In the past, a magical assessment was a grueling ordeal—a lengthy process filled with clunky, intimidating equipment measuring everything from mana control to magical prowess. And, of course, a stern-faced mage would always be hovering nearby, clipboard in hand, ready to judge you with an unyielding gaze.

But now, all that has changed, thanks to a groundbreaking invention from the Magic Guild.

Instead of enduring hours of testing, all I have to do is place my hand on a small, gleaming crystal ball sitting innocently on the table in front of me. It may look unassuming, but this artifact is anything but ordinary. Made from a highly reactive material and infused with an advanced indication spell, it’s so precise that it can detect even the faintest traces of mana in a person who hasn’t fully awakened.

No need for complicated equipment. No need for a hovering, judgmental mage. Just one touch. Everything is automated, streamlined, and supposedly foolproof.

“Ha-ha! There are only two of these mana assessment balls in the entire kingdom of Eldenwald! And this beauty is one of them!” Karlogen declares with pride, his voice booming through the room. His chest puffs up, and he looks at the ball as if it is his crowning achievement.

“Ooooohhh!” I clap, genuinely impressed.

“Just bought it yesterday, actually,” he adds, rubbing his nose in a self-satisfied manner. “Cost me a whopping one million crowns, but worth every coin!”

“What?! That much?” I gasp, my mouth dropping open.

“A million crowns!” Karlogen nods fervently. “After all, an artifact of this caliber requires unparalleled craftsmanship! A masterpiece of arcane technology!”

Oooooh. That’s a mind-boggling amount of money!

My stomach knots with anxiety.

Because it’s so precious, I now really, really have to be careful with this thing.

Gulp.

“Alright, magic ball-chan, don’t disappoint me nyow!” I say, stepping forward with a brave face, even though my heart is pounding.

I extend my hand towards it, about to touch it.

But then… suddenly…

Oh. Shit.

It happens again—that strange, irresistible feeling.

Push me… the ball seems to whisper, almost seductively. Just a little push please…

Panic floods me. My logical brain screams NO! But my traitorous catgirl instincts…

JUST. DO. IT!

And so, before I can stop myself, my hand moves of its own accord and… oopsie!

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The crystal ball tilts, teeters on the edge, then begins a slow-motion descent toward the unforgiving floor.

Time slows to a crawl.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” Karlogen’s voice erupts, echoing in a drawn-out wail of pure horror.

And now, I’m screaming too!!!

OH GOD, PLEASE NO!!!!

The ball falls… 50 cm… 10 cm… to the ground.

My heart stops.

Shit!

If it breaks.

I’m gonna be so fucked!!!

I shut my eyes, bracing for the shattering sound that will spell my doom.

However…

…. nothing happens.

And as I cautiously open one eye, there, sprawling on the floor, is Eris, holding the crystal ball like a hero with one hand!!!!

“Phew!” Eris exhales, her shoulders sagging. “That was way too close!”

“WUAHHHHH! THAT WAS SO SCARY!” I wail, my entire body trembling like a leaf caught in a storm!

I clutch my chest, trying to calm the frantic thudding of my heart.

Huhu… my pour little heart!

Thank the heavens Eris caught it! Otherwise, I’m pretty sure Karlogen would’ve skinned me alive!

“L-let’s do the test on the floor then…” Karlogen wipes sweat from his forehead, visibly shaken.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Eris agrees.

Meanwhile, I’m still struggling to catch my breath. It takes me a good few minutes for the shaking to subside.

——————————

A few moments later.

“Alright, again!” I say confidently. “Magic ball-chan, don’t disappoint me now!”

Thus, taking a deep breath, I place my hand on the magical ball, which is now on the floor, of course.

The moment my hand makes contact, the ball starts to shine.

The color changes…

Red.

The color of red!

But not a fiery red.

It’s the deep, rich red of fresh blood

And it’s freaking beautiful!

“Woaaaah!!!” I exclaim. “Eris, so this is what you were talking about!”

“Yeah, that’s the color I saw!” Eris nods.

“Hmmm, you were right, it’s definitely unique,” Karlogen remarks, leaning in closer. “I’ve never seen this shade before!”

“Then, can you tell which of the main attribute groups Felicia’s mana belongs to?” Eris asks.

“Hmm…” Karlogen squints, examining the ball. “See how the ball itself is red? But look closer, at the very center—there’s a tiny sphere, and it’s pitch black, isn’t it?”

“Oh! So it’s like mine?” Eris asks excitedly.

“I’d say so!” Karlogen replies.

“Awesome!” Eris grins.

“Huh?” I blink in confusion. “Wait, hold on. What are you guys talking about? I see the black spot in the center, but what does it mean?”

“Well,” Karlogen proceeds to explain. “You see, every attribute falls into one of the main eight groups: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Time, Space, Light, and Darkness. It’s not the color of the whole ball that matters; it’s the color of that little sphere in the center.”

“Ooooooh!!!” I exclaim.

I think I understand it now!

“You mean, my attribute is Darkness?”

“Yup!” Eris says, nodding with a grin.

She then places her hand on the ball.

The ball glows a deep, dark purple color. But at the center, there’s the same pitch-black spot as in mine.

“See? I’m Darkness too!”

“YYEAAAAH!!!” I cheer, feeling a surge of excitement.

Not Fire, but Darkness!

I’m not sure yet how powerful or useful it is, but it sounds seriously cool!

“Heh, I can’t believe we have two Sondezgeist in the room, both with Darkness attributes!” Karlogen says, his eyes lighting up.

He then turns to me. “Young lady, from what I can see from the ball’s purity and brightness, your mana control and strength are excellent. Your rating is a whopping 5.2 already! That means your magic is 5.2 times more potent than the average person with a marble-sized mana core at the Growing State, and it’s equivalent to someone at the Pulsating Core state! With dedication, you could become an incredibly powerful mage!”

“Ooooh! that’s amazing!” I cheer.

“To be honest, I’ve never seen anyone so gifted with magic ability like this before!” Karlogen adds.

“Hehe,” I turn to Eris, smiling happily.

Yup, called it!

My physical abilities are shit.

But my magic is OP!

HECK YEAH!

That’s perfectly balanced! As all thing should be!

But then, Karlogen’s expression suddenly shifts.

“However…” he starts. “We still have no idea what kind of Darkness it is. And I’d advise holding off on practicing magic for now.”

“Eh?” I tilt my head, confused. “Why, Guildmaster? I thought my magic is strong?”

“Yes, precisely because your magic is strong,” Karlogen pauses for a second, exhaling deeply, “ you need to be cautious with it.”