"BOOM!"
With a single "Pegasus Meteor Fist," Marco blasted dozens of massive magical beasts into chunks of flesh, yet it did nothing to stop the relentless tide of beasts charging at him.
"Damn, the beast tide here really is something else. This is intense!"
Marco showed no fear or hesitation.
He followed up with a "Diamond Dust Fist," freezing a large group of beasts into ice sculptures, which were then shattered into pieces by the stampede of others.
In this forest, the endless horde of beasts seemed boundless.
Only now did it become clear just how many magical beasts lurked here—all of them now in a frenzied state.
These beasts weren't just attacking outsiders; they were also slaughtering each other.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have stayed hidden in the forest—they would have already rampaged beyond it.
So, as long as one didn't venture too deep into the Nord Forest, this mission was relatively safe.
The main task was simply to intercept any stragglers and prevent the beasts from breaking out and wreaking havoc.
But Marco wasn't one to play it safe.
He left the job to the crows and ventured deep into the forest alone, intending to literally "get along" with the beasts—by beating them into submission.
Thus, the magical beasts of Nord Forest soon discovered that a terrifying, hairless ape had entered their domain, going on a rampage so wild it put even the native beasts to shame.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions echoed continuously as Marco swung his fists, fighting his way from the south to the north, effectively punching straight through the entire Nord Forest.
"This is... the coastline."
Emerging from the trees, Marco looked ahead to see an endless expanse of ocean.
He had truly fought his way from the southern entrance all the way to the northern shoreline, carving a path of destruction through the forest and smashing countless beasts along the way.
"Beyond the sea lies the enemy!"
Standing by the shore, Marco recalled a classic line.
But as for what exactly awaited on the northern continent of Guiltina, Marco wasn't sure.
He only knew that the first magic guild, "Magia dragon" had been established there.
That was a long time ago.
Nowadays, interactions between Guiltina and Ishgar were scarce—at least, Marco rarely heard any news from there.
The only notable thing about Guiltina was that it was the location of the "Century Quest."
It had even less presence than the western continent of Alakitasia, which had recently made waves.
Not long ago, the Alakitasian Empire from the western continent had suddenly attempted to invade Ishgar, causing quite a stir and making everyone aware of the isolated western continent and its terrifying empire.
"So, there are still plenty of potential threats—the Century Quest, the unreachable Guiltina, the ever-watchful Alvarez Empire eyeing Ishgar..."
Marco had always felt that Fairy Tail lacked a clear main storyline—at least, he hadn't found anything resembling one, like a demon king waiting to be defeated.
Now it seems that the "Century Mission" and the "Alvarez Empire" might be two very important questlines.
Glancing at the unknown continent across the sea in the distance, Marco turned and left.
It wasn't the right time to explore that place yet—no one could say for sure what mysteries that strange, unknown land held.
"Boom!"
Marco threw a punch, sending the pangolin-like magical beast flying.
Surprisingly, its armored shell remained intact.
"As expected, even among magical beasts, there are formidable ones." Marco looked surprised.
For this pangolin to withstand his punch, it was clearly no ordinary magical beast.
Its shell was incredibly tough—perhaps even suitable as material for crafting armor.
These past few days, Marco hadn't just been indulging in the thrill of battle.
He had also been researching how to craft his own "Cloth."
Having previously obtained the "Cloth Repair Manual" and now acquiring the "Aries Gold Cloth," he practically had everything he needed.
The "Aries Gold Cloth" came with the innate ability of the "All-Seeing Eye" and powerful "Psychokinesis," both essential for repairing Cloth.
Naturally, crafting his own Cloth would also require these abilities.
Marco never expected to perfectly replicate the strength and abilities of an authentic Cloth.
But with the abundance of Cloth materials he had accumulated over time, he could at least craft inferior versions—"Black Iron Cloth"—and put these materials to good use.
Since they were already inferior imitations, Marco didn't mind incorporating materials from this world into the "Black Iron Cloth."
"Don't run! My Cloth material!"
Marco reached out and grabbed the pangolin trying to burrow underground.
Its shell would be perfect for reinforcing the "Black Iron Cloth."
In a way, these imitation Cloths were somewhat similar to "Dark Cloths," since "Dark Cloths" were also replicas.
After capturing several of these peculiar pangolin-like beasts and harvesting a few shells, Marco finally returned to his camp.
"Only in this world could I get away with this. Back in my original world, catching these pangolin lookalikes would've landed me in prison for life."
Tossing the shells onto the ground, Marco muttered to himself.
Though they only resembled pangolins, their shells were far harder—nothing like the real thing.
They could even withstand Marco's punches.
"Let's try crafting a set first."
After a quick meal, Marco began preparing to craft the imitation Cloth.
It sounded simple in theory, but the actual process was incredibly complex and tedious.
Crafting an imitation Cloth was entirely different from repairing one.
Repairing involved patching and restoring an existing form, while crafting required building something from scratch.
"Come forth, Lyra Silver Cloth."
Marco summoned the "Lyra Silver Cloth."
The first imitation he had in mind was the "Lyra Silver Cloth," since he had taken on a disciple specializing in the "Lyra" constellation.
After summoning the "Lyra Silver Cloth," Marco donned the "Aries Gold Cloth."
After all, all his Cloth-related abilities relied on the "Aries Gold Cloth"—this was the key to crafting an imitation.
"All-Seeing Eye."
Looking at the "Lyra Silver Cloth" that resembled a large lyre, Marco formed a triangle with his hands in front of his eyes and began carefully observing the Cloth through it.
"Perspective Eye"—this was an ability the Jamir clan excelled at.
Their vision could penetrate deep into the Cloth's interior, discerning its atomic structure and precisely locating areas needing repair.
To be accurate, this ability could be considered a lesser version of the "All-Seeing Eye," not as powerful in effect.
However, the "Perspective Eye" wasn't meant for combat.
It consumed little energy and was more convenient for daily use.
To replicate a Cloth, one naturally had to thoroughly understand its structure—what materials were used where, the methods of construction, how the atoms bonded—everything had to be seen clearly.
Cloths of different ranks, even those of different constellations, might employ entirely different crafting techniques, making the difficulty of replication vary greatly.
For example, replicating the "Phoenix Bronze Cloth" was extremely challenging, given its inherently unique nature and the obviously non-standard techniques used in its creation.
"The Lyra Silver Cloth also has its peculiarities, especially in those strings. Ordinary materials can hardly replicate them."
After a full scan of the "Lyra Silver Cloth," Marco felt a pang of frustration.
This was another Cloth that wouldn't be easy to replicate.
Indeed, copying Cloths was no simple task.
Marco recalled that among the "Dark Cloths," the Bronze Saint Cloths had the best replication results.
The Silver and Gold Cloth replicas were far inferior, and even the Bronze replicas fell short of the originals.
Higher-grade replicas were out of the question.
Of course, this might also relate to the sheer amount of materials required for Silver and Gold Cloths.
These replicas couldn't possibly afford the luxury of using large quantities of Orichalcum, Gammanium, or Silver Star Sand—especially Orichalcum.
The strength of a Cloth was closely tied to, if not largely determined by, the amount of Orichalcum used.
"If I'm willing to invest in materials, even with slightly inferior techniques, the replicated Cloth would surely surpass the Dark Cloths, right?" Marco chuckled.
Indeed, no matter the task, ample resources could make things twice as easy.
If all else failed, one could always throw money at the problem!
"What material should these strings be made of? Animal tendons?"
Marco pondered as he rummaged through his material chest.
Over the past few days, he had collected various animal tendons, horns, hides, scales, and similar items.
For materials requiring careful preservation, Marco had stored them directly in his "refrigerator"—the ice he created was the most practical "fridge" imaginable, remaining solid even under scorching sunlight.
"Let's give it a try. No need to aim for perfection right away—just practice first."
With materials prepared, Marco was ready to begin.
He maintained a relaxed mindset, unafraid of failure—or rather, he had already steeled himself for it.