Time to give these fells something simple, a simple question will do.
I clear my throat.
With a gesture, I dim the ambient glyphs and shift the floating mana screen into "Problem Mode." The runes reorient into lines and a basic equation appears:
If each mana chain contributes 4 units of force and 3 chains combine to form a stabilized node with total output 12, what is the value of x if a fourth unstable chain reduces the total output by x?
12 - x = 9. Solve for x.
Three seconds. That's all it takes.
A soft chime follows: every single student taps their response glyphs almost in unison.
"x = 3."
I barely blink before the first wave of murmuring rolls through the room. A few students chuckle. One boy in a sharp-edged uniform: probably noble house, water affinity, smug levels critical, leans back and sighs loud enough for the echo to carry.
"Was this supposed to be a warm-up? My mana familiar solves these before I even finish reading."
I mean he was not wrong his familiar seems like an owl with a
"Maybe this guy thinks we're toddlers from the forest realm," mumbles another girl, twirling a flame orb lazily between her fingers.
Then it happens: two students from the front row, likely part of the so-called "protagonist group," raise their hands. One of them, the golden-haired, overly radiant type, stands halfway up.
"With all due respect, Professor Wade… shouldn't a lecture here at academy challenge our foundational understanding of multi-dimensional energy control? This feels like arithmetic for spell farmers."
The room ripples with restrained laughter.
I smile politely.
"Well then," I say, turning back to the screen. "Since we're all so advanced, hehe let's try a problem your familiars might choke on."
No it was an age appropriate joke.
The air thickens slightly as I flick my hand again, and the board expands into a three-dimensional mana mesh grid.
The lights dim, and a new prompt lights up, massive and alive:
⚠ Real-World Simulation: Chain Matrix Stabilization
You are observing a 10×10 chain matrix, each node representing a citizen in a fragile mana ecosystem.
Each node has a mana output M(i,j) and a directional flow (inward or outward).Unstable nodes cause a cascading collapse, triggering a chain reaction.You must compute:The total net force in the matrixThe mana imbalance vectorAnd apply the stabilization coefficient to neutralize surges without draining external sources.
What strategy would you employ to stabilize this matrix, assuming 5% of the nodes exhibit Chaos flux and cannot be relied upon for predictable output?
The murmurs die. Completely.
The room goes still—eerily so. Even the fire-haired girl stops spinning her orb. Someone swears under their breath in draconic. A winged elf near the rear leans forward, his floating quill pausing mid-curve.
I let it sink in.
"This isn't just an equation," I say calmly. "This is what real-world mana engineers do when stabilizing warp-gates on planetary borders. This is what you will be asked to do when a collapse hits a residential arc or a spellstorm engulfs your entire city's leyline grid."
I scan the room.
"If your syllabus isn't aligned to that, then perhaps you're in the wrong galaxy."
They don't laugh now. They calculate. They sketch. They panic a little, and I let them.
Sometimes, the best way to teach respect for mana... is to show how easily it can collapse.
But I do have to admit it's an impossible question, well since it's a magical world someone would solve it somehow. I don't need to solve it personally I guess. Also what is this question that seems like a research material for some journal.