“Everyone, attention. I’ll explain today’s test,” said Professor Jewelry, introducing herself, as I was posting to the gallery. I decided to listen first, then ask the gallery for advice.

“As you know, this is <Precision Magic> class. You understand what ‘precision’ means in magical computation. Today, we’ll assess your current skills. It counts toward your grade, so do your best.”

F*ck, what does ‘precision’ even mean? Explain that first! This is why private tutoring’s a problem—everyone’s pre-studied, so public institutions skimp on explanations. What’s a poor commoner like me supposed to do?

“I’ll demonstrate. Then, one by one, you’ll replicate the exact shape I carve from the magic stone.”

A teaching assistant brought in a box full of shimmering stones. Professor Jewelry picked up a rough, unpolished magic stone.

“This is a ‘blue quartz,’ the cheapest and most common magic stone. But depending on how it’s processed, it’s versatile—essential for artifact crafting. It’s not very durable, with a regular particle structure, making it relatively easy to carve. In other words, if you can’t do this, you don’t belong in A-class.”

Gulp.

Her words made the cadets’ throats bob. Despite her saying it’s “easy,” everyone sensed it wouldn’t be. Professor Jewelry was demanding excellence.

“The spell is restricted to the 1st-tier [Wind Blade]. Time limit: one minute—no, I’ll be generous, three minutes, since it’s the first class.”

I know [Wind Blade], a 1st-tier spell with a single, curved formula, creating a sharp gust like a blade. It’s intuitive but weak. The formula’s size determines the blade’s width. To carve a small stone, I’d need a formula smaller than a fingernail—otherwise, it’d split the stone or miss the shape.

So that’s <Precision Magic>. Same formula, but adjusting size and lines for flexibility and precision. This class teaches fine-tuned control of magical formulas.

“I’ll show you. Carve the stone exactly like this.”

Professor Jewelry held up the stone for us to see. Her mana shimmered—refined, precise, yet dazzling, like a polished gem. She began carving.

Shushushushuk-

The stone shaved down instantly as she cast [Wind Blade]. I couldn’t count how many times she cast it in seconds. With each blink, the stone transformed from rough to shaped. Her magic had no hesitation, no error. Despite being a mere 1st-tier spell, her mastery was on another level—like a novice artist versus a master painter. She adjusted the [Wind Blade] formula with precision, carving even the stone’s dust at perfect angles, switching between tiny and finger-sized blades. In moments, a form emerged.

Wow…

As her [Wind Blade] stopped, cadets gasped. The ugly stone was gone, replaced by a blue rose in her hand, its petals so lifelike and detailed it seemed alive. She called that easy? Even carving a sphere would be hard—how do you sculpt every petal?

“Wow… she’s as tough as the rumors say.” “How do we do that? Carving like that with [Wind Blade]…”

Other cadets felt the same. Her “easy” claim was a trap. Her skill at riling people up matched Elim’s.

“Let’s begin. Three minutes, or it ends if you break the stone. First, Hera Orbis.” “Why me…!” Hera Orbis, one of my harsher gossipers, looked miserable as her name was called.

“Start when ready.” “Y-Yes.”

Hera, teary-eyed, held her stone. As everyone watched, she began.

Kick- Kiiik- Kaak- Kak-

Her blue quartz carved slowly. Compared to Jewelry’s whirlwind [Wind Blade], it was painfully sluggish.

“Stop. Three minutes.”

Hera couldn’t shape a rose. Her stone was just a scratched-up rock.

“Pathetic. Next.”

That was Jewelry’s full critique. Humiliated, Hera returned to her seat, clutching her stone. Jewelry told her to practice at home.

Her harsh evaluations continued:

“Pathetic.” “Planning to cut your own hand?” “Can’t even control a 1st-tier spell and you’re in A-class?” “What? You’re splitting the stone in half.”

Almost no one replicated her rose. Some got close, but even they got venomous comments.

“…Hm. Elim Shuskala? Remove unnecessary flourishes. Practice drawing smaller, simpler formulas.” “Y-Yes.”

A few got advice with the venom—Jewelry’s version of approval, we realized. Her satisfaction wasn’t about the result but the skill. Those who got advice had practiced [Wind Blade] so much it showed distinct habits, meaning they’d drilled a single-line formula to instinct. Precision might be simple: effort, overlooked by most because it’s hard.

“They got praise…”

The grumbling cadets seemed clueless. I muttered without thinking.

“…What’d he say?” “Hey, what was that?” “N-Nothing. Cough.”

Caught, I faked a cough and looked away. Loner habit: pretend it didn’t happen. Didn’t expect them to hear. Was I wrong, though? They’re bad and whining about it. Wanted to snap at them, but big-hearted me held back. I snorted and opened the gallery.

[Title: Guys, SOS, Precision Magic Test Right Away, What Do I Do?!] Author: Kim Muggle

It’s <Precision Magic> class, and they hit us with a test. Gotta carve a ‘blue quartz’ with [Wind Blade] into this shape: (Photo of Jewelry’s carved rose) She went shwashwashwa and made this rose in seconds. Almost everyone got chewed out as pathetic. No one’s succeeded yet—just making scratched rocks.

– Scratched rock lol. – Precision Magic, been a while. Hated that class at first. Still did by graduation. – MagicGirlLulu) Never been to an academy like that, but stone carving’s fun. I make trinkets as a hobby. – MagicIsntHard) Precision computing’s not hard^^ – PowerMage) Just smash it to dust and reassemble. – Lol, this guy’s got no brain. – Dust and reassemble lol. – FlutterFlutter) Hmm. If I knew it was a precision test, drinking Chainziling’s Spinal Fluid beforehand would’ve helped. – Kim Muggle) What’s that got to do with it? – Precision tends to favor female mana structures. Doesn’t matter for non-gendered species, but you’re human. – ExtremeEfficiencyFreak) Said it before—magic factors differ by gender. The spinal fluid gives you female traits, boosting precision talent. But drinking it now? Bad idea. Backlash could’ve kept you from waking up today. – Kim Muggle) Got it. Precision’s not my thing as a macho guy. But the pain’s the issue—if I drank it yesterday, I’d be a girl at school today. – Going to school as a girl’s worth trying once. – Why not drink it Monday instead of the weekend? – Kim Muggle) F*ck ;

These guys—asked for help, and they’re stuck on this. Got that female mana structures help with precision. But what do I do?

“Next, Hisena Ferihill.”

Hisena’s turn. She stepped up and started.

Fit- Fit-

Slow but precise, Hisena carved her stone, sweat beading on her cheek from focus. The room fixated on her, different from others’ attempts.

“Stop. That’s enough.”

Three minutes flew by. Her stone wasn’t fully petaled but had a budding rose shape.

“…Hm. Be bolder. Trust your magic. That’ll make you a better mage. Good job. Next.”

The room buzzed at the first “good job.” Since it was Hisena, no one argued, though they were frustrated. Everyone acknowledged her skill.

I turned back to the gallery.

– Kim Muggle) So, no tips? – Just do your best. You’re there to learn, not cheat. Study honestly. – Failing won’t kill you. Just try. Who’s threatening you with a sword? – CantEvenDoThis) Just do it. Learn what you lack. – Lazy attitude’s such a muggle thing. – MeditationKing) Meditate before the test. – MagicIsntHard) Precision’s not hard^^ It improves with practice. For a slight edge, focus hard. Visualize the final shape, then reverse-engineer the casting process.

Reverse-engineer from the final shape? Still tough. Everyone says I’ll fail, and I don’t expect to succeed. Just gotta try.

Then, my turn came.

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