Upgrade Assessment

The azure sea surged with turbulent waves.

A solitary island stood between the sea and the sky.

The island was densely vegetated and filled with jagged rocks, with heart-stopping beast roars echoing from time to time.

This was the location for this year's S-Class Mage promotion trial—Tenrou Island.

As the holy ground of the Fairy Tail guild, this place was not only rich in magic power but also concealed countless unknown dangers.

At this moment, Lu Chongwei was standing in a dense jungle, holding a parchment map in his hand.

"The rules are simple."

Makarov's words from before their departure echoed in his mind.

"Hidden on this island are 20 tokens engraved with the Fairy Tail Mark."

"You need to find as many of these tokens as possible before sunset."

"The first person to collect 12 tokens will earn the qualification to advance to the next round."

"And the next round is to face Gildarts directly, survive ten minutes under his hand, or earn his recognition."

Lu Chongwei put away the map and scanned the surrounding bushes.

"20 tokens, collect 12 first to win."

"In other words, this is a race, and it is also a battle for possession."

He and Laxus had been dropped at opposite ends of the island.

But this did not mean they would not meet.

On the contrary, as the number of tokens decreased, their meeting was inevitable.

"I have already found four so far."

Lu Chongwei patted the satchel at his waist, from which came a few crisp clinking sounds.

These four tokens had been hidden very cleverly; some were in bird nests on steep cliffs, some at the bottom of deep pools, and one was even hidden inside the mouth of a giant man-eating flower.

"Eight more to go."

Lu Chongwei took a deep breath, and his Observation Haki instantly expanded, covering a radius of several hundred meters.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow.

In his perception, there was a non-negligible magic reaction inside a cave not far ahead.

Moreover, right next to that magic fluctuation, there was a faint glow belonging to a token.

"The fifth one, found it."

Lu Chongwei smiled slightly, his figure flashing as he vanished from the spot instantly.

A moment later.

"ROAR!!!"

A deafening roar erupted from the cave.

Immediately following it, a massive giant bear covered in rock armor charged out.

This magical beast was clearly enraged; its eyes were blood-red, and it swung its massive paws, wanting to crush the little bug that had disturbed its sleep.

"Stop yelling, you're too noisy."

Lu Chongwei stood at the cave entrance, gripping the hilt of his sword with one hand.

"Nadeshiko."

A flash of cold light streaked by.

The giant bear's movements froze instantly.

The next second.

A thin crack appeared on its hard rock armor.

"Bang!"

The giant bear's massive body collapsed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lu Chongwei walked forward and pried a golden token from a crevice in the rock behind the giant bear.

"The fifth one, secured."

He blew the dust off the token and tossed it into his bag.

However, just at that moment.

A bolt of golden lightning suddenly streaked across the sky.

"Zzzzt—"

The sound of electric current crackled not far away.

Lu Chongwei looked up to see Laxus standing on the treetop of a towering tree, toying with a handful of tokens while looking down at him with a playful expression.

"Yo, Lu Chongwei."

Laxus looked down from his vantage point, his eyes filled with provocation.

"Isn't your speed a bit too slow? You've only found this many?"

Lu Chongwei narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Laxus's hands.

A rough count revealed there were actually eight of them!

"Did you turn on some kind of wallhack?"

Lu Chongwei couldn't help but retort.

He had worked so hard, fighting monsters and crawling through caves, only to find five, yet this guy had already managed to get eight?

"Hmph, this is strength, and it's also luck."

Laxus sneered, tossing the eight tokens into the air and catching them, creating a clattering sound.

"Some things are just lying there on the side of the road; it's hard for me not to pick them up."

"Picked them up on the side of the road?"

Lu Chongwei's mouth twitched.

What kind of lucky-bastard constitution is this?

However, he quickly calmed down.

The situation was now very clear.

Lu Chongwei had five tokens, and Laxus had eight.

That made thirteen in total.

There were only seven tokens left on the island.

In other words, even if Lu Chongwei found all the remaining seven, he would only be able to scrape together twelve, just enough to pass.

But Laxus would definitely not give him that chance.

Moreover, the only way to end this trial as quickly as possible was—

To rob!

As long as he snatched the tokens from the other person, he could instantly gather twelve!

Both of them clearly realized this.

The atmosphere instantly turned heavy.

Laxus took off his headphones and hung them casually on a tree branch.

"Zzzzt..."

Violent golden lightning began to dance across his body, his hair stood on end, and his entire being radiated a destructive aura.

"Lu Chongwei, don't waste time looking for the rest."

Laxus cracked his neck, the joints popping audibly.

"Hand over the five you have, and I can let you lose with a bit of dignity."

Lu Chongwei smiled.

He slowly drew the Zanpakuto from his waist; the blade vibrated slightly, and a scorching aura began to permeate the air.

"As it happens, I also find searching for things to be quite a hassle."

"Since you've collected them for me, I won't be polite in accepting them."

"BOOM!"

Two massive surges of magic power erupted instantly.

On one side was violent thunder, ionizing the surrounding air until it crackled.

On the other was scorching flame, causing the surrounding grass and trees to instantly wither and curl.

Red and yellow light collided in the air, sparking countless embers.

Meanwhile.

In the central area of Tenrou Island.

Makarov and Gildarts were sitting on a massive rock, with a giant magic crystal screen floating before them.

On the screen was the scene of Lu Chongwei and Laxus confronting each other.

"So they've already clashed?"

Gildarts took a swig of his drink, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes.

"Faster than I imagined."

Makarov watched the two on the screen, his expression somewhat complex.

"Laxus, that child..."

Makarov sighed, his brows furrowed tightly.

"His strength is indeed formidable; one could even say he is the standout of this generation."

"However, he is too impatient and far too arrogant."

"He is so desperate to prove himself, so eager to shed the label of 'Makarov's grandson,' that it has become his inner demon."

At this, Makarov looked toward Lu Chongwei on the other side.

The black-haired youth remained calm and collected in the face of the aggressive Laxus.

That composure, that confidence—it wasn't an act, but rather stemmed from an absolute mastery of his own power.

"By comparison, I have higher hopes for Lu Chongwei."

Makarov spoke bluntly.

"Although the boy seems lazy most of the time, his heart is firmer than anyone else's."

"Furthermore, he knows how to respect power, and he knows how to control it."

Gildarts raised an eyebrow, casting a somewhat surprised glance at Makarov.

"Oh? Old man, are you choosing righteousness over family?"

"You actually don't want your own grandson to win?"

Makarov snorted, his mustache twitching.

"In guild examinations, there is no room for sentimentality."

"Besides..."

Makarov watched Laxus on the screen, his body wreathed in lightning and his face twisted in arrogance, a flicker of heartache crossing his eyes.

"If he continues to have everything go his way like this, sooner or later, there will be a major problem."

"Sometimes, a bitter defeat can help him grow much faster."

Just as the two were talking.

On the screen.

A gust of wind blew by, kicking up a pebble.

The pebble tumbled through the air, slowly descending.

The moment the pebble touched the ground.

"Snap."

A soft sound echoed.

It was like the firing of a starting pistol.

The two figures on the screen vanished from their spots simultaneously!

"BOOM!!!"

A heaven-shaking roar erupted instantly within the forest.

Countless trees were snapped in half, and dust and smoke billowed into the sky.

The battle had begun!