However, before Chance’s turn was up there were still quite a few people who were ahead of him. Yet despite everyone there, only three people showed any real sign of potential to Chance. The first was a slim, beautiful dryad girl named Treila Longleaf. Dryads were originally a race that though gifted in using magic to control plants, were forced to stay within the boundaries of the forest their home tree was located in. Fortunately, a magical researcher had devised a spell that let a dryad move part of their lifeforce to a magical item such as a ring or a necklace, which would then let them travel outside their secluded homes, should they want to. Those who did were usually young dryads seeking knowledge and freedom outside their home forests. Treila was apparently no different. She proved to have a capacity for magic almost equal to Cecilia’s and her mana was a bright, refreshing green, reminding Chance of the plains in summer. Chance vaguely remembered that she was the daughter of an Earl who controlled territory on the southeast border. Chance felt like he had met her somewhere before, but shook off the feeling as his mind playing tricks on him.

The second person who Chance noticed was unfortunately Nick Odryna. He manifested magic power lower than Cecilia and Treila, but still well above the average of any of the races with a fierce red mana. He even took the time to brag about how he had earned the Warrior Class. What an idiot. Who just goes and tells everyone their class? Chance thought exasperatedly, and from his quick glance at Cecilia, she thought so as well.

The last person who drew his attention was a pretty dwarven girl named Nelly Rozen. She was about to his chest in height and had a beautiful curvaceous body that her shirt and leather overalls only seemed to accentuate that fact. Despite not having much magic, she seemed very happy with her results, leading Chance to believe that she had gotten Skills that were useful in the line of work she desired to enter. Based off the hammer stuck in her belt and the engineer’s goggles on her head, Chance assumed she was planning to be a smith of some kind. Meanwhile, Cecilia watched as Chance was yet again looking rather attentively at yet another girl. This seemed to hit a nerve, leading her to ‘accidentally’ slam her foot down onto Chance’s.

He yelped, drawing the stares of a few nearby audience members. Ignoring them, he turned to Cecilia and angrily whispered, “What the hell was that for?!”

“Oops. I’m sorry. I seem to have stepped on your foot. Why don’t you have one of the girls you were staring at fix it up for you?” Her voice was an unnatural calm, but her eyes had a look of murder in them. Chance internally groaned, he had seen this before with Lydia. He had been at the nearby park and was talking with a girl he had just met. When he said goodbye and went back home, he learned that Lydia had seen him with the girl. She had then assumed that meant that Chance thought she was sub-par compared to the girl and then proceeded to ignore him for the rest of the week. Only after explaining that it had been a random meet up and that the two had no form of relationship, was Chance able to get Lydia to calm down.

Unfortunately, Chance had neither the time, nor the patience to do that right now so, taking a different, risker path, he turned to Cecilia and gave her his honest thoughts, “You’re too beautiful to make that kind of expression. It will only mar your perfect face.” Instantly, Cecilia lost it. Her scales came out and her face turned a bright red. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to respond but seemingly unable to make any sound.

Chance was about to say something else when Miss Toranova called out, “Finally, Chance of Arc Street Orphanage.” Chance quickly got up from his seat and began making his way up to the stage. He could feel a few people’s gazes on him, but decided to ignore them. He slowly climbed up the steps and stood by the principal’s side. It took all the willpower he had not to stop and stare at the beautiful woman. I didn’t realize that she was a mermaid. He quietly thought to himself at the one glance that he managed to steal. Indeed, Meara Toranova was a mermaid. When on land the only discerning features were the gills on a Merperson’s neck and the fact that their ears were replaced by what were essentially small fins. When they were in water, their legs magically molded together and were replaced by the characteristic scaled, elegant tail of fantasy. In fact, Chance had an inkling that Miss Toranova’s beauty was influenced by any Siren- a rare branch of mermaids said to have seductive power- blood in her ancestry.

Chance quickly turned his attention back on the task ahead of him, slightly concerned by the killing intent that was coming from multiple places in the room. Looking out at the crowd, he noticed Cecilia and Lydia giving him a glare, along with Treila, the Dryad girl from earlier. Although, he was slightly concerned about why the latter was staring at him in such a manner, he decided to instead just set aside the problem for now and come back to it later. Looking at the Crystal Ball, he heard Miss Toranova ask him, “Are you ready?” Taking a deep breath, he nodded, prompting her to say, “Then please place your palms on either side of the Crystal Ball.”

Following her directions, he stretched out his hands and placed them on opposite sides of the Crystal Ball. Instantly, Chance felt himself being sucked into the Artefact. A moment later he felt the sensation of falling, blackness surrounding him as his mind was dragged further into the darkness. Desperately, he struggled against whatever force was taking him away from the real world. Yet, no matter how hard he fought, he was taken deeper and deeper until he no longer had the strength to fight.

Just as he was about to give in and let the darkness surrounding him overtake his mind, he heard a voice. “What do you want?”

Dazed from his struggles, Chance blearily questioned, “What?”

Again, the voice asked, “What do you want?”

Chance immediately said the first thing that came to his mind. “I want to repay Karina at the orphanage.”

“Wrong.” The voice sounded disappointed in Chance’s answer. “I’ll ask you once again. What is your greatest desire?”

Chance could only open and close his mouth, as if the question itself shocked him. What do I desire? He couldn’t even begin to imagine, after all, to him his end goal was to make enough money to pay back Karina.

“Well, what is it?” Chance thought that the voice was openly mocking him at this point and yet, he couldn’t blame him. After all, what sort of person deserves power that they don’t even have a desire to use

Giving up, Chance dropped to his knees, “I don’t know.” He muttered.

“Then you have no claim to your potential until you do. Come back when you know what you will use your power for.”

Then, as if triggered by those words, a new voice spoke, cold and mechanical in tone.

UNDERSTOOD. ALL POTENTIAL SKILLS AND MANA IN TARGET HAS BEEN STORED AWAY. NOW LOCKING UNTIL NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS ARE MET.

With those words, Chance felt as something inside himself was empty, as if a piece of his very soul had been torn away. The original voice spoke one last time, “Goodbye for now, we will meet again when you find the truth of your own soul.” With those words, Chance felt himself being dragged back out of the Crystal Ball, as if by an invisible set of chains. Chance remained silent, the sorrow and emptiness in his soul casting a shadow over his handsome face as he was brought back to the real world.