Ian was acutely aware of the barrier that lay ahead of him, the dividing line between humans and true monsters.
If he took just one more step forward, he would break through to the level of the Four Heavenly Kings of Ishgar. That level, as described by the head of the Lamia Scale Guild, would place him among beings no longer considered entirely human.
"Whew…"
Ian exhaled deeply, contemplating the magnitude of his power. "It seems the reward from the first simulation has taken me as far as it can."
He shifted his focus. "Now it's time to claim the rewards from the second simulation."
With a thought, Ian tapped into the system, extracting the rewards from his second simulation.
Ian's second simulated timeline had taken him to the year X377, one year after his supposed death. During that year, the "Dragon Slayer Hero" Acnologia had gone on a rampage, slaughtering dragons indiscriminately—be they ordinary dragons or those of the Dragon King level. Anyone who stood in Acnologia's path was met with certain death.
The dragons of the Edolas world were on the brink of extinction. To counter Acnologia's overwhelming strength, the great Fire Dragon King Igneel made a desperate alliance with the dark wizard Zeref in an attempt to find a way to defeat the invincible Dragon King.
Thus began a four-hundred-year-long relay race, spanning generations and involving celestial wizards, dragon slayers, dragons, and even dark wizards—all working together to accomplish one goal.
However, none of that concerned Ian.
His mission had been different. While the others focused on the grand battle, Ian was tasked with the less glamorous job of shepherding a group of young, arrogant dragons—dragons who completely disregarded humans—to safety on the northern continent.
To complete this task, Ian had mastered a special technique he called "Dragon Taming Art," a form of psychological manipulation that allowed him to subtly control dragons. He had also developed a unique transportation magic, specifically designed to affect dragon slayers.
This magic worked by imbuing the air with the properties of a conduit, causing it to move in such a way that even Acnologia, who was normally immune to magic, would feel sick upon contact. It was a tactic inspired by Irene's ability in the original timeline to use earth magic to force Acnologia away.
Though Ian, like Irene, couldn't truly harm Acnologia, he could at least make the Dragon King's life miserable. However, there was a drawback—after using the transportation magic, Ian himself would get airsick.
For nearly twenty years, Ian had traveled with the young dragons, teaching them and clashing repeatedly with Acnologia. Only after two decades of effort had he successfully relocated all the young dragons from Ishgar to the northern continent.
Yes, in the process, Ian had managed to provoke not only the five Dragon Gods but also Acnologia himself.
The worst part? Ian had gone through the entire second simulation believing it was just a long dream, much like his first simulation. After all, it was common to experience long, vivid dreams that seemed to last forever, only to wake up and find that barely any time had passed.
And in a magical world like this, a long dream didn't seem unusual.
Because of this assumption, Ian had never bothered to hide his true identity during those years.
In hindsight, it was a grave mistake.
"Extract!" Ian commanded, snapping himself out of his thoughts. He had no choice but to move forward. There was no changing the past now—he could only curse the system for leaving him in the dark and focus on getting stronger.
Strong enough that none of his future enemies would be able to harm him.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the magic and power Ian had accumulated over twenty years in the Five Dragon Gods timeline surged into his body like a torrent.
In an instant, the barrier separating humans from non-humans within him shattered.
At this point, Ian's magic power was on par with the lower ranks of the Four Heavenly Kings of Ishgar—comparable to legendary wizards like Warrod Sequen, one of the founders of Fairy Tail.
He had surpassed most S-class wizards, though he was still a step behind the likes of God Serena, the former number one wizard of the Ten Wizard Saints who had betrayed Ishgar and joined Zeref's Alvarez Empire.
But that was fine—for now, God Serena wasn't a threat. He was likely still hiding in some remote village.
As of this moment, Ian had ascended to the topmost echelon of wizards on the continent of Ishgar.
But it wasn't enough.
Even though Ian now stood among the strongest, there were still monsters that dwarfed even the Four Heavenly Kings—titans like Irene and the Magic King, not to mention the terrifying Dragon Gods and the invincible Acnologia.
Ian had only one option left.
"System, initiate a simulation!"
The moment Ian issued the command, his consciousness was plunged into darkness.
[Simulatable targets: Gray. Timeline: Deliora's first invasion of Gray's hometown.]
[Simulatable targets: Cana. Timeline: Cornelia Arupelona's death.]
[Simulatable targets: Natsu. Timeline: Before Igneel and Zeref sent Natsu through the Eclipse Gate.]
Ian's eyes narrowed as he studied the options.
Natsu's timeline wasn't worth tackling—it involved his complicated connection to Zeref and his resurrection as the demon END. The only thing that truly troubled Natsu was Igneel's sudden disappearance, and that was something Ian had no way of fixing.
That left Cana and Gray.
Gray's situation was urgent and deeply tied to Ian's current goals, so the choice was clear.
"Simulation initiated," Ian muttered.
The world around him blurred, spinning into a maelstrom of time and space. When the disorienting sensation finally subsided, Ian found himself standing in the middle of a burning town.
"Help! Somebody, please!"
"Put out the fire, quick!"
"Damn it, why is that monster Deliora here?!"
Screams of terror echoed through the smoke-filled streets, and panic-stricken people ran in every direction.
[Warning: Timeline deviation detected.]
[Host must act immediately or this timeline will spiral into catastrophe.]
[There is a high chance Gray will die.]
"Damn it!" Ian cursed, vanishing into the chaos in a flash.
Within the ruined, smoldering remnants of the town, a small boy stood frozen in terror. Before him, his parents lay trapped beneath a collapsed building, pinned and unable to move.
"Gray, run!"
"Don't look back, just run!"
Gray's father, Silver, was covered in blood, his legs crushed under a heavy beam. Despite the pain, he used what strength he had left to shield his unconscious wife, Mika.
Silver knew he could have escaped. He had been one of the first to notice Deliora's approach, but he had turned back for Mika, rushing into the collapsing house to save her.
Now, escape was impossible.
But dying alongside Mika was something Silver did not regret. If there was one thing he could not bear, it was the thought of leaving his son behind.
"Gray, you have to be brave!" Silver urged, his voice tight with pain. "You're old enough now to make your own decisions. Take our hopes with you and survive!"
Sometimes, it took more courage to run than to fight.
"Father! Mother!"
Gray's voice cracked as tears streamed down his face. His heart was torn between his overwhelming desire to stay and the bitter reality that his parents could not be saved.
In the distance, the ground shook as Deliora approached, its monstrous roars growing louder.
"Gray, RUN!"
Silver's voice was hoarse with desperation.
Gray clenched his fists, his young heart burning with hatred. He wanted revenge—he wanted to kill the monster that had destroyed everything he loved. Someday, he swore, he would defeat Deliora.
But before Gray could act on his rage, a shadow fell over him.
Deliora loomed over the boy, its clawed hand raised to strike.
"NO!"
Silver screamed in a last, futile effort to protect his son, his battered body struggling to break free of the debris.
Gray's pupils shrank in terror as he stared up at the demon. Maybe, he thought, it would be better to die here. Better than what came after…
But just before Deliora's blow could land, a figure appeared between Gray and the demon.
It was Ian.
"Not this time," Ian said, his voice calm yet cold. He wrapped an arm around Gray, pulling the boy to safety as he raised his free hand toward Deliora.
"Who gave you permission to harm what's mine?"
Before Deliora could comprehend the situation, a massive surge of gravity magic exploded from Ian's hand, sending the demon flying skyward.
"Boom!"
The impact echoed through the burning town as Deliora was launched into the sky, disappearing amidst the clouds.
A moment later, the heavens opened up, and rain poured down, extinguishing the flames that had ravaged the town.
It was as if the sky itself was mourning the destruction below.