Chapter 195: The 100-Year Quest
"The 100-Year Quest... A job that hasn't been completed in 100 years?!"
Lucy was stunned. Just how difficult was a job that couldn't be completed in 100 years? She had originally thought she was already a mature Guild Mage, but now it seemed she still had a long way to go.
The concept itself was terrifying. A century. Generations of Mages had been born, lived, and died while this request sat gathering dust, claiming the lives of those brave or foolish enough to attempt it. It was a legacy of failure etched into the very history of the Magic World.
Suddenly, a deep, rhythmic rumbling began to shake the floorboards beneath her feet. It wasn't an earthquake; it was something far more mechanical and deliberate.
"It's Gildarts!!"
"Gildarts is back!!"
The shout came from Alzack, who was peering out the window, his voice laced with a mixture of excitement and frantic urgency.
Immediately, a magically amplified announcement boomed across the entire town, echoing off the mountains.
[Magnolia Town is changing to Gildarts Mode! All citizens, please quickly proceed to your designated locations!! Repeat!]
The alarm blared like an air raid siren, sending the peaceful town into organized chaos.
Lucy was a little confused, clutching her keys as the guild hall itself seemed to groan. "What is Gildarts Mode?"
Mira, who was wiping a glass behind the bar with her usual serene smile, paused and gestured toward the open doors. "Go outside and see for yourself."
Lucy ran to the entrance and looked outside curiously. Her jaw dropped. "No way!! The city is splitting open!!"
It was a spectacle of magical engineering. The ground rumbled as the entire central street of Magnolia Town began to sink and separate. Buildings slid backward on massive rails, locking into new positions. The cobblestone road split down the middle, revealing a wide, pristine path that rose from beneath the earth, connecting the town entrance directly to the Fairy Tail Guild in a straight, unobstructed line.
It was as if the town itself was bowing in reverence to a king.
Mira walked up beside her and explained, "That's because Gildarts uses magic that Crushes anything he touches. If he walks over absentmindedly, he might accidentally smash the residential houses into rubble. To prevent massive property damage bills, the town underwent a magical restructuring."
"They modified the entire city just for this?!" Lucy shrieked, watching a bakery slide smoothly out of the way. "Where does the budget for this even come from?!"
"That's amazing, Carla!" Wendy exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she watched the transformation.
"Yes, it's amazingly stupid!" Carla crossed her arms, though even she looked impressed by the sheer scale of the absurdity.
"He's coming—!!"
A hush fell over the guild. Everyone looked toward the entrance, their faces showing expressions of admiration, nervousness, and pure awe. Even the usually rowdy members straightened up.
Ren also looked forward, his heart beating a little faster. He was very excited to meet Gildarts, who, in the anime, always gave off an extremely reliable feeling. He was the "Ace" of Fairy Tail, the man who stood at the pinnacle of the guild's strength.
He was also the only Mage in the anime whose foundational magic was the Super High-Level Destruction Magic—Crush. It was a magic that shattered the laws of physics, breaking matter into pieces with terrifying ease.
Ren activated his Six Eyes. Under the vision of the Six Eyes, the atmospheric mana was behaving strangely. It wasn't just flowing; it was trembling, vibrating in fear as a massive source of magical power approached.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed against the stone floor.
Soon, Gildarts walked into the Fairy Tail Guild. He had orange slicked-back hair, some stubble on his chin, and wore a somewhat ragged, dark green cloak that had clearly seen better days. He carried a large travel bag over one shoulder, his entire presence radiating the aura of a seasoned traveler who had walked through hell and come back with a souvenir.
"Gildarts!! Fight me right now!!!!"
The silence was shattered instantly. Natsu, flames already igniting around his fists, launched himself off a table. He immediately issued a challenge excitedly when he saw Gildarts.
Elfman was startled, dropping his fork. "He challenges him right away! That's a man!"
"Welcome back," Mira called out softly.
Gildarts blinked, looking around the guild hall with a dazed expression. He was a bit confused right now. He looked at Mira and asked, "Young lady, I remember there was supposed to be a guild called Fairy Tail nearby."
"This is it, and I am Mirajane."
"Mira?"
Gildarts walked closer, squinting his eyes as he looked closely at her face. "You've changed so much! And speaking of which, why does the Guild look completely new!"
The Mira he remembered was a punk-goth terror who constantly picked fights with Erza. She was practically a completely different person from the current gentle, smiling Mira standing before him.
"Gildarts!"
Seeing that Gildarts was ignoring him, Natsu had no choice but to attack first to get his attention. "Don't ignore me!!"
"Oh oh!! Is that Natsu!! Long time no see."
Gildarts finally noticed the pink-haired missile flying towards him. Natsu looked the same, with few changes; he recognized him immediately.
"I said, fight me!"
Natsu threw a punch toward Gildarts, putting his full weight and magic power behind it.
Bang!
There was no epic clash. Gildarts simply raised his hand, not even looking, and deflected Natsu upward. The motion was effortless, like swatting a fly.
Natsu flew straight up, crashing through the wooden ceiling and embedding himself in the roof.
"Maybe next time," Gildarts said casually, continuing his walk to the bar.
"A... as expected... he's super strong!" Lucy stammered, staring at the hole in the ceiling where Natsu's legs were dangling.
"The old man hasn't changed at all," Gray muttered, though a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"A man among men!!" Elfman roared, tears of manliness streaming down his face.
Gildarts scanned the room, looking at the familiar and unfamiliar faces. He couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Ah, there are some new faces. This place really has changed a lot!"
He had been gone for three years. Three years of wandering the harshest environments on the continent. Only upon returning did he realize how much time had passed; the Guild had completely transformed. The pillars were different, the layout was different, and the kids... they had grown up.
"Gildarts."
Makarov's voice rang out, authoritative yet warm. The tiny master sat on the bar counter, a mug of beer in his hand.
"Oh oh!! Master!! Long time no see!!" Gildarts grinned, dropping his heavy bag with a thud that shook the floor.
Makarov looked at his Ace, his eyes narrowing slightly as he asked with a serious expression, "How was the job?"
The bustling noise of the guild instantly vanished. Every ear strained to hear the answer. This was the question everyone wanted to know. The 100-Year Quest. The legendary mission.
"Gahahaha!"
Hearing Makarov's question, Gildarts scratched his head awkwardly and laughed. It was a hearty laugh, but to those who knew him well, it sounded hollow.
Makarov sighed, closing his eyes. He had watched Gildarts grow up, so he naturally knew what Gildarts' expression meant.
"It was no good, I couldn't complete it."
"What?!"
"No way?!"
"Gildarts..."
"He actually failed the quest?!"
Everyone in the Guild was incredulous upon hearing this. The shock was palpable. That was Gildarts, the strongest Mage in Fairy Tail. The man who could destroy mountains by accident. How difficult must a quest be for even him to fail?
"I see. Not even you could do it?" Makarov's voice was soft, laced with a trace of sadness but no judgment.
"I apologize for bringing shame to the Guild," Gildarts said, his smile fading into a grimace of remembered pain. He unconsciously touched his left side, beneath his cloak, where Ren's Six Eyes could see the chaotic, mangled flow of magic power—evidence of grievous, permanent injuries.
"Nonsense," Makarov said firmly. "It's enough that you returned safely. As far as I know, you are the first person to come back from that quest alive."
The 100-Year Quest meant that the quest had existed for 100 years. In those 100 years, countless powerful Mages challenged it, but all failed and died. The specific 100-Year Quest Gildarts undertook had never even seen a single person return alive. To survive was, in itself, a miraculous victory.
"I came back because I wanted to rest. Phew, I'm exhausted, completely exhausted." Gildarts stretched his arms, his joints popping. "Natsu, come to my house later; I have a gift for you! Well, I'm off now."
After Gildarts finished speaking, he turned and walked away, waving his hand dismissively. He seemed lost in thought, his gaze distant, completely oblivious that there was a solid brick wall right in front of him instead of the door.
"—!"
BOOM!
The wall didn't stand a chance. It shattered instantly upon contact with his body, exploding into dust and rubble. Gildarts walked straight through the newly created hole, stepping into the sunlight without breaking his stride.
Warren complained, clutching his head, "Gildarts, use the door! We just fixed that wall!"
Lucy was deeply shocked and intensely curious. Just how difficult was the 100-Year Quest that even the strongest Mage in the Fairy Tail Guild couldn't complete? And he had lost limbs... she could sense it. The way he moved, the way his cloak hung. It was terrifying.
Erza looked at Lucy, seeing her pale face, and said, "You are still too green to take on a 100-Year Quest."
"Do I look that excited?!" Lucy jumped in surprise; she certainly didn't want to take on that kind of quest. She was trembling with fear, not anticipation!
"The 100-Year Quest?"
Ren felt a stirring in his heart. Unlike Lucy, fear was not the primary emotion washing over him. It was a mix of caution and a gamer's greed for the ultimate loot.
"System," Ren called out internally, "how many lottery draws are rewarded for completing the 100-Year Quest?"
[Completing the 100-Year Quest rewards 100 draws!]
"100 draws!"
Ren's eyes immediately lit up; 100 draws sounded incredibly tempting. That was ten consecutive ten-pulls. That was a guaranteed Golden Legend, possibly even a Rainbow tier if such a thing existed. With 100 draws, he could potentially pull characters like Aizen, Madara, or maybe even Saitama. The power boost would be astronomical.
He took a step forward, his ambition momentarily blinding him to the reality of the situation.
"Master..."
"Absolutely not! You are the next Master. If anything happens to you, who will inherit the Guild?"
Makarov immediately vetoed the idea before Ren could even finish his sentence. He knew this young man, Ren; he dared to take on S-Class missions right after joining the Guild and usually craved high-difficulty quests like a starving man craves bread.
Countless powerful Mages have fallen while attempting this 100-Year Quest; even Gildarts, a monster among men, returned maimed and defeated. Makarov couldn't bear to send another child to their death.
It wasn't that he opposed Ren taking the 100-Year Quest—after all, every Mage wants to challenge it. It was the ultimate test.
However, Ren was still too young and had much greater room for improvement. Just like Gildarts, who only challenged the 100-Year Quest when he was over forty and had reached the peak of his magical maturity.
"The Master is right! A quest that even Gildarts failed must be incredibly difficult."
Mira put her hands on her hips and warned Ren, her smile gone, replaced by a stern, protective sisterly look. She knew how bold Ren was; she wouldn't stop him from taking other quests, but the 100-Year Quest was different. It was a graveyard.
"And Ren-kun," Mira added softly, leaning in slightly, "you just got back. Don't make us worry so soon."
Seeing Mira say this, and feeling the genuine concern from the Master, Ren had no choice but to give up. "Uh... alright!"
He scratched the back of his head, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He felt that perhaps he had gotten a little carried away recently. The consecutive victories against the likes of Zero, Jellal, and Laxus had inflated his ego slightly.
But the 100-Year Quest... that involved the Five Dragon Gods. The Water Dragon God alone was comparable to Acnologia. Even with his current template of Ulquiorra and Gojo's abilities, facing a being that could rival the Dragon King was suicidal. His magic power reserves were not yet infinite like the androids of Dragon Ball or the literal endless stamina of a true top-tier monster. Limitless consumed energy, and against a Dragon God, he might run dry before scratching their scales.
The difficulty of the 100-Year Quest was incomparable to other missions, and his own strength might not even surpass Gildarts' yet. Gildarts had immense magical power and experience. If he failed, Ren's chances were slim. Taking this mission was definitely too risky.
He also recalled the 100-Year Quest Arc in the anime; that was truly not a job for humans. It involved dimensional travel, dragon eaters, and gods. Challenging the quests in the anime's 100-Year Quest Arc with his current strength, while not necessarily a death sentence, offered almost no possibility of success.
He should wait until his magic power was higher before challenging it.
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