Fairy Tail was more affluent than Drake had imagined. Despite paying so many fines, they could still afford such a luxurious ship. And this
Fairy Tail was more affluent than Drake had imagined. Despite paying so many fines, they could still afford such a luxurious ship.
And this vessel, having departed from Hargeon Port, was currently carrying Fairy Tail's mages towards Tenrou Island.
Natsu, resembling freshly laundered bedsheets, was draped over the ship's railing, swaying listlessly with the rhythm of the waves.
Raising a hand, Natsu cried out to the sky, "Drake, help me!"
Drake, reclining comfortably on Fal's back, waved dismissively, replying, "We're rivals in this competition, idiot! There's no way I'm going to help you!"
Natsu's despairing wail was cut short by a sudden lurch of the ship, forcing him to remain silent.
The passengers on board were largely the same as those who had participated in the Edolas expedition, with the notable additions of Makarov and Gildarts, the spy Mest, and the returning Lisanna.
In essence, all of Fairy Tail's main forces were present.
This was only natural, as the participants would seek the most reliable partners to ensure their success in the exam.
Drake's chosen partner was Wendy, leaving Mest with no other option than to enlist Panther Lily.
Mest, in his fabricated persona as Mystogan's disciple, leveraged this connection to persuade Panther Lily to accept his request.
On Fal's back, Carla was held in Wendy's arms, her expression conveying a sense of resignation.
She had initially opposed Wendy's participation in the event, but upon learning that the S-class exam might involve unforeseen dangers, Wendy had insisted on joining the others.
Carla had no choice but to accompany her. Of course, once the exam commenced, she would remain by Makarov's side, unable to provide any direct assistance.
"Is that Tenrou Island?" Wendy suddenly exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe.
Drake sat up, his gaze immediately drawn to the peculiar island in the distance.
It was a small island, dominated by a colossal tree that towered over its center. The tree was so immense that its canopy supported another, smaller island.
That was Fairy Tail's sacred ground, Tenrou Island. The island was enveloped in a high concentration of magical energy, protected by a powerful barrier.
No magic could detect the island, and there was only one key to enter.
Drake glanced at his guild mark, faintly glowing on his shoulder, and felt a strong desire to study it.
The island was called a sacred ground for good reason. When Fairy Tail members were on the island, the Tenrou Tree continuously provided them with magic and vitality.
As everyone knew, mages absorbed magic particles from the outside world into their magic source, then converted them into their own magic.
But the Tenrou Tree directly converted magic particles into Fairy Tail-specific magic, then transmitted it to everyone through their guild marks. The process was magical.
And while Tenrou Island was publicly known as the resting place of first guild master Mavis Vermillion, Drake knew Mavis's body was sealed beneath the guild, as the core of the super magic, Fairy Heart.
But her soul was on Tenrou Island, which had to be related to the island.
Drake guessed that the island held an unknown super magic, whose scale even exceeded the three great Fairy Magics.
As Drake pondered, Makarov began to announce the main topic.
"Next, I will announce the contents of the first examination!"
Many present had participated in the promotion exam before, so they knew it had different stages.
Makarov pointed to the smoke rising from the island's shore. "First, you must reach that shore. There are nine paths there, and only one team can enter each path.
Then, the paths ahead are arranged like this."
As a member of the Ten Wizard Saints, image magic was easy for Makarov. A magic screen opened before everyone.
The image was a map, with nine routes. Three of them had icons of Gildarts, Erza, and Mirajane, with the words "Fierce Battle."
The other six intersected in pairs, forming three lines, with the word "Battle" at the intersection.
The end had the words "First Exam Passed."
Makarov continued, "As the map shows, only teams who successfully break through can pass the first exam!"
The map was clear: six teams had to fight in pairs, with the winners advancing.
The remaining three teams were unlucky; they had to defeat three active S-class mages to advance.
So the test was…
"Strength and luck!" Makarov announced.
Magic was extraordinary, capable of many things. But strength was the most important power.
To mages, strength was the most important quality. Only with enough strength could they handle difficult missions.
And luck was also part of strength, sometimes even more important.
In this exam, those with good luck would meet weaker teams. Those with bad luck would face three active S-class mages.
No… there was also Drake. Everyone looked at Drake in the air; meeting Drake wasn't much better than meeting the three S-class mages.
It would be best if Drake chose a battle path, especially Gildarts's, so he could fight an active S-class… everyone thought.
Except for Natsu! Natsu looked forward to the fight. He wanted to challenge Gildarts and Drake.
"Alright, take your positions, exam start!" Makarov announced before the ship docked.
Although Makarov said the first exam was on the island, reaching the island first and choosing a path was also part of the test.
Drake patted Fal. "Although the order doesn't matter much, we can't fall behind."
Fal flapped his wings, turning into a blur as he flew towards Tenrou Island.
The ship's passengers also rushed to be first to the island, using various methods.
Freed moved fastest, flying out while using runes to trap others.
Levy's magic knowledge was strongest; she rewrote the runes and followed.
Evergreen knew Freed's magic and successfully altered the runes to take Elfman to Tenrou Island. The others had to wait for the runes to expire.
Drake arrived first, with nine paths to choose from.
Perhaps due to the island's barrier, Drake's magic sense was limited. But fortunately, his ability to read auras remained, allowing him to discern which paths were occupied.
Luck could sometimes compensate for a lack of strength, but Drake believed strength could solve more problems.
A tough fight was coming; Drake had no interest in fighting those three. So he chose an empty path, waiting for his opponent.
Mest and Panther Lily, arriving later, had few choices. Seeing Drake waiting, they could only lament their bad luck.
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