After the tense meeting with the Elders Lyriel suggested a field test. Something large enough to prove the dashboards’ value beyond debate. Something the Elders could not ignore.

“There is a mana storm forming in the western forest,” she said. “Scouts report erratic pulses. If it grows stronger it may cause a surge that damages our outer villages.”

Evan raised an eyebrow. “Mana storm You mean like chaotic magical pressure”

“Yes. A storm of raw mana. They grow without warning. But your dashboard for mana cycles might predict how it evolves.”

Evan nodded. “Then let us test it.”

They gathered a team of rangers apprentices and several crystal technicians from the Arcane Workshop. Together they traveled across winding branches and down glowing paths until the trees grew sparse and the ground vibrated faintly under their feet.

The air shimmered ahead. A swirling vortex of blue and violet mana hung above a clearing like a storm cloud made of light. Tendrils of energy lashed out hitting nearby rocks and trees. The sound was low and humming like a distant engine.

Lyriel whispered, “It is still growing.”

Evan knelt and placed four data crystals in a square. He carved quick rune lines connecting them. The crystals synced instantly glowing in pulse cycles.

Rangers stood ready their bows charged with mana. Apprentices murmured minor shields around the group. The wind stirred with magical weight.

Evan watched the crystals. “Look at the pulses. They rise every ten seconds. But the storm shifts every six seconds. That mismatch creates instability.”

Lyriel leaned in. “What does that mean for the storm”

“It means it will spike soon. Probably violently.”

The rangers exchanged worried looks.

A scout pointed. “The northern ridge has villagers gathering herbs. If the storm spikes they will be struck.”

Lyriel turned sharply. “We must send a warning.”

Evan held up a hand. “Wait. I think I can predict the direction of the spike.”

He rearranged the crystals into a line to capture directional flow. The crystals shifted glow unevenly. The third crystal pulsed brightest to the west.

“There,” Evan said. “The spike will hit west.”

Lyriel's eyes widened. “And when”

Evan studied the pulses. “Three minutes.”

The rangers immediately signaled messenger birds. The glowing creatures shot into the sky carrying warnings.

Lyriel watched Evan as if seeing something divine. “Humans do not predict mana storms. Elves barely sense them. But you see them with clarity.”

“It is just pattern reading,” Evan said modestly. “The storm is following its own data.”

The storm grew louder. The vortex tightened like a clenched fist. Energy coiled deep inside. Evan knew the moment the cycle aligned. He stepped back.

“Here it comes.”

A massive surge exploded outward. Mana blazed through the clearing. Trees shook. The air cracked with power. But just as predicted the blast swept west missing the group entirely.

Rangers stared mouths open. Apprentices dropped their staves in shock.

One ranger finally said, “He predicted a mana storm as if reading weather charts.”

Lyriel turned to Evan. “Your dashboards saved dozens of lives today.”

But Evan was not done. He pointed at the crystals which now glowed with an irregular rhythm. “Look. The storm is losing coherence. The surge drained its center. It will collapse soon.”

The storm flickered. Shrunk. And vanished in a flash of soft blue light.

Silence followed. A deep silence full of awe.

Lyriel approached Evan slowly. “Evan Carter. Human analyst. Today you showed something even the Elders cannot deny. Your dashboards do not just reveal truth. They guide action.”

Evan smiled tired but satisfied. “Data saves worlds. Same as where I came from.”

Rangers bowed. Apprentices whispered his name with reverence.

As they walked back toward the city Lyriel spoke softly. “The Elders will have to accept this new era. Your dashboards will spread through the kingdom. And once the elves adapt others will follow. Humans dwarves beastkin perhaps even dragons.”

Evan looked at the glowing crystals in his hands. “Then we build more dashboards. Storm prediction. Spell optimization. Resource management. Whatever this world needs.”

Lyriel nodded. “This is how your Data Empire begins.”

Evan did not reply but he felt the truth in her words.
The field test had changed everything.
Magic had met data and the world would never return to ignorance again.