Faced with the incoming firestorm attack, George had anticipated it and quickly flapped his wings to ascend, evading the flames. However, this maneuver hindered his ability to precisely control his blade attacks.
Fortunately, he had a backup plan.
"Attack them!"
The hundred or so venomous snakes that had been stealthily inching closer to the two dark mages leaped into action at George's command.
"Argh!"
The melee-focused dark mage reacted swiftly, slashing the snakes in half with his twin swords. Meanwhile, the fire mage was less fortunate. Though he managed to redirect the fiery whirlwind to incinerate the attacking snakes, one managed to bite him, leaving him partially paralyzed.
Seizing the opportunity, George dove down, closing the distance. He used his flying blades to entangle the melee mage and then extended his razor-sharp claws to tear open the fire mage's throat.
It was easy to overlook that George's cat body didn't only possess a feline's strength—it also carried the might of his other two incarnations from different worlds. While not as strong as the melee mage, his power was significantly beyond that of ordinary beings.
With his strength focused in his claws and his momentum from the dive, it wasn't too difficult to rip through the fire mage's vulnerable neck.
"You're courting death, you damned cat!"
The melee mage roared in fury upon witnessing his comrade's demise. Swinging his swords faster than ever, he shattered the blades George had been controlling, reducing them back to mere leaves. Then he charged at George.
Instead of fleeing immediately, George led the enraged mage on a chase, flying just ahead to keep him in pursuit. As they flew, George's claws moved rapidly, and his lips murmured incantations, clearly preparing his next spell.
"There's a trap!"
The melee mage suddenly felt a sharp sting in his leg as if he had struck something. Instinctively, he rolled forward to dodge further injury. Even so, his leg bore a deep gash.
It turned out George had preemptively laid a steel wire trap and had deliberately lured the mage toward it.
"Stupefy!"
Just as the melee mage was about to rise and continue the chase, George closed the gap and extended his claw toward the mage's forehead.
A blue magical beam struck the mage's brow, causing his eyes to roll back as he collapsed to the ground.
"Even minor members of an obscure dark guild are this hard to kill. The mages in this world are truly formidable," George mused to himself.
Controlling the fallen mage's enchanted swords, George swiftly decapitated him.
Afterward, George collected all valuables from the three dark mages and resumed his journey to the Fairy Tail guild. His goal wasn't to trace his origins, as Jinjin had attempted, but to see if he could join the kingdom's top guild and learn powerful magic to enhance his abilities.
During the earlier battle, George noticed something he had previously overlooked.
The mages of this world cast their spells with remarkable speed and didn't rely on wands or other tools, making their magic highly suitable for combat.
If he could master some of this world's magic, even if his original body in the Marvel world couldn't find the materials to craft a wand, he would still be able to use this magic to support himself in battle.
The following day, a bustling city of another world appeared before George.
"This must be Magnolia City!"
Goldie's previous location was not far from Magnolia, and George's continuous use of flight magic allowed him to reach the Fairy Tail guild's city in less than a day.
"Let's sell these things and get some food first."
Carrying a small bundle on his back, George spread his wings and flew into the city.
Although his bundle seemed small, it contained all the possessions of the three dark mages thanks to the Undetectable Extension Charm he had placed on it.
The Undetectable Extension Charm was an advanced spell that could expand an object's interior space. Learning it was highly challenging.
Though George had started researching the spell shortly after enrolling and had consulted several professors, he could barely expand a space to nearly two cubic meters.
Compared to Newt Scamander's suitcase, which could house an entire miniature world, his skills were rudimentary.
Still, it was enough to store everything from the three dark mages.
Flying above the city, George soon spotted a shop bearing a magic goods emblem.
"Welcome!"
George pushed the door open with his paw and entered, carrying his small bundle. He was greeted warmly by an elderly man behind the counter.
However, the man froze for a moment after his initial greeting. He had heard the door open and the magical bell chime but saw no customer entering.
"I'm here!"
George spread his wings and flew onto the counter.
In this world, George's clone was a tiny magical cat, barely larger than a palm. Thankfully, he was accustomed to walking upright rather than on all fours.
"A talking cat! How can I assist you?"
As the shopkeeper of a magic store, the old man was well-versed in such oddities. Having encountered Fairy Tail's flying cats before, he quickly regained his composure.
"I'm here to sell some things. Let's see how much they're worth."
George shook his small bundle, spilling the dark mages' belongings onto the counter.
The old man picked up a magnifying glass enchanted with a tiny magic circle and began appraising the items.
"Two lower-tier enchanted swords with acceleration runes: 1,500J.
A ring that enhances fire magic: 1,000J.
A headband that casts wind-binding spells: 1,200J."
After assessing all the items, the old man said kindly:
"I'll buy everything for 10,000J."
"10,000J? That wind-binding headband in your store is marked at 6,000J. Isn't this a bit low?"
George used his tail to point at a headband identical to the one he was selling, his tone slightly displeased.
While second-hand goods typically sold for less, magical items were not ordinary commodities. The offer seemed unfair.
The old man maintained his smile and replied, "The market isn't great these days. How about 12,000J? If that's not acceptable, feel free to decline."
Then he pointed at George's small bundle.
"However, if you're willing to sell this, I'll offer 150,000J."
The other items were low-tier magical goods, but the bundle was clearly a rare spatial magic artifact. Even at 150,000J, the old man could easily find a buyer willing to pay over 300,000J—and possibly as high as 400,000J.
After all, spatial magic items were always highly valuable. Most mages, no matter how strong, still needed to carry their belongings manually. Wealthy merchants and nobles constantly sought such artifacts at high prices.