Ankh examined his right forearm, where the magical stamp had imprinted the Fairy Tail Guild mark onto his skin.
"The Guild mark isn't just a symbol of Fairy Tail's beliefs—it also serves as proof of identity for work purposes," Erza explained patiently, pointing to his arm.
Ankh nodded, pulling his sleeve back down, and asked, "Are there any simple quests available?"
Thanks to Seram's guidance and his own extraordinary talent, Ankh could memorize and comprehend even Super Magic in a very short time.
Titan Gravity was inherently born for combat, and Ankh couldn't resist the urge to find an opponent to test his skills.
Without using 'Terror', it would still take some effort for the current Ankh to defeat the other guild members.
However, since the foundational magic Ankh had learned was Super Magic, his future achievements were bound to be no less than Erza's.
Erza scanned the bulletin board in the hall and eventually took down a yellowed request sheet.
"This is a herb-gathering task commissioned by a client. The reward is 10,000J—it should be manageable for you."
Ankh took the sheet, frowning at the string of numbers written on it.
People in this world used paper notes and coins similar to those in his previous life, with gold and other hard currencies in circulation, though most transactions relied on kingdom-issued currency, commonly referred to as Jewels (J).
He had no concept of the exchange rates in the Fairy Tail world, but since it was just herb gathering, the reward probably wasn't very high.
Ankh nodded and said, "Understood. Where is the location?"
"On Mount Hakobe, in the outskirts of Magnolia—a place of perpetual winter."
'So, the environment for this quest was quite harsh...'
[Why does the Magic Power in this human girl feel so peculiar?]
Seram's faintly puzzled voice echoed within him.
Unfazed, Ankh replied knowingly, 'Well, she is the future Queen of the Fairies. It's only natural her Magic Power is strong.'
[It's not about strength. It's the density and quality of this Magic Power—it resembles something, yet it's quite different... Never mind, I must be mistaken...]
Ankh was completely baffled by what Seram said.
What was going on? Why had Seram become so lacking in confidence as well?
Was there something special about Erza's magic power, or perhaps about her as a person?
Ankh discreetly studied Erza's face.
It was rare for someone so young to possess such captivating beauty, yet he still couldn't detect anything unusual about her...
Instead, Ankh inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity emanating from the girl, as if they had known each other for a long time.
While Ankh was still pondering this, Seram's voice interrupted his thoughts.
[And that brat with pink hair and upturned eyes—his magic power gives off nothing but unpleasant vibes...]
Natsu... his magic power was problematic too?
Well, this was to be expected from the epicenter of ever-changing events in the original storyline.
Every member of this guild seemed to carry their own mysteries.
After spending some time at the guild without discovering anything unusual about Erza, Ankh had no choice but to return to his dormitory.
Watching Ankh slowly walk away, Erza furrowed her brows and murmured softly.
"How strange..."
The preparations needed for the commission weren't extensive.
Ankh simply packed some food, water, and warm clothing before setting out.
Mount Hakobe, located not far from Magnolia's outskirts, was a vast mountain range perpetually covered in snow with extremely low temperatures.
Generally, ordinary people without magic power avoided this place, yet ironically, the mountain was rich with treasures.
Rare medicinal herbs, exotic wild beasts, and mysterious eternal ice attracted countless covetous eyes.
Therefore, people from surrounding cities frequently commissioned Fairy Tail for tasks here, as their guild was the closest to the area.
Besides this occasion, Ankh anticipated he would be making many future trips here for missions.
Over the silver-clad mountain peaks, a slender figure swiftly flew through the lightly falling snow.
The biting cold wind lashed against his face like knives, yet Ankh's smile only widened as he thoroughly enjoyed the sensation of flying through the air.
Since mastering Titan Gravity magic, Ankh had been able to utilize numerous powerful large-scale attacks, though he struggled with more delicate applications.
Using gravity to fly was something Ankh had figured out through experimentation over recent days.
During his initial attempts at learning, he had lost count of how many objects he'd crashed into.
...
With a leather backpack secured, Ankh hovered steadily above the snow-capped mountains, gazing down at the land below like a celestial being.
According to the client's explanation, his wife suffered from a strange severe illness that made her feel as if her body was burning, requiring Blue-leaf Snow Lotus native to Mount Hakobe for medication.
Since the Blue-leaf Snow Lotus grew on cliff tops, Ankh chose to fly directly to the summit for easier searching.
"Found it."
Amid the overwhelming whiteness, a subtle blue-silver hue suddenly appeared in his vision.
Squinting his eyes, Ankh flew toward it.
The endless expanse of white combined with the sun's reflection was beginning to strain his eyes.
Arriving at the steep mountain peak, Ankh gestured toward the precarious cliff edge.
The Blue-leaf Snow Lotus was lifted by the gravity that appeared out of nowhere and flew into his hand.
The entire process presented no challenge whatsoever.
Holding the snow lotus, Ankh chuckled, "This ten thousand J reward is practically free money."
Crack—
Ankh's smile gradually faded—so.... it really wasn't that easy...
After sealing the snow lotus in an insulated icebox within his backpack, Ankh slowly turned around.
A dense crowd of robust figures stood before him.
Ankh froze for a moment.
'Were these creatures monkeys?'
Their bodies were covered in heart-shaped spots and white fur, with strikingly human-like facial features and what seemed to be lecherous expressions.
The leading gorilla, the most muscular of them all, gazed at Ankh with undisguised covetousness.
Ankh's face darkened.
What he despised most was this kind of predatory stare.
"Disgusting beasts!"
The obscene-looking apes seemed to understand his words.
The Monkey King, in particular, flew into a humiliated rage, leaping and charging toward Ankh.
A swarm of sturdy wild monkeys leaped into the air, blotting out the sky like a dark cloud.
Ankh remained calmly in place, not moving an inch.
The apes wore triumphant grins, but before they could revel in their apparent victory, their bodies suddenly grew heavy.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The monkeys mid-air plummeted dramatically, crashing hard into the ground, embedded so deeply they couldn't be pried out.
The monkeys chattered frantically.
With their primitive animal minds, they couldn't comprehend why such immense weight had suddenly pressed down on them...
Ankh stood composedly with crossed arms while murmuring to himself.
"Titan Gravity is remarkably effective against brutish opponents like these."
To subdue these beasts relying solely on raw strength, Ankh didn't even need to exert his full Gravity magic.
The monkeys' eyes darted around in panic as they stared at Ankh's devastatingly beautiful face, struggling even more violently.
"Tch—"
Ankh extended his hand.
A familiar magic circle rapidly materialized, hovering above his palm.
Eerie Magic Power instantly enveloped the entire battlefield.
The monkeys, who had been screeching moments before, fell completely silent as the swiftly spreading magical energy swept over them.
A closer look revealed that none of the gravity-crushed apes piled on the ground remained alive...
Super Magic: Terror—this spell could effortlessly strip life from any creature that felt even a trace of fear toward the caster, Ankh.
Compared to Fairy Law, one of the three great Super Magics of fairy tail, this spell's activation condition was slightly more demanding, but its Magic Power consumption was considerably lower.
Moreover, being particularly compatible with Ankh's constitution, the Terror magic still had significant room for growth.