At the end of the passage was a patch of bright light.
The tropical wind, carrying the salty scent of the sea, swept through the layers of ancient trees on the island. The branches and leaves of those giant trees, which had grown for countless centuries, overlapped, casting mottled and swaying shadows under the fierce midday sun.
On the forest path, the last to arrive, Cana and Lucy, were panting slightly, fine beads of sweat forming on their foreheads.
Watching the two who had arrived last, those who had reached the end of the road early because they were lucky enough to choose the "Quiet" path...
"Cana! Lucy! Congratulations on passing the first trial."
Levy waved her hand happily, and her partner beside her, Droy, also smiled and nodded to the two of them.
Having chosen the "Quiet" path through the luck of the draw, Levy's team had practically strolled to the finish line, their clothes so neat they formed a sharp contrast with the others.
Cana glanced around and found that besides them, in this relatively open clearing in the forest, only the members of Levy's team, Natsu's team, and Gajeel's team were present.
Lucy was surprised. "Half of us were eliminated in the preliminary trial...?"
Levy sighed softly. "Fried and Bickslow ran into Mystogan. They only needed to find him within an illusion to get his approval, but they held out until they were exhausted without ever seeing a sign of him..."
"Juvia and Lisanna had it even worse."
Droy chimed in, "They ran into Erza. She cut them down using only her'Sea King Armor.' That female knight who never holds back... she's too brutal."
Gray and Loki's examiner was Mirajane. Her test wasn't too harsh; they just had to survive three rounds of her attacks to earn her approval.
However, to help Gray pass, Loki went as far as sacrificing his looks to use his charms on Mirajane. As a result, the unlucky Gray was dragged down by his troublesome partner and they were both kicked out... Lucy looked nearby, where Natsu and Gajeel were each occupying a Stone, a clear distance between them, yet both emitting a gloomy, low-pressure aura.
Seeing the "lost soul" expressions on their faces, Lucy instinctively lowered her Voice. "What's wrong with those two?"
Happy poked his cat head out from behind Natsu. "Natsu was terrified by Gildarts' strength earlier. That drunkard uncle just stood there releasing his magic power, and Natsu was so scared he didn't even dare to attack. His whole body was shaking."
"Eh? Gildarts is actually that strong?"
Lucy was very surprised. She had seen Natsu in countless states when facing powerful enemies—angry, excited, reckless... but she had never imagined that "fear" could appear in this perpetually passionate youth.
Since joining Fairy Tail, Lucy hadn't seen Natsu afraid of anyone except Erza, and the dynamic between Natsu and Erza was more like a younger brother fearing a strict older sister.
"Then how did you pass?" Cana asked, while inwardly grumbling about her unreliable old man. A test is a test, but what if he really traumatized Natsu?
"Because Natsu admitted defeat."
Happy raised a paw. "Natsu lowered his head and admitted defeat, and then Gildarts laughed and said he approved of him."
This was the test Gildarts gave Natsu.
There is nothing wrong with fear and dread; instead, they allow a person to recognize their own weakness. Only those who recognize this can become stronger and kinder.
This is a necessary quality to become a Fairy Tail S-Class Mage.
Having recognized himself, Natsu naturally gained Gildarts' approval. He was just a bit depressed after passing, but he would be fine in a while.
But Gajeel on the other side was different.
His partner Salamander approached at some point and said with a gossipy face, "That guy Laxus didn't treat us like humans at all. He used Gajeel as a punching bag and gave him a one-sided beating. After he had his fun, he let us pass."
As if overhearing the discussion, Gajeel suddenly looked up. "What are you looking at! Next time we meet, I'm definitely going to flatten that Thunder Dragon!"
Although Laxus's test was to endure a beating, being pinned down and hit the whole time left Gajeel feeling incredibly frustrated. So, after reaching the end of the first stage, he sat alone to sulk... "Gajeel, cheer up."
"Shut up!"
Gajeel stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the sun. He raised his hand, his finger sweeping across everyone present. "Fire Dragon! Female Drunkard! Shorty Levy! And the Celestial Spirit Mage and Card Girl over there!"
"Don't think you're special just because you passed the first stage. The real competition starts now!"
"Don't go giving me nicknames, you hunk of iron!"
A vein popped on Cana's forehead. "Do I really drink that much?!"
Droy and Salamander, who weren't called out and were staying out of it: You drink thirty percent of the guild's alcohol in a year, don't you have any self-awareness? Levy was also unhappy with the nickname Gajeel gave her; "Shorty" was too mean. But then she looked at Cana's and Lucy's chests, then at her own flat plains where she could see her toes at a glance, and she immediately became depressed.
"Oooooh! That's the spirit!"
Natsu, back to his normal self, suddenly jumped up from the Stone, his fists igniting with blazing flames. "I can't wait! What's the second stage? I'm fired up!"
"Don't start fires in the forest! You idiot!"
"..."
The brief break ended just like that amidst the noise.
Makarov walked over from the other side of the passage. These brats were as rowdy as ever. His gaze swept across the faces of the eight young juniors.
"Congratulations on passing the first stage."
"There are four teams that passed the preliminary trial. Three of you received the approval of S-Class examiners, and the other team defeated their rivals through strength. I am very pleased with your performance."
"Next is the content of the second stage of the exam."
Clearing his throat in a mock-serious manner, Makarov said:
"The time limit is six hours. Within the allotted time, you need to find the grave of the First Guild Master, Mavis, on Tenrou Island."
"I will be waiting for you in front of the First Guild Master's tombstone."
"If you find it, you pass."
It's actually that simple??!
Everyone looked incredulous. Tenrou Island wasn't too big or too small; six hours was enough time for them to turn the island upside down.
Watching the young people enthusiastically preparing to set off, Makarov smiled slightly, turned around, and slowly walked away.
If reaching Mavis's grave were easy, it wouldn't be an S-Class Mage exam.
There are many magical creatures on Tenrou Island.
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