Upon arriving in the city of Shirotsume, Axel leapt from the top of the carriage before it had even come to a complete stop. The streets were narrow, illuminated by lanterns mounted on stone walls. A cold wind swept through the alleys, carrying the scent of iron, smoke, and the sea.
Madame Rosalie opened the carriage door, relief written plainly across her face.
"Thank the gods… we made it in one piece."
Axel merely shrugged, maintaining a calm exterior—though internally, his attention was already fixed on the System notification he knew was coming.
"I only did what I was hired to do," he replied lightly.
Rosalie gestured to a group of workers waiting nearby.
"Alright. Get the crates unloaded. Carefully."
As the men began removing the heavy cargo, Axel discreetly opened the System interface.
[MISSION COMPLETED: Escort to Shirotsume][REWARD: 150 CP + Efficiency Bonus (30 CP)][TOTAL ACQUIRED: 180 CP]
A shiver of satisfaction ran down Axel's spine.
Almost there.
He now needed only 40 CP to reach the 1,000 CP required to acquire the Boosted Gear.
Madame Rosalie approached and handed him a small pouch, heavy with coins.
"Here you are, young mage. Your 5,000 Jewels. Use them wisely. You're quite an unexpected talent."
Axel accepted the pouch and stored it away.
"Thank you for your confidence, Madame."
Still, he couldn't return to Magnolia just yet. Forty CP was trivial—something he could easily earn in Shirotsume with a single micro-task or a minor Achievement.
He turned back to Rosalie.
"Madame, may I ask one last favor? Is there any small but urgent task in the city? Something I could finish quickly—anything at all."
She paused, thinking, her gaze drifting toward the unloading crates.
"Actually… yes. The church bell. It isn't worth much, but the Lacrima controlling the clock tower has been malfunctioning. It rings at strange hours. The local blacksmith, Mister Balder, tried to fix it—but it needs a mage."
"I'll take it. Where's the tower?"
"Central square."
Axel thanked her and immediately set off at a jog.
The clock tower dominated the square—a sturdy stone structure rising above the surrounding buildings. At its base stood a burly man with a thick beard, muttering angrily.
"This damn clock is going to drive us all mad!"
"I'm Axel, from Fairy Tail," Axel said clearly. "I'm here to inspect the bell's Lacrima."
Balder looked him over, exhaling heavily.
"You're even younger than the last one. The Lacrima's at the top, in the bell room."
Axel ascended the spiral staircase with ease. With his Agility, the climb felt effortless.
At the top, the bell chamber was dim. A large blue Lacrima hung suspended by chains, pulsing faintly—and erratically. It was both the energy source and the timing mechanism.
Axel activated Magic Vision and Emperor's Eyes (Lv. 2).
The mana flow inside the Lacrima was obstructed—not by physical damage, but by a tangled distortion in its internal circuit.
The Lacrima is trying to release a mana pulse, Axel realized. But the circuit was damaged by heat. Balder must be a fire mage who tried to 'weld' the problem.
This wasn't brute force.
It was magical engineering.
He pinpointed the exact fault: a tiny node where Ethernano had accumulated, forming a knot that disrupted the timing cycle.
Axel didn't possess Repair Magic—but he had 27 Mana and the precision of a Peak Human.
Extending his hand, he carefully guided his own mana into the crystal. He didn't cast a spell. Instead, he used controlled Etherano pressure, gently pushing and unraveling the blockage with surgical precision.
The process demanded absolute focus.
Then—
CLICK.
The Lacrima stabilized. A steady, powerful blue light surged through the crystal.
[TASK COMPLETED: Lacrima Bell Repair][ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Lacrima Specialist (Basic)][REWARD: 40 CP]
The bell rang loudly, clearly, perfectly.
BONG!
Axel exhaled sharply—not from exhaustion, but relief.
He descended the tower. Balder stood waiting below, grinning like a child.
"It worked! Kid, you're a genius! Here—take this!"
He tossed Axel a pouch containing 2,000 Jewels.
Axel accepted it, though the money barely registered.
"Thank you, Mister Balder. I need to return to Magnolia immediately."
He didn't head for the main road.
Instead, Axel moved toward the forest at the edge of the city.
He needed privacy.
Once among the trees, Axel opened the System and went straight to the [SHOP] tab.
The item that had dominated his thoughts for two days awaited him.
[Boosted Gear – (Longinus – DxD)]Cost: 1,000 CPRank: S (Artifact)
Do you wish to acquire this item?
Axel didn't hesitate.
He pressed [ACQUIRE].
[1,000 CP DEDUCTED][ITEM ACQUIRED: BOOSTED GEAR]
Scarlet light erupted into the forest, violent and overwhelming. It condensed into a metallic crimson gauntlet, etched with green accents and a circular emerald core at its center.
The artifact didn't simply attach.
It fused.
The gauntlet enveloped Axel's left arm, spreading up to his shoulder—partially covering the Fairy Tail emblem. The heat wasn't physical; it was the pressure of primordial power, like a living furnace.
[NEW HIDDEN MAGIC AWAKENED: CELESTIAL DRAGON POSSESSION][The Hidden Magic "Slumbering Dragon Soul" has been integrated into the Boosted Gear.][Compatibility: 100%]
The seed born from his transmigration and serum wasn't imperfect.
It was the ideal vessel.
Then came a roar—not heard by the ears, but felt deep within Axel's soul. Ancient. Arrogant. Overwhelmingly draconic.
"PARTNER! You have summoned me! The bearer of the Welsh Dragon has finally awakened!"
The gauntlet pulsed.
The voice was unmistakable.
Axel stared at his arm, breath caught between fear and euphoria. The green jewel gleamed—watching the world.
"Ddraig…" Axel whispered. "You're not sealed anymore."
The System hadn't delivered part of a dragon.
It had delivered the dragon itself.