Less than a kilometer away from the guild, even a leisurely stroll wouldn't take twenty minutes.
But the enticing aromas wafting from the various breakfast stalls and shops along the way somewhat slowed down Rhode's steps.
Warm was even more troubled, with its big tongue hanging out and its eyes unsure where to look.
The variety of foods here was as diverse as the styles of clothing: Chinese, European, Japanese—you name it.
Rhode picked a bun shop that looked pleasing and bought two buns, one for himself and one for Warm.
Rhode ate only half and gave the remaining half to Warm.
He thought it best not to waste until he was financially better off—better to go to the guild for a bowl of noodles next time.
Warm seemed quite happy eating it, probably because of the resource scarcity in that ghostly place, the Wailing Abyss; this child wasn't picky at all.
"Good morning, Mira."
"Good morning, Rhode, and Warm too."
Laki arrived a bit late today, panting slightly as she apologized, "Sorry, I was organizing my collection this morning and lost track of time."
Mira said, "It's fine, there's not much to do this morning, especially with Rhode now helping."
"Collection?" Rhode was curious about what Laki collected—wood carvings, perhaps? After all, she used Wood-Make Magic.
"Laki's collection is quite interesting," Mira smiled. "If you get the chance, Rhode, you should definitely take a tour."
Rhode had already gleaned some understanding of Mira's mischievous side and, seeing her smile, felt that this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed.
"Unfortunately, the girls' dormitory strictly prohibits male entry. But sometimes I can bring one or two smaller pieces for you to see."
Laki adjusted her glasses, the reflected white light on the lenses making Rhode feel even more wary.
"Just to ask, these aren't something terrifying, right?"
"Of course not, they're all very cute collectibles!"
Rhode grew increasingly suspicious, but Mira said nothing more, merely smiled, as if eager to witness Rhode's 'surprised' expression.
He would find out sooner or later anyway, so Rhode put his curiosity aside and decided to have a bowl of noodles first.
Once he had his fill, the guild gradually became lively. The President appeared, dressed in casual clothes, holding a wooden staff, and as usual, sat cross-legged on the counter watching the kids play and chatter with a smile.
For those who didn't know the situation, seeing him like this, they might think he was just an ordinary, kind old man.
"President, about my magic, there's something I'd like to know without holding back..."
After finishing up his chores, Rhode immediately sought out Makarov to explain his situation.
"I see, then let's try it out now, shall we? Let's go out back of the guild."
Makarov was actually a little moved; this kid came to seek his opinion before doing something potentially dangerous!
His steadiness already surpassed more than ninety percent of the Fairy Tail members.
"Also, you're using 'know without holding back' incorrectly."
"Oh."
Rhode went to say goodbye to Mira, leaving Warm to play in the tavern, and walked with the President towards the back door.
Behind the guild was a large yard with a bluestone-constructed wall in the middle, a wrought iron gate sporting the Fairy Tail insignia.
Rhode peered through the gate gaps; outside was an endless expanse of water. The morning sun cast an orange glow on the water's surface, which was then scattered by the breeze—a scene full of shimmering waves.
Not being the most self-disciplined person, Rhode hadn't seen the sunrise in a long time since starting university.
"So, is there a sea behind the guild?"
"No, it's a lake, just a very large one," Makarov, knowing that Rhode's common knowledge was lacking, explained casually.
"Magnolia is an inland city. If you want to see the sea, you have to take a train to Harujion—it's a port city with great scenery."
"I'll definitely have to check it out sometime," Rhode set yet another small goal.
It's good to have places you want to visit; Makarov's biggest concern was that Rhode might lose his sense of direction.
Given the current situation, as long as he had things he wanted to do, whether it was learning magic or wanting to travel, it was a good sign.
"Alright, let's start."
"Alright." Rhode fished out a pendant from his collar and once again recited the spell.
This time, the vortex appeared on the ground, and through it, instead of cold wind, he felt a moist mist, with the faint shadow of water plants.
As the vortex vanished, Rhode felt his Magic Power pour out like a flood, more than half gone in an instant.
Ripples wavered on the ground like a water surface, and a green, shelled creature, about one and a half meters tall and two meters long, emerged from the ripple.
Six legs, a pair of short pincers, and two shimmering green eyes atop a pair of antennae resembling twin ponytails on its head.
It seemed wider, shorter, and smaller than an average van.
"Is this... a crab?" Makarov looked slightly up at the creature that was taller than him.
"I think so..." When it appeared, Rhode already knew the creature's name, "It's called the Gorge Swift Crab, coming from the river of Summoner's Rift, its specialty... running fast?"
The Gorge Swift Crab, commonly known as River Crab, Crab, River Realm Crab, and so on.
Like the Poro, it's a creature from the game League of Legends, just found on a different map.
More precisely, it comes from the Serpentine River or Serpent River, just that Rhode, like most players, didn't know the name of the river path.
Unlike the Poro, which is more like a mascot, the Gorge Swift Crab is a neutral creature, or commonly known as a wild monster, providing money and experience points upon being killed.
In the game, River Crab might be the weakest of all wild monsters because it—
Does! Not! Attack!
It's said that in ancient versions, the River Crab once had attack power, but when Rhode played, it was just a wild monster that would only run when attacked.
This was one of Tatsuya's favorite wild monsters, almost every time, before or after supporting Rhode on the lane, Tatsuya would clear a River Crab for fun.
Getting a kill was optional, but the River Crab must be cleared.
Regarding the fact that his second summoned creature might also lack attack power, Rhode wasn't too disappointed.
Because what troubled him more was that his summoning route might not align with what he imagined.
He'd thought he could gain the aid of various beau... powerful heroes, but now it seemed it might just be wild monsters.
Rhode gripped the necklace Tatsuya had given him with mixed feelings—should he say that it was indeed a gift from the arrogant jungler?
If this continues, maybe I should change my name to Ivern instead of Rhode.
Despite his complaints, he knew he still had to practice this magic.
Even though it didn't follow the direction he expected, being able to summon wild monsters was still quite powerful.
One day, if he could summon the small and big dragons, wouldn't that make him invincible in this world?
Putting those thoughts aside, the size of this Swift Crab was somewhat beyond Rhode's understanding.
But considering the comparison between heroes and the River Crab in the game, it did seem about this big.
Although in the game it didn't possess any aggression, in reality, just based on its size, a crash could be quite lethal, right?
Feeling the tangible magic bond between himself and the Swift Crab, and with the President at his side, Rhode mustered the courage to approach it.
The Swift Crab, as if understanding Rhode's intentions, gently lowered its body, allowing Rhode's hand to rest between its two antennae—completing a head-patting gesture.
The texture was cool, maybe a bit damp, but fortunately, it wasn't fishy at all.
"Do you have any special abilities that I don't know about?"
Rhode reckoned the game's settings might translate differently into the Magic Realm and thus asked.
He'd asked similar questions to Polverom...
And then, Polverom had performed its mighty skills of hugging legs, pouncing into arms, and eating food.
Now Rhode only hoped that this Gorge Swift Crab could bring him a little surprise.