Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

The game [Dragon Hunter] had faced numerous challenges since its inception.

Now, with the power of Aether Weaving, Nate had finally found solutions to many of those problems.

Returning to his apartment, Nate sent a private message to Erza.

Sigma Man: "Where are you?"

Knight: "I’m in Hargeon."

Knight: "Waitress.jpg"

Nate opened the image. In it, Erza was dressed as a restaurant waitress, posing for a selfie.

Sigma Man: "Working?"

Knight: "Yes. The client is former Council member and the Guild Master’s good friend, Yajima-san."

Sigma Man: "Just you?"

Nate couldn’t help but feel that it was a waste for an S-Class Mage to be working as a waitress instead of taking on high-level missions.

Knight: "Future Lucy is here too. 😊"

Ah, he understood now—she was there to accompany Lucy.

After thinking for a moment, Nate decided it was better to discuss things face-to-face. He sent Erza another message to let her know he would come over.

Not long after…

The port city of Hargeon.

After retiring, Yajima, a former sixth-seat Council member, had opened a small restaurant here. It wasn’t large; it was just a way for the retired elder to stay occupied. However, because the owner was a former Council member, the restaurant was very popular, attracting many curious visitors.

In Earth terms, it was like a former high-ranking government official opening a restaurant and personally working as the chef—it would be a massive hit. It was essentially a “viral restaurant.” On the Magic Net’s Food Sharing subforum, discussions about this place were abundant.

By 10 a.m., the restaurant was bustling.

Behind the restaurant, in a small alley, Erza was tossing some food waste into a trash can. After she finished, she turned to Nate.

"What’s the matter?"

"I need your help with something," Nate replied, glancing at the crowded restaurant through the window. "Is now a good time?"@@novelbin@@

"It’s fine. Future Lucy is busy inside."

"It’s about the game, [Dragon Hunter]. I need your help designing some ‘equipment.’"

Nate explained the concept of player equipment. Most of the armor in Erza’s collection was her own design, crafted by the Heart Kreuz workshop.

"There are thousands of dragons in that world, each with unique magical attributes. Players will need different types of armor. For example, if players challenge fire-attribute dragons, they’d need something similar to your Flame Empress Armor."

Erza crossed her arms, resting her chin in one hand as she thought it over.

"You only need me to design the weapons and armor?"

"Don’t worry about crafting costs. I have other ways to make them."

"That’s simple enough. How many do you need?"

Nate considered for a moment before responding.

"Start with seven sets, one for each Dragon Slayer attribute. Each set should include a helmet, neck guard, pauldrons, chest plate, waist guard, arm guards, leg guards, and boots. Is that manageable?"

"Understood!" Erza smiled, clearly excited. Designing armor was already a personal hobby of hers, and helping her boyfriend made it even more rewarding.

"Thank you. Oh, one more thing—there’s no need to draw the designs on paper. You can create them directly through the Magic Net."

After entrusting Erza with the task, Nate activated teleportation magic and left.

…

At the guild’s tavern, Nate found his apprentice, Levy.

"Master, you were looking for me?"

"How’s the game development coming along?"

Levy scratched her head in frustration. "I don’t have much inspiration. Just thinking about abstract games gives me a headache."

Although [Getting Over It] had made her rich overnight—achieving financial freedom—designing more games of that type felt odd to her. She preferred the laid-back gameplay of something like [Celestial Pokémon] Farm.

"I have a new job for you."

"What is it?"

"Game stat planning."

Nate briefly explained Erza’s role in designing game equipment and then added, "Your task is simple. Once Erza finishes designing the equipment, you’ll adjust their stats and attributes. You’ll also need to come up with some cool names for the equipment."

He pulled Levy aside to detail her role. In truth, there was no need for precise numerical data. Since [Dragon Hunter] existed in a real-world setting, “stats” were inherently tied to physical laws. Levy’s job was to describe each piece’s properties. For example, if a player collected a full gear set, it might trigger an effect granting magical boosts or additional powers.

"That sounds pretty complex... but I’ll do my best, Master!" Levy said enthusiastically.

"I’m counting on you."

Nate immediately created a new chat group, naming it [Dragon Hunter] Game Design. He added Erza and Levy to the group. After some thought, he also added Future Lucy and Lucy.

“Knight” joined the group.

“Levy” joined the group.

“Gotta Earn Money” joined the group.

“Gotta Be Strong” joined the group.

Nate: "Everyone, please update your group names. @everyone"

Lucy: "What is this group for?"

Nate: "It’s for game development. Lucy, I need your help with something."

Lucy: "Huh? What kind of help?"

Future Lucy: "I’m working right now, sorry."

Nate: "You can focus on work for now."

Nate: "Lucy, I need you to write a backstory for the game."

Lucy: "A backstory? Like the story of the Great Sage summoning heroes from another world? 🤨"

She actually remembered! Nate silently sighed. During the first test, he had played the role of the Great Sage, explaining the game’s premise to the players.

Nate: "Pretty much. Just write about what happened in that world and why the players need to hunt dragons."

Lucy: "To save the world… wait, wouldn’t the Great Sage be super old by now?"

Nate: "There will be survivors."

He vaguely recalled that in the future, Levy had survived and even written a journal.

Nate: "Treat it like writing a novel. Make it the game’s backstory."

Lucy: "Got it. Is it okay if I make it up as I go?"

Nate: "...Just don’t go overboard. Reality might not follow logic, but stories need to."

After assigning these tasks, Nate pondered whether there were any gaps left to fill.

"Game NPCs?"

He concluded that only a few NPCs were necessary. A new player entering the game would:

1. Be guided by the Great Sage to hunt dragons.

2. Collect materials dropped by the dragons.

3. Use those materials to craft equipment.

4. Use the new equipment to challenge stronger dragons.

Who needed many NPCs? Only a handful would suffice, such as:

The Great Sage, who summons the players.

A Dragon Slayer Mentor, who teaches Dragon Slayer magic.

A Legendary Craftsman, who forges equipment.

At the start of the game, only these functional NPCs were necessary. Conveniently, there were two idle souls in the Soul Cage—perfect for the job.

[Dragon Hunter] was now entering its release countdown!

Unlike past games, [Dragon Hunter], as a large-scale MMORPG, was certain to cause a massive sensation upon its release.