"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 3: Magic Test

 
“Lunch break?”
Qu Sinan tapped her fingers in the air, and a glowing screen appeared, radiating a faint magical energy. Despite its sci-fi appearance, Jiang Cha noticed a bright pink app icon on the interface.

As expected, ghs is still the main driving force of progress, she thought silently, her smile unchanged.
“The current time is 1:21 PM. You should already be back at work.”
“Oh, work? What’s that? I don’t do work. Research is my hobby. You understand hobbies, don’t you, Sinan?”

The woman called Maureen kept her casual tone, but her expression shifted the next moment. Her voice turned sharp, her mood flipping instantly.
“That damn principal Gan Linliang and her outdated system. It’s 2121, and she’s still pushing that awful 996 schedule. Who does she think she is? A revolutionary entrepreneur? And she calls this a blessing—says it’s an opportunity I ‘fought’ for. It’s just exploitation. Pure and simple. Does she even understand what that word means?”
Then, without missing a beat, she picked up her teacup, her demeanor shifting into something refined and composed. She carried herself with surprising grace, and the sudden change caught Jiang Cha off guard.

“That’s why I drink tea. It’s a symbol of elegance and restraint. A young girl like you, Sinan, probably wouldn’t understand.”
Young...
Jiang Cha looked Maureen over carefully. Despite the messy lab coat and overall untidy look, she still resembled a red-haired high school student—sharp Western features paired with the soft skin typical of the East. It was a near-perfect blend.

“Yes, yes. After all, you’re a 300-year-old woman. Let’s move on. I brought the new student here for her magic test. Get on with it. I’ll be taking her to the dormitory area afterward. It’s far, and there’s no teleportation gate over there.”
Sinan rolled her eyes, clearly uninterested in arguing further. She used Jiang Cha as a convenient excuse to shift the topic.
“Tsk, fine.”

Maureen clicked her tongue, then turned to Jiang Cha. She studied her quietly for a moment, her expression softening.
“This year’s batch of new students has great potential. You’re already quite pretty, even before your secondary development. Come, follow me. Let’s test your magic. Hopefully, your score will be high enough—otherwise, you won’t pass the freshman baptism.”
“Baptism?” Jiang Cha caught on to the unfamiliar term. She looked up at Maureen and asked with a curious but calm tone.

“It’s hard to explain.”
Maureen glanced at her, meeting Jiang Cha’s eyes.
Without warning, she grabbed Jiang Cha’s wrist and pressed her lightly against the wall. Then, with practiced ease, she placed her leg against Jiang Cha’s abdomen and reached up to stroke her cheek.
Just as Jiang Cha began gathering magic instinctively, her body glowing faintly with blue light, Maureen suddenly let go. She pressed her index finger lightly against Jiang Cha’s lips.

“That’s the very basics. Understand now?”
“I… think so.”
Jiang Cha allowed the glow to fade, her expression shifting into a subtle fluster. Her eyes misted up slightly, just enough to look convincingly shaken—like a startled animal.

Adorable, and completely intentional.
“You’re a sweet one. Come in. The testing chamber is just ahead.”
Maureen gave a satisfied smile and gently pushed open a door made entirely of silvery metal. She guided Jiang Cha inside, then activated a floating control panel with glowing blue light.

“You see that crystal ball? Place your hand on it and fill it with magic. The nearby monitor will display your score.”
Her voice came through a speaker system, echoing in the large, empty room. The slight delay made her tone seem even more detached.
Jiang Cha’s gaze landed on the oversized, milky-white crystal orb mounted on a tall pillar of gleaming alloy. A glowing blue line connected the orb to a nearby electronic display, giving the entire setup a futuristic feel.

A strange blend, Jiang Cha thought. Crystal balls and sci-fi monitors? What kind of theme is this?
She had assumed this academy wouldn’t lean into the stereotypical imagery—wands, ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) potions, or crystal balls. Clearly, she had been wrong.
Shaking off the thought, she stepped toward the orb and mentally reopened a file in her memory labeled “Subtle but Useful,” which she had previously thrown into her mental trash bin.

“I understand now.”
She reached out and gently placed her hand on the orb. A sudden pull surged through her hand and into her arm, making her body tense up involuntarily. For a moment, she thought she might cry—but she quickly got herself under control.
“Let it all out, sweetheart. Do your best,” Maureen said through the speaker, her voice light with amusement.

Jiang Cha ignored her and focused inward. She closed her eyes and summoned her magic.
A soft blue glow formed around her. At first, it was faint—gentle and stable.
Then, without warning, the light intensified and flooded the room with a blinding brightness. No one could see what was happening inside the chamber. A mechanical female voice rang out over the speakers.

“Magic detection system activated. Receiver online. Measuring magic levels. Magic count rising… 100… 1,000… 5,000… 10,000… 20,000… 50,000… Value stabilizing.
Tester: Jiang Cha
Total Magic Value: 68,430

Classification: Great Witch
Data uploaded to Grand Archive. Thank you for using this system.”
There was a pause—then the voice changed to something more playful, like an elderly woman trying to sound cute.

“Don’t forget to leave a review, dear~”
“Huh?”
Jiang Cha blinked in confusion.

Was this normal? From traditional magic to futuristic tech to online store customer service—all in one? Did people in 2121 really need to mix humor into everything, even formal evaluations?
She calmly gave a one-star rating on the touchscreen and wrote:
The product is excellent. My child loves it. Suitable even for sensitive users. Five stars. Will buy again in installments.

Then she quickly closed the review screen before Maureen could see.
“Not bad. Achieving Great Witch level right after awakening… As expected of someone personally selected by the headmistress.”
Maureen’s voice echoed from the speaker again, calm but not without a trace of sarcasm.

“Headmistress?”
Jiang Cha immediately latched onto the new piece of information—something that might help her uncover her own background—and asked for more.