I Became A Side Character Fated To Suffer-Chapter 37:How To Resist Chaos

Next day...

The training hall assigned for the afternoon lecture was unusually quiet. Unlike normal combat lessons where the place echoed with clashing weapons and shouting cadets, today everyone sat in a wide semicircle on the stone floor. In front of them stood Instructor Aesa with a wooden desk beside her.

On top of the desk rested several objects: a clear mana crystal, a metal box sealed with multiple locking runes, and a chalkboard already filled with complicated mana diagrams.

The students were whispering among themselves, their curiosity obvious.

And among them a group of four stood at a corner.

I looked at the black doggy and crimson-haired chick.

"Why are you sticking close to me?"

"We didn’t!" both of them refuted at the same time.

Elderic leaned slightly toward the red-haired girl beside him and muttered quietly, "If this turns into another training session where we end up in the infirmary, I’m resigning from being alive."

Reed snorted. "You’re still alive?"

From somewhere behind them someone added weakly, "My ribs disagree."

Elderic ignored them and spoke, "You two seem quite experienced and didn’t partake in the beating."

"Yes.. We only made fools out of ourselves." Eleanor nodded.

"I didn’t partake because I would have ruined the fun. Also it won’t look good if the instructor loses to a student on the very first day."I spoke, shrugging my shoulders.

"??"

"??"

As soon as I said this everyone looked at me as if looking at some hideous piece of trash.

Even Eleanor’s expression faltered.

"Is this a joke?"

"Do I look like I am joking?" I spoke, pointing at my serious face.

Aesa ignored the whispers and tapped the chalkboard once to draw everyone’s attention.

The sound immediately silenced the room.

"Today’s lesson," she said calmly, "is about Chaos Energy."

The atmosphere instantly became heavier.

Several students straightened their backs.

Some frowned.

One cadet quietly whispered, "Isn’t that the thing that turns people into monsters?"

Aesa heard it.

"Yes," she replied flatly. "Exactly."

She picked up the clear mana crystal from the table and held it up so everyone could see.

"Mana follows order," she began while drawing a smooth circular pattern on the board. "Inside your bodies, mana flows through pathways like rivers. The circulation is stable, predictable, and structured."

Then she opened the metal box slightly.

The moment the lid lifted, a faint dark mist seeped out.

Even though it was extremely small, several cadets instinctively leaned back.

Elderic’s eyes narrowed.

Sunta muttered under his breath, "That looks unhealthy."

Aesa ignored the reaction and carefully guided a thread of that mist toward the crystal.

For a moment nothing happened.

Then the crystal flickered.

Cracks slowly spread across its surface.

The mana inside began twisting violently like a storm trapped in glass.Within seconds the crystal shattered into fine black dust.

The room fell silent.

Aesa brushed the dust off her hand.

"Chaos," she said calmly, "does not overpower mana. It destroys the rules mana follows."

She turned toward the students.

"When chaos touches your body, it disrupts your mana circulation. The flow becomes unstable. The structure collapses. Your mind loses control. Eventually your body mutates into a mindless humanoid monster."

A cadet in the back slowly raised his hand.

"...Instructor... hypothetically speaking... if someone amongst us became a monster what will happen."

Aesa stared at him without expression.

"If you become a monster," she replied coldly, "you will attend dissection class."

"....."

That’s a bit brutal isn’t it?

She clapped her hands once.

"Sit straight. Cross your legs."

The cadets quickly obeyed.

Aesa began drawing a new diagram on the board.

A geometric circular pattern with three central nodes.

"This technique is called Tri-Anchor Mana Channeling."

She pointed to the diagram.

"It is the most basic method to resist chaos corrosion. Your body must rebuild order faster than chaos can destroy it."

She tapped three points on the diagram.

"Anchor points."

She pointed to her chest.

"Heart."

Then to her forehead.

"Mind."

Then slightly below the navel.

"Core."

"These three anchors stabilize the mana network."

Theasre lazily raised a hand from the back. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Do we get a certificate if we survive this?"

Aesa threw a piece of chalk at his forehead without even looking.

It hit perfectly.

"Silence."

Several students struggled not to laugh.

Aesa continued as if nothing happened.

"Begin circulating mana between the three anchors. Heart to core. Core to mind. Mind back to heart. Keep the cycle stable."

The students closed their eyes and began channeling their mana.

At first the room was quiet then someone groaned.

"My head hurts."

Another cadet frowned.

"My mana feels like tangled noodles."

The red-haired girl opened one eye and muttered, "If this is the stable version I don’t want to see the unstable one."

Aesa watched them calmly.

"Good," she said.

Then she opened the metal box again.

A faint cloud of chaotic mist spread into the air.

Immediately the reaction was dramatic.

Several students stiffened.

Someone gagged.

One cadet suddenly shouted, "WHY DOES MY MANA FEEL DRUNK?"

Elderic’s brow furrowed as he struggled to keep his circulation steady.

The mist caused the mana in their bodies to fluctuate violently.

Aesa’s voice cut through the chaos.

"Do not panic. Chaos feeds on disorder. If your mind collapses, your mana will also collapse."

She pointed to the board again.

"Rebuild the order and maintain Tri-Anchor Channeling."

Some cadets slowly stabilized.

Others were still struggling.

One boy raised a shaking hand.

"Instructor... I think my mana forgot which direction it’s supposed to go."

Sunta beside him replied without opening her eyes, "Send it a map."

"I don’t think that’s how it works."

Several students snorted despite the pressure.

The chaotic mist flowed around him.

Nothing happened.

Aesa noticed immediately.

She frowned slightly then she stepped away from the desk.

Without rushing, she walked toward the struggling students.

Her movements were calm, almost effortless, as if the chaotic mist in the room didn’t affect her in the slightest.

The first cadet she stopped beside was trembling badly.

His mana was visibly fluctuating, small sparks of unstable energy flickering around his arms.

Aesa placed one hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Slow your breathing," she said.