Chen Fan blinked his eyes open. Before him, sparks danced in the dense darkness, each flash reflecting a faint shadow on his retina. A small jolt surprised him—fire? Where was this?! His instincts screamed, forcing his body to rise.
"O-ouch! I-it hurts! Hss… hss… hss…"
The sudden movement sent waves of piercing pain, tearing at wounds that hadn't fully healed. Chen Fan winced, panting, his breath escaping as a thin mist that vanished into the cold air. His lips were pale, highlighting the severity of his small body's condition.
"Hahaha! Hey, you're awake! What a silly kid, to be thrown that far by just a wild boar, hahahaha!"
A hoarse voice, full of laughter, exploded in Chen Fan's ears, making him jump. Ignoring the throbbing pain throughout his body, he looked up. Beside him, a short old man, with a thick white beard and somewhat messy long hair, burst into laughter. His belly jiggled, completely unconcerned with any image he might have. Only then did Chen Fan realize that the fire he saw was just a warm bonfire, casting dancing orange light.
"Tsk, what a perverted old man," Chen Fan thought, feeling a little annoyed by the blatant mockery. However, the realization that he had just been saved quelled his anger. He chose to remain silent, simply moving closer to the fire, letting the warmth spread through his shivering bones. He hadn't expected the temperature difference between day and night in this strange place to be so drastic. His entire body shivered from the cold, like someone who had just endured a blizzard.
Seeing Chen Fan ignore him completely, the old man felt somewhat awkward. He cleared his throat twice, his voice a little more formal. "Ahem, ahem. Boy, what's your name?"
"Chen Fan." His answer was brief, without lifting his head. His tone clearly showed displeasure, like a teenager forced to interact with distant relatives.
Sensing Chen Fan's displeasure, the old man grew even more awkward. After clearing his throat twice more, he said, with a tone now containing a hint of pride, "And, do you know who I am?" He raised his eyebrows, his expression reminiscent of a silly but powerful anime character, awaiting recognition.
At this moment, Chen Fan carefully scrutinized the old man's appearance: his short stature, and his constantly raised eyebrows, making him look very… lewd? Yet, beneath it all, there was something familiar. A faint memory, as if he had seen him on another screen.
After much thought, Chen Fan's eyes suddenly widened. "Don't tell me…!" His voice rose, a sudden sign of recognition. The old man, as if feeling recognized, puffed out his chest high, ready to receive praise.
"Who are you?!"
SMACK!
The old man's face hit the ground hard, creating a billowing cloud of dust. Chen Fan smirked, a little satisfied with his small "revenge."
Finally, with difficulty, he got up from the ground, wiping dust from his face. "You don't even know me?! I'm Makarov! One of the Ten Great Wizard Saints!" After speaking, he placed one hand on his hip and pointed a finger to the sky, a typical pose of an overly confident anime character, as if the whole world should bow before him.
"Wait, what did you say your name was?" Chen Fan furrowed his brow, trying to connect the pieces of the puzzle.
"Makarov! One of the Ten Wizard Saints!"
"Let me think… Hold on a second, hold on a second." Chen Fan made a stopping gesture at Makarov with his hand and mumbled somewhat nervously. The name felt familiar, very familiar, right on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't recall it. It was a very disturbing feeling, like when a melody keeps playing in your head but you can't quite grasp the lyrics.
GRUUUURGLEEE…
Suddenly, Chen Fan's stomach rumbled with an embarrassing sound, breaking the tense silence. His expression immediately turned bitter, completely losing his previous thoughtful look. He slumped weakly to the ground, his last energy drained by urgent hunger.
At that moment, Makarov took out a piece of dry bread from his small bag—like a wizard's typical dimensional pouch—and handed it to Chen Fan. Chen Fan's eyes welled up, so moved that he almost cried. A piece of dry bread had never felt so precious, like an invaluable treasure.
He quickly snatched the bread from Makarov's hand and began to devour it ravenously, as if he had never eaten in his life. Reminiscent of Monkey D. Luffy's perpetual hunger, every bite was a blessing.
"Do you have any other family?" Makarov asked softly, his voice now full of concern, watching Chen Fan devour the bread.
"No." Chen Fan replied, his mouth still full.
"Then, come to my Guild."
"Huh… what's your Guild's name?" Chen Fan asked after laboriously swallowing the dry bread stuck in his throat.
"Fairy Tail." Makarov's tone was somewhat proud; he was clearly very proud of his Guild. There was a warm glint in his small eyes.
"WHAT?! FAIRY TAIL?!"
Chen Fan was shocked. His eyes widened, and then he knew exactly where he was. A world that once only existed on a screen! His brain spun, processing this astonishing information. This wasn't just transmigration, this was Fairy Tail!
Although he knew he had transmigrated, he never expected to be stuck in an anime! To be honest, Chen Fan used to be a 'shut-in' who deeply loved various animations, comics, and novels. He could be said to be very interested in fictional worlds. And 'Fairy Tail' was one of his favorite anime, influenced by its cheerful atmosphere and strong spirit of friendship. However, for some reason (perhaps busy facing the apocalypse?), he didn't continue watching it until the end.
Now that he had the chance to come here, he truly didn't know how to deal with it, and his expression was somewhat dazed. However, this expression made Makarov think that Chen Fan had recalled something sad. After all, it wasn't the first time he had seen such an expression; many of his Guild members were homeless individuals seeking a family. And Makarov knew, his greatest wish was for the children in his Guild to live happily.
After a moment, a flash of determination appeared in Chen Fan's eyes. Since he had come to this world, how could he not fully enjoy it? This was one of the places he most wanted to visit! A mischievous smile appeared on his lips.
So he looked up and said to Makarov, "Alright, but I want to become an S-Class Wizard."
"Hmm? Why?" Makarov was somewhat confused, not knowing why Chen Fan, a small child, had such high ambition.
"No reason, just because… it's cooler!" Chen Fan grinned, his eyes sparkling with ambition, similar to Natsu's battle-hungry gaze or Luffy's yearning for epic adventures.
"That won't do. The Guild must have its own rules. If you want to become an S-Class Wizard, you have to pass the assessment," Makarov said seriously, his expression firm, showing that principles were everything to him.
"Tsk… isn't it just an S-Class Wizard? What's so great about it? I just don't want to compete with other Guild members," Chen Fan scoffed, trying to hide his anticipation.
"Then you agree!" Makarov said happily, his wide smile returning, radiating the aura of a happy grandfather. He was indeed addicted to taking in these homeless children, giving them a new family.
"Yes, I agree," Chen Fan waved his hand in resignation. He was somewhat helpless in front of this old man, but Chen Fan always repaid those who had shown him kindness with the greatest possible recompense. And the greatest help he could offer Makarov was to protect the Fairy Tail Guild, and the simplest way to do that was to join the Fairy Tail Guild.
After finishing the bread he had once again snatched from Makarov's hand and drinking water, he lay down beside Makarov and quickly fell asleep. In Chen Fan's impression, there weren't many people stronger than Makarov in this world, so what place could be more reassuring than sleeping beside him?
In the morning, Chen Fan woke up early. The forest air was fresh and cool, filling his lungs. Makarov also woke up shortly after Chen Fan. They quickly packed their belongings and set off towards Fairy Tail.
Throughout the journey, Makarov continuously told interesting stories about the Guild, which Chen Fan listened to with great excitement. His eyes sparkled whenever Makarov mentioned adventures, magic, and friendship. He also learned that Natsu and Gray were almost the same age as him—a detail that brought a faint smile to his lips. Makarov occasionally mentioned Erza in his remarks, even specifically warning Chen Fan not to provoke the red-haired female wizard. Makarov's tone when mentioning Erza was enough to send shivers down Chen Fan's spine, imagining her characteristic terrifying aura.
After getting a sense of the timeline, Chen Fan felt relieved. It seemed the main storyline hadn't started yet. Phew!
Following behind Makarov, step by step, Chen Fan once again felt that his current body was truly not easy to use. After walking for only an hour and a half, he was already completely exhausted. Lying on the ground, gulping in fresh air, he looked utterly listless, like a doll that had run out of batteries.
Fortunately, Makarov knew Chen Fan was not in good physical condition, so he often stopped to rest. Time passed with stops and starts, and by the time they reached Fairy Tail, half a month had already passed. The journey felt like an endless test of physical endurance for Chen Fan, who was once the strongest Esper.
Seeing the iconic Guild front gate, with the Fairy Tail emblem bravely carved, Chen Fan knelt on the ground. Tears of emotion streamed down his face, mixed with immense relief.
"Finally! FINALLY! WE'RE HERE! Finally, we've reached Fairy Tail! AHAHAHAHAHA!" He looked like a madman, laughing and crying simultaneously, showing how much these days of travel had tormented him.
With his eyes closed, smiling broadly, and mouth open, he ran towards the Guild gate. If you slowed down the camera footage and looked closer, you could see glistening tears streaming down Chen Fan's cheeks in the sunlight, reflecting new hope.
Makarov watched Chen Fan enthusiastically running towards the Fairy Tail Guild gate from behind, a smile on his face. His heart was filled with happiness, watching the boy find a place to belong.
BOOOMMM!
Suddenly, there was a loud explosion! The Guild gate flew off its hinges, rocketing towards Chen Fan!
Chen Fan only saw a black shadow speeding towards him. An instinctive reflex from his past as an Esper warned him of danger, but his small body was too slow.
BUMM!
With a loud thud, Chen Fan was thrown far by the black shadow. Flying through the air, his body spun uncontrollably. Chen Fan thought sadly, "Damn, I didn't expect my glory days to be ruined like this! Not even inside the Guild yet!" An ironic, comedic regret flashed through his mind.
PUFF! He landed on the ground with a thump, kicking up a thick cloud of dust that enveloped him.
From within the rising dust, a thin figure stood. Fiery aura danced around him, radiating heat. He yelled with burning enthusiasm, "GRAY! LET'S GO AGAIN! Oohhh… I'm fired up!" With that, he charged back into the Fairy Tail Guild, his body consumed by fervent flames, leaving a trail of heat behind him.
Makarov, who had been observing everything from behind, no longer had a smile on his face. His mouth was wide open, and his eyes were practically bugging out, seeing the destruction at the Guild's doorstep. His face depicted a comical mix of shock, anger, and despair.
After a moment, he snapped out of it and yelled, his voice containing a mix of panic and fury, "SOMEONE! HELP! THERE'S A DYING PERSON HERE!"