One year later.
Many things had changed over the course of the year. First, Chen Fan had become acquainted with almost all the major figures in Fairy Tail. He had even met Makarov's grandson, Laxus.
He had to admit that young Laxus was quite cute, but his personality was cold, and he treated Chen Fan with even more disdain than Mira did. Chen Fan dismissed it, thinking of him as just a brat.
He had also met Gildarts, the guild's only S-Class Wizard at the time. The man really did prefer walking through walls instead of doors. Luckily, Gildarts rarely stayed at the guild; otherwise, Fairy Tail would have been reduced to rubble long ago.
Natsu and Lisanna's relationship was progressing well. Six months ago, they found an egg and eventually hatched Happy, the flying blue cat. They were living a blissful life that made Chen Fan green with envy.
Mira remained as cold as ever. She gave Chen Fan zero face and completely ignored his existence. No matter how many times they met, there was no spark, leaving Chen Fan constantly rebuffed and awkward.
Erza had turned into a total mission-obsessed workaholic. She was rarely at the guild, spending most of her time out in the field. After their first meeting, they hadn't spoken much.
Whenever Chen Fan tried to act suave or "dashing" in front of her, she simply tuned him out. This took a massive toll on his ego, as he liked to think of himself as a man who could make flowers bloom and hearts skip a beat.
Elfman continued his obsession with being a "Man." Because Chen Fan frequently "educated" him on the subject, Elfman now worshipped him. He was using Chen Fan as his role model for the path of manhood, which did not boded well for his future.
Finally, there was Gray. Aside from his constant brawling with Natsu, Gray was a loner. Chen Fan felt a strange sense of "kinship" with him, but his attempts to be friendly only terrified Gray. Gray didn't even dare to strip in front of Chen Fan anymore, clutching his clothes tightly whenever he saw him, as if afraid Chen Fan might try something.
As for our protagonist, after treating his 100th patient, he had successfully achieved total fusion with his body. However, brain development was not something to be rushed. Chen Fan proceeded systematically.
Over the year, he reached the peak of Level 3. He stopped there to give his brain enough room to grow naturally. Being a transmigrator, his ambitions were high; his ultimate goal was to reach Level 6 and become an Absolute Ability User.
While Level 3 granted him sufficient strength, the people in the guild avoided him like the plague, so he never had a chance to show off.
His reputation in the city, however, was a different story. As his abilities grew, so did the number of people he healed. He was eventually voted the most popular person of the year in the city where Fairy Tail was located. The citizens affectionately called him "God's Hand," which translated to 'the one who extends a hand to those who cannot be saved.'
Because Chen Fan almost always used his hands to heal, and his motto was "Miraculous touch, instant cure," the title stuck.
This was a sharp contrast to Fairy Tail's usual reputation as "The Destroyers."
As Chen Fan treated more and more people including many nobles and high-ranking officials his fame spread nationwide.
Despite his rising status, he remained approachable and never increased his consultation fees. He held immense influence among the public; one word from him could rally thousands.
Even the Magic Council couldn't ignore this power. As long as the Fairy Tail members didn't cause too much damage to a city, the Council generally looked the other way. This went a long way in rehabilitating the guild's reputation.
Makarov was so happy his mouth wouldn't stop twitching into a grin. He constantly praised his own foresight for bringing Chen Fan in when he was homeless. One had to admit, Makarov had a real talent for the long game.
As a result, Chen Fan was promoted to an S-Class Wizard that year without having to undergo any trials. It was clear Makarov was willing to pay a high price to keep Chen Fan in the guild.
Though Laxus, Mira, and Erza weren't entirely convinced, they kept their peace. Natsu stayed as far away from Chen Fan as possible, treating him as if he were made of fragile glass. Gray was even worse; if Chen Fan so much as threw a wink his way, he'd run for the hills.
The truth was that the guild desperately needed someone like Chen Fan. Furthermore, since the other youngsters hadn't contributed enough yet, the S-Class title for the year was essentially a gift to Chen Fan.
Even the Magic Council couldn't object. In fact, if Chen Fan wanted to join the Ten Wizard Saints, the Council would likely kick the lowest-ranked member out just to give him the title. That was how much he was worth.
Consequently, every time Fairy Tail trashed a city during a job and the Magic Council sent a fine to Makarov, the Master would grab Chen Fan's pant leg and wail, begging for help. He wouldn't get up until Chen Fan agreed, showing zero dignity for a guild master. Left with no choice, Chen Fan would usually put in a good word.
His influence was truly that great. The residents of the damaged cities would often say it was no big deal because of him. However, Chen Fan was never stingy; he would always pay the necessary compensation out of his own pocket first.
The direct result was that almost everyone in the guild owed Chen Fan money, which was why they all avoided him.
But none of this was Chen Fan's proudest achievement. His greatest pride was introducing Mahjong to Fairy Tail and patenting it under the Fairy Tail brand.
Knowing that knock-offs would appear quickly, he needed a powerful guarantor. He gave Makarov a thirty percent stake and made him the sole agent. Now, Chen Fan could sit back and watch a never-ending stream of money roll in without lifting a finger.
Makarov used all that money to pay off debts. Chen Fan hadn't realized that the money he had initially scammed from Makarov had been borrowed from others. The Master was drowning in debt. No wonder he had cried so hard back then.
What Chen Fan didn't know was that he was the only person in the guild who could actually get money out of the Master. Makarov even confiscated Laxus's wages, claiming it was "reimbursement for years of child-rearing." This was the real reason Laxus had such a bad attitude toward his grandfather.
Chen Fan felt embarrassed for Makarov. The old man was truly shameless, stealing his own grandson's hard-earned money.
In any case, it had been a peaceful year. Chen Fan enjoyed this life. When he was bored, he'd stir up some trouble to liven up the guild; when he had free time, he'd play Mahjong. And when he was treating beautiful patients, he could occasionally indulge in a little flirting while basking in their praise. It was a good life.
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