Path H.
"Puooh!"
"Mest-san! You're awake! That's great!" Wendy said with a worried expression.
"Ugh... are those two really that strong? But to inherit from Master, I won't lose. Bring it on! Gray! Loke!" Mest stood up and shouted, only to see nothing in front of him.
"Um... I think we've already lost. When Mest-san fainted, Gray and the others moved on. It's because I'm useless... I really wanted to do well..." Wendy sobbed, feeling wronged.
Mest looked at Wendy and said, "No, it's fine. More importantly, are you hurt?"
Wendy shook her head.
—
"Alright. We passed the first stage."
Gray clenched his fist, looking very happy.
Loke said, "If Natsu and Freed got stuck in the first phase, then the rest will be easy."
Although Natsu was somewhat unreliable, his strength was universally acknowledged as powerful. Freed was not only strong but also troublesome. Both of them were major enemies for their group.
"Don't be silly, how could the path to S-Class be easy?"
Gray was clear-headed. Even without Natsu and Freed, becoming an S-Class Mage would be very difficult.
"I get it. Actually, I find it unbelievable that we won against Mest so easily."
"Speaking of which, was that guy really that weak? I can't remember, did I ever fight him before? Who was his partner last time?" Gray asked Loke.
Loke thought hard, then looked confused. "Who was it again?"
"Why can't I remember at all? My memories of Mest are very vague." Gray was a bit annoyed.
This feeling of memory loss was very frustrating.
"Gray! Loke!"
Just as the two emerged from the channel, they saw several people already waiting there.
"Only these people passed the first phase?!"
Gray was a bit surprised, the number of people was a bit small.
Makarov walked over. "Has everyone arrived?"
"Cana and Lucy defeated Freed and Bickslow in the 'Struggle' path, passing."
"What?!"
Gray was startled.
Freed and Bickslow were extremely difficult to deal with. He himself had once been defeated by Bickslow.
"Natsu and Happy passed Gildarts' difficult challenge, passing."
"No way!"
Gray couldn't believe it even more. Gildarts' challenge should have been impossible to pass.
"Levy and Gajeel were lucky enough to get the 'Silence' path, passing."
"Hehe."
Levy proudly made a V-sign. She hadn't expected to be so lucky and pass the first round so easily. Now she also had the courage to contend for S-Class.
"Gray and Loke defeated Mest and Wendy in the 'Struggle' path, passing."
Gray glanced around. "Did Juvia fail?"
As soon as he turned around, he saw Makarov with his mouth wide open and a look of collapse on his face.
"Wh-what's wrong, old man? Why that expression?"
"Juvia and Lisanna encountered her, that female knight who absolutely doesn't hold back."
"Ahhh!"
Hearing this, Gray couldn't help but mourn for Juvia and Lisanna.
He had been beaten by Erza since childhood and clearly knew how terrifying that woman was.
"Then that leaves Elfman and Evergreen, right?"
"If we use the process of elimination, the remaining path is..."
As the few people calculated, Takeshi's figure flashed through everyone's minds, and the expressions on their faces all froze.
"How pitiful."
Everyone mourned for Elfman and Evergreen.
Every one of Takeshi's transformations was terrifying.
"Well, this round also tests luck."
If they were unlucky enough to encounter Takeshi, defeating him would be utterly impossible.
"Wait a minute!"
"We passed!"
Evergreen walked over, supporting Elfman.
"No way!"
"How could you two defeat Takeshi?!"
Everyone couldn't believe they could defeat Takeshi. If those two could defeat Takeshi, they might as well be directly promoted to S-Class.
"Uh... we lost... Takeshi said I passed."
Elfman felt a bit ashamed. After all, he passed by losing, which was quite embarrassing.
"That's more like it."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
If Elfman and Evergreen had defeated that monster Takeshi, they wouldn't know what to do.
Makarov cleared his throat and said, "Ahem, in any case, congratulations on passing the first phase. The second phase of the trial begins now."
"The rules for the second phase are as follows. Find the tomb of the First Guild Master within a time limit of six hours. Finding it counts as passing."
"What?! It's that simple?"
Everyone found this assessment to be very simple. The island was only so big, six hours was enough to thoroughly search it.
Makarov's lips curled slightly into a mischievous smile, thinking to himself, 'Simple? If it were truly that simple, it wouldn't be an S-Class Mage Promotion Trial.'
Soon, everyone began to act, time was precious for searching.
"What is this?"
"Lucy, run!"
A giant crocodile-like monster chased Lucy and Cana from behind. The two ran for their lives, the crocodile monster chasing them desperately.
Lucy shouted hysterically, "What kind of island is this!"
"Will... I die here...?"
—
Gajeel and Levy hid behind a rock. A giant monster, twenty meters long, walked past them. The two dared not make a sound.
—
"If I have the ability to become an S-Class Mage, none of this counts for anything."
"You're clearly bluffing."
Gray and Loke were also running, followed by a flock of giant monstrous birds.
—
"Don't block my path to the exam!"
Natsu's fists were wreathed in flames, and he punched a giant monster down.
"Phew..."
Natsu wiped his sweat. He had been chased by this monster earlier and couldn't take it anymore, so he counterattacked. He had to admit, this thing was quite difficult to deal with. It took him half a day to defeat it.
Happy said, "That's the real Natsu. Let's keep going."
"No, wait, Happy."
Natsu immediately grabbed the monster's mouth and tore at its eyelids. "Where is the First Guild Master's tomb? Tell me."
Happy's eyes widened as he said, "You're actually talking to it!"
"I don't know."
"It actually answered!" Happy was stunned.
This monster could actually speak human language?
"There are no clues at all, how are we supposed to find it?"
"It seems harder than we thought."
Natsu and Happy were both a bit troubled.
The island was full of monsters and dense forests, making searching very difficult.