Internet Magic in Fairy Tail Chapter 71 - 80, a fairy tail fanfic

Chapter 71: Arriving at the Council Headquarters, ERA

The Council's Custody Enforcement Unit entered the construction site, accompanied by a group of Rune Knights.

The members of Fairy Tail, busy with their work, were taken aback.

"Oh no, the military's here, run!" Natsu, like a mouse spotting a cat, immediately dropped the materials in his hands.

Happy quickly grabbed him. "They're here for Nate and Erza, Natsu."

Natsu stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brow.

Erza, wearing a foreman's outfit and a safety helmet, heard her name being called and approached the knights.

"I'm Erza. What's the matter?"

Though it was phrased as a question, she already had a sense of what was coming.

The squad leader nodded, confirming her identity, and announced loudly, "By order of the Magic Council, Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail, you are under arrest."

As expected, Erza wasn't surprised. Instead, she wore an expression of understanding.

Hearing this, the rest of the guild members quickly gathered around.

"Arresting Erza?! Are you joking? What's the reason?"

"I don't accept this! What law did she break?"

"Is this about yesterday? Why aren't you arresting Phantom Lord?"

Natsu and the others were outraged.

"Calm down, interfering with official duties could get you involved," the squad leader said nervously, wiping sweat from his forehead.

Just then, Nate walked over.

"Long time no see."

"Nate," the squad leader greeted before continuing, "You're also a target for arrest. Please cooperate."

Nate didn't remember the man's name, but he recognized him from the Eisenwald incident when this same officer had escorted Erigor and his crew, only to be attacked by Oración Seis.

Nate thought, 'He's still working? Did he even get time to recover? The Council should have at least given him a long vacation.'

Natsu clenched his fists, shouting angrily, "Is this about Phantom Lord? Why are Nate and Erza the only ones being arrested?!"

'Why are you asking me? I just follow orders!' the squad leader thought to himself, feeling exasperated.

"Stop it!" Erza shouted, silencing her comrades, and held out her hands. "I'll go with you."

"Thank you for your cooperation." The squad leader sighed in relief and ordered the soldiers to place cuffs on Erza.

Nate also cooperated. It was just a formality, after all, and he could take the opportunity to see Ultear.

"Nate..." Mirajane looked at him with concern.

Nate gave her an apologetic smile. It seemed that dinner would have to wait.

Soon, the two were escorted away by the Council's forces and loaded into a carriage.

Inside the carriage, Nate and Erza sat facing each other.

Since it was a prison cart, there were no windows, and the interior was pitch-black, with only enough light to barely make out each other's faces.

Nate easily removed his cuffs.

Erza was startled and quickly whispered, "What are you doing?"

"They're uncomfortable," Nate replied matter-of-factly. Then, kindly, he offered, "Want me to help with yours?"

"...It'll just make things more complicated. It's better to leave them on." Erza didn't want to cause more trouble.

But Nate took her hand and removed her cuffs as well.

The restraints for mages were magic devices that required a specific magic to unlock, but that was no issue for Nate. His Six Eyes easily broke the simple magic.

Erza: "..."

"We're still missing something. Hold on a second."

Nate touched the floor of the carriage, inscribing a magic circle.

In the next moment, he vanished from the prison cart.

When he reappeared, he was back at home. Casually, he went out to buy some snacks from a nearby shop and then returned to the cart.

"Here," Nate handed Erza a small cheesecake and a soufflé, along with two cups of coffee.

Erza stared in disbelief. 'Is this a field trip?'

Seeing her stunned expression, Nate asked, "You don't like it?"

"Th-thank you," Erza finally responded, accepting the treats.

She blinked, then asked, "Nate, how did you know this was my favorite?"

"You put it in your profile on the internet," Nate replied, handing her a cup of coffee while keeping one for himself. "It's a long way to the Council headquarters, so we might as well fill our stomachs."

Erza chuckled, "You're surprisingly relaxed, considering this is your first trip to the Council."

She remembered how nervous she had been the first time she was taken in.

Nate, however, was confident, thinking, 'Having a girlfriend in the Council gives you peace of mind.'

As they chatted and enjoyed their snacks, evening approached, and they finally arrived at the Council's Fiore branch.

Once there, Nate and Erza were led to a large magic teleportation circle.

With the help of several Council mages, the teleportation circle was activated.

It was Nate's first time experiencing the native teleportation magic of the Fairy Tail world. Unlike the instantaneous movement of the Flying Thunder God, this method gave a slight sense of dizziness, as space itself seemed to wrap around their bodies.

After what felt like a few seconds, a bright light flashed, and they found themselves at the Magic Council headquarters.

"Welcome to the Magic Council, ERA!"

Ultear stood outside the teleportation circle, accompanied by several guards, smiling as she greeted them.

"You two, follow me."

Ultear, a Council member herself!

Erza was somewhat surprised. Was their "crime" really that severe that it required a Council member to personally oversee it?

The two followed Ultear into the Council's prison. It wasn't a magic prison, just a regular cell.

The warden opened the cell door.

Ultear pointed to the cell and said matter-of-factly, "It's getting late. Your trial will be held tomorrow. For now, rest here."

She then turned to Nate and added, "Regarding Phantom Lord, I have some questions for you. Come with me."

Hearing this, Erza immediately stepped forward. "You can ask me instead. I'm the one who—"

"Don't worry, Erza. I'll be back soon," Nate reassured her, then followed Ultear out.

As they exited the Council building, Nate glanced back at the headquarters, thinking how it wasn't much different from a large villa.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked.

"Home," Ultear said with a smile, linking her arm with his.

Nate hesitated. "Won't this look bad?"

After all, he was technically here as a prisoner.

Ultear rolled her eyes at him. "You already took off your cuffs. Let's go."

Before long, Nate arrived at Ultear's home. Compared to his small place, Ultear was clearly well-off. She had a large villa with a small garden out front, full of flowers and plants.

Once inside, things quickly became intimate as the two embraced and kissed. Passion flared between them, leading to clothes scattered across the floor as Nate carried Ultear to the bed.

—(Omitted content)—

As the sun set and the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, two hours had passed.

Lying beside each other, covered in sweat, Ultear rested her head on Nate's arm, her eyes soft and filled with affection.

"Have you heard of the R-System? It's a forbidden magic… a magic for resurrection."

Chapter 72: Ultear coming Clean, Nate Nomination for the Wizard Saint

The 'R-System', also known as the 'Revive System', is a forbidden magic designed to resurrect someone by sacrificing a living person. It was created over 400 years ago by the dark mage Zeref.

"You want to resurrect Ur?" Nate immediately guessed Ultear's intention when she mentioned the R-System.

Ultear's cheeks flushed as she stared at Nate in surprise. She hadn't expected him to know about this forbidden magic.

"The Council classifies the R-System as forbidden magic for violating human ethics," Nate continued.

"Eight years ago, a black magic cult that worshiped Zeref tried to build the R-System to revive Zeref himself. At the time, the Council destroyed seven of the systems."

"I found traces of a possible eighth R-System hidden somewhere while researching in the Council's archives…" Ultear trailed off.

Before she could finish, Nate threw off the blanket, pulled Ultear onto him, and playfully slapped her on the butt.

Smack! Smack!*

"Ah!" Ultear gasped, her voice both surprised and indignant. "Why are you hitting me?"

Nate slapped her a few more times, a bit harder, and she felt a strange sensation in her lower abdomen. Her face turned even redder as she bit her lip, glaring at him but remaining silent.

"The R-System requires a living sacrifice. Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Nate asked, his expression calm.

It was the first time Ultear had seen him like this, and it made her uneasy.

"You want to sacrifice yourself to bring Ur back?" he continued.

"How… how did you guess that?" Ultear bit her lip, feeling both resentful and embarrassed that he had seen through her so easily.

"Can't I just find another sacrifice?" she retorted weakly.

'If she hadn't reconciled with her mother, I might have believed she'd use an innocent person as the sacrifice,' Nate thought to himself.

Now that Ultear had reconnected with her mother and cleared up their past misunderstandings, her motivations had changed. Instead of wishing to turn back time to when her mother still loved her, she now wanted to revive her mother using the R-System.

As Nate thought this through, his hands moved from slapping to gently massaging her.

"I feel like you're hiding something from me. I'll give you a chance to come clean."

Ultear remained silent for a moment before smiling softly.

"You're so annoying… What do you know? Can't a woman have some secrets?"

With a playful sigh, she continued, "Fine, I'll tell you everything…"

Ultear began recounting her life story, starting from when her mother sent her to a magic research institute. Nate already knew most of her history, but hearing it from Ultear herself made it more detailed and personal.

She spoke of joining 'Grimoire Heart', learning the Lost Magic of the Arc of Time, becoming one of the 'Seven Kin of Purgatory', and posing as Zeref's demon at the Tower of Heaven to manipulate Jellal.

Later, she joined the Council alongside Jellal's thought projection, Siegrain.

"Your sister is really a wicked witch… Do you hate me now?" Ultear asked, her body tensing slightly.

"Not at all," Nate replied without hesitation. He wasn't from this world, and as a transmigrant, he already knew about Ultear's past wrongdoings.

"So, you feel like you're unworthy of living and want to sacrifice yourself to revive your mother?" Nate added sharply. "I won't allow it!"

Moved by his words, Ultear had tears in her eyes and showed a rare vulnerable side.

"Then what should I do?" She hugged Nate tightly, resting her cheek against his chest, her voice filled with confusion.

"I'll find a way," Nate said, getting up and getting dressed.

The effectiveness of the R-System, or whether it had any side effects, was still uncertain. No one knew for sure if it could truly bring Ur back.

"Are you leaving?" Ultear sat up, watching him.

"I'm supposed to be in jail…"

Nate replied helplessly. Could he just stay here for the night? It wouldn't be fair to leave Erza alone in the cell.

"Wait," Ultear hurried out of bed, her gaze seductive. "Let me help you get dressed."

...

When Nate returned to the cell, Erza was sitting in a dark corner. The glow from the Internet Magic illuminated her face, making her look pale.

Hearing the jailer unlock the door, Erza looked up and asked with concern, "Nate, are you okay? That woman didn't give you trouble, did she?"

'Oh, she gave me trouble alright—she was thinking about sacrificing herself,' Nate thought but simply shook his head and smiled.

"We had a heartfelt conversation. I also brought back dinner," he said, sitting next to Erza after entering the cell.

The jailer locked the door behind him and left.

Erza looked at the dinner Nate brought, a mix of surprise and disbelief in her eyes. 'Does the Council belong to you? Even prisoners get a luxurious meal?'

"Thank you, Nate," Erza said, accepting the dinner with a smile.

Nate opened the internet and began working on some programming.

The 'Weekly Sorcerer' section was almost complete, and he aimed to finish it by the next day.

As she ate, Erza quietly watched Nate work. His focused expression was impressive, and his side profile was even more handsome than his front view.

Smiling softly, she ate her meal as quietly as possible.

After finishing, she sat beside him, curiously watching him code, even though she didn't understand it.

Before they knew it, night had fallen, and the cell was silent.

The only light came from the Internet Magic interface.

Nate typed the last line of code and tested the features of the new section. Everything seemed fine.

"Finally done," Nate sighed in relief, turning his head to see that Erza had fallen asleep, leaning on his shoulder.

Her sleeping face was delicate, with a few strands of red hair hanging over her nose, making her look like a true sleeping beauty.

Nate decided not to wake her.

...

The next morning, at 8 a.m., in the Magic Council's courtroom, Nate and Erza stood side by side in the defendant's area. In front of them were the Chairman and nine other Council members.

Nate noticed a familiar face.

Siegrain.

Jellal's thought projection was silently observing Nate and Erza.

Chairman Crawford Seam was methodically reading out a long list of charges.

Nate and Erza weren't paying much attention.

...

"About last night… I'm sorry," Erza said quietly, apologizing for using Nate's shoulder as a pillow.

Nate, unfazed, shook his head slightly and whispered back, "Do you also think this is dragging on too long? He's been reading for ten minutes."

Erza had to stifle a laugh, almost breaking the serious atmosphere of the courtroom.

"Ahem!"

Crawford Seam cleared his throat. "You two, maintain order in the courtroom."

Ultear, resting her chin on her hand, spoke with a teasing smile, "Chairman, just pronounce the verdict."

Siegrain nodded. "It's just a formality anyway. Let's wrap this up."

Crawford Seam sighed, setting down his papers and picking up the gavel. He then asked loudly, "Do you both plead guilty to the charges?"

"Guilty."

Bang, bang!*

After lightly tapping the gavel, Crawford announced the sentence:

"In light of your cooperation, the sentence is… one day of detention."

And with that, it was over.

Finally, Nate could relax.

"Well, Chairman, Council members, we'll be heading back to the cell now."

"Wait!" Crawford Seam quickly stopped them. Smiling, he said, "Let's have lunch together. Erza aside, Nate, it's rare for you to visit headquarters. I've been eager to learn more about your internet magic. I'll also give you a tour of the headquarters."

After a brief pause, he added, "And there's the matter of nominating you for the title of 'Wizard Saint'. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that."

'Is this really the time or place to be talking about this?' Nate thought, finding the situation a bit ridiculous.

"I'd be honored," he replied with a smile.

Erza looked dumbfounded. 'Is this a vacation? Lunch, a tour, and now a nomination?'

Chapter 73: Officially a Wizard Saint

Chairman Crawford Seam was a large man with fluffy sideburns, but Nate didn't have a strong impression of him.

While not exactly a minor character in the Fairy Tail storyline, Crawford wasn't particularly crucial either. Nate only remembered that Crawford had lost his chairman position after the Tower of Heaven incident.

Later, in his attempt to regain power, Crawford conspired with the dark guild 'Tartaros', but he ultimately met his end, consumed by his own ambition. Of course, that was a future event, and at this moment, Crawford showed no ill will towards Nate.

...

"Please, follow me," Crawford Seam invited, leading them to a spacious sitting room.

The chairman personally brewed tea for them. "This is my favorite chamomile. I hope it suits your taste."

Erza lifted her cup, inhaling the rich aroma. "A wonderful fragrance. Thank you for the hospitality."

Receiving such courteous treatment from the chairman of the Council was all thanks to Nate. Cautiously, Nate took a sip after detecting no suspicious magic influence in the tea.

"Chamomile, also known as the 'apple of the earth,' makes an excellent tea," Crawford said with a chuckle, looking like an ordinary, jovial old man.

Nate nodded in agreement; the tea was indeed quite good.

"Mr. Chairman..."

"We're off-duty now. Just call me Mr. Crawford," the chairman said kindly. As he spoke, he wore a ring on his hand, channeling magic into it, and the Internet Magic interface popped up.

"Nate, your Internet Magic is remarkable. I've been studying it and have been eager to ask you a few things."

"I'm flattered, Mr. Crawford. What would you like to know?" Nate asked attentively.

"First, the coverage range. I haven't tested it thoroughly, but I haven't found its limit yet."

"The coverage is continent-wide," Nate confirmed.

Crawford seemed to expect this. "I see. Is it just the Ishgar continent, or does it cover all continents?"

"All continents," Nate reiterated.

The world of Fairy Tail had several continents. The Kingdom of Fiore was located on the eastern continent, known as 'Ishgar'. Fiore, a permanently neutral country with a population of only 17 million, was situated on a peninsula in the lower-left corner of Ishgar. Across the continent, there were about 500 guilds.

Crawford was amazed. "It covers the entire continent... that's truly incredible!"

"Nate, the [Online Commission] board feature is very convenient. I want to promote it across the entire Ishgar. For that, we'll need more rings."

"These rings—are you the one manufacturing them? Would it be difficult to produce them in large quantities? The Council can assist you if needed."

Nate was slightly surprised. "To make managing all the guilds easier?"

"That's part of it. This will be a revolutionary step. The Council's current operations are a bit slow, and your Internet Magic would greatly simplify things."

Crawford Seam opened a chat group on his interface. The group was titled "Council," with ten members—himself and the nine other council members.

"This chat feature is also very handy. Many of our discussions can be handled here without convening formal meetings. However..." Crawford scratched his head awkwardly. "Typing can be a bit tedious. Is there a way to make it more like 'telepathic' communication, like some magic items?"

Nate thought for a moment. He knew voice communication would be more convenient, but it would significantly increase magic power consumption. Text transmission placed far less strain on Internet Magic.

However, with nearly 8,000 users now on the network, it might be able to support a voice feature.

"Yes, that's possible, Mr. Crawford. I'll include it in the next update," Nate said. "Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to share them."

"That's great to hear! As an old man, typing really isn't my strong suit," Crawford laughed, rubbing his bald head. "If we can talk directly, then... what about visuals? Can that be done?"

Nate was inwardly taken aback. 'You're really pushing it, aren't you?' he thought. Combining audio with visuals would be live broadcasting, which would increase the magic power demands even more.

"It's possible, but it might take until the next update," Nate replied, uncertain.

"Is there anything your Internet Magic 'can't' do?" Crawford exclaimed in amazement. "Is its principle based on integrating other magics, like the Super Archive?"

"In a way, yes," Nate replied, quickly changing the subject to avoid further ambitious suggestions. It felt like being a novelist faced with readers constantly demanding more chapters. 'The writer wants to update faster too, but sometimes it's just not possible!'

"Let's return to the previous topic," Nate said, taking out a small pouch and placing it on the table. "Here are 1,000 first-generation Internet Magic rings. They can only be used by mages, but I'm sure the Council will find them useful."

"Very useful! But... they're expensive!" Crawford looked a bit embarrassed. "At 1 million J per ring, we don't have that much in our budget."

A thousand rings would cost 10 billion J. While the Council could technically afford it, they didn't have extra funds lying around. The Council operated on a government budget, and every expenditure had to be justified.

"These will only be 10,000 J per ring," Nate smiled. 'It seems Master Makarov scared Crawford with his last deal...'

"That's a huge help! We'll put them to good use," Crawford said, visibly relieved.

Nate continued, "If you need more, I can provide second-generation rings that even non-mages can use. Once the first batch is ready, I can offer them at a more affordable price."

"Affordable"—meaning Nate planned to make a solid profit. 'Maybe I'll get Lucy's dad to negotiate the deal with the Council,' he mused.

After some thought, Nate added, "If you're looking for better ways to manage the magic world, I have a suggestion."

He opened the Internet Magic interface and displayed a feature that had yet to be updated.

"The 'Weekly Sorcerer' section," Nate introduced.

Crawford's eyes lit up at the sight. After hearing Nate's explanation, he applauded. "This is brilliant! You must make a similar section for the Council!"

With a Council-specific section, communicating orders would become far easier. As chairman, Crawford knew he'd gain recognition for such a move.

"Don't worry, Mr. Crawford. I'll include it in the next update," Nate agreed readily. He was eager to have the Council officially join Internet Magic.

'Should I create an 'official certification' tag for them?' he thought.

"Wonderful, Nate. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. Your magic truly is extraordinary!" Crawford laughed heartily, clearly pleased.

"Oh, and about your nomination for 'Wizard Saint'..."

"I'm honored," Nate replied, thinking, 'A free promotion? I'll take it!'

The conversation turned back to Internet Magic, with Nate and Crawford fully engrossed in discussion, leaving Erza to listen quietly. Rather than feeling neglected, she admired Nate even more.

'He's amazing!'

Being able to chat casually with the Council chairman and form collaborations with the Council—Nate wasn't just a regular mage. He was a visionary, someone capable of transforming the magic world.

Erza recalled Makarov's high praise for Nate, and at that moment, she truly understood its significance.

...

The meeting continued for a long time, and Crawford Seam eventually invited both Nate and Erza to lunch. He even cleared his schedule in the afternoon to personally give them a tour of the Council headquarters.

By the end of the day, they didn't even have to serve their jail time. Instead, Crawford arranged guest rooms for them, and by the next morning, they were officially "released."

After the meeting, the Council unanimously voted to award Nate the title of "Wizard Saint."

In a grand ceremony afterward, Siegrain personally delivered the "Wizard Saint" medal to Nate.

Ultear, who accompanied Siegrain, smiled and said, "From now on, you're one of the 'Ten Wizard Saints'!"

Chapter 74: Tower of Heaven

The "Ten Wizard Saints" medal was a round, blue medallion adorned with two raised intersecting lines, and in the four corners of the cross-section were petal-shaped designs. It was incredibly light, seemingly forged from a special kind of magical iron.

In addition to the medal, Nate also received a "Ten Wizard Saints" magic robe. The robe appeared to be made from luxurious material, with the symbol of the "Ten Wizard Saints" emblazoned on the back.

After the award ceremony, Nate and Erza were escorted out of the council headquarters by the staff, all the way to the front gates.

"Well, Mr. Nate, Ms. Erza, we'll leave you here," said one of the staff members before turning away.

Nate couldn't help but grumble, "Why don't they just use a teleportation spell to send us back?"

Erza shook her head. "That's just how the council operates."

"Never mind, I can handle it myself," Nate added. He didn't want to dwell on it, knowing he could use the "Flying Thunder God" technique. However, the distance would require a considerable amount of magic power.

"Before we head back, how about we check out the shops here and pick up some gifts for everyone?" Nate suggested.

Erza laughed, "You're really treating this like a vacation, aren't you?"

"Let's go," Nate responded with a grin as they made their way down the mountain.

The council headquarters was situated atop a mesa, surrounded by barren, yellow land with barely any trees in sight. The top of the mesa was flat, with a zigzagging path leading down to the bustling town below.

As they descended, a figure emerged from behind a statue up ahead.

Erza's expression immediately turned serious as she gritted her teeth. "Jellal!"

"Long time no see, Erza," said Siegrain with a smile, stepping closer. "No need to be so tense."

"What do you want?" Erza's gaze was sharp, treating him as an enemy.

Siegrain approached, reaching out as if to lift Erza's chin. "Before you leave, I wanted to remind you of something—"

Nate interrupted, grabbing Siegrain's wrist with a calm expression. "Could you not harass the women in our guild?"

"..."

Siegrain paused, then withdrew his hand with a smile. "Apologies."

After a moment, he walked past them, whispering a warning as they crossed paths, "It would be in both our interests if you kept quiet about that matter."

Erza's face darkened, her brows furrowed deeply. She waited until his footsteps faded into the distance before whispering, "Thank you."

"That matter?" Nate feigned ignorance. "If it's inconvenient to explain, I can pretend I didn't hear anything."

"No... it's not that it's a secret," Erza said, grabbing Nate's arm and urging him to keep walking.

It took her a while to regain her composure. "When I was young, I knew someone named Jellal. He did a lot of terrible things."

"And he's still doing bad things, isn't he?" Nate added.

"Right. And Siegrain is Jellal's twin brother. As his older brother, he's doing nothing to stop Jellal's evil deeds!" Erza explained, her fists clenched in frustration. "The first time I saw him, I even mistook him for Jellal."

"Is that so?" Nate responded nonchalantly.

Erza continued angrily, "He probably just doesn't want me to mention his brother in front of the other council members, especially the chairman. It would ruin his reputation as a council member."

"I can't stand him!"

Nate chuckled. Seeing Erza openly express her dislike for someone was rare.

"What are you laughing at?" Erza asked, confused.

"Isn't it possible he's tricking you?" Nate pointed to his eyes. "My 'Six Eyes' told me that was just a Thought Projection."

"What!?" Erza stopped in her tracks, shocked.

Siegrain versus Nate—of course, she believed Nate over someone she despised.

"Siegrain was just a Thought Projection?" she repeated, still in disbelief.

"Yeah."

"And he's always been a Thought Projection?"

"Yes, ever since the first time I saw him," Nate confirmed. "It's always been a Thought Projection operating."

He paused, then added, "Honestly, it's impressive. Neither the chairman nor the other council members noticed."

Nate genuinely admired the fact that Jellal's Thought Projection magic was strong enough to fool his fellow council members. On the other hand, it also highlighted the council's incompetence.

Erza's eyes widened in realization, and she immediately tried to turn back. "I need to confront him!"

"What for?" Nate held her back.

"To confront him directly!"

"Not now," Nate warned, "you don't have any proof."

"You're the witness!" Erza retorted.

"You trust me, but they might not," Nate reasoned.

Erza took a deep breath and calmed down, though her voice still held traces of anger. "So the Thought Projection... that means Jellal's behind this?"

What was Jellal planning? Was his magic really powerful enough that a mere Thought Projection earned him the title of Wizard Saint?

'The Tower of Heaven!'

The thought struck her, and she looked at Nate, her expression serious. "Nate, I have a request..."

'I can already guess what it is...' Nate thought, feeling a slight regret for exposing Jellal's secret.

Erza's determined gaze confirmed his suspicions. The last time she looked at him like this was back in the guild's medical room.

"I want to go to a place called the Tower of Heaven. I hope you can come with me."

Nate wasn't particularly eager, and his mind raced to think of an excuse.

"The Tower of Heaven? Where is it?" he asked, trying to buy time.

"I'm not sure... it's on an island in the sea, but I don't know the exact location," Erza sighed. "I tried asking about the R-System on the internet, but 'Voldemort' didn't respond."

In fact, she had been investigating the Tower of Heaven for years without success. Only recently, after seeing 'Voldemort' respond to Natsu's post, did she try reaching out.

"Voldemort?" Nate was surprised. He rarely paid attention to forum replies on his alt account and didn't realize Erza had asked about it.

"Well, let's head back first. You can post about the Tower of Heaven online, and maybe someone will know something," Nate suggested.

"You're right, that makes sense," Erza nodded in agreement.

Afterward, they went to town, bought a ton of gifts, and indulged in some heavy shopping.

Meanwhile, back at the council headquarters, Siegrain stood by the window, watching the two of them walk down the mountain. Behind him, Ultear covered her mouth, laughing softly.

"Going out of your way to warn that woman—what's the point, Siegrain-sama?"

"She's an essential sacrifice," Siegrain smiled. "The R-System is nearly complete. She'll come to my paradise on her own."

'The Tower of Heaven…'

Ultear's thoughts drifted. At this point, she no longer cared about the "Grimoire Heart," the "Grand Magic World," or the Tower of Heaven.

Now, only two things mattered to her: reviving her mother, Ur, and her beloved Nate.

'How am I going to revive Ur?'

Ultear sighed to herself. 'That brat Nate won't let me sacrifice myself…'

She felt touched by his concern, but besides the Tower of Heaven, she couldn't think of any other way.

'I'll have to rely on you to figure it out.'

Chapter 75: 0.5 Version, a Major Update

Erza accompanied Nate to town, where they shopped extensively. Since it was a rare visit to the Magic Council headquarters, they decided to bring back small gifts for their guildmates.

"For Lucy...," Nate thought as he opened his browser and looked at her profile titled "Gotta Earn Money." Under the 'likes' section, he found the answer: books and Celestial Spirits. Even the most common silver Celestial Spirit keys cost tens of thousands of J, and Lucy still owed him over ten million J.

So, Nate bought her a copy of the current best-selling novel for 1,400J from a bookstore. According to the store owner, this book hadn't been released in the Kingdom of Fiore yet, making it a perfect gift.

"And for Mirajane…" Nate didn't need to check to know what she liked—cooking. He picked up a cookbook from the same store, which cost 700J more than Lucy's novel.

Then there were Natsu, Gray, Elfman, Cana, Levy... and of course, Happy and Master Makarov.

When he tallied everything up, he realized he had spent over 100,000J.

"By the way, Erza, what would you like as a gift?" Nate suddenly remembered the knight beside him as they were about to head back.

Erza seemed surprised. "Me? I don't need anything."

"Let me think…"

Nate rubbed his chin. Beneath Erza's scarlet hair, he noticed a pair of orange earrings—something easy to overlook. Despite her serious personality and reputation as the "Fairy Queen," Nate recalled that Erza liked to dress up. She had maid outfits, nurse uniforms, bunny costumes—every kind of outfit!

Could this be the famous "gap moe"?

Thinking about it, Nate realized Erza's personality had its own unique charm.

"I've got an idea. Stay here and don't move; I'll be right back," Nate said before hurrying off.

"An orange?" Erza muttered, confused. Was he really going to give her an orange as a gift?

A short while later, Nate returned.

"This is for you. These earrings match your hair color better."

He held out a pair of exquisite black crystal earrings between his thumb and forefinger.

Erza was momentarily stunned.

Nate was the first person to ever give her earrings. In fact, had anyone ever given her a gift before? Probably not. Maybe because she was too strict, people had been afraid to give her anything.

She extended her pale hand, carefully taking the earrings into her palm to examine them closely. They were beautifully crafted, crescent-shaped, and inlaid with black crystals. The combination of red and black had always been considered classic. The black crystals would highlight her scarlet hair even more.

"Thank you, Nate. I really like them," Erza smiled, genuinely touched. "I should give you a gift in return."

"What are you going to give me?" Nate asked, intrigued.

"Stand right here and don't move. I'm going to go buy an orange too," Erza said with a smile, walking away.

Nate stood alone on the street, dumbfounded, watching her leave.

'Did she get the joke?' he wondered. 'No way Erza would understand that—she's not a transmigrator.'

Even if she didn't get it, she probably picked up on his teasing tone.

"Uh-oh, now she's using my own trick against me!"

Not long after, Erza returned with her own gift, now wearing the black crystal earrings.

"How do they look?" she asked, pulling back her long hair to show them off.

"They look great," Nate replied.

Erza nodded seriously. "I think so too. Here, this is for you," she said, handing him a small gift box.

"I'll open it later," Nate said, already having a good idea of what was inside.

"Alright, let's go. Hold on to me."

Nate took Erza's hand and activated his time-space magic. A golden magic circle appeared at their feet, the magic energy swirling powerfully and drawing the attention of passersby.

In the next moment, both of them vanished.

...

They arrived at Nate's apartment. The long-distance teleportation, especially while bringing someone along, had consumed three stars' worth of his magic energy.

They returned to the guild—or rather, the construction site—just in time for lunch. The site was deserted as everyone had gone downstairs for food. The basement, once used to store lacrimas and supplies, had been temporarily turned into a tavern while the guild was being rebuilt.

As soon as Nate and Erza arrived, the guild members gathered around.

"Nate, Erza, you're finally back!"

"Natsu was about to storm the headquarters if you didn't return soon."

"Hey, are those gifts in your hands?"

That certainly sounded like something Natsu would do, and Nate wasn't surprised.

"Don't worry, it was just a formality. Nothing to worry about. Erza and I picked up some gifts for everyone while we were out," Nate said, pulling out the presents from his bags.

Most of the gifts were modest, priced between 1,000 and 2,000J each.

"Macao, this pipe is for you, but maybe try to smoke less."

"Levy, this light pen is one of the priciest gifts."

"Cana, here's a new set of tarot cards."

The group excitedly gathered around Nate, beaming as they received their gifts.

"Wow, so many gifts?"

"Tarot cards? I was just thinking of getting a new set. Thanks, Nate!"

"Do I have one? Do I?"

Mirajane smiled, watching the joyful scene unfold without interrupting. It was no wonder Nate was so well-liked—everyone appreciated him.

After all the gifts had been distributed, the crowd dispersed.

"Do I get one too?" Mirajane blinked playfully. If everyone else got something and she didn't, she'd definitely pout.

"Of course, I got something for you—and the guildmaster as well," Nate said with a chuckle, handing her the gift bag. "By the way, where is the guildmaster?"

"Guildmaster? He's busy writing a self-reflection essay…" Mirajane replied with a wry smile.

'Self-reflection essay?' Nate thought with a hint of sympathy. It seemed the guildmaster wouldn't have time to teach him magic for a while.

As Nate looked around the makeshift tavern, his eyes landed on someone.

"Warren."

Warren, who was unwrapping his gift, looked up at the mention of his name.

"Nate? What can I do for you? Whatever it is, I'll help, even if it means crossing mountains and seas!"

Warren, whose full name was Warren Rocko, didn't stand out much in the guild, but appearances could be deceiving. Warren was actually one of the stronger mages and specialized in 'Telepathy' magic.

Nate sat across from him and said, "I'm going to develop a voice chat feature for the internet, and I'd like to learn telepathy from you. Could you teach me?"

Warren was momentarily surprised but then smiled. "Of course, I'll teach you everything I know."

...

Time flew by, and a week passed.

Warren taught Nate everything about 'Telepathy' without holding back. Learning it wasn't too difficult—on a scale of difficulty, it was medium compared to 'Thought Projection'. In fact, Nate mastered the basics in just two days, leaving Warren astonished at his learning ability.

'Telepathy' wasn't just about mind-to-mind communication. At higher levels, it could even be used in combat to read an opponent's thoughts. Nate didn't need to reach that level, though. He just needed to understand the fundamentals to incorporate it into the deep web's core code.

After mastering the basics in two days, Nate treated Warren to a meal to express his gratitude.

For the next few days, Nate was fully focused on coding. He worked on implementing voice chat, the Council's forum section, and the 'Magic Net Express' system that his thought-projection assistant had been developing.

Looking at the work he'd done, Nate marveled at his productivity.

In just a week, he had completed all three projects.

As he finished typing the last line of code, Nate sighed in relief.

"I thought the point of having an assistant was to be less busy. Why am I working even more?"

"Maybe I'm just naturally wired to write code."

He chuckled to himself, then prepared to update the Magic Net to version 0.5—a major update!