The curse that afflicted Zeref was far stronger than Mavis’s. As a result, the process of removing it took significantly longer—lasting a full ten hours.
Outside the dragon’s cave, the howling winds subsided. Morning arrived, and sunlight poured through a gaping hole in the cave ceiling, casting a warm beam.
“Phew…”
Nate exhaled lightly and glanced at his right hand, still wrapped in strands of black magic. With a thought, the Internet Magic continued to devour the lingering remnants of the curse’s power.
“It’s done. Your curse has been removed.”
“Actually, removed isn’t entirely accurate—extracted is a better word.”
Zeref, seated on a small rock, slowly opened his eyes. The campfire before him had burned out, leaving only blackened embers.
For the first ti in centuries, he felt his body free of the oppressive weight it had carried for so long. The curse that had tornted him for 400 years had been entirely eradicated.
“Thank you, Nate!”
Tears stread down Zeref’s face as he cried with joy. “This feeling of truly being alive! I haven’t experienced it in so, so long.”
Nate shook his head. “Don’t ntion it. It was just a transaction.”
“Oh, right—this is for you.” Zeref stood, retrieving a magic letter from his pocket. “As agreed, the Alvarez Empire is yours now. Take this letter to the empire, and Invel, the Chief Minister, will understand everything.”
Nate accepted the letter and turned to leave. His voice echoed through the cave as he said, “Without the curse, you’ve also lost your immortality. Just don’t regret it.”
With that, he walked out of the cave. In an instant, he vanished into the horizon, leaving only a streak of golden light.
Regret? Zeref smiled faintly. To others, immortality might seem like a blessing. In so ways, it truly was. But those who had never endured the tornt of a curse could never fully understand. Zeref would rather die than live forever under the grip of that curse.
The Curse of Contradictions…
The more he cherished life, the more death surrounded him. The more he loved others, the more their lives were taken away.
“Now that I’ve escaped the whirlpool of contradiction, I’m truly grateful to you, Nate.”
Stepping out of the cave, Zeref took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air. His heart was lighter than it had been in centuries.
You must truly be a god.
The magic of the internet… It’s divine.
…
9:30 AM, Fairy Tail Guild
Nate stepped into the guild’s bar and imdiately spotted Mavis perched on the counter, happily sipping on a glass of fruit juice. Her small feet dangled in the air, swinging back and forth with joy.
“Good morning, First Master. Good morning, Mira.”
“Morning, Nate,” Mirajane replied with her usual gentle smile. “Would you like breakfast?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
As Mirajane turned to head into the kitchen, Nate addressed Mavis. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
“Uh…” Mavis, feeling his gaze on her bare feet, instinctively tucked them under herself. “I’m not used to them. Don’t worry about it.”
She was supposed to be the elder one here, yet being reprimanded by the younger Nate made her feel oddly embarrassed.
Nate chuckled. “Are you settling into the Tree House?”
“It’s great—I love it! Porlyusica’s cooking is amazing. Even a simple mushroom soup becos sothing so delicious in her hands!” Mavis bead, clearly enjoying herself.
Glutton. All she thinks about is food, Nate wondered. Can Mavis even cook? If she can’t keep eating Porlyusica’s als, will she end up starving in the forest?
“A little fairy living in the woods—you’re really starting to embody the role.”
“Fairy is fine, but drop the ‘little’!” Mavis glared at him. “I’m older than you, you know! Do you even realize that, Fourth Master?”
If you don’t count the ti after her death, Mavis is 23 years old—two years older than Nate. Including the ti after her death, she’s 112!
“So, you’re an old fairy.”
“I’m not!”
Mavis couldn’t help but kick Nate. Who are you calling an old fairy, you awful idiot!
Nate caught her foot and, with a wave of his hand, summoned her shoes from the floor. He then knelt down and slipped them onto her feet.
“Shoes should be worn properly. What about your socks?”
Mavis blushed and quickly pulled her foot back. “I… I don’t know where my socks went…”
Why does this feel like taking care of a forgetful daughter? Nate sighed in exasperation.
At that mont, Mirajane returned with a tray of breakfast. “Here’s a special fruit platter for today—on the house!”
Nate didn’t hold back. Reflecting on his ti with the guild for over half a year, he realized he’d never actually paid for a single al.
As he ate, he asked, “It’s awfully quiet here today. Is everyone out working?”
“If only,” Mirajane said with a wry smile, resting her chin on her hand. “Last night, they ford another forty-man raid party and were defeated by the Coal Dragon again.”
Nate watched as Mavis sneakily stole a piece of fruit from his platter. “So they’re still playing the ga?”
“Yup,” Mirajane replied with a chuckle. “They’ve been at it since last night. They’ve already wiped three tis.”
Relentless defeat, relentless attempts. Nate paused mid-bite. “Honestly, I’m considering shutting down the ga. The difficulty is just way too high.”
“What? Why?” Mirajane looked genuinely surprised.
With her mouth stuffed with fruit like a hamster, Mavis mumbled, “Where you fall, you must rise again. Fourth Master, don’t underestimate the power of bonds!”
Of course, I know they’ll win eventually. Nate thought to himself. With enough attrition, the Coal Dragon would inevitably fall. But that was Fairy Tail. For other guilds, the difficulty was borderline absurd.
He explained his concerns briefly before asking, “Do you guys have any good ideas?”
“Hmm…” Mirajane tapped her chin, deep in thought. “The real issue is that dragons aren’t stupid—they’ll run away. Now there’s only the Coal Dragon left near the capital.”
“I’ve got a great idea!” Mavis swallowed her fruit, brimming with confidence as she raised a finger. “Fourth Master, just use the sa magic you used to seal the Second Master. Seal the dragons in place!”
Domain Expansion? Nate pondered for a mont. It was actually a great idea. The dragons running around were indeed a problem. When players first encounter a dragon, he could use Domain Expansion to seal it in place, turning it into a repeatable dungeon.
All dungeons would start at one-star difficulty. As players failed more challenges, the dungeon’s star rating would increase, giving a clear indication of the dragon’s power level. After all, not every dragon was as strong as the Coal Dragon. Most of the dragons near the capital had fled because they sensed danger. The problem wasn’t that Fairy Tail couldn’t defeat them—it was that the dragons ran away at the first sign of trouble.
“Great idea!” Nate praised her. “As expected of Fairy Tail’s Strategist. You even ca up with the concept of a dungeon!”
“Dungeon?” Mavis blinked her wide eyes. The term was new to her.
“But it’s not enough,” Nate continued. “This only solves the problem of dragons running away. The difficulty of defeating them is still too high.”
Just then, a golden light flashed. A Thought Projection of Nate appeared in the guild hall, handed Nate a magic letter, then vanished.
“What’s that?” Mirajane asked with a teasing smile. “A love letter?”
Danger! The sudden appearance of killing intent!
Nate sighed. “It’s a letter from Zeref. He gave the position of emperor.”
Both Mavis and Mirajane exchanged confused looks, their faces lighting up with matching question marks. “Emperor?”
Nate grinned. “That’s right. From now on, you may address as Your Majesty the Emperor!”
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