Mages have their own persistence; tasks that can be completed by themselves should not trouble their companions.
It's definitely not because they're afraid of being punished when they go back.
A few of them eagerly gathered all the information Vorod could provide, confirmed the mission requirements, and were eager to set off.
Then Vorod showed them a trick.
A small seed sprouted at Team A's feet and quickly grew into a large tree, lifting everyone up.
Surprised, they watched as the tree began to bend southwards, carrying them swiftly forward.
When the trunk stopped thickening at the size for two people to hug, it continued to extend southwards at an unbelievable speed, faster than a train.
Team A listened to the rustling leaves and the wind rushing by, and in the blink of an eye, Vorod's figure was no longer visible.
The most magical thing was that, despite moving so fast and the tree crown occasionally swirling like a roller coaster, Natsu felt no discomfort at all.
"Such an exaggerated magic, and yet this person claims there are countless mages stronger than him, it's excessively modest."
"That old man, he actually turned a tree into a mode of transportation."
"Aye!"
"Uugh..."
"Don't get motion sickness just because it's transportation!"
"How about a sip of alcohol to ease it?"
The astonishing large tree extended south like this, directly taking them to the Sun Village 2000 kilometers away.
This defies science, yet it's very magical.
Once everyone steadied themselves, they saw the silver world ahead at a glance.
Trees, rocks, rivers, all covered in ice, as if this was originally an ice village.
A few steps forward, enormous buildings came into view.
An ordinary street was as wide as numerous large squares connected together, and a single-story house was as large as a majestic palace.
Naturally, all these things were also frozen in ice.
The entire village was silent.
The group marveled for a moment, cautiously stepping into this giant village.
Walking down the street, turning a corner, they finally saw the residents here.
They were giants armed with weapons, some with swords unsheathed, some with spearheads forward, some with mouths open as if roaring something, and some striding forward as if charging...
Kana reached out to touch a giant's heel, but could only feel the surface ice.
She looked up at the giants' postures: "It feels like they're fighting someone and then were suddenly frozen."
"So, it's not from a natural disaster. But the scale of this ice magic..." Erza looked at Gray.
Gray candidly said, "I can't do it."
If it were an ordinary village, he might try to see if he could do the same, but a giant-inhabited village of such magnitude...
Lucy worriedly said, "Are they still alive? It's hard to believe."
Hapi raised a hand, "Aye, Grandpa Vorod said they are."
"So we just need to melt this ice and rescue the giant uncles, right?" Natsu directly placed his hands on the giant's foot.
Flames rose from his hands, but the strange ice showed no sign of melting.
Natsu intensified the flame, wrapping half of the giant's foot, yet when Natsu squatted down, exhausted, the ice still showed no reaction.
"..." Lucy felt that Natsu hadn't used his full strength, but judging by his appearance, he seemed to have been very serious.
Is there something wrong with this ice?
Gray placed his hand on the giant's toe, attempting to use Ice Magic Power to dispel the ice.
A few seconds passed, and nothing changed.
Erza asked, "Gray's magic doesn't work either?"
"It's a bit strange," Gray pondered, "This ice... the magic within is something I've never seen but gives me a subtly familiar feeling."
Kana shrugged it off, "Since it's a commission from the Ten Wizard Saints, it definitely won't be easy to solve. Let's investigate first and see."
Lucy asked, "Can Kana's magic shatter it?"
"My magic isn't that precise; if I shatter it, I'd break everything inside too." Kana pouted, "If it's just the ice layer... maybe that hateful dad of mine could do it."
"Everyone, let's search for clues separately, maybe... hmm?" Erza was about to have everyone spread out when she suddenly heard a loud noise.
"Over there!" Natsu charged ahead in the direction the giants were facing away from.
The others quickly followed, running around a strangely shaped iceberg toward the other end of the village.
At that moment, a group of three Treasure Hunters was confronting three strange individuals:
"You must be from a Mages' Guild, right?" said the long-haired youth named Dorek.
He was holding a sniper rifle, with smoke still coming from the barrel, indicating he had just fired a shot.
The sword-bearing Hiroshi scrutinized the opposing party's appearance carefully: "And it seems like a Dark Guild, really an odd bunch."
The third person's weapon was a hammer resembling a fist, and his round head was styled with an incongruous pompadour, making strange noises: "Dong—Dong—"
If these three were strange enough, those facing them were even stranger.
First, there was a strange bird hovering in the sky: short antennae, a round head, a single eye, a snake's tail, as if a thug boss's head had been grafted onto the legendary Yizutsu Maten.
Next was a brawny masked man, his mask painted with a terrifying large mouth, with a fierce glint in his eyes.
The third one looked like a normal person. If you followed Fairy Tail fighting, you should recognize her instantly.
After all, she was the strongest mage from the years-long championship team.
She was Minerva, the daughter of Sabertooth's former president.
She had just deflected a bullet from the other side, and now she was the first to respond: "And what position do you thieves have to judge a Dark Guild?"
"Thieves?" Dorek was sensitive to Minerva's label for them, "No, we are members of the top-ranked Guild of Treasure Hunters, Wind Spirit's Labyrinth!"
Hiroshi added, "In other words, super Treasure Hunters!"
Lala gave a thumbs up, "Dong!"
"So, why are you here?"
The Treasure Hunters candidly replied:
"Of course, to take the ultra S-Class treasure here, the dreamy fire that has burned for hundreds of years, the Eternal Flame!"
Hiroshi held his sword with both hands: "You better not get in the way."
Lala raised his large hammer, "Dong—Dong—"
Minerva smiled disdainfully, "Well, that's unfortunate, my mission is to prevent anyone from interfering with this village!"
As soon as she finished, the three Treasure Hunters jumped in different directions to dodge.
Meanwhile, a loud explosion erupted where they had just been standing.
The three quickly reacted, ready to counterattack as soon as they landed.
But they suddenly noticed their belts loosened, their pants slipping down.
Trying to pull up their pants, they found their sleeves too long, completely covering their hands, and the weapons on their bodies were so heavy they almost crushed them.
"What happened?" Dorek exclaimed, looking at his companions, then down at himself, "Kids?!"
The other two also realized their predicament—they all seemed to have turned into children!
The masked man said casually, "Too slow, rookie."
"Doria Tear," Minerva snorted coldly, "You should address me as—Missy."
At this moment, the strange bird in the sky dove down: "Geeyee yee yee... More guests have arrived!"