Chapter 456: First Master, Come Back to the Guild with Us
"The barrier has started to take effect," Laxus noted, looking at their surroundings.
Hearing his words, everyone immediately looked around. A gentle breeze swept past them, and they could physically feel the rich, dense magic power carried within it.
The wind gradually picked up. The leaves of the surrounding forest rustled, all swaying in the direction of the colossal Tenrou Tree in the center of the island. Eventually, a faint, swirling vortex of wind formed around the massive trunk, prompting Noah and the group to take a few steps back.
Enveloped by the magic-laden wind, the surface of the Tenrou Tree began to emit a faint, ethereal fluorescence. The glow rapidly spread upward until the entire tree, from its massive trunk to its highest leaves, radiated a soft, beautiful light.
Under the night sky, with the sun having set and the moon rising, the towering ancient tree bathed the island in a gentle, breathtaking glow.
"So beautiful!" Mirajane gasped, her hands covering her mouth in awe as she stared at the glowing Tenrou Tree.
The others nodded in silent agreement; the sight before them was truly spectacular.
"The Tenrou Tree is starting to do its work," Ultear said, clenching her fists.
Everyone stretched their limbs, instantly feeling the changes within their bodies. They had been working hard all day, leaving them mentally and physically drained. But now, that fatigue was rapidly washing away, replaced by a surging, revitalized energy.
"The effects are excellent. It's working exactly as expected," Noah said. He cast a diagnostic spell, recorded the data into his Archive screens, ran a quick calculation, and nodded in satisfaction.
"But if all this magic power is gathering here, where is it being stored?" Sorano asked in confusion. "The barrier back at the guild uses quite a few lacrima crystals for storage, but I haven't seen you install a single lacrima here."
"It's simple. The Tenrou Tree and Tenrou Island itself are the greatest magic storage devices in existence," Noah explained, pointing at the glowing tree. "Because the tree and the island naturally possess the ability to gather and store massive amounts of magic, the barrier we installed simply enhances that innate capability. Furthermore, the barrier reinforces the island's structural integrity, allowing it to hold a much higher maximum capacity. We don't need external lacrima—the island is the perfect vessel."
"Ah, that makes sense," everyone realized. Using an entire magical island as a container would naturally provide a vastly higher storage limit than any artificial crystal.
After monitoring the barrier for a while and confirming there were no issues, the group left the Tenrou Tree and returned to the shore.
Since it was already completely dark, Noah teleported away to buy various delicacies for dinner.
As usual, Mavis could only sit by and drool over the food. Seeing her pitiful expression, Noah walked over and sat beside her. "After the S-Class exams are over, I'll figure out a way to resolve the problem with your body, First Master."
"My condition is incredibly complicated and dangerous. It is better if you don't involve yourself with it," Mavis shook her head, rejecting his offer. She knew exactly how terrifying the curse was; the last person afflicted with a similar condition had been driven nearly to the brink of insanity. She absolutely refused to let Noah suffer because of her.
"You have taught me so much, First Master. I will do everything in my power to solve your problem," Noah looked at her with unwavering determination.
"Alright... we can talk about it when the time comes," Mavis finally conceded, unable to win a staring contest against his resolute gaze.
"Then it's a promise." Knowing she wouldn't go back on her word once she agreed, Noah broke into a bright smile.
Mavis nodded slightly.
"What are you two whispering about?" Mirajane asked, walking over after noticing their hushed conversation.
"Just discussing our plans for after the barrier is fully set up. I was thinking of inviting the First Master to the guild," Noah told her.
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea! I completely agree! You shouldn't stay here all alone, First Master. Come back to the guild with us!" Mirajane beamed enthusiastically.
"About that..." Mavis hesitated.
Her main concern had always been her condition. Twelve years ago, after teaching Noah, she immediately went back to sleep precisely because of it. Back then, it was just the two of them, and Noah was strong enough that if her curse suddenly triggered, he could escape in time.
But going directly to the Fairy Tail guild hall was different. Not everyone in the guild possessed Noah's level of strength. If her condition flared up in the middle of a crowded hall, it would be an absolute catastrophe—something she never wanted to see.
"Are you worried about your condition, First Master? If so, once the barrier is finished, you and I can run some controlled tests. We don't have to try curing it right away; we just need to evaluate your state to see if going to the guild would pose any actual danger to the others," Noah suggested, instantly seeing through her worries. He was genuinely curious about the exact mechanics of her current state anyway.
"Yes... I will leave that to you, then," Mavis nodded. If the goal was simply observation rather than a risky cure, she had no reason to refuse. Deep down, she desperately wanted to understand her own condition too. If it proved safe, she truly wanted to go to Magnolia and see what her beloved guild looked like today. And if it wasn't safe, at least she would know for sure.
"Leave it to me," Noah promised.
Mavis nodded, cast one last longing glance at the feast on the table, and grit her teeth before turning away. Watching them eat was pure torture. Knowing she couldn't eat, Noah and Mirajane didn't try to stop her from stepping away.
After a hearty meal and some casual chatting, everyone headed to their tents to rest.
The next morning, the group woke up to find that the Tenrou Tree, which had been glowing radiantly the night before, had gone completely dark.
"The magic flow has stabilized," Noah explained, noticing their curiosity. "Yesterday, right after the inner barrier activated, the magic flow wasn't properly routed yet, so it all pooled around the Tenrou Tree, causing it to glow. Now that the internal circulation has balanced out, the glowing phenomenon has naturally stopped."
"Oh, what a shame. I really wanted to see it again," Sorano sighed in disappointment.
The other girls nodded in agreement. The glowing Tenrou Tree had been a breathtaking, magical sight, and they had been hoping to admire it a bit longer.
"You should still have a chance to see it again," Noah chimed in.
"Really?!" Sorano's eyes lit up as she looked at him.
Noah nodded. "Did you forget? The next phase is installing the outer barrier to funnel magic from the surrounding 100-kilometer radius toward Tenrou Island. When that activates, the influx of magic will be massive, and the Tenrou Tree will almost certainly glow again."
Hearing this, the girls were instantly re-energized, their motivation completely restored.
Wasting no time, Noah pulled out a thick stack of Magic Cards and released various raw materials. He began assembling the necessary devices on the spot, with everyone else pitching in to help.
Unlike the previous day—where Noah assembled while the others installed simultaneously—this time, they needed to pre-assemble everything first. The outer nodes had to be buried deep beneath the ocean floor, and the devices were quite large, making installation highly complex.
It took them an entire day to finish assembling all the required nodes.
The following day, they split into two teams led by Ur and Ultear. Each team took a portion of the devices and one of Noah's Thought Projections, heading out to sea.
The installation process was rigorous. Noah's Thought Projection would project a massive, air-filled spherical shield, allowing the team to sink to the bottom of the ocean. Once in position, Ur or Ultear would use Ice-Make magic to freeze the surrounding seawater and the seabed, creating a stable, dry pocket. The rest of the team would rapidly excavate the ocean floor, bury the device, and cover it back up. Once secure, Noah's projection would re-establish the air shield, the ice would be thawed, and they would move to the next set of coordinates.
Meanwhile, Noah's true body remained on Tenrou Island with Mavis. Using the real-time telemetry sent back by his Thought Projections, he made micro-adjustments to the installation coordinates to ensure the grid operated at maximum efficiency.
They tackled the massive primary nodes first, followed by the smaller auxiliary nodes. Due to the sheer scale of the 100-kilometer radius, it took several grueling days to install every last device.
Finally, the exhausted teams reconvened on the shores of Tenrou Island.
"Phew... It's finally done," Sorano let out a long breath, wiping the heavy sweat from her forehead.
The others nodded, letting their tense muscles finally relax. Installing massive magical devices deep underwater was no joke. Ur and Ultear had to constantly freeze and hold back the crushing pressure of the ocean, draining immense amounts of physical stamina and magic power. The excavators had it tough as well, working at breakneck speeds while remaining perfectly precise to avoid ruining the arrays. The physical drain wasn't terrible, but the mental exhaustion was severe.
"Great work, everyone. Take a well-deserved rest," Noah said.
Even though he technically had the heaviest workload—using projections to sustain the air shields while his main body continuously ran complex calculations and micro-adjustments—his monstrous physical constitution and magic recovery, combined with Mavis's assistance, meant he barely felt fatigued at all.
"Hurry up and activate the barrier! I'm ready!" Sorano ignored his advice to rest, pulling out a magical camera with a look of intense anticipation.
"Yeah, we're all set! Boot it up. It's nighttime, so the timing is absolutely perfect," Ultear added. The rest of the group also pulled out their magical cameras, carefully angling their lenses toward the colossal Tenrou Tree in the center of the island.
"Alright, I'll initiate the outer barrier now."
Seeing that they were all in position, Noah raised his hands and rapidly tapped the empty air. A series of golden magic circles materialized before him. After a few final parameter adjustments, Noah opened Archive to monitor the pre-activation baseline data.
Once recorded, Noah slapped his palm against the central magic circle, injecting a massive pulse of magic power.
Starting from Noah's hands, the runic arrays on the ground lit up brilliantly. In the distance, the colossal trunk of the Tenrou Tree began to glow, quickly escalating until it was blindingly radiant.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, a gargantuan shockwave of pure magic power erupted from the Tenrou Tree, blasting outward in all directions.
A fierce gale followed instantly, forcing Ultear and the others to duck their heads and shield their eyes from the flying sand and debris.
When they looked up, they saw an endless sea of runic scripts exploding outward from the base of the tree. The runes surged past their feet like a golden tide, racing out across the ocean's surface at terrifying speeds.
Having unleashed that massive pulse, the Tenrou Tree's blinding light rapidly dimmed, returning to its normal, dormant state.
"So the Tenrou Tree flares up during the initial pulse! Thank goodness I snapped a picture right then," Cana said, looking at her camera in relief.
"Ahhh! I forgot to press the shutter!" Sorano wailed in despair. She had been so mesmerized by the blinding light and the massive shockwave that she completely forgot to take the photo.
"I got it. I'll make a copy for you later," Ultear consoled her. Erza and Mirajane also offered to share their photos.
"Why don't we just make copies of everyone's photos and trade them?" Cana suggested.
"That's a great idea. Everyone can have a complete album as a souvenir," Noah agreed.
"Perfect!" Sorano nodded vigorously. The others also voiced their agreement.
"I want a copy too!" Mavis raised her hand, looking at them with pleading eyes.
"Of course, First Master. We wouldn't leave you out," Noah laughed, and the others nodded warmly. Mavis immediately broke into a dazzling smile.
"Is the barrier malfunctioning? Why hasn't the tree lit up again?" Sorano asked after waiting a few minutes.
"Patience," Noah smiled at her. "Tenrou Island itself isn't that large, so the inner barrier activated almost instantly. However, the outer node network spans a radius of over 100 kilometers. Booting up a system that massive takes time. Just wait a bit longer; I'll give you a countdown before the payload arrives so you don't miss the shot."
Noah's fingers danced across the holographic screens of his Archive magic, monitoring the network's boot sequence.
On the screen in front of him, a highly detailed map of Tenrou Island and the surrounding 100-kilometer ocean was displayed. A golden ring was steadily expanding outward from the island. Every time the ring passed over a set of coordinates where they had buried a device, a golden dot flared to life on the map, signaling that the node was officially online.
~~~
Get early access to 50+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn