Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

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"Voldemort… Who is this person?"

"No idea. Dragons hidden inside Dragon Slayers… could that actually be true?"

"Makarov, do you know who this person is?" Ultear finally asked.

Makarov shook his head. "All usernames on the Internet are aliases."

The council members exchanged glances. Chairman Crawford Seam spoke bluntly, "Why don't you just ask?"

Makarov, seemingly not paying attention, was lost in thought as he stared at Voldemort's reply. He thought of the "Iron Dragon" Metalicana. He knew that the official guild Phantom Lord had a Dragon Slayer named Gajeel Redfox. Could Voldemort be Phantom Lord's Guild Master, Jose Porla?

Jose, like Makarov, was one of the Ten Wizard Saints and a powerful mage. Phantom Lord was also one of the most famous guilds in the Fiore Kingdom.

"It wouldn't hurt to ask. This Internet does seem like a social pub for making friends."

Ajima, the sixth seat of the council, nodded. "Makarov? Getting senile already?"

Makarov scowled at the remark. His relationship with Jose wasn't great, and he wasn't eager to reach out to him. However, since it was just speculation, asking couldn't hurt.

Fairy Tail's Grandpa: Who are you?

…

"Hm?"

Nate had just finished writing his response when a new message popped up.

Fairy Tail's Grandpa?

After thinking for a moment, he quickly guessed who it was.

"It must be the Guild Master. All the rings I've distributed so far went to guild members, and the only one who'd use a name like 'Grandpa' would be him."

Nate considered it for a moment but decided not to reply. The character of Voldemort had to maintain an air of mystery.

So, he ignored it.

Let them guess.

…

Meanwhile, Makarov sat there, waiting in silence. Five minutes passed, but there was still no response.

The council members behind him were equally curious about this mysterious "Voldemort." Especially since the name included the word "dark," which didn't exactly give off a good impression.

"He could be from a dark guild," Ultear said with a sly smile.

"Ahem…" Chairman Crawford Seam coughed, trying to regain the room's attention. "Everyone, please return to your seats. It's time for the court ruling."

The council members returned to their positions.

Bang, bang.

Crawford tapped his gavel and loudly announced:

"Makarov, since your guild's idiots have caused us trouble yet again, here's the verdict:"

"You're required to write a formal apology and submit it within a week!"

"Also, since the Internet magic is accessed through your magic rings, and you were caught playing cards during the session, your ring will be confiscated."

Makarov was used to writing apologies—he'd just have Mirajane handle it. But as for the ring…

"I know exactly what you're trying to do. The rings are bound to their users. Taking mine won't do you any good."

"Uh…"

Chairman Crawford's face turned red as the other council members gave him teasing looks. Forced to change course, he cleared his throat.

"Alright, in that case, your guild is exempt from paying any fines this time. However, you must hand over ten unused rings. Dismissed!"

Bang, bang!

Crawford quickly dissolved the meeting before Makarov could argue further.

In truth, he had requested one ring for each of the other council members as well. No doubt they would all support him. To be honest, this Internet magic really was quite interesting.

Ultear rested her chin in her hand, chuckling. "So, Makarov, you don't mind giving us a ring, do you?"

…

Back in Magnolia.

By noon, the guild was bustling once again. Over the course of the morning, the guild library's books had all been uploaded to the Internet by the eager mages. Their efficiency was remarkable.

Only the second-floor library, accessible only to S-Class mages, had remained untouched. If it weren't restricted, those magic books would have been uploaded too.

Mirajane had permission to access the second floor, but without the Guild Master's approval, she refrained from uploading the rare and precious magic books there.

Suddenly, Natsu burst into the guild like a gust of wind, immediately spotting Nate at the bar.

"Nate, I know where Igneel is!"

Nate looked up at him as Natsu continued.

"Someone named Voldemort told me—Igneel is inside me!"

"Is that so? Congrats."

"But… how do I get Igneel to come out? I really want to see him."

Natsu's mood deflated, and he slumped over the bar, resting his chin on the counter.

You don't even question what Voldemort said? Nate thought to himself, surprised by how easily Natsu had believed him. Luckily, what he had said was partially true.

"Did I… accidentally swallow Igneel while I was asleep as a kid?!"

Natsu suddenly straightened up, a look of horror on his face.

Nate had no idea how to respond.

At that moment, Lucy's voice came from behind. "I saw the post too. Voldemort said Igneel is hidden inside you."

Nate turned to see Lucy with an exasperated expression.

As her creditor, Nate felt obligated to remind her to keep working to pay off her debt.

"When did you get here, Lucy?"

"I've been here for a while!" Lucy complained. "Am I really that easy to miss?"

"Sorry, I didn't notice."

I was too busy chatting with Mirajane.

Nate smiled. "Why aren't you working yet? As your senpai, I have to remind you—have you started paying off your debt?"

Lucy covered her face in defeat, speechless.

Does being a creditor make you so great? she thought. I found out from the guild chat that you've only been here two days longer than I have!

Behind the bar, Mirajane chuckled warmly and said, "No need to rush, Lucy. You should take your time getting familiar with the guild."

Then, as if struck by inspiration, her eyes lit up with a suggestion:

"Oh! Nate, you and Lucy are both new. Why don't you team up for commissions?"

"Can we team up for commissions?" Lucy asked, surprised.

"Of course. Lots of teams form in the guild," Mirajane explained with a nod.

Lucy was intrigued by the idea. Nate was clearly powerful—he could summon massive tidal waves with just one punch. Plus, he was her creditor. If they worked together, it might be easier to pay him back.

Nate, however, wasn't interested in working at all. He just wanted to take it easy.

Just as he was about to decline, the system's notification sounded in his mind.

…

[Task: Maintain 80+ active users for three consecutive days, with an average daily online time of 2 hours.]

[Task reward: 1,000 rings.]

[Task complete!]

…

"Huh? But the day's not over yet."

Nate was puzzled, suspecting that the system might have glitched. It was only the third day of the task.

He opened the task interface and checked the details.

…

[Active users today: 93.]

[Average daily online time today: 2 hours.]

…

The average online time had just hit 2 hours...

So, as long as the conditions are met for a moment, the task counts as completed?

Nate thought about it and realized his rings had run out.

"Now that I've got another 1,000 rings, how should I distribute them?"

"The guild can't use them all, so I'll have to come up with a better plan."