Chapter 3: Finally Leaving This Damn Forest

Just as Alex was preparing to leave this place and return to his small cave, he suddenly glimpsed a figure in the deep pit, squatting beside the solidified rocks as if observing something.

Alex was momentarily stunned.

"Is this... a person? A living person?"

At that moment, the man below seemed to notice someone nearby and stood up. He had short orange hair and wore a tattered windbreaker.

It was Gildarts, who had come here on a mission.

Gildarts looked towards Alex with a hint of confusion. Why was there a human in such a desolate primeval forest?

Sensing the immense magical power within the person in front of him, Gildarts's gaze became solemn. Perhaps this person was responsible for the wildfire in this area.

If he could subdue him and deliver him to the Council, then the mission would be considered complete.

However, as Gildarts got a clearer look, he was somewhat taken aback. The person who could have caused such widespread destruction was likely... a child? Moreover, this child didn't seem like a bad person.

So Gildarts decided to observe the situation. If this child had no malicious intent, then this mission would have to be considered a failure.

After all, the mission was to investigate what had happened here. If demons were involved, they needed to be dealt with, but that didn't include children.

And why did this child look at him with such excitement?

"Hey, are you from outside the forest?" Alex shouted as he thought about it.

"I come from Magnolia City to the east. I'm Gildarts, a Mage of Fairy Tail!" Gildarts shouted back.

With that, Gildarts climbed out of the deep pit and walked towards Alex.

"Fairy Tail? Mage? What are those?" Alex asked, puzzled.

"You don't even know what a Mage is?" Gildarts asked in surprise. Magic had completely permeated this world, and even those without magical power had many magical items in their normal lives. Magic had entered the lives of ordinary people in this world.

And the child in front of him clearly had a vast amount of magical power within him, yet he didn't even know what a Mage was. So who taught him to increase his magical power?

"I don't know, I've always been in this forest and don't know much about the outside world," Alex said, knowing that his chance to leave this damn forest had come.

"If that's the case, you don't even know what magic is? And do you know how you came to possess that magic?" Gildarts wanted to know how Alex had become so strong in the absence of any guidance.

"Of course, if it's a matter of your privacy you can ignore the question," he said, thinking about it for a moment and feeling a little uncomfortable. Everyone has their secrets.

Alex thought for a moment and said, "Is this what you mean by magic?"

Alex extended his hand, and a ball of energy appeared in his palm.

"Yes, that's magic!" Gildarts affirmed.

Upon receiving Gildarts' confirmation, Alex continued, "This thing... there's nothing secretive about it. About ten days ago, I suddenly discovered that I had some magic power within me."

"And it keeps increasing on its own. I'm not sure how or why," Alex added matter-of-factly.

But Gildarts couldn't believe his ears.

"You're saying... you gained this much magical power in just... ten days?" Gildarts was astonished. To possess such immense magical power at the age of eleven or twelve was already remarkable. But to hear this child say he attained it in just ten days?

Even if they were considered geniuses within the Fairy Tail guild, like Laxus, who inherited his grandfather's powerful magic, they only reached this level around the age of fourteen or fifteen.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, puzzled by Gildarts' expression.

"Oh... nothing," Gildarts waved it off, but internally he thought, "This kid is definitely a genius, no, more like a monster."

"By the way, I still don't know your name," Gildarts continued.

"I'm Alex Blaze."

"Alex Blaze, huh?" Gildarts muttered to himself before saying, "Alright kid, I've got it. By the way, you've been in this forest all this time. Have you ever thought about leaving and seeing the outside world?"

"I've wanted to leave, but it seems impossible. I can't find a way out," Alex said with a helpless shrug.

"Haha, no worries. You can come with me soon," Gildarts chuckled.

"Alright, I've been wanting to get out of this damn forest for so long," Alex said excitedly. Finally, the chance to leave this cursed forest had arrived.

"Oh, by the way, there's one more thing I need to confirm with you. Did you do this?" Gildarts pointed towards the massive pit nearby.

As Alex listened, he felt a slight tension in his heart.

"Why are you asking this? Are you here to investigate this?" Alex couldn't fully trust Gildarts, as he was still a stranger.

Moreover, in his previous life, starting a forest fire would hold serious consequences. Alex wasn't sure about the laws in this world, and being thrown into jail for a bounty was something he couldn't afford.

Seeing Alex's guarded stance, Gildarts realized Alex had misunderstood. He quickly waved his hands and said, "You've misunderstood. While my mission is indeed to investigate what happened here..."

"The main focus is to check if any demons have been involved. Besides, there were no casualties from this damage, so there's nothing to worry about."

Alex remained skeptical but finally said, "This was caused by me testing out my techniques. It was unintentional."

"Ah, I see. Well, as long as no demons were involved," Gildarts chuckled.

---

That night, in a clearing within the forest, a blazing campfire illuminated the darkness around it. The flickering flames danced upon a makeshift grill, where two chickens roasted.

Sitting across from each other were Alex and Gildarts. Alex stared into the fire, lost in thought. Just a few days ago, he had been yearning to leave this wretched forest, and now the opportunity had finally arrived.

Yet, Alex couldn't shake off his doubts. What kind of world awaited him beyond this forest? Everything here was unfamiliar to him, and once he left, where would he go?

Homelessness was likely his fate. Despite the vastness of the world, Alex couldn't find a place to call his own.

"What's on your mind?" Gildarts asked, noticing Alex's absent-mindedness as he poked at the charcoal with a stick.

"Oh, nothing," Alex replied absentmindedly.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Gildarts tried to change the subject. "By the way, since you've been living in this forest, what about your family?"

Alex paused his movements, then spoke after a moment's silence. "I don't have any family. I never did."

Gildarts realized he had touched a sore spot and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's alright. I've grown used to it," Alex replied with a forced smile. Gildarts felt a pang of guilt at seeing Alex's smile, which seemed so strained.

He handed a roasted chicken leg to Alex and said, "Here, dig in!"

Alex took a bite, savoring the juicy meat.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail!" Gildarts exclaimed suddenly.

Alex stopped mid-bite, startled by Gildarts' declaration.

"A guild is a place where comrades gather. It's also an intermediary for jobs. For someone without a home, a guild can be like family. One person's happiness is everyone's happiness, and one person's sorrow is everyone's sorrow."

Gildarts spoke softly, but Alex heard every word clearly.

"How about it? Come to Fairy Tail!"

"Family..." Alex whispered to himself. Then, he resumed eating the chicken leg in his hand silently.

"Sounds good. I'd like to see it with my own eyes," Alex finally said after a while.

Gildarts smiled warmly and began devouring his own chicken. The savory aroma wafted far into the night.

---

The next day, in Magnolia City.

Alex and Gildarts arrived in the bustling town, where crowds of people bustled through the streets, and the city bustled with activity. Alex gazed at everything before him and couldn't help but marvel.

"I've finally arrived in the human world. It's much better here than that wretched forest," Alex said, his face beaming with a smile.

Just then, a broadcast echoed throughout the town.

"Magnolia City is now switching to Gildarts Mode. All citizens, please proceed to designated locations."

---

Moreover, Alex heard the tolling of church bells ringing out across the town.

Confused by these events, Alex turned to Gildarts for an explanation, but before he could ask, the ground began to tremble beneath their feet. Suddenly, the entire city seemed to split into square blocks.

These blocks began to move, rearranging themselves swiftly until they formed a straight path right in front of Alex and Gildarts.

"What... what's happening?" Alex asked, his eyes wide with astonishment.

"Oh, haha, don't worry about the details. Come on, let's go to the guild," Gildarts scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly.

But as Alex looked at Gildarts' smile, he couldn't help but wonder if Gildarts had something to do with this "Gildarts Mode."

"What's with that smile? Why do I feel like you're the reason for this 'Gildarts Mode'?" Alex asked, looking at Gildarts.

Caught off guard by the question, Gildarts replied with a helpless expression, "Well, you see, it's because these folks were worried I'd accidentally destroy their houses while walking. So, they came up with this."