Something went awry with the 1-clock cycle XOR optimization for setting the working register to 0 within assembly and it seems to be related to ConfusedComputerScience.

''What do you mean by "went awry", and how is it related to ConfusedComputerScience? What CPU are you referring to?''

What are you smoking. The optimization is native to all processors as there is no need for a literal 0. (BTW, sub can also be used so even if we didn't have Xor the optimization would exist.)