Internet Magic in Fairy Tail

[Dragon Hunter: Crocus — The Blacksmith’s Shop]

The blacksmith’s shop was a humble roadside building, originally used to craft kitchen knives and other basic items before the world was transformed by the arrival of dragons.

After Nate converted this world into a game, the small shop became a hub where players could forge equipment.

The blacksmith was none other than Brain, the former leader of the Dark Guild, Oración Seis. Now reduced to a soul, Brain was assigned this job, which finally freed him from the eternal darkness of the Soul Cage.

For 12 hours a day, he was permitted to work in the blacksmith’s shop, serving players who needed his skills. However, he couldn’t leave the premises—a new kind of prison in a different setting.

At the moment, Brain sat inside, deeply engrossed in a magic book.

Suddenly, a golden light flashed in the room. Brain looked up. “Need something?”

“You seem relaxed. No players asking for equipment?” Nate smirked as he stepped inside.

“There aren’t many teams capable of hunting dragons yet. Over the past few days, the only requests I’ve received have been from Fairy Tail,” Brain replied casually, before returning his attention to the book.

Beneath his current persona, Brain was a scholar at heart, passionate about magic. After all, he had once been the director of the Bureau of Magical Development.

Curious, Nate opened the Magic Net backend and reviewed the player activity data. Only three dragons had been successfully hunted so far:

1. The Coal Dragon, taken down by Fairy Tail.

2. The Cavern Dragon, defeated by the Water Dragon God.

3. The Spirit Dragon, hunted by the Dragon Eaters Guild.

“They’ve already taken down a Spirit Dragon?” Nate murmured in surprise.

The Spirit Dragon was a small creature—no bigger than an adult human—and specialized in stealth magic.

As for the Dragon Eaters Guild, Nate wasn’t surprised they had joined the hunt. These players were bold enough to use their real names online and flaunt their identities.

From the backend records, the team consisted of five players:

Georg Reizen

Blade Dragon Kiria

Armor Dragon Madmole

Corpse Dragon Skullion

Clinging Dragon Nebaru

They had each named themselves after the dragons they’d consumed. Nate couldn’t help chuckling at the thought of their names floating above their heads in bold, 3D text during gameplay—it must have been awkward.

Shaking his head, Nate closed the Magic Net interface. “Where’d you get the magic book?” he asked Brain.

“The Royal Library. It’s mostly in ruins now, but a few books remain intact,” Brain explained. “Players often come to me for information, so I ask them to collect magic books in exchange.”

“Seems like you’re enjoying your new role,” Nate said with a chuckle. “Make sure to scan and upload all the books you collect to the Library on the Magic Net.”

“Got it,” Brain replied, already lost in his reading again.

Nate didn’t disturb him further. Some time later, Makarov logged into the game. The small elder entered the blacksmith shop, pausing at the counter to ensure he wasn’t interrupting Brain.

“Nate, where’s the person you mentioned?” Makarov asked.

“Right this way, Guild Master.” Nate waved, motioning for Makarov to follow.

He opened the Magic Net map and searched for “Wraith.” Within moments, the system pinpointed the ghost’s location. Thanks to the Magic Net’s new tracking feature, it was easy to locate anyone as long as you knew their username.

A red dot appeared on the map, marking Wraith’s current location in Crocus—and he was moving.

…

Meanwhile…

Beneath Domus Flau, the arena hosting Pokémon battles, lay a hidden underground area known as the Dragon’s Graveyard. Guided by the lingering aura of dragons, the Dragon Eaters Guild had found their way here.

“This is unbelievable. Look at this… all these skeletons are dragon bones!” exclaimed Blade Dragon Kiria, her eyes widening at the sight of countless scattered remains. “How many dragons must have died here?”

Clinging Dragon Nebaru, clad in a skintight outfit and sporting wide, watery eyes, clung to the walls like a gecko. Sniffing the air, he murmured, “These bones are ancient… must’ve been here for centuries. This had to be a massive battleground.”

“It seems there was a fierce battle between dragons here,” noted Armor Dragon Madmole, his armored form reflecting the dim light. “These skeletal remains must be from those who perished in that conflict.”

He raised his head and asked, “Do dragon bones still have any nutritional value if we eat them?”

“Are you serious?” Kiria snapped, her voice full of disbelief. “These bones have been here for centuries. Eating them would definitely make you sick!”

“What if we made them into soup?” Before anyone could intervene, Madmole began sifting through the graveyard, examining the bones as though choosing ingredients.

“Stop that!” Georg Reizen, their leader, barked in a deep voice. “With a world full of dragons, there’s no need to eat bones!”

Reluctantly, Madmole dropped the bone he’d been holding, and Kiria rolled her eyes. This guy just wanted soup…

Suddenly, all five of them turned in the same direction. A spectral figure drifted down from above into the graveyard.

“Wraith, perfect timing,” Georg said with a grin, gesturing at the skeletal remains around them. “Use your ability to summon the souls of these dragons.”

Wraith looked around briefly before replying, “There are indeed fragments of dragon souls lingering here…”

“Perfect,” Georg said, licking his lips as if gazing at a feast. “We don’t need to eat the bones, but dragon souls might be a whole other delicacy! Get started already!”

Wraith hesitated, looking troubled. “Before that, Guild Master—I met someone before entering the game. The Magic Net’s creator, Nate—”

“Eat first. Talk later,” Georg interrupted, waving off the concern.

With no other choice, Wraith stepped forward, eyes narrowing as he extended his hand over the remains. “Dragon’s Soul!”

Using his spirit dragon abilities, Wraith summoned the lingering soul fragments. A massive dragon’s maw emerged from the ground, drawing forth the scattered pieces of spiritual energy. Countless green lights converged in the air, forming a swirling vortex.

Suddenly, a colossal dragon claw burst from the vortex, followed by a deep, resonant voice echoing throughout the graveyard.

“Who dares summon me? My name is Zirconis.”

The spectral form of a Jade Dragon roared with laughter, its gaze sweeping over the six figures below. As it sniffed the air, its expression twisted with anger. “Ah… the scent of dragon slayers. I despise dragon slayers!”

Georg, however, laughed in delight. “Yes! It worked! Every part of a dragon is a treasure, and this dragon soul looks absolutely delicious!”

Just as the tension reached its peak, a calm, amused voice came from behind them. “Well, well, we meet again, Zirconis.”

The voice was accompanied by quiet footsteps. Zirconis froze momentarily and turned to look at the newcomer.

Nate stepped into view, lips curved in a faint smile. “My apologies. I suppose this is technically the first time we’ve met in this timeline.”

Kiria whirled around, her expression changing. “Who are you?” Upon seeing Nate’s face clearly, she froze, her voice trembling slightly. “The Magic Net’s creator…”

“Greetings, Dragon Eaters Guild,” Nate said with a grin, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture. “Welcome to my Farm.”