Internet Magic in Fairy Tail (Re-upload)

Zeref was willing to relinquish a mighty empire just to lift his curse.

Nate couldn't help but recall the parallel world of Edolas.

In that magic-depleted land, he had discovered a new source of magic power for them. They had even offered to make him king, calling him their "savior."

But Nate despised any role that came with too much responsibility. He had no desire to become a king.

However, this situation was different.

The Alvarez Empire was an extremely powerful military superpower of magic, comprising 730 guilds.

As its emperor, Zeref was largely absent, leaving daily operations to the imperial council.

This is a throne I could sit on without much hassle, Nate mused.

With the strength of an entire nation at his disposal, the first thing he wanted to do was build a massive factory to mass-produce Magic Net rings.

After giving it some serious thought:

Sigma Male: "Your offer is sincere, but I need time to think about it."

I Want to Live and Die Naturally: "Nate, what else do you want? I'll give you anything I can!"

Sigma Male: "No, your offer is already generous."

Nate wasn't being greedy, nor did he think an empire was insufficient.

He was worried about the risks of lifting the curse—specifically whether it would incur the wrath of the god Ankhseram.

He had dealt with such curses twice before:

1. Helping Irene mitigate the complications of her self-imposed curse accumulated over centuries.

2. Using the Magic Net to extract the curse from Mavis's heart.

For Nate, lifting Zeref's curse wouldn't be difficult; in fact, it would be quite straightforward.

But would such an act anger Ankhseram?

The last thing Nate wanted was to help Zeref only to be cursed himself. That would be a net loss.

"Ankhseram isn't that petty, right?"

After pondering for a moment, Nate decided to be cautious. He summoned the Gate of Truth and entered the world of truth.

"Tell me, would lifting Zeref's curse violate Ankhseram's taboos?"

The Gate of Truth responded at once.

[According to the principle of equivalent exchange, esteemed master, the cost of this answer is 1,000-star magic power.]

1,000 stars?

This was the highest price Nate had ever encountered for an answer. It made sense, as anything involving gods came with an astronomical cost.

After using more than a hundred rounds of stored magic power, he finally received his answer.

The Gate of Truth did not give a simple yes or no.

Instead, it laid out all of Ankhseram's taboos in meticulous detail—like a "menu" encoded in the world's foundational laws.

In short:

You could "break the rules," but each violation required paying a corresponding price.

If you were cursed and had the means to lift the curse, Ankhseram wouldn't interfere.

Nate spent a long time absorbing this mystical knowledge.

"So there's no problem."

Helping Zeref lift his curse would not provoke Ankhseram's anger.

With that settled, Nate turned his focus to another question:

"How can one become a god?"

The Gate of Truth replied:

[Based on your current situation, there are three paths to godhood.]

[According to the principle of equivalent exchange, the cost of this answer is…]

The gate seemed to pause, calculating. Then came the verdict:

[Insufficient magic power to pay the cost.]

"Not enough magic power?" Nate blinked.

"Is it that my current reserves are too low, or is magic itself not enough as a power source?"

[Magic as an energy source is insufficient.]

Infinite magic power still isn't enough?

Nate considered fusing with the Fairy Heart to achieve infinite magic, but if even that wasn't enough, the limitation must be tied to magic's very nature, not just its quantity.

That made sense.

Ankhseram's curse had casually brought about something as astonishing as the permanently active Fairy Heart.

Clearly, the secret to godhood was worth far more than infinite magic.

"What about cursed energy?"

The Gate of Truth responded:

[According to the principle of equivalent exchange, esteemed master, you would need to pay 1 million-star cursed energy.]

Cursed energy works? Nate was surprised. He only had about 2,000 stars' worth of cursed energy—far from enough.

But why did cursed energy qualify where magic did not?

Still, the Gate of Truth never lied. Its answers were unchanging truths within this world.

That simplified matters.

His next move became clear: Nate needed to find a way to amass 1 million-star cursed energy.

…

Exiting the realm of truth, Nate dismissed the Gate of Truth.

Sigma Male: "I can do it. I'll help you lift the curse."

I Want to Live and Die Naturally: "Thank you so much! You're truly a good person, Nate!"

Zeref appeared genuinely moved.

Expecting what might follow, Nate continued:

Sigma Male: "I can only help you this once. If you break his or her taboos again after I lift this curse, I won't be able to help."

Reusing the same "menu" and picking the same "dish" twice would surely enrage Ankhseram, the "chef."

Next time, the consequence might be more severe than a curse.

I Want to Live and Die Naturally: "I understand! This is a one-time transaction!"

Sigma Male: "Where are you?"

I Want to Live and Die Naturally: "Zonia Mountain."

Zonia Mountain? Isn't that where the Black Dragon Acnologia resides?

Nate frowned. What is Zeref doing there?

I Want to Live and Die Naturally: "I'm investigating something related to the Black Dragon Acnologia in the Apocalypse. Don't worry; the Black Dragon isn't here. I'll wait for you."

Sigma Male: "Stay put, then."

Ending the conversation, Nate opened the Magic Net Map and located Zonia Mountain.

It was quite distant from Magnolia.

With a single thought, he formed a Thought Projection and sent it forth in a flash of golden light.

…

Zonia Mountain.

A towering peak that pierced the sky. At its summit lay a gigantic cave.

Inside this lair, Zeref had kindled a bonfire and was sitting on a small stone, warming himself.

Though it was already March, the temperature here was still between -20 and -30°C. Each breath felt like inhaling icy blades.

Even the fire's orange glow seemed to radiate cold.

Outside, the wind howled, shrieking like tortured souls.

Suddenly, the crunch of stone echoed through the cavern.

"You're here?"

Zeref looked up with a sincere smile. His dark eyes glimmered with hope.

Nate, wearing a gray-black trench coat and a scarf Mira had given him, sauntered in at an unhurried pace.

He stopped next to the bonfire.

"I'm here."

"Then let's begin."

~~~

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