The Good Teacher



Shoutout to Bruh_Vista for beta-reading and providing extensive feedback for this chapter!

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Shuri entered the next congregation of the Automagy Group with motivated and resolute steps. But she quickly realised that the techniques were different in theory compared to when applied in practice. Handling her students and getting them to understand what she was trying to explain was a constantly changing and evolving task. And even though she prepared extensively in anticipation for all the questions they could ask her, she found that she had still made assumptions about what they knew and were familiar with already.

However, there was definitely some improvement. For one, the students seemed more interested and engaged in the subject with all the visuals and examples she brought with her. And with her opening up the floor regularly, they eagerly participated in discussions and actively sought clarification whenever they encountered difficulties. And in doing so, she noticed that she was able to get into a particular rhythm or flow for the lesson, where one thing started to lead to another with fluidity.

Furthermore, she also realised just how advantageous her eidetic memory was for learning in general. Things that came easily for her, like recollecting truth tables, picturing large and complicated logic circuits in her mind, and even remembering particular knowledge were much harder for her peers. She technically didn't need mnemonic devices, songs and such to remember, it just came naturally like picking out a folder from a neatly organised shelf.

Did it make her feel a tinge of pride? Sure, for a microsecond. But it was quickly doused with a hefty bucket of exasperation, as she started to anticipate just how tiresome teaching really was, and the fact that this was something she would have to grind through regularly.

Nonetheless, progress was slow yet steady on the club front. Her members managed to understand the basic of logic gates, which she then followed up by showing them the types of programs that are used in programming mana cores. She revisited the theory and formatted it to match the modular spellmaking concept so that the students could find connections and assimilate it. In fact, this exercise also improved her understanding of the programming process, which was reflected in a tiny surge in her cultivation. She found that she could merge logic gates with modular spells as well.

For instance, she could create a program with a core and install it into a box which is filled with coals. The core would eject coal from the box into a flame if the flame's intensity decreased below a certain metric. Alternatively, she could program a core to eject a |Fireball| by consuming the coal (or even the mana coursing through it) given a particular condition or prompt.

The following week, she started to get them involved in practical projects with programming mana cores. She decided to take some of the most basic programs from her Clan's texts and started to translate them into the logic-based, modular methodology. This was another enlightening process that stimulated her cultivation. Though she did notice that in translation, the program became more bloated. However, its complexity lay in the fact that one had to compress the circuit when preparing it for inscription. Expanding it and drawing it on a large canvas made it extremely easy to understand. Even the simple light capture-and-release program expanded markedly.

It took two days for her students to grasp the program for light capture and release. And it took another two days for them to get accustomed to drawing it steadily, continuously and without making any errors. On the fifth day, she handed out some mana cores, and inscription tools, and stands for them to try it out.

As expected they all failed. On the sixth day, there was one success. On the seventh, another. And on the eighth, everyone got the hang of it. Once they grew accustomed to it, she gave them a variation of it. The core detected if the sun had risen or set and output light accordingly. This took the class three days for everyone to succeed.

After that, Shuri tasked them with creating a program of their own. This was admittedly a difficult task, and she set them a two-week deadline to come up with a concept for the program.

Surprisingly, at the end of the two weeks, one of her students named Tes, a boy two years older than her, came up with a complete circuitry for a mana core that would emit a loud noise and sprinkle water in a room if there is excess smoke or temperature increase within. It was an ingenious application case of a simple concept. One that would admittedly save a lot of lives if implemented in houses AND a lot of money if implemented in warehouses and businesses.

Shuri looked through the logic thoroughly, noticing a few edge cases right away that would cause problems later on. For instance, instead of using a hardcoded value, a measure that indicated a specific temperature threshold, which could be programmed by the user would be better, especially if the core is to be placed in rooms that are to be maintained at high temperatures.

After that, she encouraged Tes to inscribe the program on a mana core right away, which the boy did excitedly. The programming process took an entire hour. The boy's hand moved with some hesitation, which was to be expected, but it did not detract from or hinder the process of inscribing the program. Finally, Tes completed the inscription, and Shuri admired the intricate patterns etched onto the ethereal projection of the mana core. She validated the design and nodded in satisfaction after determining that it was all done correctly. The boy proceeded to confirm his inscription, which started to shrink onto the core.

The entire class waited with bated breath for the core to accept the inscription. When it finally did, there was a round of cheer and a short celebration. But both Shuri and Tes were positively vibrating, ready to test out the core.

Shuri took the core to the toilets and instructed Tes to bring some wood as well. She quickly urged everyone in the toilets to evacuate, which was met with heavy cursing from one particular fool in the men's toilet who was violently evacuating his bowels due to food poisoning.

After ensuring that the place was empty, she set up a perimeter around the area just in time to see Tes running over with a bundle of wood in his arms.

They entered the toilets and closed all ventilation. She affixed the programmed core to the ceiling and a small bundle of wood underneath it. After lighting it up. She started to fan the embers to produce a lot of smoke (through incomplete combustion).

The duo waited as the dark smoke rose and engulfed the core. Before disappointment could set in because of failure, an ear-piercing and shrill noise started to emanate from the core, which lit up and started to sprinkle a downpour of water.

The sound was so loud that even covering their ears didn't save them from damage.

"MAKE IT STOP!" Tes yelled.

"WHAT?!" Shuri answered.

"MAKE IT STOP!!" Tes repeated.

"TAKE A MOP? THERE'S NO POINT! IT WILL KEEP SPRINKLING WATER WHILE THE ROOM IS FILLED WITH- Oh..."

Shuri rushed around and reventilated the room. Causing the smoke to start dissipating. Just as she opened the door, she was greeted with the irritated faces of Matron Reva and an exhausted Sect Leader.

"*cough* *cough* What in the world are you doing in there?!" Matron Reva bellowed, just as the mana core stopped its wailing. "Why is there so much smoke? Did you set a fire in there?!"

"I-I can explain-" Shuri started.

"It's my fault, Matron!" Tes interjected. "I wanted to test a mana core I just programmed. It was stupid, I admit, which is why Senior Sister Shuri tried to stop me."

The Matron looked between Shuri and Tes with a dubious glower. "There's no difference who did it. Both of you are in big trouble! The punishment for the crime, and aiding and abetting it are the same in my books."

"B-But Senior Sister didn't-"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Matron Reva interrupted Tes as she crossed her arms. "Now off to the kitchen with you two! Peeling a sack of potatoes and onions ought to instil some common sense into your empty brains! And the rest of you gawkers, if you have nothing better to do, there are a few more sacks with your names on it."

The crowd quickly dissipated at the implied threat.

"Before that," the Sect Leader quickly interjected while holding the fuming Matron by her shoulders. "What was that thing anyway?" He asked Shuri and Tes.

Shuri gently nudged the boy, who ran back inside and brought out the programmed core. He then proceeded to explain its function as the Sect Leader inspected the ball under the sun.

"Absolutely marvellous! Do you have any idea about the significance of your creation? Of course, you don't! You don't even realise that you just had a minor breakthrough. You are on the cusp of entering the Foundation Establishment realm!"

Tes' eyes widened in shock. "My goodness! I-I guess I didn't notice with all that sound and the excitement..."

"Come to my office the first thing tomorrow," the Sect Leader instructed. "We need to discuss the matter of commercialising this thing immediately. Also, while you're at it, come up with a good name for this-"

"The Fire Protect-Core!" Tes blurted out with a resolute expression.

Shuri didn't miss the Sect Leader's lips twitching at that.

"I guess it's going to be another addition to the -Core line of products," he admitted with a sigh.

"Oh, and Shuri!" He said this time looking at her with an agitated yet enthusiastic smile. "I need you to look into Tes' advancement with a more critical lens. There is a trace of perfect resonance lingering on him which implies that whatever insight he absorbed or implemented resonated with him. Write a report with all your observations, quantitative and qualitative."

The Sect Leader looked up into the sky with an ambitious expression, "With your findings, we will work together with Markus and Jean (when she returns) to standardise cultivation!"

"Now off you go! Your punishment awaits," he said with a mischievous smile before jogging away, leaving the duo under the admonishing gaze of Matron Reva.