"The cursed island, Galuna Island."
Marco took down the request flyer.
He had indeed heard of "Galuna Island."
In the port of Hargeon, this name was avoided like the plague; even the fiercest pirates kept a respectful distance and navigated around it. It seemed the situation there was genuinely dangerous.
Erza noticed Marco's action and approached with brisk steps, her crimson hair swaying gently with her movement.
"Are you taking this request?"
Erza leaned forward curiously to look at the content of the flyer, her heroic brows slightly furrowed.
Her gaze swept over the reward amount and the words "Gold Key," her tone carrying a hint of confusion.
The reward for this mission was indeed not high.
As for the "Gold Key," Erza had no use for it, nor did she know how much it could be sold for, so she had ignored this request directly.
"It feels interesting. Besides, I can use this Gold Key. After all, I have two apprentices who use Celestial Spirit Magic."
Marco twirled the flyer deftly on his fingertip and answered with a smile.
He was going for this "Gold Key."
Keys for the Zodiac Spirits were truly rare finds.
There were only twelve "Gold Keys" in total.
Generally, they were passed down through families for generations, like the three in Lucy's family.
But the possibility of them being lost outside couldn't be ruled out. Lucy's family was an example again; they lost one "Gold Key," so only two were passed down to her.
Scouring the magic market might also yield one.
Lucy's "Taurus" key was bought, which once amazed Hisui.
After all, the Fiore Royal Family had been trying to acquire them for so long without receiving a single one.
One could only say that fate is wonderfully inexplicable.
"Between Lucy and Hisui, who do you plan to give it to?" Erza asked with her arms crossed, her metal gauntlets making a slight clinking sound.
After all, there was only one "Gold Key," but there were two people, Lucy and Hisui.
And this "Gold Key" couldn't be shared; a contract with the Celestial Spirit was required.
"Of course, it's for Lucy." Marco answered directly without hesitation.
"What about Hisui then?"
Erza was somewhat surprised, obviously not expecting Marco to make a judgment so decisively.
Choosing one out of two should warrant a moment of hesitation.
"Hisui has voluntarily given up collecting keys. She feels that compared to her, Lucy has a greater affinity with Celestial Spirits. She is now more focused on practicing the new-style Celestial Spirit Magic I created."
Marco smiled and explained the reason for his decisiveness.
Otherwise, he really would have struggled for a while about who to give it to.
"Then this mission is indeed worth doing."
Hearing this, Erza nodded seriously.
If this "Gold Key" could be put to good use, then the return on this mission would be quite substantial.
After all, "Gold Keys" were hard to find.
The two went out together and came to the bar counter to register.
Erza had also chosen her mission.
The difficulty of the mission she chose was higher; the cash reward alone was over ten million Jewels.
With her signature sweet smile, Mira deftly completed the procedures for Erza first.
Erza was swift and decisive; after the procedures were completed, she nodded to Marco and Mira, then strode out of the guild.
Marco wasn't in a hurry because he still needed companions.
Just now, a system mission popped up before his eyes.
The [Saint System] suddenly reacted, compelling him to bring someone along.
[Ding! Mission Triggered!]
[Mission Name: "Moon Drip"]
[Mission Content: Although Ultear has retreated with great vigilance, her plan is still proceeding. She plans to use the "Moon Drip Ritual" to resurrect the demon "Deliora." The location is "Galuna Island," the cursed island. The source of the curse is this "Moon Drip Ritual." Lyon, who is being used, is attempting to complete the entire plan.]
[Mission Progress: Destroy the Moon Drip Ritual (Incomplete)]
[Mission Reward: Any Silver Cloth.]
Looking at this mission content, Marco immediately realized he had to bring Gray along this time.
Ultear, Deliora, Lyon—these three names put together practically pointed directly at Gray.
This was definitely something closely related to Gray's past.
And this seemed to prove one point: this Ultear really seemed to be the daughter of Gray's master, Ur.
"Tsk~ Life is unpredictable." Marco clicked his tongue.
Gray's master, Ur, was a very good person.
This had been verified by Gildarts, who knew Ur and had a sense of mutual appreciation for her.
Yet, for such a good person like Ur, her daughter turned out to be a villain, and seemingly a significant one at that.
Not only causing trouble in the "Tower of Heaven," but also appearing as a mastermind in other events. The story behind this person must be complex.
"Gray, come here for a moment."
Marco looked at the noisy guild hall and locked onto Gray, who was arm-wrestling with Natsu, calling him over.
His voice wasn't loud but was clear and penetrating, allowing Gray to hear it instantly.
Gray paused and he was almost flipped over by Natsu.
He pushed away Natsu, who was shouting about "winning," and walked to the bar with confusion.
"What's up, Marco?" Gray asked.
His gaze fell on the "S-Class quest Flyer" in Marco's hand, and his heart skipped a beat instantly.
"Are you taking me on an S-Class mission?!" Gray's voice suppressed his excitement.
He looked at Marco expectantly and his eyes starting to shine.
Although he wasn't as desperate as Natsu to prove himself by completing "S-Class missions," he wouldn't want to miss the chance if it really came!
"Yes, an S-Class mission. I'm planning to take you along." Marco said, then tossed the request flyer to Gray.
"Really?!"
Gray exclaimed in disbelief, his voice suddenly rising, immediately attracting the burning gaze of Natsu, who had been eavesdropping nearby.
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