Chapter 501: Chapter 501 "Purple Moon"
Let's rewind to two days ago.
In Magnolia City, Lucy was in a cheerful mood after dinner, humming a tune as she strolled along the river with her pet-like Celestial Spirit, Canis Minor.
She leisurely made her way back to her rented house.
However, when she opened the door to her room, the scene inside caused her blood pressure to skyrocket, and her mood suddenly changed for the worse.
There, she found Natsu and Happy, drenched in sweat, vigorously doing push-ups, sit-ups, and even lifting dumbbells on her oversized pink bed.
"Get out of here!" Lucy shouted, delivering a double kick that sent both Natsu and Happy tumbling off the bed.
An indignant lecture was about to pour out of Lucy's mouth.
Intruding into a girl's room without permission was one thing, but turning it into a makeshift gym was a new level of audacity.
But as Lucy began her scolding, Happy held a large S-rank job request and dangled it in front of her.
As it turned out, Natsu had been barred from going to the second floor after a losing streak to Erza and Mystogan.
In response, Happy had flown up there, swiped an S-class mission, and returned with the intention of earning recognition from their peers after successfully completing it.
Lucy, being the best teammate, was their intended choice to join them in this S-level mission.
"Absolutely not. We're not qualified for S-class tasks, and you're already breaking the guild's rules. You need to return that request discreetly," Lucy insisted, shocked by the revelation.
Before she left the guild, Mirajane had warned her that mages not approved by the guild master were strictly forbidden from accepting tasks on the second floor, with severe consequences for violating this rule.
Natsu, however, remained undeterred. "If we don't have the courage to try, we'll never make it to the second floor. Once we come back successfully, the old man will surely acknowledge us. Plus, the reward for this mission is 7 million jewels!"
"7 million jewels? Count me out. Absolutely not, Natsu, you're too reckless. You can go on your own!" Lucy declared with unwavering resolve.
As the heiress of a wealthy family, she had seen her share of wealth.
She earned money just to cover her rent, not out of an insatiable desire for wealth.
Lucy stood her ground, her refusal resolute.
Inwardly, she chuckled at the notion of risking her life for an S-rank mission.
As the heiress of a top wealthy family, she had seen plenty of wealth, and her motivation for earning money was solely to cover her rent, not due to avarice.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Natsu inquired one more time.
Lucy waved dismissively, making her stance clear.
"Alright then!" Natsu and Happy exchanged a knowing glance and smirked.
"However, this mission's reward isn't just about money; the client promised an additional..."
After a few minutes, Lucy packed up with an enthusiastic expression hidden behind her back.
She addressed Natsu and Happy with a smile.
"Let's go find Jerry and have him take us to Galuna Island!"
To everyone's surprise, Lucy had finally given in.
She couldn't resist the allure of the S-rank mission, not just for its 7 million jewels reward but also for the key to the Celestial Spirit of the Zodiacs, a rare treasure coveted by celestial wizards.
This key was an exceedingly rare find, and Lucy couldn't bring herself to refuse it.
"Jerry!"
Just as Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were preparing to depart, an angry shout reverberated from outside the house, accompanied by a bright flash of lightning.
"It's Laxus!" Natsu recognized Laxus' voice and moved to check the situation, but Lucy restrained him.
"We can't let Laxus find out that we've taken the S-rank mission, or we won't be able to complete it."
Once Laxus departed, they cautiously left the house and headed to Jerry's residence.
Upon arrival, they witnessed the same scene as Laxus had earlier.
"What do we do now?" Lucy inquired.
The initial plan involved Jerry, whom they had a good rapport with, providing them with transportation through the portal.
They had been banking on Jerry since there were no trains to the Hargeon Port at this hour.
"We run," Natsu declared seriously.
Due to his motion sickness, he found running more comfortable than other means of transportation.
"No way, Natsu!" Lucy immediately dismissed the notion.
She was no beast like Natsu and lacked the stamina required to run.
So, she reluctantly took out some money from her nearly empty pockets and arranged for a carriage to transport her, Natsu, and Happy to Hargeon Town.
However, the carriage proved too sluggish, and not long after they arrived in the city, they were apprehended by Gray, who had pursued the train early that morning.
With determination, Natsu incapacitated Gray during a moment of distraction and, along with an unconscious Gray, commandeered a boat to take them to Galuna Island.
----
Fast forward to the present.
At 8:00 PM on Galuna Island's beach, a fire ring materialized out of thin air.
A handsome young man with brown hair and a red-haired woman clad in armor stepped through the fiery portal.
It was Jerry and Erza.
"Hey, notice the moon?" Jerry pointed out as soon as they exited the portal.
The moon had turned purple.
Though they were in a magical realm, the moon in this world didn't differ from Earth's moon.
Just moments ago, the moon retained its natural color in Magnolia City.
"Be cautious. This may be related to the island. Rumor has it that this place is cursed, and there are still many demons here," Erza cautioned.
"Demons!" Jerry's interest was piqued.
Initially, he had only come to assist Erza in bringing Natsu back to the guild, but now he was intrigued by the island.
A few days ago, he had invested time studying the cell structure of cursed demons.
Collecting genes from various demon species could potentially provide valuable insight for his research on new bloodline enhancements in the future.
"Let's head to the village on the island where the mission was issued first. Natsu and Lucy might be there," Erza suggested, pointing to a small village beyond a dense forest.
Regular villages typically didn't boast four-to-five-meter-high walls or twin towers.
Jerry shrugged his agreement, and the two set off towards the village.
"Did they sense our arrival?" Erza exclaimed while observing their surroundings.
As they approached the village's entrance before Erza could call out, the heavy wooden gate swung open with the ropes the Inhabitants had designed.
On the other side, Lucy stood with a group of peculiar humanoid creatures with sharp horns on their heads, hardly resembling humans.
Hovering above was Happy.
"Erza, Jerry!" Lucy exclaimed joyously at the sight of Erza and Jerry.
Relief washed over her; she had been anxious while alone, pondering how to confront the group of formidable mages.
The arrival of the powerful Erza and versatile Jerry felt like a godsend.
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