Chen Fan slowly opened his eyes to see a male face hovering right in front of his. The person had his eyes closed and his lips puckered, moving in close. Startled out of his daze, Chen Fan reflexively threw a punch.
"Argh!"
"AAHH!" Two distinct cries rang out simultaneously.
One was Chen Fan's shout as his punch sent the man's face flying back; the other was the man's scream of pain.
After throwing the punch, Chen Fan carefully pulled the blanket up to his chest and shrank back, his eyes shimmering with grievance and a hint of tears. He looked like a maiden who had just been harassed.
The person he had punched finally spoke. He sounded like a child. "Hey! I was trying to save you! Why did you hit me?!" His voice rose in indignant questioning.
Chen Fan scanned the room. He realized the ward was filled with people, all of them staring at him with wide, shocked eyes. Combining that with the boy's words, it seemed he had indeed misunderstood the situation.
However, he didn't say "sorry." Those words had been absent from his vocabulary for a long time.
The onlookers continued to stare until Chen Fan began to feel self-conscious. Finally, Makarov spoke up.
"Ahem! Cough." Seeing that no one was paying him any mind, Makarov felt he was losing face and spoke louder. "AHEM!"
Only then did everyone snap out of it and look at him, allowing him to regain his dignity.
Makarov said, "Alright, Gray, stop complaining. If you hadn't hit Chen Fan, he wouldn't have been unconscious the moment he arrived at the guild."
Hearing Makarov's words, Chen Fan finally realized it was this kid who had sent him flying. His expression shifted from one of repentance to a dark, dangerous glare aimed straight at Gray.
Startled, Gray immediately argued back, "It wasn't me! It was that bastard Natsu who crashed into him!"
"What? You're blaming me? You're the one who attacked!" a pink-haired boy shouted, clearly unhappy with Gray's accusation.
"What was that, you fire-breathing bastard? You want to go, huh?" Gray said, stripping off his clothes as he spoke.
"Bring it on, you droopy-eyed exhibitionist! You think I'm scared of you?" Natsu provoked.
"Oh, crap." Gray realized his clothes had vanished again without him noticing. He scrambled to pick them up, his face flushing red, but he maintained his tough front. He roared at Natsu, "I told you not to call me an exhibitionist!" He threw a punch that sent Natsu flying into the furniture.
"You bastard, how dare you hit me! Oh... Fire Dragon's Roar!"
"Both of you, get out! If you're going to fight, take it outside!" Makarov roared. His hands grew to an immense size as he snatched Gray and Natsu like they were little chicks and tossed them out the window. A loud thud followed as they hit the ground.
While everyone's attention had been on the brawl, Makarov had felt his authority being trampled yet again. Veins throbbed on his forehead, and he finally snapped when Natsu tried to use his Dragon Slayer Magic.
Once the obstacles were gone, Makarov turned back to Chen Fan with a warm smile. Chen Fan couldn't help but marvel at how fast the old man could change his face; the seniors really were more experienced.
Makarov said, "Don't hold it against them. See? I've already punished them for you."
Chen Fan realized he had likely been collateral damage in their fight. Out of respect for Makarov, he decided not to make a big deal out of it and nodded.
Seeing that Chen Fan wasn't holding a grudge, Makarov smiled happily. "You just focus on recovering. Once you're better, I'll introduce you to everyone."
Chen Fan only noticed then that his right hand was wrapped up like a zongzi. He gave it a little shake.
"Don't move it," Makarov warned. "Be careful not to reopen the wound."
Chen Fan looked up and signaled that he was fine. He slowly unwound the bandages to reveal a long gash on his right hand, likely caused by a shard from the broken door.
He placed his left hand over the wound. In an instant, the cut began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. Within moments, every trace of the injury had vanished. Makarov and the others watched with wide eyes, hardly believing what they were seeing.
However, sweat broke out on Chen Fan's forehead. Using his Level 1 ability to heal a wound like that was exhausting. He missed his days at Level 5, when he could heal total-body injuries in a heartbeat. He breathed a sigh of relief when the wound was finally closed.
Looking up and seeing everyone staring at his hand, he chuckled. "I guess you could call this my magic."
He got out of bed and stretched his numb limbs. Turning to Makarov, he said, "Alright, Master, I'm fully recovered. It's time I introduced myself to everyone. We shouldn't keep them waiting." He turned and walked out of the room, leaving a group of stunned wizards behind.
As he stepped into the guild hall, the noisy atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Chen Fan saw that the hall was packed; it seemed the guild took new members very seriously. He had no idea he was already famous for being the first person to pass out at the front gates upon joining.
Curiosity drove everyone to scrutinize him. Countless gazes shot toward him, looking him up and down as if he had three heads and six arms.
Some of the stares were so intense Chen Fan felt like they were seeing right through to the color of his underwear. He instinctively clutched his pants and looked around cautiously.
Just as he was about to hit his limit, Makarov and the others emerged from the room and walked to the reception desk.
"Ahem." Makarov cleared his throat. "Everyone, be quiet." He realized that was unnecessary as the usually rowdy hall was eerily silent. He felt a bit awkward, but his years of experience allowed him to maintain his composure.
"Cough. This is our newest guild member, Chen Fan. Let's give him a warm welcome!" He started clapping, and the hall erupted into cheers.
"Ohhh! Welcome to Fairy Tail!"
"Welcome!"
Almost everyone was clapping and cheering, making Chen Fan blush. He had never seen anything like this in his previous life; the most people he'd ever had face him at once were there to take his life.
Feeling the vibrant energy, Chen Fan was genuinely glad he had transmigrated here. He knew joining the guild was the right choice.
After a while, Makarov signaled for silence. The guild quickly quieted down, showing just how much authority the Master had.
Makarov continued, "Now, Chen Fan, tell us a bit about yourself. Everyone, clap!" He started clapping again, and the atmosphere heated up once more.
Chen Fan took a step forward and cleared his throat. "Hello everyone, my name is Chen Fan. I'm really happy to join the Fairy Tail family. Thank you." He took a step back.
"So, what kind of magic do you use?" a voice asked. Chen Fan knew it was Natsu. This guy really is a battle maniac, he thought. You want to pick a fight with me? Not happening.
Everyone looked at him curiously. Even Makarov pricked up his ears. He had brought the boy back simply to give a homeless child a place to stay, but after seeing that healing display, he knew he'd found a treasure.
Even with his years of experience, Makarov couldn't identify Chen Fan's magic. When Chen Fan had used his superpower earlier, there had been no magical fluctuations.
"It's nothing incredible. By magical classifications, mine would be considered healing magic," Chen Fan said with a wave of his hand.
"What kind of healing?" Makarov asked.
"It can make wounds heal rapidly without leaving scars. As long as there's a breath left in them, I can probably save them."
The guild collectively sucked in a breath of cold air. Chen Fan made it sound trivial, but anyone who understood the reality of combat knew that his magic could save lives in critical moments.
Sensing the odd atmosphere, Chen Fan's eyes darted around. He hopped up, standing with one foot on a chair and one on a table. Looking at the guild members, he continued in a joking tone:
"Are you still troubled by being too well-endowed? Are you worried about your figure not being perfect? Are you anxious about your appearance?"
"Yes!" many responded, and the guild hall became rowdy again.
He paused and glanced at the wizards whose eyes were gleaming. "Worry no more! I can solve all these symptoms for you. Guaranteed no side effects, affordable prices we can negotiate everything!"
"Haha!" Everyone burst into laughter. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.
Some people even shot him looks that clearly said, Let's talk privately later. Chen Fan winked back with a knowing, somewhat lecherous grin.
Seeing Chen Fan "exchanging glances" with the others made Natsu the future "Salamander" shiver. He began to suspect Chen Fan had some very strange hobbies.
Soon after the introduction, the guild members went back to their own business. Chen Fan was new and didn't know everyone well yet, and everyone had their own tasks.
However, some were quite intrigued by his "beauty services" but were too embarrassed to say so publicly. They kept glancing at him out of the corners of their eyes, waiting for a chance to talk.
Chen Fan sat quietly next to Makarov. Despite the noise, he felt a strange sense of peace. Maybe this is what a home feels like, he thought to himself.
He scanned the hall but couldn't find Erza. Was she out on a mission? But how old was she? He glanced at Makarov, wondering if the old man was guilty of child labor. His eyes narrowed with a judgmental look that made Makarov shiver. The old man looked around, but Chen Fan had already turned his gaze away.
Suddenly, Natsu and Gray approached him, along with the three Strauss siblings. Chen Fan was confused. Why were these kids coming to see him? Were they already interested in beauty treatments at such a young age? Kids in this world grow up way too fast, he lamented.
Natsu walked up to him, pointed a thumb at his own chest, and said, "I'm Natsu Dragneel. I use Dragon Slayer Magic."
Then he pointed at Gray. "This droopy-eyed" He was cut off by Gray.
Gray glared at Natsu. "What was that, you squinty-eyed jerk, huh?"
"You want a fight, you exhibitionist?"
"What? How dare you call me that!" Gray grabbed Natsu's shirt, and it looked like they were about to go at it again.
"Both of you, shut up!"
Thud, thud. Natsu and Gray were both floored.
Chen Fan watched as Mira took them both down. He remembered now Mira was incredibly violent as a child, just as much as Erza.
Mira said coolly, "I'm Mirajane. These are my brother Elfman and my sister Lisanna. As for that exhibitionist, he's Gray Fullbuster. Welcome to Fairy Tail." Her flat tone didn't make the welcome sound very sincere.
Surprisingly, Gray didn't jump up to object when she called him an exhibitionist. He was clearly terrified of her.
"Thanks. I'm new, so please look out for me," Chen Fan said politely.
Natsu and Gray jumped back up and declared confidently, "Don't worry! If anyone picks on you, tell us and we'll beat them up for you."
Elfman pumped his fist against his chest. "A real man should help the weak!"
Chen Fan felt dizzy. Did he really look that weak? He asked them, "Do I look weak?"
They all nodded in unison. Mira's eyes clearly said, A weak man.
He looked at the youngest, Lisanna, but even she nodded along.
It seemed that passing out from the shockwave of a fight the moment he arrived had branded him as "weak" in everyone's minds.
Whatever, Chen Fan thought. I'll have chances to show my strength later. Right now, my power level is too low to be standing out.
As many transmigrators before him had said: "Low profile is the way to go." So, he didn't bother to explain.
And so, Chen Fan settled into Fairy Tail.
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