Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)-Chapter 41: Unusual mana

As I concentrate on keeping the flow of mana steady, I glance nervously at Eris.

"A-and… what color is it?" I ask hesitantly.

Eris studies me for a moment before answering. "It's red," she says.

"Oh! So it's fire, then…" I blurt out, feeling a mild disappointment.

While I love the color red—it's my favorite—I've never been particularly fond of fire magic. It's the most basic, the least cool magic out of the bunch. Fire is so… aggressive, so unsubtle. Totally unfitting for a cute, little catgirl like me! I need something more mysterious! Something like darkness or space-time magic!

But… well, it's not like I get to choose.

For now, I'm just happy that I can use magic at all.

When it comes to attribute colors, the eight main elements each have their own signature hue:

Fire – Red

Water – Blue

Earth – Brown

Wind – Green

Space – Silver

Time – Purple

Light – Bright Yellow

Darkness – Black

But then… Eris frowns. She tilts her head slightly, as if trying to make sense of what she's seeing.

"No… it's red, but not the red of fire," she says slowly. "It's… the red of blood."

"Eh?"

Hearing the word blood, a chill creeps down my spine.

Blood-red?

Is this some kind of blood attribute? Am I… a vampire or something? Or maybe… a demon?!

I gulp.

I used to fantasize about becoming a demon lord in another world, but I definitely don't anymore!

What if Eris finds my magic creepy? What if she starts avoiding me because of my weird, ominous mana color?

No, no, no, that would be a catastrophe!

"I-is it bad?" I ask in a small voice, feeling my ears droop.

But Eris simply shakes her head, as if sensing my worries.

"Of course not, silly," she says with a soft smile. "It's just unique, that's all. And honestly? It's kinda cool."

PHEWWWW!!!

Hearing Eris say that, I exhale in relief, my tail flicking behind me.

Yeah… now that I think about it, didn't the book mention that new attributes are discovered all the time?

I guess I'm just one of those rare cases!

That reminds me… there's a word for people whose mana core color doesn't match their attribute color.

"Sonder… err… something… something…" I mumble, trying to recall.

Eris chuckles. "Oh, you mean Sondezgeist? A unique mana bearer?"

"Yeah! Sondezgeist!" I repeat.

Or, well… try to repeat.

The word trips off my tongue like it was specifically designed to be impossible to pronounce. Seriously, who came up with that? It's like a cursed jumble of letters!

But then, something clicks in my mind.

"That reminds me—your mana, Eris… it's really darkness, right?"

"Yup, a hundred percent," Eris nods.

"Then… are you a Sondezgeist, too?"

"Yep!" she grins.

Aha! I knew it!

Normally, purple mana represents the Time attribute. But Eris's shade of purple is something darker, deeper—a shade I'd describe as the color of midnight shadows.

It's proof that mana doesn't exist in rigid categories. Just like colors, it exists on a spectrum.

A deep purple could be interpreted as black or violet, meaning it could belong to either Darkness or Time.

So… given that my mana is the color of blood… what does that mean for me?

Is it fire? Or something else entirely?

"Aaaah, Eris, let me see your magic!" I plead, bouncing excitedly.

"Haha, nope!"

"But—!"

She refuses again.

So I pout.

I pout as hard as I can, tail flicking in frustration, ears drooping for maximum cuteness effect.

But it doesn't work.

This girl—she's completely immune to my kitty eyes!

"Hmph!" I huff, crossing my arms.

Eris just chuckles, clearly enjoying herself.

"Anyway," she says, bringing the conversation back on track, "based on your unique mana signature, there's a good chance Guildmaster Karlogen might be able to find something."

"Oh, right!" I perk up.

He mentioned earlier about the magic signature database. If we test mine, there's a chance we might uncover something about my origins.

Maybe this blood-colored mana isn't just rare… maybe it's something important.

—————————-

As if on cue, the door creaks open, and Karlogen steps in, his timing impeccable.

"Oh, is it time already?" Eris asks, glancing up.

"Yup, business hours are over. We can proceed with the young lady's ID now," Karlogen replies with a nod.

"Great!" Eris grins. "And by the way, did you know Felicia here shattered a world record?"

"Huh? What world record?" Karlogen raises a scaly brow in surprise.

"Hehe," I beam, unable to hide my pride.

Eris eagerly fills him in on my progress—how I managed to sense mana and forge my own mana core within just an hour.

"Ohooo! That's amazing!" Karlogen exclaims. "Ah, too bad we can't reveal your identity right now; you'd be famous!"

Oh right.

DAMN IT!

If only I had an ID—then I could actually be recognized!

Maybe I'd even get a huge cash prize!

Eris nudges me playfully. "Maybe next time, huh?"

I sigh, shaking my head.

"Anyway," Karlogen says, shifting gears. "Could you show me your mana core? I may be able to sense something unique about it."

I blink. "Oh! Sure!"

Settling into a meditative position, I focus inward, channeling my mana again. The familiar warmth spreads through my chest, the energy within me humming softly.

Karlogen steps closer.

Being a Lizard Furren, his way of sensing mana is… well, unique. He doesn't use sight or sound.

Instead, he tastes it.

Which means—

Wait.

Does that mean he's going to lick me or something?!

My mind races, but before I can spiral further, Karlogen flicks his tongue out, tasting the air. His expression remains neutral, his gaze steady.

A moment passes in silence.

Then, his brow furrows.

"Strange…" he mutters.

Eris leans forward. "What is it?"

Karlogen's golden eyes narrow slightly.

"It tastes like… blood."

A chill runs down my spine.

Blood?

Before I can process what that means—

A sharp, piercing pain erupts in my chest.

Like a blade stabbing straight through my heart.

"NYAAARGHHH!" I cry out, clutching my chest as my vision blurs.

The pain is unbearable, like something deep inside me is tearing apart.

"Felicia!"

I barely hear Eris's voice before I feel myself falling.

But before I hit the ground, warmth envelops me.

Eris.

She catches me just in time, her arms strong and steady as she holds me up.

"Young lady, are you alright?" Karlogen asks, his voice laced with concern.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to breathe through the lingering pain. My chest still feels heavy, like something inside me was ripped open and hasn't fully settled.

But slowly… the sharpness begins to fade.

My breathing evens out.

The ache dulls into a lingering discomfort, but it's manageable now.

"I-I'm fine…" I murmur, wiping the sweat from my forehead.

Eris doesn't look convinced.

Her grip on me tightens.

Just… what the heck was that?

Did I just have a heart attack?!

Is it all the cholesterol built up from eating too much meat?!

No—no way!

I'm young, I'm a catgirl, and catgirls don't get heart disease!

…Right?

No… this wasn't normal.

It wasn't my body.

It was my mana.

I'm sure of it.

Something about my mana just went berserk.

"Felicia, what happened?" Eris's voice is tense, her grip on my hand tightening, her blue eyes filled with concern.

I take a shaky breath.

"Everything felt normal at first," I explain. "But then… out of nowhere, my mana just—lost control. It felt like my heart was exploding."

Karlogen frowns, silent for a moment, deep in thought.

"Hmmm… it could be a rare side effect of awakening your mana sense and forming your core for the first time," he finally says. "Regardless, young lady, if this ever happens again, please see a cleric immediately."

I nod weakly. "Y-yeah… I will."

Eris, however, still seems extremely worried.

She's watching me closely, her brows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line.

The room falls into a brief, heavy silence.

But I refuse to let the mood stay this way.

"Anyway, I feel better now!" I say, forcing a bright smile. "Should we… proceed with my ID now?"

Karlogen blinks before nodding. "Right. My apologies—I almost forgot."

"No, it's fine," I reassure him, though my heart still feels unsettled.

Something about this doesn't sit right.

But for now… I'll let it go.

With that, we follow Guildmaster Karlogen upstairs to the main floor, down a quiet hallway, until we finally stop in front of a grand door.

A sign hangs above it.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT ROOM.

"Before registering a new ID, everyone must go through an evaluation," Karlogen explains. "This assesses their physical and magical abilities as an adventurer."

"Ohhh…" I nod.

"Of course," he adds, "we can skip this step if you'd like. But… aren't you curious about your personal stats?"

"Huh? Stats?" I echo, blinking in surprise.

Wait…

Stats?

STATUS???

Is this like… a game interface or something?

Like a LitRPG novel?!

HECK YEAHHH!!!

I turn to Karlogen with stars in my eyes. "No, please don't skip! I want to do the evaluation, please!"

Eris chuckles. "Yeah, I'm curious too. And for some reason… I feel like knowing Felicia's stats might give us insight on what just happened earlier."

"Right," Karlogen agrees.

He pushes open the door—

And we step inside.