Rhode didn't plan to join the race, but he definitely didn't want Fried to get ahead.
If this guy got to the island first, he worried every step would be a trap, which would be super annoying.
Natsu with Hapi, Gray with Loki, Kana with Li Li, Jubia with Lisana, all these groups gathered around.
Some stood on the deck, some floated in the air, blocking Fried and Biguslo from all angles, looking unfriendly.
Things had gotten out of hand.
Fried smiled wryly, "Um... even if I don't lift the technique, it'll automatically lift in 5 minutes."
No one spoke, just stared at him fiercely.
Suddenly, two splashes sounded, and Reby and Gajeel's silhouettes were already gone from the ship.
The technique rewrite that Reby studied last time hadn't been tested yet, but this time it unexpectedly came in handy.
Kana joyfully said, "Right! Reby learned to rewrite techniques last time!"
However, Natsu impatiently tried it and still couldn't get out, "Why? Did that Reby only care about herself?"
Just then, Ibarglin took out a pen, poked a hole in the technique, and winked at Elfman, "After all, I teamed up with Fried for so long."
"Oh~~~ awesome, Ibarglin!" Elfman was overjoyed, even though it wasn't his intention, he really found the right partner.
"Let's go!"
"A man!"
The two leaped, swimming towards the shore, chasing Reby and Gajeel.
Natsu got knocked on the wall a few times by Hapi and had no choice but to retreat, glaring at Fried.
"I get it." Fried helplessly waved his hand, and the technique disappeared, "Is this okay now?"
"Hapi, let's go!"
"Aye!"
This time it was finally smooth sailing, Natsu and Hapi quickly flew out, soon catching up with the two groups that left earlier.
"Miss Kana, let's set off too." Li Li handed his longsword to Kana since his small body wasn't convenient for carrying the sword.
"Just call me Kana." Kana laughed, "Please take care of it."
Li Li grabbed Kana's shoulder and chased after Hapi and Natsu.
Mest and Lucy were long gone.
Jubia and Lisana jumped into the sea, one transformed into a stream of water, the other into a sea fish.
Gray first put on shorts at Loki's reminder, then jumped off the ship, "Ice-Make: Floor!"
The two must have trained beforehand, skillfully skating towards the shore on ice.
"Hurry up, Fried!" Biguslo floated in mid-air, stepping on his puppet.
Fried looked at Rhode, "Can you let me go now?"
"Alright, looking forward to meeting you in the exam." Rhode released Fried, and a pair of blue and white dragon wings sprouted from his back.
Partial reception: Cloud Sub-Dragon Wings.
He scooped Wendy up at his side and flew away, flapping his wings.
Carla shouted, "Good luck, Wendy! And be careful!"
"I know!" Wendy really wanted to protest to Rhode, but Carla's interruption made her forget.
Besides, Rhode quickly took her and overtook Li Li and Kana, catching up with Hapi and Natsu in front.
"What?!" Natsu was shocked; when did Rhode become so fast?
Hapi was equally surprised; when Rhode first learned to fly, he could never catch him!
Unless with the lure of fish.
Fortunately, the distance wasn't long, so they couldn't widen the gap too much.
Not long after Rhode and Wendy landed, Natsu arrived too.
A neatly stacked bonfire burned on the open ground, and ahead were nine paths leading to nine entrances, each marked with a letter.
From A to I.
The entrance labeled F was sealed by magic, indicating someone had entered.
Wendy wondered, "Did someone get here faster than us?"
"It should be Mest and Lucy." Rhode knew Mest's magic, space element is really bothersome.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Natsu rushed over anxiously.
"What's the hurry, no one else is competing with you." Rhode said, "Which one do you want to choose?"
Since the President mentioned luck was part of the assessment, there definitely wouldn't be any hints visible outside these nine paths, so Rhode didn't care which one to pick.
Natsu sniffed around, aside from catching some of Lucy and Mest's scent at F, there wasn't anything special.
After thinking for a moment, Natsu suddenly smacked his palm and rushed out, "I'll choose E! Erza's E! Just you wait, Erza!"
"Why pick Erza?" Hapi didn't understand, but could only follow.
As they entered, entrance E was sealed just like F.
Seeing Natsu so eager, Wendy began to feel a bit nervous too, "Brother Rhode, which one should we pick?"
"According to Natsu's logic, I should pick M, but there's none." Rhode chuckled, "You pick, just pick a letter you like."
"Eh? Me?" Wendy's voice gradually softened, "I like... D."
Rhode thought of saying he liked it too, but couldn't spoil the kid.
But it seemed Wendy understood everything, no need for him to guide her.
"Let's go then."
Meanwhile, Li Li and Kana had also landed, Rhode casually waved at them and led Wendy into the entrance.
—Of course, the Gorge Swift Crab led the way first, followed by the two of them.
"Kana, which path should we choose?" Li Li easily switched to addressing her correctly.
"Since it's about luck, let's rely entirely on it." Kana casually drew out six cards, skillfully shuffled them, and flipped one out with her thumb.
"It's decided, we'll choose A!"
Then Fried and Biguslo landed, without much hesitation they entered entrance B directly.
The entrances sealed one by one, next to arrive were Jubia and Lisana's team, and Gray and Loki's team.
"Gray-sama~" Jubia had a tendency to fangirl again.
"Jubia, troubling Gray now will get you disliked, let's quickly pick a path."
"Jubia!" Jubia snapped out of it, thought briefly, then pointed to a path, "H!"
Hand-in-hand they entered, Lisana secretly marveled at how well brother-in-law's persuasion worked.
Loki elbowed Gray, "You really are popular with girls."
"Do you have the right to say that?" Gray didn't want to discuss it, "Let's go, we'll pick G."
Two more paths sealed, Elfman and Ibarglin landed, followed by Reby and Gajeel.
Elfman stared blankly at the last two entrances, collapsing, "The man didn't succeed in the first battle! We were among the first to set off, yet ended up arriving last."
Ibarglin, who could fly but forgot at the start, felt a bit embarrassed.
She only hoped Elfman wouldn't remember she could use flying magic, hastily changing the subject, "If you're a real man, stop complaining, quickly pick one!"
The word 'man' was incredibly effective, Elfman's gaze sharpened, "Of course, we'll pick the one ahead, we'll choose C!"
When Reby and Gajeel arrived, naturally only entrance I remained.
"Damn... every single one of them can fly!" Gajeel fumed, "If only Li Li paired with someone else..."
Reby felt a bit down, "I'm sorry, even though it's my exam, I've held you back."
"Uh, it's not... I wasn't complaining about you." Gajeel awkwardly scratched his chin, "Besides, it's not first-come, first-served, and I is nice, Iron's I, I like it!"
Reby sneaked a glance at Gajeel.
This iron blockhead, sometimes he really knew how to say the right thing.
He seemed quite dependable too.