**Chapter 08: Found It**
On the train.
"Ugh... Blergh... Ooh..."
Gray looked at the motion-sick Natsu with disdain. "Fired up? Looks like you're burnt out to me."
The two had been arch-rivals for so long that they never missed an opportunity to strike a blow at the other.
It was also Ren's first time seeing Natsu motion sick. He realized that Dragon Slayer Mages seemed to have a particularly speechless setting: motion sickness on all forms of transportation, the logic of which was completely inexplicable.
It was only after getting off the train that Natsu slowly recovered.
After a long trek, they finally arrived at the destination for this exam—the Valley of Monsters.
It looked like a very gloomy and terrifying place.
"Master, you should explain the content of this exam now," someone said.
"Hmm, it's about time. I will now disclose the content of the first stage of the exam."
"First, the Valley of Monsters, as the name suggests, contains many powerful magical beasts."
"You can all see there are three tunnel entrances here. Each tunnel contains powerful magical beasts. You only pass the first stage if you defeat all the beasts and reach the end."
Natsu said excitedly, "So that's how it is? Simple and clear!"
He loved fighting the most.
"However, one of the tunnels contains the Boss of the Valley of Monsters. The mission to subjugate this leader is S-Class."
"S-Class?!!"
The corners of Makarov's mouth curled up into a smile. "Since you want to be promoted to S-Class Mages, you naturally have to experience how dangerous S-Class missions are. Only mages who can complete S-Class missions are worthy of being promoted to S-Class, don't you think?"
"This is a test of both strength and luck."
"Oh oh oh! I'm all fired up!!"
"The time limit is two hours. Failure to reach the finish line within that time results in failure."
"Get ready!!! The exam begins!!"
As soon as Makarov announced the start, several people rushed out.
"Which one do we choose, Big Sister?" Elfman asked Mirajane while running.
"They're all the same." The impatient Mirajane chose the middle path directly and rushed in.
"Natsu, which one should we choose?" Cana asked Natsu. She didn't have time to use her cards for divination now; otherwise, she definitely would have checked before choosing.
"My luck has always been good. I choose the left one!"
Cana and Natsu entered the tunnel on the left.
With two tunnels taken, Ren and Gray entered the one on the right.
Not long after entering the tunnel, Ren saw a monster that looked like a wild boar ahead.
It was currently trapped by a barrier jutsu.
"Looks like that's the monster we have to deal with. Ren, I'll use ice to restrict its movements..."
*Sonído!*
Ren appeared in front of the monster in an instant.
*Splurt!*
The monster was cut in two before it could even let out a scream.
Gray stared at Ren, dumbfounded. He knew Ren was very strong, but he wasn't clear on exactly how strong. His impression of Ren's strength was still stuck on when Ren first joined the guild.
Back then, Ren's strength was like a monster. Now, it felt like this monster's strength had become even more abnormal.
To be honest, did he really need a partner?
"Let's go! Let's keep moving."
A short while later, they encountered a second wave of monsters. The type was the same as the first, but the number increased from one to three.
Gray thought it was time to act, but Ren used *Sonído* to rush forward again, disposing of the three monsters in an instant.
The two continued on their way. Every monster they encountered was easily dispatched by Ren.
It seemed that in front of Ren, there was no monster that couldn't be solved with one slash. If there was, then two slashes.
After about twenty minutes, Ren and Gray reached the finish line.
along the way, Gray had almost no chance to act; Ren had solved everything alone.
About an hour later, Mirajane and Elfman arrived. Both of them had suffered some injuries.
They had obviously gone through a tough battle. Upon arrival, they immediately focused on recovering their stamina and magic power.
Another half hour passed, and Master Makarov walked out.
"Both teams have passed! Then let's begin the next exam."
Gray asked, "Master? What about Natsu and Cana?"
"Those two had bad luck and ran into the Monster Boss. They failed the first stage."
"Uh..." Although he had guessed it, those two guys really were unlucky enough.
"The content of the second exam is very simple. Find the Monster Boss in the Valley of Monsters and kill it. The one who succeeds will advance to the final exam."
Hearing Master Makarov describe the second exam, the group felt relieved regarding Natsu and Cana's bad luck.
If you didn't meet it in the first stage, you would meet it in the second.
"The second exam also has a time limit of three hours. If no one can find and kill the Monster Boss within three hours, then everyone fails this S-Class Promotion Exam."
"This tests your actual execution ability when facing such missions. You have to face not only the Monster Boss but also the numerous magical beasts in the valley."
"Get ready!! The second exam, start!!"
"Elfman, let's go!"
There were only three hours; they couldn't delay for a moment. Mirajane immediately took Elfman to search for the Monster Boss.
"Ren, let's go look too!"
"Wait!"
Ren pressed his palm against the ground.
*Pesquisa!*
This allowed him to investigate locations and gauge strength.
Ren's spiritual pressure spread outward from his palm.
"Hmm?" Makarov immediately sensed it.
*A detection magic? I didn't know that brat had this kind of magic.*
At this moment, in Ren's mind, each target appeared in the form of a burning flame.
Beside him was the most vigorously burning flame, belonging to the Fairy Tail Master, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Makarov.
The two moving away from here were likely Mirajane and Elfman.
*Hmm?* Ren discovered a flame that was almost not weaker than Master Makarov's, with two small flames next to it. Those two should be Natsu and Cana.
A flame that huge was clearly impossible to be the Monster Boss. Ren had a guess as to the owner of that flame.
Suddenly, Ren raised his eyebrows, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Found it!"