Rhode's description of the Canyon Vanguard made Makarov quite uneasy.
Given that the creatures he summoned were becoming increasingly powerful and peculiar, Makarov felt it necessary to find a more spacious, less populated area.
So, he led Rhode northwest, bypassing a small hill where the girls' dormitory was located, and left the urban area of Magnolia.
They continued until they reached a lakeside spot to the north, nestled against the mountains, before stopping.
This place, devoid of people, and even animals were rarely seen, ensuring that any disturbance wouldn't cost money.
Anticipating that summoning the Canyon Vanguard wouldn't consume a small amount of Magic Power, Rhode made some preparations in advance.
He first summoned two River Crabs to run a circle around the area, ensuring no idle individuals approached.
Then he summoned the Cyan Engraved Golem, granting himself a Crown of Insight, maintaining it until his Magic Power fully recovered before sending the crabs and golem back.
This way, the latest Crown of Insight effect could last another two minutes or so, roughly equivalent to an extra bar of Magic Power.
However, it wasn't something that could be fully restored immediately.
Makarov looked on as he busily worked, not saying much, only assisting with arranging some defensive means as before.
Although he felt the chance of needing them was low, it was nice to give the child some peace of mind.
As the chanting completed, Rhode's face turned pale, a sign of suddenly losing a large amount of Magic Power.
It practically drew his Magic Power to the brink of depletion.
Purple light gathered on the ground before them, and Makarov and Rhode heard a screech.
The sound was like both an insect and a snake.
Soon after, a colossal purple creature appeared, shaking its body and letting out a howl at the sky, then stood still quietly.
It seemed that the structure of this creature's body bore some resemblance to a River Crab.
But unlike the River Crab, it had a pair of hard-shell-like wings, a long tail, a horn on its head, and a size much larger than a River Crab.
If a River Crab were a small car, this thing was like a heavy truck.
The Canyon Vanguard, also known as Vanguard, Dragon's Son, or Great River Crab.
Considering LOL is a tower demolition game (probably), and the main function of the Canyon Vanguard is to help dismantle defensive towers, it's a quite important strategic type of creature in the game.
Besides, the new version of the Canyon Vanguard allows people to jump on its back to charge forward and knock enemies airborne quickly.
Due to its operation and special effects looking like a veteran driver driving, this creature is quite popular — who could refuse to show off a shrimp-catching household move in a combat game?
After the summoning matured, Rhode briefly interacted with the Canyon Vanguard, gaining some concise information.
As for its practical use, he would need to explore it himself.
Makarov glanced at Rhode's face, concerned, "How's your Magic Power?"
"Can't hold on for long; I'll test its power then let it retreat," Rhode pointed at a desolate small hill beside him, "Destroy it!"
The Vanguard let out a roar, stood up like it was gathering force, then its wings gently vibrated, charging towards the small hill with purple light shadows.
Boom~~~~
The Canyon Vanguard rammed into the small hill, generating a muffled thunderous explosion.
The impact site on the hill exploded like explosives, sending countless stones of various sizes flying.
The Defense Magic Array arranged by Makarov lit up, shielding the two from incoming stones.
"What astonishing destructive power!" Makarov exclaimed.
From his angle, the cracks on the mountain spread from the impact point down to the ground, up to the peak, and almost across the entire mountain.
If he turned into a giant and delivered a punch to this small hill, perhaps he could cause a similar disturbance, but it's doubtful it would be damaged so 'uniformly'.
This creature called Canyon Vanguard seemed designed to destroy the mountain as a whole with its attack.
Due to receiving the command 'destroy', the Vanguard didn't stop after ramming and lifted its massive pincers to smash down hard on the impact point.
Another round of stones flew, and the small hill seemed to shake, with the cracks on the mountain becoming more intense, and more stones rolling down the slope.
"Stop!" Rhode quickly called for a halt; if it went on, the small hill would cease to exist.
The Canyon Vanguard stopped its raised pincers and withdrew them, showcasing an excellent quality of obeying orders promptly.
Makarov, however, sighed, "Let it finish the demolition, it's more dangerous this way."
"That's true, then..." Rhode looked strained, truly exhausted.
The effect of the Crown of Insight was still in place, but restoration couldn't catch up with consumption.
After the Canyon Vanguard delivered another strike, its form became illusory, finally disappearing.
The good news was that after it disappeared, the Magic Power recovery rate became noticeably faster.
Looking at the teetering small hill, Rhode awkwardly asked, "Shouldn't you finish it? Waiting a few more minutes is fine too."
"It can't be helped." Makarov's body swelled, delivering a punch onto the mountain.
The already teetering small hill collapsed with a rumble into a pile of rubble, causing the ground nearby to tremble.
Dust filled the air, and the place where the two stood was enveloped in a yellowish haze.
Rhode covered his nose and mouth, but the next moment, he was lifted by the President's large hand, raised to a height clear of most dust.
Makarov carried Rhode out of the dust area before returning to his usual form.
The old man had a cheerful smile on his face, "Suddenly I feel better; let's head back!"
Oh, demolishing a small hill improves your mood; seems you're quite a mischievous destroyer too, aren't you, elder?
Rhode summoned the River Crab and returned to the Guild with the President.
On the way back, Makarov curiously asked, "What will you summon next time?"
"It might be a Dragon."
"A Dragon?" Makarov recalled the rumors from the day he found Rhode, saying someone saw a Dragon circling over the forest.
"I'm not sure if it's the same concept as the Dragons that Natsu seeks; I'll know after a few more months of effort."
To make the Canyon Vanguard a regular battle force, who knows how long it might take, likely several months before encountering a small Dragon.
This is thanks to the existence of the Blue Buff, which can greatly reduce the Magic Power required to turn new creatures into regular forces.
Makarov fell silent, Dragon Slayer Mage, Dragons...
A few more months later?
What kind of major events will occur?
"President, Rhode, finally you're back, Sister Mira has been waiting for you a long time."
Makarov asked, "Is something the matter?"
"It's the Blossom-Viewing Festival, the Blossom-Viewing Festival!" Laki said, "The day after tomorrow is the Blossom-Viewing Festival, we need to start preparing today."
"It's that time again!" Makarov became excited, "Should we start the banquet today?"
"You sure switch moods quickly..." Rhode had just seen the President looking worried.
"Of course!" Makarov said,
"As they say, there is no predicting the weather; sometimes we complete tasks effortlessly for high rewards, and other times we risk our lives for meager compensation.
We can't easily give up on tasks; it's a tradition for Mages. But regardless of current worries, tomorrow will always come.
So, as Mages, we must neither slack off on daily practice nor ignore today's happiness.
No matter what happens tomorrow, we will always courageously move forward with such thoughts."
Makarov extended a hand, index finger pointing up, with a benevolent smile:
"Only this way can one be considered a Mage of Fairy Tail."