Chapter 455: Do Not Break the Boundary Between Life and Death, Understood?
"Well, you could say that. Without the First Master, Fairy Tail wouldn't exist; she was the one who first proposed forming the guild.
"In April of X686, with the help of three other comrades, the First Master built the original guild hall in Magnolia—the one we used before the recent renovations—and officially established Fairy Tail.
"After her passing was announced in X697, Precht Gaebolg, one of the four founders, took over as the Second Guild Master. In X736—forty-eight years ago—the Second Master passed the title to my grandpa, who was forty at the time.
"Thus, my grandpa became the Third Guild Master and has held the position ever since."
Seeing that almost no one knew the guild's history, Laxus sighed and gave them a brief rundown. Growing up as the Master's grandson, he had always loved reading anything related to the guild and knew its history by heart, rattling off the timeline without a second thought.
"Established in April X686... This year is X784, which means Fairy Tail has been around for ninety-eight years?!" Sorano calculated the dates and was shocked to realize the guild was nearing its centennial anniversary.
The others were equally astonished.
There were countless guilds across the continent, but they had never heard of one approaching a hundred years of history.
"If we have such a long and storied history, why hasn't there been any news or hype about it?" Sorano asked, puzzled.
The others also looked at Laxus in confusion. If any other guild had such a deep-rooted legacy, they would be screaming it from the rooftops for the whole world to know. Yet, despite having such a rich history, Fairy Tail never mentioned it.
"Our guild doesn't need to advertise things like that, nor do we care about it. Besides, even without bragging about our history, aren't we currently the number one guild in Fiore?" Laxus proclaimed proudly.
Hearing this, everyone nodded in strong agreement.
It was true—none of the guild members cared about prestige or legacy, which was why they were only learning about it now. Their only concern was their comrades.
"What are you guys talking about?" Noah asked, walking over with Mavis after finishing their incredibly fast-paced Archive lesson.
"Just discussing the guild's history," Ultear smiled.
"The guild's history? That brings back memories of the days before the guild was formed," Mavis's eyes glazed over slightly as she recalled the events leading up to Fairy Tail's creation.
"What happened back then?" Sorano asked eagerly. The others also looked at Mavis with deep curiosity.
"A lot of things happened. I will tell you the full story when we have more free time. For now, let's focus on modifying Tenrou Island," Mavis smiled.
She pointed to a holographic screen floating beside her. The group looked over and saw the blueprint Noah had shown earlier, but several sections had already been heavily altered.
"Wait, First Master, you've already mastered Archive?!" Sorano gaped, realizing the screen was floating beside Mavis, not Noah.
"Mhm. The underlying concept of this magic is highly innovative, but the actual execution isn't very difficult. I tried it out after Noah's explanation and managed to cast it on the first try," Mavis stated calmly.
Sorano opened and closed her mouth, completely at a loss for words. The others wore similar expressions.
They had been standing right there listening to the same lesson. Forget about learning the magic on the first try—they hadn't even been able to comprehend the basic theories! Hearing Mavis say she had already mastered it was a crushing blow to their self-esteem.
We already have one absolute monster in Noah. Do we really need another one?!
"The First Master helped me refine the blueprint. The modifications for Tenrou Island will be much better now," Noah quickly interjected, drawing their attention away from their shattered egos.
"However, the scale of Noah's modification plan is quite massive. You all will have to work very hard," Mavis said, pointing at the blueprint.
"Massive scale? How big are we talking?" Erza asked curiously.
"The modification zone covers a radius of 100 kilometers, with Tenrou Island at its absolute center," Noah answered casually.
The moment the words left his mouth, everyone's jaws dropped simultaneously.
"Noah, did you misspoke? A radius of 100 kilometers?!" Mirajane asked, hoping she had misheard.
"I didn't misspoke. It is exactly a 100-kilometer radius," Noah nodded seriously. Seeing their expressions practically screaming Are you out of your mind?!, he quickly explained, "Of course, the primary modifications are focused entirely on Tenrou Island. The area outside the island will only have specific nodes installed to gather ambient magic and funnel it toward the island. The First Master and I calculated that we only need about 108 nodes in the surrounding waters: 36 primary nodes and 72 auxiliary nodes. The primary nodes will handle the transmission, while the auxiliary nodes will absorb the magic."
Hearing Noah's explanation, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As long as they didn't have to densely pack nodes across a 100-kilometer radius, they could manage. The thought of setting up thousands of nodes over such a vast area was horrifying. Still, nodes capable of affecting such a massive area wouldn't be easy to install, so they braced themselves for the workload.
"When do we start the installation?" Erza asked.
"Right now. We'll start with the modifications on Tenrou Island itself. I've already prepared all the necessary materials," Noah said.
He pulled a thick stack of Magic Cards from his coat and released a massive mountain of materials onto the ground. These were supplies he had spent years accumulating through various channels. To ensure he wouldn't run short when the time came, he had prepared several times the required amount.
Seeing the meticulously categorized, mountain-sized pile of materials, the group realized Noah had been planning this for a very long time.
Without wasting another second, everyone got to work.
Noah was in charge of assembling the pre-processed materials into functional devices, while simultaneously supplying Mavis with magic power. Since Mavis was currently a spirit, her own magic reserves were incredibly low, requiring Noah to act as a battery.
Mavis utilized her newly mastered Archive magic to direct the group, instructing them on exactly where to bury the assembled devices—typically about ten meters underground—at designated locations across the island.
The rest of the S-Class mages followed Mavis's precise commands. As highly capable mages, their speed in moving, excavating, and burying the devices was astonishing. Noah even created several Thought Projections to speed up the assembly process.
By the time night fell, they had already completed one-third of the planned modifications for Tenrou Island.
"Good work, everyone. Let's take a break and eat," Noah called out.
The group gathered around the wooden tables and chairs Noah had conjured.
"These are famous delicacies from all over Fiore. I just had my Thought Projection buy them," Noah said, pointing to the table laden with aromatic, mouth-watering dishes and pastries.
No one stood on ceremony; they immediately picked up their utensils and dug in.
Seeing the delicious pastries on the table, Mavis's eyes lit up. She reached out to grab one, but her hand passed right through it. Unwilling to give up, she tried again and again, but every time, her fingers phased harmlessly through the food.
She puffed out her cheeks and glared at Noah with a deeply resentful expression. Being able to see and smell the food but unable to eat it was pure torture.
Noah could only scratch the back of his head and offer an awkward, apologetic smile.
"By the way, what exactly is the First Master's current state?" Sorano asked, looking between Noah and Mavis.
She had been curious about this since they arrived, but the rapid succession of events hadn't given her a chance to ask until now. The others also paused their eating to look at the two of them.
"I am currently a spirit. Only those who bear the Fairy Tail Guild Mark can see or hear me," Mavis explained.
"A spirit? But I remember Noah saying your condition was extremely unique—neither truly alive nor dead," Mirajane noted.
"Hm? You know about my condition?" Mavis looked at Noah in surprise.
"Grandpa didn't tell me much. I only found some fragmented information about the events leading up to your passing in the guild's archives. However, I have studied a vast amount of magical theory, including extensive research on the nature of life. Because of that, I can tell that your current state is incredibly bizarre. You aren't truly alive, but you aren't dead either," Noah answered calmly.
"You have researched the nature of life?" Mavis's expression instantly turned incredibly severe.
She stared unblinkingly into Noah's eyes.
Noah met her gaze head-on without flinching. "All my research is conducted strictly within safe boundaries. I have absolutely not crossed the line between life and death. In fact, you could say I intentionally steer my research to avoid that specific boundary entirely."
Seeing Mavis's sudden, intense severity, the rest of the group stopped eating completely, watching the two of them with deep concern.
Mavis stared deeply into Noah's eyes for a long time before her expression slowly relaxed.
"You must absolutely never break the boundary between life and death, understood?"
She was terrified that Noah's genius would lead him down a dark, irreversible path, resulting in a lifetime of agonizing regret.
"Of course. I value my own safety above all else," Noah answered earnestly.
"Good." Mavis let out a long, heavy sigh before turning back to the others. "There are many deep secrets surrounding my current state that I cannot reveal right now. I will tell you all when the time is right."
Everyone nodded. Judging by the look on Mavis's face moments earlier, they knew the truth was incredibly heavy, so no one pressed the issue.
A solemn silence fell over the table as everyone quietly returned to their food.
"I noticed a lot of the animals on Tenrou Island are incredibly large this afternoon," Sorano eventually spoke up, breaking the heavy silence.
"That is because Tenrou Island is saturated with magic power, causing the native fauna to grow exceptionally large," Mavis explained softly.
With someone breaking the ice, the tension around the table dissolved, and the group naturally fell into casual conversation.
After finishing dinner and cleaning up, Noah brought out several large tents. They paired up, washed up, wished each other goodnight, and went to sleep.
The next morning, everyone woke up early. After a quick breakfast, they immediately resumed their grueling work from the day before.
They worked tirelessly until dusk, finally installing the last of the devices.
The group gathered beneath the colossal Tenrou Tree in the center of the island. Noah raised his hand and rapidly tapped the air in front of the tree, summoning a series of complex magic circles. After adjusting a few variables, he slapped his palm flat against the central magic circle, channeling a massive surge of magic into it.
Hummm!
Starting from the ground beneath Noah's feet, a colossal wave of magic pulsed outward.
Wherever the pulse passed, countless runic scripts flared to life on the ground. Simultaneously, a massive wall of runes rapidly rose from the perimeter of the island, converging high above the Tenrou Tree to form a gigantic, dome-shaped barrier that completely encased Tenrou Island.
Seconds later, the glowing barrier slowly faded into transparency, vanishing into the air.
"Is that it?" Cana asked, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"Let me check."
Noah opened Archive and cast a diagnostic spell, thoroughly inspecting the barrier's integrity and recording the data streams. After a rigorous check, he smiled at the group.
"No problems. The barrier is operating perfectly."
"Hell yeah!" Sorano cheered, and the others broke into relieved smiles.
"But what exactly does this barrier do?" Mirajane asked, drawing everyone's attention.
They knew Noah was upgrading the island and installing a barrier, but none of them actually knew what the barrier's functions were.
"Well, how should I explain this... Let's start with the most prominent feature of the island: the Tenrou Tree," Noah said, pointing up at the colossal tree towering beside them.
"The Tenrou Tree?" Erza repeated, slightly confused.
"Exactly. This is Tenrou Island, and this giant tree is the Tenrou Tree. Did you know? The Tenrou Tree bestows its protection upon anyone bearing the Fairy Tail Guild Mark, preventing them from losing their lives while on this island, and significantly amplifying their magic power," Noah smiled.
"So that is why this is Fairy Tail's holy ground," Ur realized.
"That is part of the reason," Mavis smiled.
"Doesn't that sound very similar to the barrier you set up around the guild hall?" Ultear asked Noah.
"Spot on. The barrier I designed for the guild was heavily inspired by the natural properties of Tenrou Island," Noah nodded.
"You set up a barrier around the guild hall?" Mavis asked curiously.
"Yeah. To ensure the guild's safety, I installed a multi-functional defensive array," Noah explained, detailing the effects of the barrier he had placed around the guild.
Hearing the list of features, Mavis looked thoroughly impressed. "Why didn't I think of setting up a barrier like that for the guild back then?"
"I only thought of it after I learned advanced sealing and barrier magic," Noah chuckled. He then turned back to Ultear and the others.
"One of the primary functions of the barrier we just installed is to amplify the natural effects of the Tenrou Tree. It will further strengthen anyone with a Fairy Tail mark and offer an even stronger absolute safeguard against death.
"The second function is an access restriction: it physically prevents anyone without a Fairy Tail mark from setting foot on the island. Only our members are permitted entry.
"The third function is an active defense: if the island is attacked from the outside, it will project a massive, high-density energy shield to deflect the assault.
"The fourth function is ambient energy retention: the barrier continuously gathers magic from the surrounding ocean nodes and prevents the island's natural magic from leaking out, ensuring the ambient magic density on Tenrou Island remains incredibly high at all times.
"That roughly covers the main functions of the barrier we just set up."
"I see," the group nodded in understanding. Many of the barrier's functions were indeed similar to the ones protecting the guild hall and the training grounds, just on a vastly larger scale.
~~~
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