage of the differential engine's startup.

As Flamel completed the startup work, the machine in front of him, which occupied most of the room, began to make a rumbling sound. The chimney extending from the window to the outdoors immediately spewed out a puff of white mist, which was the excess steam released by self-regulating the internal pressure.

Ivan looked at the machine in front of him curiously. Although he had seen the use of difference engines in games and even operated them himself many times, this was the first time he had seen such an "ancient" model.

So, when Flamel was operating the difference engine just now, the black-haired boy watched his every move very carefully, and quickly deduced the rough information of the difference engine from some details.

Based on this observation experience, even if he tries it himself in the future, although it will be a bit slower, at least he will be able to start this old model differential engine smoothly.

"This version of the Difference Engine is a bit outdated. In terms of computing power alone, the latest model is at least several times faster than this one." Flamel clapped his hands and sighed.

Looking back and seeing that Ivan's expression hadn't changed, he continued:

"What? You don't believe it? Haha, the computing power of each generation of the Difference Engine has improved at an incredible rate. Many problems that were previously unsolvable because they involved astronomical calculations have now been answered."

"Perhaps after a while, the computing power of the Difference Engine will be able to fully meet all our requirements, and all the alchemists will have to do next is probably to make them smaller, more portable, and easier to operate," Flamel said with emotion, his tone revealing pride and satisfaction.

Not always.

Ivan answered secretly in his heart.

This old model, which even relies on addition to simulate multiplication, will inevitably be eliminated in three months at most.

But he was not surprised that Flamel, the vice president of the Alchemist Association, would make such a statement.

Just like people who lived in the 20th century in their previous life, they would never be able to understand that humans in the 21st century could shrink the first-generation computer that occupies 1500 square feet, weighs 30 tons, and is almost as heavy as six elephants, to a size that can be held in one hand, and its performance in all aspects can be hundreds or thousands of times better than the former.

From this, we can see that Flamel, the vice president of the Alchemist Association of this era, certainly could not have imagined that under the pressure of war, magical engineering could develop at such a terrifying speed to a level that seems incredible to people today.

Of course, personally, I'd rather forget about war.

Ivan smiled slightly and took out the metal box that stored the data of the mechanical tower spirit.

Flamel carefully took the metal box and opened the suitcase he was carrying.

It turned out that it was not an ordinary suitcase. Inside the box, which was a size larger than an ordinary suitcase, there was a mechanical structure similar to a differential engine, and there was a groove in the center that matched the size of the metal box.

Obviously, this requires a special decoder specifically designed to read the data inside this device.

"This is a reading device that's only found within the Alchemist Guild. Without it, it's impossible to read the data in this data cartridge." Flamel said as he placed the metal cartridge into the central groove of the reading device.

"Data box?" Alvin looked at the metal box and felt that although the name was nothing new, it accurately described its function.

"Yes. While brass punch cards are easy to read and write, they're also easily damaged by the environment. The boxes specifically designed to store and protect punch cards are called data boxes. Most of them are made of very sturdy materials. For example, the one aboard the Golden Thought, while it looks like brass like a punch card, is actually made of... fine gold."

Speaking of this word, even Flamel, the vice president of the Alchemist Association, couldn't help but show a painful expression.

Even alchemists, who are used to spending money like burning firewood and cherishing materials, feel reluctant to do so. You can imagine how expensive and rare this material is.

Fine gold is a precious material equivalent to mithril, and its current international price is even higher than mithril.

Even in the dwarven kingdom, which has mastered more advanced mining technology, this is a very rare and expensive metal, because even the dwarves do not have the technology to mine and smelt gold on a large scale and efficiently.

Only small-scale processing methods similar to laboratory refining can be used to slowly and inefficiently extract truly high-purity refined gold from the already scarce and difficult-to-mine refined gold ore.

"Ah, the data has been extracted!" Flamel suddenly said:

Inside the reading device, which resembled a large suitcase, the crisp sound of gears meshing with each other could be heard. A ray of light passed through the data box in the middle, causing the originally locked cover to float upwards.

The thin brass cards stored inside were also unfolded one by one. It turned out that they were not independent cards, but a narrow metal sheet connected end to end and then stacked in an interlaced manner inside the data box, just like the tape used in old-fashioned movies.

The unfolded metal sheet sinks into the groove along the reading port in front of it, and the data stored inside is revealed under other mechanical actions.

Flamel sat down at the metal table in front of the Difference Engine with familiarity. In a sense, this was the 'desk' of the Difference Engine. The middle-aged alchemist loaded a special paper roll into the mechanical typewriter.

Not long after, the typewriter, which originally required human operation, suddenly began to operate on its own. The round keys with white letters on a black background seemed to be quickly tapped by an invisible hand, rising and falling one after another, and very fine and neat letters began to appear on the paper roll.

These densely packed letters formed complete words, which were obviously the relevant data about the Mechanical Tower Spirit stored in the data box.

Unlike the latest differential engine at the headquarters of the Linde Alchemist Association, the old differential engine in Swan Castle does not have a display screen like a crystal projection, so it can only use this relatively complex and inefficient method to display various data.

Without waiting for the typewriter to finish all the work, Flamel grabbed the part of the paper that had been typed, came closer and carefully read the information recorded on it, as a result, his face immediately became very ugly.

"This is impossible, how could it be all garbled?!" Throwing down the paper in his hand that contained no information at all, Flamel turned his head to look at Ivan.

"Don't look at me, I don't know either." The black-haired boy shrugged, and a guess gradually emerged in his mind.

Of course, Alvin knew about things like data tower spirits, but even after becoming a fifth-level giant spirit driver in his previous life, he had never heard of any information about the so-called "awakened" mechanical tower spirits.

This may mean that there is either some defect that leads to the termination of research and development, or there is some hidden danger that forces it to be abandoned, or both reasons exist at the same time.

"Can you tell me what you plan to do with this tower spirit?" Facing Flamel's suspicious eyes, Ivan asked first:

"...That is top secret." The vice president paused for a moment, and the suspicion in his eyes slowly faded. It was not that he easily believed what the young man said, but he had confidence in the association's encryption and protection technology.

The data box made of fine gold cannot be easily destroyed even if it is violently cracked by a supernatural being with a hammer or something like that.

What's more, I had just checked the seal of the data box and found no damage.

"But now that you've joined the magician training program, the confidentiality level should be raised to the point where the relevant information can be released." Flamel said slowly:

"Wait, a magician training program? All I heard about was a talent training program." Alvin was a little surprised.

"Actually, there's no difference. Currently, there are only two Transcendental Sequences based on Magical Engineering. The other branches are still under theoretical research. After joining the program, you will most likely become Mages or Engineering Knights."

"As an alchemist who masters the noble art of knowledge, you wouldn't want to be a dangerous driver, right?" Flamel looked at Ivan in confusion.

"To be honest, I'm quite good at driving... Let's put this topic aside for now and continue talking about Tower Spirit." Ivan's expression was a little subtle, but he quickly returned to normal.

“…” Flamel stared silently at the young man in front of him. Various background information related to him flashed through his mind one after another, and finally he made a decision.

"It's a brand new project called 'Living Dagger'."

"Living Dagger?" Alvin frowned. It was another name he had never heard of. Could it be that the butterfly effect he caused had become so obvious?

He had never felt fear even when facing the enhanced demon engine, but at this moment he was actually a little... nervous.

"Simply put, it involves transplanting an awakened tower spirit, which possesses a certain degree of autonomous judgment, into a high-precision mechanical vehicle driven by a magic engine, and then commanding it to complete combat missions on its own," Flamel said in a deep voice.

"Is it really for military use? That's why it's called a living dagger..." Ivan muttered to himself.

"It's not surprising, is it? Any advanced technology is often first used in the military. As an alchemist, you need to adapt to this situation." Flamel slowed down his tone.

As an alchemist, he was actually very optimistic about the young man in front of him.

Compared to other participants in the program, the other party demonstrated through the Magic Car Competition a top talent capable of leading the technological development of the next era, and was even several times better than other geniuses he had known in the past.

In fact, Alvin thought much more deeply than Flamel thought.

The combination of autonomous consciousness and magical machinery gave him many associations, both good and bad.

Retracting his thoughts, the black-haired boy once again looked at the data box stored in the reading device. In his special vision, gifted by God, a faint light flickered within the cold metal box.

It wasn't the reflection of the reading device shining on it, but rather the light spontaneously generated by something inside the data cartridge.

"Since the data can't be read properly, why not try to activate the tower spirit directly? If it's not damaged enough to be dormant, then this differential machine should be able to serve as a temporary carrier, right?" Ivan suddenly said.

"Young man... the method you mentioned is indeed worth a try!" Flamel's eyes were slightly excited. He immediately sat back at the metal desk and began to enter a series of commands through the typewriter keyboard.

Soon, the faint light in Ivan's eyes flowed out from the data box and gradually spread to the entire differential machine.

"Mechanical tower spirit, number LQ-84i, start." Following the keystroke of the command, the differential engine that was originally running suddenly paused for a moment, and then immediately emitted a high-power operation shriek.

Streams of high-pressure steam gushed out through the pressure relief valve. Although most of it was directed outside the house through the chimney, the house still seemed a little smoky.

At the same time, Alvin also saw that the light in the data box became brighter and brighter.

Soon, both of them noticed that the various gears that had been running in an orderly manner began to rotate in a strange direction. Due to the difference caused by the change in light angle, a word composed of metallic reflections appeared on the central "Exchange" component.

"free……"

"What freedom? Are you kidding? You are just..." Flamel looked at the scene in a somewhat inappropriate manner. This was completely beyond his expectations, so much so that his brain almost stopped thinking.

However, no matter how Flamel input the instructions, it was like throwing a stone into the sea, without bringing any change.

The awakened mechanical tower spirit, who might still be alive, just kept displaying the word "freedom".

For some reason, the mechanical tower spirit with no name but only a string of numbers seemed to refuse to respond to any commands from the outside world, and also refused to wake up from the small data box.

Just as Flamel was about to pull out the data box in frustration, Ivan suddenly stepped forward to stop him.

"Wait." The black-haired boy held the middle-aged alchemist's shoulders. The difference in power between the two made it easy for the former to "persuade" the latter to calm down.

Then, without touching the typewriter with command input function, he walked straight to the front of the Difference Engine.

"Wake up, racer." The boy smiled as he stared at the word that was displayed.

"Don't you want to run with me again?"

Chapter 12: Responsibilities of Small Animal Caregivers

It turns out that emotions are innate for creatures with self-awareness, even for awakened tower spirits who have just gained a vague consciousness.

Of course, this tower spirit, which had no specific name at the time and was only a string of numbers, refused to respond to the alchemist's control. This was more because it was restricted by various regulations set by the Alchemist Association in the previous competition, which prevented it from exerting its strength beyond its limits from the beginning.

After awakening, the tower spirit has begun to have emotions like a living creature. Although it may not be aware of it, life is naturally driven by emotions, so it is normal for it to perform autonomous behaviors that were not originally written in the code.

To put it simply, the awakened tower spirit at this moment is like a child who has lost a game and is making a fuss.

As for this kind of stubborn and stupid kid, the best way is naturally to play a game with him and tell him with facts that my strength is far superior to yours.

As expected, after hearing the invitation from Ivan, the awakened mechanical tower spirit number LQ-84i began to respond to external information again. Perhaps even he himself did not know when that competitive spirit appeared.

The gears turned and changed angles, and the flashing reflections immediately transformed into other words.

"I want to stand on the field again!"

Although it was just a phrase made up of simple words and even had incoherent grammar, it still revealed that this tower spirit with the prefix of awakening had characteristics that were completely different from other tower spirits.

"Very good, you look very energetic." Ivan smiled, then made a gesture of "it's done" to Vice President Flamel who was already stunned behind him.

"I can't understand it. Maybe this is the awakening type." Flamel muttered to himself.

At the same time, the differential engine that had been seized by the Tower Spirit LQ84i began to gradually return to normal. Tens of thousands of gears began to turn again, and the special magical light also flowed along the connector between the reading device and the differential engine and back into the data box with an extremely expensive adamantine shell.

Ivan stood in front of Flamel. Even though he changed his body shape with the diplomat ring, his current height was still enough to look down on the other person.

"Sir, what are you going to do with this unique tower spirit next?" Without hiding his dominance, Alvin also deliberately emphasized the adjective "unique".

Fflamel seemed to realize the deep meaning behind the other party's words. He frowned and thought for a moment before answering:

"I originally intended to continue with the Living Dagger Project, but now it seems the intelligence and self-awareness of the awakened Mechanical Tower Spirits have exceeded the Association's expectations. Forcing the original plan to proceed would likely cause untold problems."

It's easy to talk to reliable people. Hearing this, Alvin nodded.

"Then, would you like to hear my advice?"

"Please speak." Flamel was also having a headache now, so he raised his hand to signal the other party that he could speak freely.

"It is recommended to treat this little guy as a child rather than a tool." A smile appeared on Ivan's face.

"Why? Do we still need to give him a mother? Wait..." Flamel's first reaction was to laugh, but then he felt a cold sweat on his back.

Although he was not one of the top alchemists, as a scholar, even one who was good at administrative work, Vice President Flamel was by no means stupid. He could even be considered smart among most people.

Therefore, he was able to easily see the essence through the phenomenon.

On the surface, the young man in front of me seemed to have uttered something naive and meaningless. But upon closer inspection, one could discover a moving and profound meaning within it.

If an awakened mechanical tower spirit is truly like a child, possessing strong plasticity and complete self-awareness, then it will automatically learn and grow. In this process, the educational problems that humans may encounter may also occur in the tower spirit.

Even because of its uncalculated possibilities, a small educational problem may even develop into an immeasurable big problem.