Chapter 4

Ryzen stood motionless in front of the mission board, his eyes scanning the various requests pinned up. Monster subjugation, search for lost items, escort missions. There were so many to choose from. He pondered which would be the best fit for him today.

While contemplating, he could feel eyes on him, and a quick glance confirmed that Mirajane, now no longer hiding beneath her hood in the guild, was watching him sneakily while sipping her juice.

Ryzen couldn't help but smile slightly at her actions. Mirajane have talked with him before albeit not often when she first joined. But considering what she has been through , its understandable if she still unable to face people normally. ' It's only been a few days since she finally decided to stay permanently here. Probably still too shy to strike up a conversation with others' thought Ryzen

As Ryzen went back to his mission finding. Erza approaches Mirajane, attempting to strike up a conversation once more.

"Hey, Mira," Erza started, a friendly smile on her face.

Mirajane's expression hardened. "Scram."

Erza clenched her fist, clearly trying to control her temper. But before she could retort, Mirajane spoke again, this time in a softer, almost shy tone. "Hey, how old is Ryzen anyway?"

Erza relaxed, the anger melting from her face. "Ryzen? No idea," she said, her face blank, nearly causing Mirajane to fume. "Well, he was shorter than me when he joined last year. He looked like he was 10 or 11 at best. But after he started training and controlling his power, he kept getting taller. Now he looks like he's between 12 and 13, right? Although with his maturity, it's not surprising if you think he's older than that. He treats everyone who's still young as if they're kids, after all. Weird fella, isn't he?" Erza snickered.

"I see" ' He.. he's younger than me! Uwah so embarrassing' Mirajane replied, feeling a blush creep up her cheeks. These past few days, she couldn't stop thinking about the time Ryzen gently patted her head to comfort her. The memory popped up at the most unexpected times. Like when she eat, bath and even before she went to sleep. making her heart race.

Noticing Erza's curious gaze, she quickly changed the topic. "Training, you said... Was he that bad when he first started with magic?"

Erza laughed, her eyes lighting up with memories. "He was good, actually. But even if he was good, slip-ups happen. The first time he slipped up, he created an explosion half the size of this whole guild building in the ocean. Master Makarov's panicked face was hilarious, screaming Ryzen's name so loudly that everyone in the guild could hear."

As Erza delved into one story after another, the guild members nearby couldn't help but smile, recalling the past. They too have seen Ryzen's slip up first hand. Some of them have even faint thinking that they're dead when one of Ryzen attack almost hit them head on. There's was even once a rule to never go near Ryzen when he's training alone and Master Makarov not in sight

Ryzen, who had just decided on a mission, overheard the conversation. He walked over, feeling a mix of embarrassment and shame. "Oi, Erza, telling stories of someone's shameful past isn't nice you know!" he said, scratching his head with a slight blush on his cheeks. Recalling all the time he messed up in the past year

"Well, Mira's the one who wanted to hear about your stories" Erza replied, a hint of panic in her voice. Although Erza is usually the big sister of the Fairy Tail kids. Ryzen is an exception and instead he was like the big brother to her

Ryzen glanced at Mira, who quickly averted her gaze, her face reddening. 'I see, so little Mira is still scared about her powers. I guess stories about my past struggles can help her build some confidence in herself,' Ryzen thought to himself.

"It's fine then, I guess, since it's helpful to Mira," Ryzen said, gently patting Mira's head. "I told you, as long as you work hard, you can conquer your powers." He smiled warmly at her. "You can continue then, Erza," he added, making his way to the guild entrance.

"Of course, I'll tell even more of your shameful past to Mira," Erza said enthusiastically.

Ryzen rushed out, not wanting to endure more second-hand embarrassment. Meanwhile, Mirajane blushed even more from Ryzen sudden gesture. She felt a strange warmth in her chest, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. 

Wakaba, who had been watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but smirk. "Oho, someone is in love~" he teased, puffing out a ring of smoke from his pipe.

He barely had time to chuckle before Mirajane, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger, rushed at him. With a swift punch, she sent Wakaba flying out of the guild hall, crashing into the street outside. Returning back to the gangster girl Mira

Natsu, who saw the scene laugh. He then saw the opportunity and punched Gray out of nowhere. "Take that, Gray!"

Gray, who was caught off guard, quickly regained his composure and retaliated. "What the hell, Natsu?!"

Erza, seeing the commotion, stepped in, trying to stop the escalating brawl. "Both of you, stop it right now!" she commanded, but her words fell on deaf ears. In the chaos, she inadvertently got punched by both Natsu and Gray.

Erza's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That's it! You're both going down!"

With Erza joining the fray, the guild hall quickly descended into a full-blown brawl. Just like the butterfly effect, the initial spark of conflict spread, and soon, everyone was involved in the melee. Fists flew, furniture toppled, and the guild hall was filled with shouts and laughter.

Makarov, watching from the bar just sigh "Just another lively day at Fairy Tail" he muttered, shaking his head in amusement.

---

Ryzen, unaware of the chaos unfolding behind him, made his way towards the outskirts of Magnolia. His mind was focused on the mission ahead, but he couldn't help but smile, thinking about the lively atmosphere he had left behind. Although it does come at the expanse of his past shame.

His mission today was to subjugate a pack of monster wolves that have been terrorizing a nearby farming village. As he approached the village, the fear and desperation of the villagers were palpable. They quickly recognized the Fairy Tail emblem on his hand and their faces lit up with hope.

"Thank you for coming, young mage!" an elderly man said, gripping Ryzen hand tightly. "Those beasts have been wreaking havoc for weeks now. So much livestock have been eaten by them. We're counting on you! Please, we can't afford anymore losses"

"Don't worry," Ryzen replied with a reassuring smile. "I'll take care of it."

He headed towards the forest where the monster wolves were last seen. As he ventured deeper, the sounds of growling and the rustling of leaves grew louder. As he sensed that the monsters have targeted him. his body start to glow with a radiant light. 

The first monster lunged at him, its sharp claws aimed for his throat. Ryzen didn't even dodge as his body turn to light rendering the beast physical attack useless. He then start to be on the offensive, his movements a blur of light. He countered with a beam of strong concentrated light, sending the creature crashing into a tree. More monsters emerged from the shadows, but Ryzen handle them all with ease. Each attack he made was precise and powerful, his light magic overwhelm the monsters.

In less than an hour, the forest was silent once more. The monsters were dead, creating a pile of corpse. While Ryzen stood victorious. He then make his way back to the village.

Unbeknownst to him, someone have been watching from the shadows, his arms crossed over his chest while having an smirk of approval on his face.

Arriving at the village, the villagers greeted him with cheers and gratitude.

"Thank you, young mage," the elderly man said again, tears in his eyes. "You've saved us all."

Ryzen smiled, feeling a sense of fulfillment. "Just doing my job. Go ahead and use the remains of the monster as you see fits. I'm sure there's a market for them"

" My goodness, thank you so much! He..here is the 50,000 jewel reward we promised. Also please stay for a bit and have some of the village specialty dishes " said the elderly man while handing over the rewards. Gesturing at Ryzen to come inside his home for a meal. His face showed that he was extremely grateful towards Ryzen

Usually, the rewards to subjugate a pack of monsters are at least above 100,000 jewel. Ryzen doing this is basically just out of goodwill and the villagers understand that. With nothing much to offer, they can only treat him to some meals as a sign of gratitude

After saying his goodbyes, he returned to town.

As he was about to enter the guild to report the quest completion.

" Ryzen" a voice called out from behind. Ryzen turn around and met with Laxus's gazes.

"Laxus?" Ryzen acknowledged, his tone respectful yet distant.

Laxus smirked" You've got some serious skills and potential. I've been watching you for a while now. You should join my team. We could use someone like you."

Ryzen shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. In his mind, he couldn't help but think, ' This kid, he's in his rebellious teen phase huh?I never really converse with him before but i know a bit about him. I've seen him yell at the guild master and talking about creating his own team and whatnot. Trying to prove himself to everyone even though its unnecessary. Unfortunately, I don't think i have the energy or will to babysit this rebellious teen.' " Thanks for the offer, but i prefer to stay independent" he replied, his voice firm but polite

Laxus's smirk faded slightly, replaced by a thoughtful look. " Suit yourself" he said, shrugging. " Just know that the offer stands. We could do great things together." 

Ryzen nodded, appreciating the gesture despite his decision. " I'll keep that in mind" he said. As Laxus turned to leave, Ryzen couldn't help but shake his head again, amused by the encounter. ' I was a rebellious teen once too. Well i matured and realize how stupid i was when i was young. I'm sure he will be more mature and understanding as he grow older' Thought Ryzen as he continue on his way

---

The next few days passed in a blur of missions and training. Ryzen continued to push himself, determined to grow stronger.

To be honest, he had never been a diligent person even in his previous life. But coming to this world where magic,the fantasy of many people was real, he couldn't help but grow addicted to getting stronger.

He had been a hardcore gamer in the past, spending countless hours grinding games non-stop just to stay ahead of others. That same relentless drive now fueled his desire to master his abilities.

Though his addiction to self-improvement was a significant motivator, it wasn't the only thing pushing him forward.

Although he didn't know much about Fairy Tail, living in the age of the internet meant he had seen a few clips of the show that piqued his interest,even if they hadn't been enough to make him watch it back then. After all, although not the largest. Fairy Tail can still be considered a large and successful show with tons of loyal fans.

One particular clip he remembered vividly showed Acnologia completely dominating the Fairy Tail members at some grand golden tree island.

He knew from spoilers,thanks to people who couldn't keep their mouths shut online.That Acnologia was like the final boss of the series. Although he still have no idea what the capabilities of Acnologia is.

But even with this little knowledge in mind, Ryzen was acutely aware of the dangers that lay ahead. He didn't want to find himself helpless when facing the formidable foes of this world.

The memory of Acnologia's overwhelming power haunted him, serving as a constant reminder of the challenges he might face. Each mission he undertook, every spell he practiced and planned to practice was a step towards ensuring he wouldn't be caught unprepared.

Ryzen's goal was clear, it was to grow strong enough to stand his ground against the mightiest opponents this world could throw at him.

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A/N: If some part of this chapter feels off. Blame my neighbour cause that person blast her TV with the windows open. Hard to concentrate to be honest