Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)-Chapter 43: My magic

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, there was always a stern-faced mage looming nearby, clipboard in hand, judging you with an unyielding gaze.

But now? All of that has changed.

Thanks to a groundbreaking invention from the Magic Guild, magical assessments have been streamlined into one simple step.

Instead of hours of testing, all I have to do is place my hand on a small, gleaming crystal ball sitting innocently on the table before me. It looks 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 machines.

No need for judgmental mages hovering over my shoulder.

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 were his crowning achievement.

"Ooooohhh!" I clap, genuinely impressed, my eyes wide with awe at his enthusiasm.

"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.

"Yep! 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…

Felicia…

JUST. DO. IT!

….

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

OOOOopsie!

Time slows to a crawl.

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

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Karlogen's voice erupts, echoing in a drawn-out wail of pure horror.

And I'm screaming too.

OH GOD, PLEASE NO!!!!

The ball falls… 50 cm… 10 cm… away 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 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 declare with confidence, rolling my shoulders. "Magic ball-chan, don't disappoint me nyow!"

Taking a deep breath, I place my hand on the mana assessment ball—safely positioned on the floor this time.

The instant my fingers make contact, the ball flares to life.

A brilliant glow radiates outward.

The color shifts…

Red.

But not just any red.

It's a deep, rich crimson—like fresh blood glistening in the moonlight.

And it's freaking gorgeous!

"Woaaaah!!!" I gasp, eyes wide with wonder. "Eris, this is what you were talking about, right?!"

"Yeah, that's exactly the color I saw!" Eris nods, grinning.

Karlogen leans in, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, you were right—it's definitely unique. I've never seen this shade before."

"Then, can you tell which main attribute group Felicia's mana belongs to?" Eris asks eagerly.

Karlogen squints at the glowing ball. "See how the entire ball is red? But look closer—right at the center. There's a tiny sphere, and it's completely pitch-black, isn't it?"

Eris gasps. "Oh! So it's like mine?"

Karlogen nods. "I'd say so!"

"Awesome!" Eris grins, practically bouncing on her heels.

"Huh?" I blink, utterly lost. "Wait, hold on. What are you guys talking about? I see the black spot, sure, but what does it actually mean?"

Karlogen shifts into explanation mode, his voice taking on a lecturing tone.

"Well," he begins, "every attribute falls into one of the eight main groups: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Time, Space, Light, and Darkness. But here's the thing—it's not the color of the whole ball that matters." He taps the crystal. "It's the color of that tiny sphere in the center that determines your true affinity."

"Ooooooh!!!" I exclaim, finally connecting the dots.

"So… my attribute is Darkness?"

"Yup!" Eris grins, nodding enthusiastically.

To prove her point, she places her hand on the ball.

The orb immediately shifts to a deep, dark purple glow. But just like mine, at its core, there's that same ominous pitch-black sphere.

"See? I'm Darkness too!"

"YYEAAAAH!!!" I cheer, pumping my fists in excitement.

Not Fire, but Darkness!

I have no clue yet how powerful or useful it is, but damn, it sounds cool!

Karlogen chuckles, shaking his head in mild disbelief. "Heh, I can't believe we have two Sondezgeist in the same room, both with Darkness attributes." His eyes glimmer with intrigue as he turns to me. "Young lady, based on the purity and brightness of the ball, your mana control and strength are already exceptional. Your rating is a whopping 5.2!"

I tilt my head. "Uhh… is that good?"

Karlogen lets out an impressed whistle. "It means your magic is 5.2 times more potent than an average person with a marble-sized mana core at the Growing State. In fact, it's equivalent to someone already at the Pulsating Core stage!"

"Oooooh! That's amazing!" I beam, practically vibrating with excitement.

Karlogen nods, still clearly impressed. "To be honest, I've never seen someone this naturally gifted before."

"Hehehe~" I turn to Eris, flashing a smug grin. Yup, called it!

My physical abilities are absolute trash.

But my magic? OP as hell.

HECK YEAH!

Perfectly balanced! As all things should be!

But then—

Karlogen's expression suddenly shifts. His previous excitement dims, replaced by something… serious.

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"However…" he starts, voice lowering.

Uh-oh.

"We still don't know what kind of Darkness you possess. And until we figure that out, I strongly advise against practicing magic for now."

I blink. "Eh? Why, Guildmaster? I thought my magic was strong?"

Karlogen sighs, rubbing his temples. "Yes. And that's exactly why you need to be careful."