Gray Provokes Lu Chongwei, Takes on Mission

"It seems I need to be more precise with my control over my strength; otherwise, it'll be easy to accidentally kill someone in the future."

Lu Chongwei warned himself inwardly.

He looked at the growing lump on Gray's head, a faint sense of apology welling up in his heart, though it was overshadowed by a reassessment of his current strength.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the massive windows into the Fairy Tail guild.

The air was filled with the faint scent of alcohol and damp wood—the guild's signature aroma, a mixture of adventure and freedom.

Lu Chongwei arrived at the guild early in the morning.

His pace was light, each step landing with vigor, his face etched with anticipation and excitement.

The Master said yesterday that with my current strength, I'm fully capable of starting to take on missions.

Lu Chongwei calculated in his mind.

He was filled with curiosity about the mission system of this magical world; it was something he had only seen in anime before crossing over, and now he was finally going to experience it firsthand.

I wonder what kind of adventure my first mission will be.

Lu Chongwei pushed open the guild's heavy doors.

The hinges creaked, but the sound was quickly drowned out by the boisterous noise inside the hall.

"I don't accept this! I absolutely do not accept this!"

A voice filled with grievance and anger echoed through the guild hall.

Lu Chongwei followed the sound and saw Gray, shirtless, one foot planted on a table while he pointed at the ceiling with his other hand, shouting loudly.

The most eye-catching thing was still the large, unswollen lump on his head.

The bump was a bright, inflamed red, looking like a ripe apple perched atop his head, wobbling with his agitated movements in a way that was both comical and pitiful.

"I wasn't prepared yesterday! Really! I was just careless!"

Gray's face flushed red.

Veins bulged on his neck and spit flew as he tried to explain his "crushing defeat" to the onlookers around him.

"If we did it again, there's no way I'd be taken down by that one hit! I could take that punch, easy!"

Macao held a glass of wine, leaning lazily against a nearby pillar.

He watched the agitated Gray with a wicked grin, the playful look of an adult watching a child being stubborn.

"Give it a rest, Gray."

Macao took a sip of his drink and smacked his lips.

"Everyone saw it yesterday; that punch landed square. Besides, Lu Chongwei didn't even look like he was using much effort."

Gray bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Nonsense! That was a sneak attack! He caught me off guard!"

Gray waved his fists, trying to salvage his crumbling dignity.

"If I had deployed my Ice Make Magic for defense, a punch like that wouldn't have hurt at all!"

Just as Gray's emotions reached their peak and he was about to swear to prove himself, a calm voice with a hint of a smile suddenly rang out from behind him.

"Oh? Is that so? So it was a sneak attack yesterday, was it?"

Lu Chongwei walked over slowly, his hands tucked into his pockets.

Gray's body stiffened instantly.

It felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, and the rage that had been burning just a moment ago was extinguished in an instant.

He turned his head mechanically and saw the face that had haunted his nightmares all night.

Lu Chongwei looked at him with a smile.

The expression looked friendly enough, but in Gray's eyes, it was more terrifying than any fierce glare.

Wakaba sat not far away, puffing on his pipe and blowing a smoke ring.

Seeing this, he immediately began to stir the pot, fearing the scene wouldn't be chaotic enough.

"Yo! The man himself is here! Gray, didn't you just say you wanted to prove it right now? Here's your chance!"

Wakaba's laugh was raspy.

He slapped the table, his eyes darting between the two, clearly looking forward to another good show.

Gray was choked into silence, his face turning beet red.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something tough, but as soon as he met Lu Chongwei's half-smiling gaze, his throat felt as if it had been blocked.

Lu Chongwei stepped forward, reached out, and gently pointed at the large lump on Gray's head.

"Does this bump... still hurt?"

Lu Chongwei's tone carried a hint of teasing.

He meant no harm; he simply found the stubborn youth quite interesting and couldn't resist poking a little fun at him.

Gray instinctively covered the top of his head.

A sharp pain shot through him, causing him to gasp, yet he stubbornly gritted his teeth, his eyes reigniting with fighting spirit.

"Cut the chatter! That was an accident!"

Gray shouted.

He leaped off the table, assumed a combat stance with his arms crossed over his chest, and cold air began to condense around him.

"Since you're here, perfect! Let's have a rematch right now! I definitely won't lose this time!"

Lu Chongwei looked at the fired-up Gray and waved his hand helplessly.

"I'm afraid that won't work today."

Lu Chongwei shrugged, his tone becoming slightly more serious.

"I'm here on official business today. I have a mission to complete, and I don't have time to play house with you."

Gray froze.

The cold air around him dissipated instantly, and he looked like a deflated balloon, his face full of surprise.

"A mission?"

Gray blinked.

He looked Lu Chongwei up and down, as if observing an outsider who knew nothing about the rules.

"Don't you know? Without the Guild Master's formal approval, newcomers aren't allowed to just take on missions."

Lu Chongwei was slightly taken aback.

He recalled Makarov's words from yesterday; it seemed he hadn't actually been given any formal badge or paperwork, just a few verbal instructions.

"So that's a rule."

Lu Chongwei rubbed his chin.

He didn't show much disappointment, accepting the situation quickly; after all, every organization had its own procedures.

"Fine, then I'll go find the Guild Master first."

Lu Chongwei turned around and waved over his shoulder at Gray.

"Once I get back from my mission, we can spar however you like. Just don't go crying to your mommy by then."

Gray stomped his feet in anger.

"Who's crying! You get back here and explain that!"

But he could only watch as Lu Chongwei's back receded, his retort ultimately drowned out by the clamor of the guild.

Lu Chongwei walked straight through the crowd and arrived at the bar where Makarov was sitting.

Makarov was perched on the counter, holding a newspaper with a steaming cup of tea beside him.

"Good morning, Master."

Lu Chongwei greeted him.

He got straight to the point, stating his intentions immediately, not wanting to waste any time.

"I want to take a mission. But I've heard that the first one requires a guide. I'd like Gildarts to take me."

Makarov set down his newspaper.

He lifted his eyelids to glance at Lu Chongwei, not particularly surprised by the request, given that Gildarts was the one who had brought him back.

"Gildarts, you say..."

Makarov pondered for a moment.

He stroked his mustache, a look of contemplation flashing in his eyes as he seemed to evaluate the feasibility of the pairing.

"Since he was the one who brought you back, it's only fitting he sees it through. Besides, with his strength, he can certainly ensure your safety."

Makarov nodded.

He picked up his teacup again and gently blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface.

"I have no objections. But that depends on whether that guy Gildarts is free; you know how lazy he can be."

Lu Chongwei felt a surge of joy.

As long as the Master agreed, handling Gildarts shouldn't be difficult; after all, even if that uncle seemed unreliable, he still had a warm heart.