By mid-November, the air in Magnolia had grown noticeably colder. Early risers could already spot a delicate layer of frost shimring on the withered yellow leaves and weeds along the streets.
Rhodes had recently invested in a bathing appliance for his ho, finally granting him the luxury of constant hot water.
As the days grew chillier, his clothing gradually beca thicker, and Rhodes found himself increasingly fond of carrying Warm whenever he went outside. The little fluffball radiated heat like a portable heater, making outings significantly more pleasant.
Warm's popularity in the guild soared daily; everyone adored holding the lovable creature, and it was becoming harder and harder for them to put him down.
Many guild mbers even jokingly asked Rhodes to summon more Poros, wishing they could each have their own fluffy companion.
Unfortunately, Rhodes had to disappoint them—other summons could exist in multiples, but Warm was uniquely singular.
His landlord, Goodman, had suddenly beco quite popular lately. According to Goodman, the wood carvings Rhodes gifted him inspired his father to improve their carving techniques, resulting in their crafts becoming highly sought-after.
Similarly, Mrs. Molly had eagerly studied the fabric Rhodes gave her, using it to enhance her own textile work.
As a token of gratitude, Goodman generously reduced Rhodes' monthly rent by 20,000 Jewel, bringing it down to a re 60,000 Jewel—a remarkably low rate for such a comfortable ho in Magnolia.
Life was steadily improving, though Master Makarov remained troubled by Rhodes' continued reluctance to take missions.
If things kept going this way, Makarov's retirent plans might need yet another delay.
'When exactly would Rhodes beco S-Class?'
"Master," Rhodes approached him one day.
"Oh?" Makarov perked up hopefully, "Finally deciding to take another mission?"
"Actually, I wanted to ask for your help," Rhodes explained, pointing toward the guild's backyard.
"Ah, are you planning a new Take over form?" Makarov nodded approvingly, pleased Rhodes was looking to grow stronger.
"Not exactly," Rhodes hesitated. "I'm still ntally preparing myself about that particular target."
Truthfully, Rhodes wasn't keen on receiving theGromp—its grotesque appearance made him hesitant about what form he'd end up taking. However, its toxic abilities held considerable appeal for battles. Imagine the psychological impact of having a "strike and you'll be poisoned" aura!
Yet, the thought of being covered in warts, even temporarily, required careful consideration.
"Today, I'm planning to summon sothing bigger," Rhodes announced.
"Really? Excellent, let's go then," Makarov smiled, recalling Rhodes' earlier impressive summons like the Brambleback and his strange auxiliary magic.
After discovering the "Crest of Cinders" spell had healing properties, Rhodes humorously attempted using it daily to extend the guild master's life expectancy.
Though ultimately proving ineffective for longevity, Makarov cherished the gesture deeply—his children's concern was truly the best dicine.
The guildhall bustled as usual, albeit slightly quieter, mostly because their loudest troublemaker was slumped over a table, sound asleep.
Rhodes cast a curious glance at Natsu; it was rare to see him this lethargic unless he'd been recklessly snacking again. "Did he eat sothing weird again?"
"Don't worry about him," Makarov dismissed lightly.
Slightly puzzled, Rhodes accompanied the master into the backyard, quickly focusing his magic energy.
"I summon you..."
"Blue Sentinel!"
Rhodes completed his chant seriously, calling forth the na of the summoned creature. Instantly, a radiant blue glow illuminated the ground.
Chunks of stone rose up, rapidly assembling themselves into a towering stone giant.
Though not as imnse as Master Makarov's giant magic, it still stood impressively around fifteen feet tall.
Within its stone torso pulsed a vibrant blue sphere of energy, giving off an entirely different presence than the red sphere carried by the Red Brambleback.
This was the Blue Sentinel, Paired with its counterpart, Red Brambleback, both held significant roles as powerful summons, frequently contested by others.
Standing upright on two massive legs, the golem appeared even taller than the quadrupedal Red Brambleback. Still, its expression seed a bit vacant, lending a comically gentle air.
Master Makarov maintained his protective stance, carefully watching Rhodes as always, ensuring the summoned creature was obedient before checking its abilities further.
Rhodes gauged the magic within him, noting, "Summoning this one consus about the sa magic as the Red Brambleback. And it should have its own auxiliary magic as well."
Pointing at himself confidently, Rhodes commanded, "Crest of Insight!"
The glowing blue sphere in the Sentinel's chest shone brightly, releasing a wave of azure energy that enveloped Rhodes.
Imdiately, three transparent blue symbols materialized, gently orbiting around Rhodes before rging seamlessly into his body.
A mont later, the symbols reappeared, repeating their elegant rotation and absorption.
With each rotation, Rhodes could distinctly feel his magical energy regenerating slightly—the core function of the Blue Sentinel's "Crest of Insight."
However, sustaining the Sentinel still required considerable magical energy. Currently, the regeneration rate seed slightly slower than his expenditure, causing Rhodes to frown thoughtfully.
"Sothing's off," he muttered, perplexed.
Curiously, Rhodes had an idea. Turning to Makarov, he asked, "Master, would you mind giving it a try?"
"Of course, go ahead," Makarov agreed, stepping forward.
"Crest of Insight!" Rhodes pointed toward Makarov, releasing another burst of radiant blue light. Identical symbols circled around the guild master but refused to rge with him, simply drifting gently in orbit.
Makarov, unaware of the subtle issue, tilted his head slightly, puzzled. "Is it not working on ?"
Rhodes shook his head gently. "No, Master, you might need to use a bit of magic to see its true effect."
"Oh?" Intrigued, Makarov casually raised his hand and released a quick flash of light magic into the air.
Instantly, the hovering blue symbols surged into his body, replenishing the magical energy he'd just expended before quickly regenerating again.
"Is this capable of instantly restoring magic power?" Makarov's eyes widened montarily, a flicker of alarm crossing his face. He was aware of only one thod capable of such rapid restoration, a closely guarded secret of Fairy Tail.
No, wait, that couldn't be right—it shouldn't be that powerful.
Quickly regaining composure, Makarov cast several potent defensive spells in rapid succession, intentionally depleting his magical reserves significantly.
When the blue symbols reabsorbed into him again, he exhaled softly in relief. Thankfully, the regeneration wasn't unlimited, nor as instantaneous as he'd initially feared.
Yet confusion lingered. At this impressive recovery rate, why was Rhodes still visibly losing mana?
Rhodes smiled ruefully, understanding the issue perfectly. "It's because I'm still too weak."
Indeed, this ability replenished magical energy proportionally, much like its original ga chanic.
For soone as imnsely powerful as Master Makarov, the Crest of Insight allowed near-constant spellcasting in a short ti, practically simulating unlimited magical output.
However, with Rhodes' comparatively smaller magical reserves, the effect rely prolonged how long he could sustain the golem.
Still, Rhodes wasn't discouraged. Even as he used mana, the ongoing recovery ant he could sustain the Blue Sentinel through prolonged battles, unlike the more demanding Brambleback summon that served mainly as a last-resort trump card.
Once his magic capacity improved, Rhodes knew he'd soon reach equilibrium—making the powerful summon effectively free in battle! With the Sentinel's considerable size and strength, even a simple punch from it would cause far more damage than Rhodes could on his own.
Judging his remaining mana thoughtfully, Rhodes remarked, "I think I could attempt to Take over this form in a few days."
Makarov glanced at him with concern. "Are you sure about that? Didn't you ntion take over consus far more magic than summoning?"
"True... I might collapse right after Take over," Rhodes admitted cheerfully. "But at least I wouldn't have to summon it again later. I'd gain a powerful new transformation."
After so ntal calculations, Rhodes decided carefully, "It might be wiser to wait just a few more days to be safe."
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