"Time's up, you can come out now."
Ian looked at Laxus inside the mana developer. Laxus was enjoying himself, looking quite comfortable, and acting completely at ease. Ian furrowed his brow slightly and used gravity magic to pull Laxus out of the mana developer.
"That's it?" Laxus asked.
"Seriously, can't I get two more minutes?!"
"Just a bit more electricity, and maybe I'll break through this bottleneck and push myself even further."
"When I was inside that machine, I could clearly feel that the bottleneck that had been bothering me for months was starting to loosen, thanks to the mana developer."
Laxus, pulled from the mana developer, seemed unsatisfied, as if he had completely gotten addicted to the machine's electric magic. He clung tightly to Ian's arm, his expression serious.
"No."
"This machine can't help you break through that bottleneck," Ian said, shaking his head gently while looking at Laxus.
Laxus was simply too strong.
After all, he was three or four years older than Erza, Mirajane, and Ultear. At seventeen, Laxus had already made considerable progress toward becoming an S-class wizard, steadily moving closer to the realm of the "Ten Saints."
If Ian hadn't helped...
Based on Ian's calculations and hints from the original story, Laxus would likely officially enter the "Ten Saints" realm in three to four years, when he'd be about twenty years old! By the time he was twenty-two or twenty-three, he'd reach a level approaching the limits of human potential. Before turning twenty-four, he'd be at the gateway of the "non-human" domain.
From that point onward, it was practically like Laxus was on a cheat code.
Cough cough…
With Ian's help, Ian was confident that he could push Laxus to reach the level of the "Ten Saints" even faster.
"Can't help me break through the bottleneck?" Laxus frowned, realizing he may have overestimated the value of the machine.
"Alright, next up," Ian said, turning his attention to the others in the room. After Laxus' demonstration, Erza, Mirajane, and Ultear all stepped forward, ready to compete for their turn.
"Hey! Don't fight with me," Erza, young but already showing her bossy attitude, said coldly to Mirajane and Ultear.
"You're the one fighting me," Mirajane retorted firmly. "I should be the first one to use the mana developer."
"Oh my, just a loser who dares to talk big before me?! Besides, do you even understand how to use this mana developer properly?" Ultear added smugly. "For your information, this mana developer was modified several times specifically for my constitution and magic. It was practically made for me."
Under Ian's guidance, Ultear's once painful memories of mana developer-related experiences had turned into bragging rights. She now spoke of them with pride.
"What a joke," Mirajane and Erza said in unison, looking disdainfully at Ultear. "So what if you used it first? It doesn't seem like your magic is stronger than ours—must be your lack of talent!"
"What did you just say?" Ultear's forehead bulged with veins, and waves of cold energy began radiating from her—she was ready to freeze Erza and Mirajane into ice sculptures.
One thing's for sure: Fairy Tail wizards sure knew how to provoke each other.
"Relax! None of you will be skipping this," Ian said, using gravity magic to toss the ready-to-fight Ultear into the mana developer.
Next came Erza, then Mirajane...
After them, it was Natsu, Gray, Lyon, Elfman, and Lisanna…
And, of course, finally, Cana.
"Wait, Ian, hold on a second…" Cana protested when Ian announced she would need to undergo mana development as well. Her face was full of resistance.
But unfortunately, resistance was always futile against Ian.
"Didn't I win the competition?" Cana argued. "Winners aren't supposed to get punished, right?! Why do I have to go in that awful machine too?"
Ian just smiled faintly in response to Cana's defiance.
"Yes, as you said..."
"You did indeed win the 24-hour endurance contest at Fairy Tail this year," Ian said, his eyes showing a hint of indifference.
"So, this isn't a punishment for you—it's a reward for your victory."
With that, Ian walked over to Cana, lightly patting her shoulder as he continued reassuringly, "Cana, there's no need to be so moved by my fairness and excellence that you start crying. I know just how amazing I am."
"Oh, thank you for being so fair!" Cana retorted sarcastically. "But please, tell me what's even the point of winning the 24-hour endurance contest if we all end up the same?!"
Despite her unwillingness, Cana was ultimately thrown into the mana developer.
"Of course there's a difference!" Ian answered. "The winner of the 24-hour endurance contest not only gets more time in the mana developer but also receives a prize of one million J."
"You've practically struck gold! Wizards from Phantom Lord would be green with envy."
As he spoke, Ian turned the machine's setting to maximum, offering Cana a perfectly logical explanation.
Indeed, his words were irrefutable—practically flawless.
Bzzt bzzt bzzt...
Accompanied by a crackling sound, and Cana's heart-wrenching screams…
Ian's mana development program for the members of Fairy Tail finally came to an end.
After continuous overload, the enormous mana developer seemed close to collapsing.
"Now that we've finished the mana development for all of you..." Ian said, smiling as he faced everyone. "So, what do you think of the machine?"
"Never again," Macao and Wakaba, lying flat on the ground, muttered feebly.
"Not powerful enough," Laxus grumbled, still dissatisfied with the machine's power.
"Agreed," Erza nodded gently.
"Same here," Ultear added thoughtfully. "This machine was made for developing my magic when I was still a child. Honestly, it's outdated and can't keep up anymore. It's time for an upgrade."
"S-Same," Mirajane stammered, trembling slightly.
Mirajane was new to the Fairy Tail Guild. Unlike Laxus, Ultear, or Erza, who had teachers guiding them, her foundation was still relatively weaker—which made her more affected by the mana developer.
But now that she was part of Fairy Tail, Ian would certainly take it upon himself to "teach" her properly…
"Same here!" Natsu, Gray, and Lyon chimed in afterward, trying to mimic Erza's nonchalant demeanor despite the fact that the mana developer had utterly drained them.
They were still quite far from Erza and the others in terms of strength. But in their hearts, they saw Erza and the others as rivals.
"Liar, I'm never falling for that again," Cana finally spoke, wiping her tears while pouting.
"This kid," Ian said, his eyes brightening as he looked at Cana.
Honestly, Cana's performance had exceeded Ian's expectations.
Out of everyone in the guild, except for Laxus, Erza, and the other S-class candidates, Cana had shown the best potential.
It seemed Cana had the most latent ability among those not yet at the S-class level.
"As expected of Gildarts' daughter," Ian thought to himself. "Don't worry, I'll train you thoroughly."
"Thank you so much for that," Cana groaned sarcastically.
---
You can read up to 25 chapters ahead on patreon.com/DogLeading