Chen Fan slowly opened his eyes to see the flickering glow of a campfire. Startled, he scrambled to his feet.
"Ow, ow, ow! Hiss..." The sudden movement aggravated his wounds, making him cry out in pain as he sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
"Hey, you're finally awake. That was hilarious you actually got sent flying by a pig! Hahaha..."
A voice drifted into Chen Fan's ears, giving him another start. Ignoring the pain, he looked up and saw a short, elderly man sitting nearby, clutching his stomach and laughing without a shred of dignity. The light he had seen was indeed just a small campfire.
Though he felt stifled by the old man's mockery, Chen Fan knew he had been saved. He ignored the laughter and huddled closer to the fire, trying to warm himself. He hadn't expected the temperature difference between day and night to be so extreme; he was shivering uncontrollably.
Seeing that Chen Fan wasn't reacting to his teasing, the old man cleared his throat, realizing he might be being a bit rude. "Ahem. Kid, what's your name?"
"Chen Fan," he replied without looking up, his tone clearly laced with dissatisfaction.
Sensing the boy's annoyance, the old man felt a bit awkward. He coughed again before speaking with a hint of pride. "Do you even know who I am?" He arched his brows expectantly.
Only then did Chen Fan take a proper look at him. He was short and stout, with eyebrows that twitched up and down in a way that looked rather lecherous.
After staring for a long moment, realization dawned on Chen Fan. His voice rose in sudden excitement. "Wait... are you...?"
He paused, and the old man puffed out his chest as if he'd already been recognized.
"Who are you again?"
Thud! The old man's head hit the ground in a classic faceplant.
Struggling back up, he shouted at Chen Fan, "You really don't recognize me? I am Makarov, one of the great Ten Wizard Saints!" He stood with one hand on his hip and a finger pointing toward the sky.
"Wait, what did you say your name was?"
"Makarov, one of the Ten Wizard Saints."
"Wait, let me think. Give me a second, just a second," Chen Fan muttered, putting up a hand to signal a timeout. The name felt incredibly familiar, as if it were right on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn't grasp it.
Gurgle...
Suddenly, Chen Fan's stomach let out a loud roar. His expression instantly turned miserable, his train of thought completely derailed as he slumped onto the ground.
Makarov pulled a piece of bread from his bag and handed it over. Chen Fan was so moved he almost cried. He snatched the bread and started devouring it.
"Do you have any family left?" Makarov asked gently as he watched Chen Fan eat.
"None."
"Then why don't you come to my guild?"
"Uh... what's your guild called?" Chen Fan asked after struggling to swallow a dry mouthful of bread.
"Fairy Tail." Makarov's voice was filled with pride. It was clear how much he loved his guild.
"What? Fairy Tail?!" Chen Fan was stunned. Now he knew exactly where he was. He knew he had transmigrated, but he never expected to land inside an anime world.
Back in his old life, Chen Fan had been a total geek, into all kinds of anime, manga, and novels. Fairy Tail had been one of his favorites; he'd been swept up by its joyful atmosphere and moved by the characters' unyielding spirit.
Due to personal circumstances, he hadn't kept up with the series for a long time, but now that he was here, he wasn't sure how to act. A look of confusion crossed his face.
Makarov misinterpreted this expression, assuming the boy was thinking of some past tragedy. He had seen that look many times before; his guild was home to many who had nowhere else to go. His greatest wish was for all the children in the guild to live happily.
After a moment, Chen Fan made up his mind. Since he had been given this chance, he had to enjoy it. This was one of the places he had once dreamed of visiting.
He looked up at Makarov and said, "Alright, I'll join. But I want to be an S-Class Wizard."
"Eh? Why?" Makarov asked, puzzled by the specific request.
"No reason. It just sounds cooler."
"That won't do. The guild has its rules. If you want to be an S-Class Wizard, you have to pass the trials," Makarov said seriously. He was a man of principle when it came to guild matters.
"Tch... fine. An S-Class Wizard isn't that big a deal anyway. I just didn't want to have to compete with the others."
"So, you're agreeing?" Makarov was delighted. He seemed to have an addiction to taking in homeless children.
"Yeah, yeah, I agree." Chen Fan waved him off, feeling a bit helpless against this "old child." However, Chen Fan was the type to repay kindness with interest. The best way to help Makarov was to protect Fairy Tail, and the easiest way to do that was to join it.
He finished the rest of the bread he'd snatched, drank some water, and fell asleep right next to Makarov. He drifted off quickly; in his mind, there were few people in this world stronger than the man beside him. There was no safer place to sleep.
The next morning, Chen Fan woke up early, and Makarov followed shortly after. They packed their things and set off toward Fairy Tail.
Along the way, Makarov shared amusing stories about the guild. Chen Fan listened with interest and learned that Natsu and Gray were currently about his age. Makarov also mentioned Erza occasionally, specifically warning Chen Fan not to provoke her. Having a better grasp of the timeline, Chen Fan felt relieved; it seemed the main plot hadn't started yet.
Walking behind Makarov, Chen Fan realized once again how poor his current physical condition was. He was exhausted after only an hour and a half of walking. He lay on the ground, gasping for air, looking completely drained.
Fortunately, Makarov realized Chen Fan wasn't very strong and stopped to let him rest. They spent the next half-month traveling in fits and starts until they finally reached Fairy Tail.
Looking at the guild's front gates, Chen Fan fell to his knees as tears streamed down his face. "Finally... finally! I've finally reached Fairy Tail! Hahaha!" He looked almost crazed, a testament to how much the journey had worn him down.
With his eyes closed and a wide grin on his face, he sprinted toward the guild gates. If one were to watch in slow motion, they could see the sunlight glinting off the tears on his cheeks.
Behind him, Makarov smiled, happy to see Chen Fan so excited.
BOOM!
A massive explosion rang out as the guild doors were blown off their hinges. Chen Fan only saw a dark shadow rushing toward him before a loud bang echoed, and he was sent flying.
Mid-air, Chen Fan thought bitterly, Damn it, I can't believe my reputation is being ruined like this.
Thud. He slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
From the dust, a small figure stood up and shouted, "Gray! Let's go again! Oh... I'm all fired up!" Covered in flames, the boy charged back into the Fairy Tail guild.
Standing behind them, Makarov's smile had vanished. His jaw dropped, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. After a moment, he snapped out of it and screamed, "Help! Someone! There's been a murder!"
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