"Entry forbidden?"
Marco looked at the sign written on the wooden wall.
"Who goes there?! Do not approach!"
Before Marco could call out, someone in the wooden watchtower on the wall shouted loudly, demanding Marco and the others not come any closer.
"Whiz, whiz, whiz!"
Several whistling sounds were heard as arrows struck the ground not far in front of Marco.
This was a warning, and a reminder.
The distance of these arrows clearly showed they weren't aimed to harm.
'These islanders don't want to involve other passersby...' Marco immediately understood their intent.
They were using harsh methods to drive away those who wanted to land on the island for rest.
"We are mages from 'Fairy Tail'!"
Before Marco could speak, Natsu had already started shouting, jumping up and down.
Clearly, he had fully recovered.
Their "motion sickness" was peculiar; no matter how severe it was, they basically recovered instantly after getting off the vehicle.
"Fairy Tail?!"
Hearing this name, there was an obvious commotion inside the wall.
Many people started whispering.
They all seemed to know about the request, which was likely issued by everyone on the island together, with the reward pooled by the islanders.
"How can you prove you are mages from 'Fairy Tail'?!"
Soon, a message came from inside the wall; someone doubted their identity.
"Huh?!"
Natsu and Gray were stunned simultaneously.
Natsu dug his ear exaggeratedly, while Gray frowned tight, obviously finding this suspicion baffling.
What benefit could there be in impersonating them?
"We have the guild mark. The mark of 'Fairy Tail.' You'll know it when you see it."
Lucy reacted quickly.
She raised her hand directly, showing the pink "Fairy Tail" mark on the back of her hand.
Several heads popped up over the wall to look out.
After seeing the "Fairy Tail" mark, they discussed amongst themselves again. In the end, they actually opened the gate.
'Seriously? They believed it just like that?' Marco opened his mouth slightly.
He completely hadn't expected this development.
Although the "Fairy Tail" mark was indeed very special and had many unique functions, it could absolutely be forged, at least in appearance.
"Believing just by looking at the mark... isn't really any different from believing blindly." Marco muttered a complaint.
He didn't think these people could discern the special qualities of the "Fairy Tail" guild mark.
"Creak, creak, creak!"
Regardless of Marco's internal complaints, the heavy wooden door covered in scratches and moss slowly opened inward.
Ultimately, these islanders chose to believe their identity.
Marco looked through the wooden door; quite a few people had already gathered at the entrance inside.
These people were dressed simply and roughly, mostly in clothes sewn from animal skins and coarse cloth, or just bare-chested.
Most of their faces bore expressions of fear, wariness, and a hint of expectation—expectation that "Fairy Tail" could solve their problem.
"Hello, I am Marco Dreyar, a mage of 'Fairy Tail.' Are you the ones who issued the request regarding Galuna Island?"
Marco took the lead, asking the crowd with the request flyer in hand.
His gaze fell on the bald old man standing at the very front.
He couldn't exactly be called bald; the white hair on the sides of his head was quite long, but the top was completely bare.
This old man should be the leader.
"That's right... it's us. You came very quickly."
The old man stepped forward.
As expected, he was the leader.
It was actually quite obvious; he stood in the middle holding a strange crescent-shaped staff.
"Just a coincidence, I happened to have time." Marco nodded.
He sized up these people.
They were actually quite strange; their bodies exhibited obvious non-human characteristics.
Among the group, some had beast-like horns on their heads, some had arms covered in scales, some had faces covered in dense hair, and some dragged thick tails.
All of them had undergone mutations like the guide who led the way earlier.
"Tell us about it. What exactly is going on?"
Marco signaled the old man to explain the specific situation on the island so they could proceed with their next actions.
"Okay, we're counting on you."
The village chief was naturally compliant.
He immediately began to recount the story.
What happened on this island was completely beyond their ability to handle.
"Every one of us has undergone mutations. Not just people, even the animals on the island have mutated. The reason we erected walls and are so tense is also to guard against the animals on the island. They have become even more dangerous."
Marco and the others had already verified the village chief's words on their way here.
They had indeed encountered some obviously mutated animals, which were also very aggressive.
A mutated giant rabbit even dared to attack them proactively, though it was easily dispatched.
"Do animals also revert to their original forms during the day?" Marco asked.
They already knew that humans would revert to their original appearance after daybreak.
"Yes, but just like us humans, some individuals among them cannot revert and become thorough monsters."
The village chief nodded, giving the answer Marco had already guessed.
As he spoke, the village chief started to shed tears, clutching a photo in his hand.
The person in the photo looked a bit familiar.
"Wait a minute!"
Lucy also saw the photo, and her face changed instantly, looking as if she had seen a ghost.
What did this photo mean?
Not just Lucy, Gray obviously saw it too.
Only Natsu was slow on the uptake, still unaware of what had happened.
"If they don't turn back, what is the outcome?"
Marco naturally understood what Gray and Lucy were worried about.
In fact, he was a bit confused too and wanted to confirm this point.
"They will die..."
The village chief stated the result.
As for how they died, he didn't elaborate.
Obviously, they had prepared corresponding plans.
If someone didn't turn back, they would take measures.
"..."
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