The Second Round of the Exam Begins

Inside the makeshift camp, Riyao leaned against Mirajane's shoulder, his head tilted to the side, looking half-dead.

"Waaaaah, Grereio and the others hit me so hard!"

"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt."

Mirajane patted Riyao's head, her tone as gentle as if she were coaxing a child.

Gray stood not far away, clenching his fists, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Hey! Who's in pain here?! We're the ones getting beaten up!"

Leo nodded silently beside him, rubbing his still aching lower back.

"Exactly, you don't even have a mark on you, what are you pretending for?"

Riyao glanced at them, then continued to nuzzle against Mirajane's shoulder.

"I don't care, it just hurts."

"Okay, okay, it hurts, it hurts."

Mirajane's smile softened even more, her hands continuing their work.

Gray and Leo exchanged a glance and rolled their eyes simultaneously.

This person is beyond saving.

Makarov clapped his hands, and the crisp applause drew everyone's attention.

"Alright, alright, now we announce the successful combination for the first round."

He cleared his throat, his voice echoing through the camp.

"Natsu and Happy have passed Gildarts' test!"

Natsu sat on a rock, his hands supporting his chin, looking deep in thought.

This startled Happy so much that he waved his paws in front of him.

"Natsu? Natsu! Are you alright? You're actually thinking?"

"Aye! This is so abnormal!"

Natsu ignored him and continued to immerse himself in his own world.

"Cana and Lisanna! They passed Mirajane's test!"

Cana and Lisanna jumped up and gave each other a high five, the sound crisp and loud.

"Well done!"

"Of course, don't you even know who you are?"

"Gray and Leo! They passed the Riyao test!"

Gray and Leo simultaneously clutched the spots on their bodies where Riyao had punched them, hissing in pain.

Although the physical injuries have long since healed, the psychological trauma remains; the memory of being pinned to the ground and brutally beaten is too vivid.

"Levy and Lucy have defeated Mest and Wendy!"

Lucy scooped up Levy and spun her around.

"Lucy! Put me down!"

Levy struggled in her arms, her face turning red.

"Hehe, we won! Let's celebrate!"

"Freed and Bickslow! They defeated Elfman and Evergreen!"

Freed crossed his arms and gave a low hum, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

The five precious totem dolls beside Bickslow cheered and floated around his head.

"You kids are amazing!"

Gajeel stood at the edge of the crowd, his face darker than the bottom of a pot.

All the other teams that encountered S-Class Mage challenges passed, but his team failed.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms.

"Damn it, I don't believe they can pass!"

Erza turned her head, revealing a sly smile that almost reached her ears.

Gajeel nearly went berserk on the spot.

Makarov shook his head, silently feeling sorry for him.

This guy is really unlucky to have run into the strictest S-Class Mage.

Juvia ran over to Gray and clasped her hands to her chest.

"Lord Gray is amazing! Juvia admires you even more now."

Juvia's eyes sparkled.

Gray scratched his cheek, his ears turning slightly red.

Being beaten is too shameful; I'd rather die than tell.

Makarov did not announce the rules for the second round of assessments directly, but instead glanced at everyone.

"Given the excessive exertion you experienced in the first round of assessment, rest at the camp for an hour before continuing. Take care to adjust your condition; the real test is yet to come."

Riyao lifted his head from Mirajane's shoulder and pressed his hand to the ground.

A turquoise magic circle unfolded from his palm, instantly covering the entire camp.

A soft light rose from the ground and seeped into everyone's body.

Everyone's injuries were healing at a visible speed; their sore muscles relaxed, and their fatigue vanished.

In addition, since everyone is on Tenrou Island, their magic and physical strength recover faster.

Tenrou Island Sacred Tree brand wireless power bank, you'll know how good it is once you use it.

However, no one was in a hurry, since it was just an assessment and not an urgent task.

They all lazily stayed at the camp to rest, Gray and Leo needed to heal their wounded hearts.

Natsu was still sitting on that rock, lost in thought.

Natsu suddenly snapped out of his reverie, stood up abruptly, his eyes wide, and shouted at the few who had passed the test.

"Oh! Gray, Levy, Cana, Freed! Let's have a contest to see who becomes S-Class Mage first, let's settle this once and for all!"

A ball of flame suddenly burst into flames on his right hand, and he became as energetic as if he had been injected with chicken blood, the flames making his face turn bright red.

"I'm really fired up!"

Gray grinned, equally excited.

"I would rather die than lose to you!"

Levy away her usual soft and cute expression, revealing a serious look.

"Me too, I won't lose to anyone."

Cana gave a soft hum, raised the bottle, and shook it in response.

Freed nodded slightly, his hand unconsciously gripping the rapier at his waist.

"I admire that drive. But beating me won't be that easy."

Seeing the young men so excited, Makarov stroked his beard, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Since everyone is so energetic, let's continue with the second round of assessment!"

He paused, his tone becoming serious.

"The rules are simple. You have six hours to find the grave of the first guild leader on Tenrou Island and gain her approval. I will go there to witness it all."

"The first president?"

"Are there graves on this island?"

The group exchanged bewildered glances, but quickly put their doubts aside.

Who cares, let's find it first.

They each gathered their equipment, checked their belongings, and prepared to rush out as soon as possible.

Makarov smiled with satisfaction and raised his hand.

"The second round of assessment begins!"

The group exclaimed "Oh!" and rushed out simultaneously, their figures disappearing into the depths of the forest.

The branches rustled as they were struck, and several birds were startled and took flight.

The campsite became much quieter.

Riyao shrugged, yawned, pulled a bottle of medicine from his pocket, and casually tossed it to Makarov.

"This is troublesome. Here you go, old man."

Makarov caught the medicine and twirled the bottle twice in his hand.

Have they arrived?

"A few little mice have wandered into Tenrou Island. They look a lot like the cyborgs I met a long time ago. They should be the Grimoire Heart that Ultear mentioned."

Riyao spoke casually, but everyone else who remained at the camp stood up.

Ur paused for a moment upon hearing the name Ultear.

Gildarts yawned, sat up from the rock, and stretched his shoulders.

Mirajane's expression turned serious, and her gentle demeanor vanished without a trace.

"How many people are there?"

"Not many, just a few small fry; they're probably just scouts."

Riyao squinted and looked into the depths of the forest.