Chapter 86.1 : Temptation??

In the underground laboratory, tension filled the air.

"What should we do, Mr. Frank?" one of Frank's men asked, glancing nervously at John, who was now asleep.

Initially, they had planned to deceive John by offering him a counterfeit version of the Eternal Blood. 

They'd conducted several experiments with failed products that, while temporarily making people look younger, would quickly drain their life force, leading to sudden death. 

But they hadn't expected John to actually inject them with a deadly poison.

Now, if John died, they knew they would die too.

"Don't panic. Does John really think his poison is unbeatable?" Frank replied through gritted teeth. "We're experts in blood research! We can find a way to reverse this."

"I have an idea, Mr. Frank. How about a blood transfusion? We could replace his blood with something else," another person suggested.

"Good thinking. We have plenty of untested blood," Frank said, nodding. They quickly searched for compatible blood types to use in their escape plan.

"Alright, let's move," Frank ordered.

Meanwhile, a burst of dark energy erupted from the underground entrance, revealing Wade's location. He hadn't used the underground passage to escape because he wasn't familiar with the Ahhanita family's network of secret exits. 

Knowing that Laxus would likely pursue him through the underground passages, he opted for a different strategy, staying hidden until the other mages had entered the underground labyrinth. 

Once they were inside, he slipped out through a different route.

"This mission cost us dearly," Wade muttered as he surveyed the bodies strewn across the ground. "It was just supposed to be a simple job, but most of our guild got involved."

"Still, as long as I'm alive, I can rebuild the guild," he resolved.

"Curse that John," he spat. "He hasn't paid me the full commission yet, so I'll have to get it myself."

Wade had no loyalty to John. He only helped him because John, a cunning businessman, had structured the payment in installments, ensuring Wade kept coming back. 

The payout was so substantial that it would be enough to rebuild several dark guilds.

That's why Wade stayed.

However, his focus was solely on making money; he had no interest in risking his life.

He wasn't a fool. In this current situation, even if John managed to regain his youth, he would still get beaten to death by those mages. His failure was inevitable.

Wade found John's vault, his face lighting up with excitement.

"Laxus, don't bother with Wade. Take a right ahead. We'll meet in the lab to give Old Man John a surprise," Everit's voice crackled through to Laxus.

"Do you have him under control?" Laxus asked.

"Of course," Everit replied.

"All right," Laxus agreed.

John slowly opened his eyes. He felt a surge of life coursing through him.

Though he still couldn't stand, he could feel himself becoming younger.

A mirror was handed to him. John reached out and took it. Reflected back was the image of a young, handsome boy.

"Is this really me?" John touched his face, awestruck.

"Frank, is that you?" he called, turning around to greet his friend, but was startled to see a group of strangers instead.

John's expression shifted instantly. He commanded blood vines to lash out at the strangers while simultaneously pushing his body backward to gain some distance.

But with a sickening "thud," the blood vine pierced one of the strangers' bodies. Yet the man kept smiling as if nothing had happened.

The others quickly unleashed powerful magic, severing his blood vines with ease.

These were no ordinary mages—they were incredibly powerful.

John had heard whispers about these people before today, but witnessing their strength firsthand confirmed it: he stood no chance against them.

The downfall of the Death's Head Caucus Guild that day was proof enough—these mages were far beyond his capabilities.

John's mind worked quickly. He could use magic, but he wasn't a registered wizard. He was a businessman, and for decades, he'd used the logic of commerce to navigate the world.

John flashed a friendly, almost ingratiating smile as he spoke. "The Fairy Tail folks, huh? At your age, beating an entire dark guild? That's quite the feat!"

A few of the Fairy Tail members stared at him with blank expressions.

"But," John continued, "youth and strength are fleeting. As you grow older, you get weaker. Time takes its toll on everything. Your hair turns gray, your strength wanes, your magic fades. Eventually, you'll feel... empty."

"What are you getting at?" Everit stepped forward, ready for a confrontation.

John quickly assessed the situation and identified Everit as the one with the most influence among the group. "I don't think I caught your name, sir?"

"It's Everit," he replied.

"Mr. Everit," John said, "I don't think you fully grasp the magnitude of what I'm offering."

"No, I get it," Everit shot back. "You're lying to yourself."

"Lying?" John laughed and gestured to his own face. "Do you see this? I'm eighty years old. But thanks to an injection of eternal blood, I look no older than twenty!"

John raised his hands dramatically as he addressed the rest of the group. "And you, Mr. Powerful Wizard—your strength, your magic, your energy could all stay at their peak!"

"And you, lovely Miss Mage—you could stay young forever, always eighteen. Isn't that every girl's dream?"

John's voice was full of temptation, but the Fairy Tail members remained unimpressed.

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