Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

One week later, in a villa on the outskirts of the city.

The five-member [Dragon Hunter] game development team had gathered, each having completed their respective tasks.

All the final content was handed over to Nate, who compiled everything into the game client.

"Phew... It’s finally done," Nate said, exhaling deeply as he finished writing the last line of code. "That should do it. Great work, everyone."

The young woman stretched lazily and grinned. "Is it time to release the official version?"

Future Lucy brought over tea, handing each person a cup of red tea. "Shouldn’t we test it first?"

"No need. Let’s just release it as is and deal with any issues later," Nate replied. The game had already been delayed enough, and he didn’t want to waste more time.

Opening the backend of the Magic Net, Nate began drafting the update announcement, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

Levy curiously leaned over his shoulder, staring at the screen intently.

"Master, the last version was 0.9. Will this one be 1.0?"

"No. Version 1.0 will be the official release, featuring a major functionality update. This one is version 0.9.1, focusing mainly on the game."

Elated, Levy asked, "What’s the major feature for 1.0?"

"The Developer Community," Nate explained with a smile. "Currently, all Magic Net functions are written by me alone. The Developer Community will teach others how to create their own features."

"Like Levy?" Lucy exclaimed in surprise.

As Nate’s apprentice, Levy could write basic code; she had even created the Novel and Video sections of the Magic Net.

"One person’s strength is limited. For the Magic Net to flourish, more people need to get involved," Nate said with a nod, smiling. "With more creators, new and exciting things will emerge every day—that’s what the Magic Net should truly be."

The Developer Community was designed for this purpose. Nate had considered it from the very beginning of his journey.

Of course, to prevent chaos, every program uploaded to the Developer Community would require Nate’s personal review before being approved.

"I can’t wait!" Levy said, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

The four women gathered around Nate as he continued to write the update announcement.

…

[Magic Net Alpha 0.9.1 Update Announcement]

1. New Game: [Dragon Hunter]

This is a large-scale MMORPG.

Unlike previous games, [Dragon Hunter] is an open-world adventure developed by the “[Dragon Hunter] Development Team.”

Set on the continent of “Ishgar,” the story begins when 10,000 dragons suddenly descend, bringing destruction to humanity.

A mysterious Great Sage summons heroes from another world to save this collapsing realm.

Players take on the role of Dragon Slayer mages, freely exploring Ishgar, rescuing survivors, hunting dragons, and uncovering the truth behind the apocalypse.

2. Introducing [Truth Encyclopedia]

An AI-powered knowledge base, currently in beta (details inside).

3. Improved Gacha Rates for [Celestial Pokémon]

4. Removed the Daily Check-in Points System

Forum points will no longer be issued.

Existing points can be exchanged for Magic Net Coins at the Magic Net Bank.

5. Changed Game Section Point-to-Coin Exchange Rules

Magic Net Coins can now be directly exchanged for Joy Coins.

...and so on, with over a dozen updates.

The most significant change is the removal of the check-in points system and all associated features. From now on, Magic Net Coins will be the sole virtual currency of the Magic Net.

Additionally, the announcement details the launch of the new game and the beta release of [Truth Encyclopedia].

After finishing the announcement, Nate pressed the synchronization button, disconnecting over ten million users across the Magic Net.

"All done," Nate said, stretching and noticing the four women staring at him. "Why are you all looking at me?"

Master is so focused when he’s working! Levy thought, beaming. "Since we’re done, how about a celebration party?"

"Great idea!" Lucy agreed. "How about baking a cake together?"

In high spirits, the group eagerly headed to the kitchen.

The five-member development team, finally free from their busy work, happily hosted a celebration banquet.

Meanwhile, the sudden update caused a massive sensation in the outside world.

Every time the Magic Net was updated, users were temporarily disconnected. Experienced users were used to this, and as soon as they logged back in, they saw the update announcement.

…

Fiore Kingdom, Royal Capital.

Princess Hisui was tending her garden, watering the flowers.

"Princess!"

A voice called out from behind her.

Straightening up, Hisui turned and asked, "What is it, Arcadios?"

The captain of the Sakura Knights, not wearing his usual silver armor, quickly replied, "The person you’ve been looking for has been found."

"The Celestial Spirit Mage who holds the Zodiac Keys?" Hisui’s eyes lit up. "Where are they?"

"The Magic Council."

Arcadios’ expression turned grim. "Her name is Yukino Agria. She’s a member of the Magic Council’s 9th Forced Restraint Unit and the younger sister of Sorano Agria."

"Yukino?" Hisui murmured, confused. "That name sounds familiar."

"One of the Oración Seis, Angel. She now works under the Saint Wizard Councilor, Nate, so her movements are restricted."

It’s her!

Hisui frowned slightly. This was problematic.

If the elder sister was a public servant, making a move against the younger sister would undoubtedly attract the Magic Council’s attention.

After all, the Eclipse Gate was forbidden magic, and the Council would surely intervene if they found out.

"I see. Leave me for now; I need to think."

Waving him off, Hisui massaged her temples.

"Understood," Arcadios replied, bowing before turning to leave. After taking two steps, he paused.

"By the way, the Magic Net has a new update. There’s a game you might be interested in."

"A new game?"

Curious, Hisui watched him leave before opening the Magic Net herself.

After a brief wait, the update announcement popped up:

"[Dragon Hunter]?"

The princess was stunned.

An MMORPG set in Ishgar... Something about this felt off!

Setting the watering can on a nearby stand, Hisui returned to her room and launched the game.

Following the tutorial, she entered the character creation menu.

The official client had a scanning function that analyzed a player’s physical data.

As a result, the default character model was no longer Nate but instead resembled the player.

"Interesting..."

Looking at the avatar on the character creation screen, Hisui chuckled. "Even the gender can be changed?"

After some thought, she decided to remain female. Cyber-gender-swapping wasn’t for everyone.

Making a few adjustments to her appearance, she gave her character a more mature look.

Shortly after, she clicked [Game Start].

Her consciousness shifted as she entered the body of her character.

Hisui’s vision went dark, and when she opened her eyes again, she was already in the game world.

"This place... looks familiar."

Surveying her surroundings, she realized she was in what looked like a dilapidated building.

Leaving the structure and wandering through its corridors, her expression grew more astonished with each step.

"This is the Grand Palace of Mercurius!"

It was the royal palace where she lived every day—how could she not recognize it?@@novelbin@@

More precisely, it was the ruins of the palace!