Five minutes later.
"I'm going to die."
"I'm really going to die."
"I kind of regret being the first one to try out this magic developer."
Wakaba lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his whole body drenched in sweat.
"I think I just saw my grandma..."
"She said she was coming to take me to heaven to reunite with my family!"
"Hehehe..."
Macao was sprawled on the ground, muttering nonsense.
Under the overwhelming surge of magic, Macao's consciousness had started to blur.
"Relax, you won't die."
Ian, meanwhile, stood beside Macao and Wakaba, reassuring them in a soft voice.
Hmm, before strapping them into these torture devices...
Correction, before putting the magic developers on Macao and Wakaba...
Ian had actually estimated their physical and magical limits in advance, precisely calculating the maximum time their bodies could withstand the pressure. He was very thorough in pushing them right to the edge.
So now, while Wakaba and Macao looked like they were on death's doorstep... well, maybe they weren't far off, but not quite dead yet.
"Next."
After confirming that Wakaba and Macao would be fine after a bit of rest, Ian raised his head, scanning the other people present.
"Uh..."
Instantly, every member of Fairy Tail present took a collective step back as soon as they caught Ian's gaze.
"You go first! You're younger..."
"No, no, no! You should go first! You're in better shape."
"Didn't you say you wanted to be an S-Class Mage?"
"This is your chance, don't let it slip by."
"Actually, who cares about S-Class? We're all comrades in Fairy Tail, right? I think this opportunity should be yours!"
In a sense, Ian had taught the members of Fairy Tail to be humble, considerate, and even diplomatic. Things that even Makarov couldn't manage.
In that light, Ian really was a man of great virtue.
"Go! Stop whining..."
"Oh yeah? You want to fight?!"
"Haven't we fought enough today?!"
"This morning, I was just hungry, alright? It wasn't a real loss. Now that I've eaten, let me show you the gap between our abilities..."
"Bring it on! I'll make you admit defeat for real this time!"
Unfortunately, in no time at all, these Fairy Tail members reverted to their usual selves, veins bulging on their foreheads, yelling threats, as if another brawl was inevitable.
Magic power began to surge across the room, chaos brewing in the magic development chamber...
"Quiet."
Ian sighed deeply, releasing a surge of magic even more terrifying than all those present combined.
Suddenly, a suffocating pressure enveloped everyone. The overwhelming magic, thick enough to seem almost tangible, pressed down on their shoulders like a heavy inky rain.
"Uh..."
As the weight settled, their frenzied minds began to calm.
Many glanced at Ian, seeing him standing there, a demon god rising from the abyss, surrounded by this concentrated magic, his presence alone silencing everyone.
"What overwhelming power..."
"This magic... could it be stronger than the master's?"
"No way! Has Ian's strength already surpassed Master Makarov, one of the 'Ten Wizard Saints'?"
The crowd was stunned.
They had always known Ian was powerful, one of the few S-Class Mages in the guild, but they had never imagined that his strength could surpass even their guild master.
"Since no one's volunteering, I guess it's time for me to start calling names."
Ian looked like a teacher ready to call on students who hadn't studied, his face gentle and kind.
"Please, not me... not me..."
The members of Fairy Tail looked exactly like students who hadn't prepared for the lesson, each face filled with dread.
"You're next."
Ian pointed at one random member after his eyes swept across the room.
"Yes! Thank goodness..."
Suddenly, cheers erupted from those not chosen. Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't get too comfortable. No one is escaping this."
Ian smiled gently.
Whether you go sooner or later, the fate is the same...
He was a very fair person, after all.
"Zzzzap..."
With elegance, Ian activated the magic developer.
"Aaaah!!"
The agonized scream echoed in the chamber, like a piece of 'classical music' to Ian's ears.
At least, that's how he heard it.
The rest of the guild members just thought Ian was a total sadist.
"Next!"
When that unlucky member reached the brink of 'death', Ian removed them from the machine and tossed them aside, moving on to the next victim.
"Crackle, crackle!"
Another burst of electric sound.
"Aaaah!!"
And another piercing scream...
This cycle repeated again and again.
Until finally, only a few members were left unscathed: Cana, the 24-hour endurance contest winner, Laxus, the Strauss siblings Mirajane, Lisanna, and Elfman, Natsu, Gray, Lyon, Ultear, and Ian's precious daughter, Erza.
Well, all the ones left were minors.
"I'll go first! After all, I'm the oldest here."
Laxus looked around at the remaining participants, realizing he was the oldest of them, and stepped forward without hesitation, showing the qualities of a big brother.
"How much power do you want?" Ian asked Laxus.
"Maximum," Laxus answered without a moment's pause.
"How long?" Ian continued.
"How long? Until either I or the machine collapses."
A smirk played on Laxus's lips as he stared at the massive magic developer in front of him, eyes burning with fighting spirit.
This wasn't just magic development anymore—it was a battle of pride...
He had to do better than all the younger ones.
"Alright then!"
Ian smiled, confident in Laxus's strength.
Without waiting for Ian's help, Laxus jumped into the giant magic developer, taking off his shirt and letting the wires bind him.
"Here we go."
Ian said as he hit the start button.
"Buzz!"
"Crackle, crackle..."
Magic power poured into Laxus like a tidal wave.
"Hmph."
Laxus grunted as the immense magic power surged into him, but for someone as powerful as him, it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
"Not enough! Give me more..."
Laxus looked at Ian on the platform, taunting him.
"If that's the case, let's push it to overload."
Ian turned the machine up to its highest setting.
"Boom!!"
The massive magic developer began emitting black smoke, as terrifying amounts of magic were funneled into Laxus.
"Haha! This is what I'm talking about. But it's still not enough."
Laxus laughed, feeling the barriers within his body being systematically broken down by the influx of magic... It felt amazing to him.
"This won't do. The model of this magic developer is too old."
"After all, this thing was originally built to help an eight or nine-year-old Ultear develop her magic..."
"It's no longer enough for someone like Laxus, or Erza, who have already reached S-Class level."
"I'll have to think of a way to upgrade it."
Ian thought to himself.
---
You can read up to 25 chapters ahead on patreon.com/DogLeading
Hey everyone! I know the recent chapters have been a bit on the short end, but hang in there, starting from Chapter 55, the chapters will be two to three times longer, and the story will really kick into high gear, there is really interesting developments going on and things are getting spicy.