Internet Magic in Fairy Tail (Re-upload)

Nate hadn't expected so many people to be eliminated in the second round.

Out of the 16 participants, only 4 remained. He couldn't help but wonder how many would make it through the final round.

At the moment, all 11 eliminated candidates were gathered on the ship. Wendy was busy healing the injured.

Before long, Gajeel was also teleported back—along with the rest of the examiners.

Lucy approached Mirajane and asked, "Mira, what's the third round going to be?"

Mirajane shook her head. "I don't know either. The Master will announce it soon, I think."

She glanced at the group and smiled. "Everyone must be hungry, right? I'll go to the kitchen and prepare some food for everyone."

With that, she turned and headed into the cabin.

Lucy then looked at Erza. "Erza, do you know?"

Erza shook her head as well.

Finally, she turned to Nate.

Nate shrugged. "There'll be a broadcast soon. We'll find out in a bit."

Saying this, he walked over to Loke, who seemed uninjured and didn't need Wendy's healing. He motioned for Loke to follow him to a corner of the deck.

"What's up?"

Loke glanced back at Lucy, Erza, and Juvia, who were chatting amicably, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"You haven't been exposed yet?"

Can't you keep quiet? What if your jinx actually works? Nate thought, suppressing a sigh.

Loke gave him a thumbs-up, clearly impressed.

"So, what do you need help with?"

"There is something…"

Nate began explaining the Celestial Farm project in detail. When he finished, he said, "I'll have to trouble you again, Game Administrator-san."

Loke was speechless.

He still hadn't recovered from the all-nighters spent fixing the [Magic Arena]'s map queue issues. Now, Nate wanted to create at least 500,000 farm maps?

"Relax, these maps will be much smaller." Nate patted his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.

"You just need to create a small map, about 100 by 100 meters. If players think it's too small, they can expand it later."

"The issue isn't the size! It's the number!"

"Don't worry. This time, I'll incorporate the Arc of Embodiment into the [Magic App], which will make creating maps much easier."

Nate spread his hands casually. "As for duplication… the Arc of Embodiment can handle that too. Anyway, I'm counting on you!"

The ability to duplicate maps made things much easier.

Loke sighed but nodded. "Got it. Is this urgent?"

"Not really. You can take your time, but make sure the farm is detailed."

"It's different from the duel maps, where players don't care much about details. For a farm, though…"

As he spoke, Nate suddenly thought of Irene.

Irene's obsession with the [Magic Arena] stemmed in part from being able to experience sensory feedback like taste in the virtual world.

Wouldn't it make more sense to assign this task to her instead of Loke?

"On second thought," Nate said, changing his mind, "you don't need to worry about this anymore. Just keep focusing on the [Magic Arena] maps."

"???"

Loke was thoroughly confused but secretly relieved.

The number of [Magic Arena] players was also growing. Over the past two days, lower and mid-tier players had started experiencing queue delays again.

This was a clear sign that more duel maps were needed.

After sending Loke off, Nate turned around and sent a private message to Irene.

Sigma Male: "I have good news for you."

Scarlet Empress: "Oh, Great God, your loyal servant, Irene Belserion, awaits your divine instruction. 😊"

Every time she comes up with a new act, huh? Nate thought, amused.

He quickly took a screenshot, thinking it'd be fun to show Erza one day how her mother liked to act cute. After saving the screenshot, he replied.

Sigma Male: "I know you've been obsessed with the [Magic Arena] recently, so I've designed a plan tailored just for you."

Sigma Male: "I'm granting you special permission to create [Celestial Farms] within the Magic Net."

Sigma Male: "You can design your own farm map and even grow crops there."

Scarlet Empress: "A farm… will it let me experience real taste sensations, like the [Magic Arena] does? 🥺"

Sigma Male: "Of course. This feature was made specifically for you. 🤓"

Sigma Male: "You can grow crops, vegetables, or flowers, and use them to create delicious meals that you can taste yourself."

Scarlet Empress: "Thank you, Great God, for your divine blessing! 🙇‍♀️"

Scarlet Empress: "How may I repay your kindness?"

See? She's even thanking me, Nate thought, suppressing a chuckle.

Sigma Male: "Simply focus on creating the best maps possible. That will be more than enough."

Scarlet Empress: "How about this as a token of my gratitude? [Beach Swimsuit.jpg]"

Sigma Male: "???"

With a raised brow, Nate clicked the image almost instinctively.

The picture showed Irene standing on a sandy beach, the sea stretching out behind her. The background looked familiar—wasn't that the [Seaside Arena Map]?

But it wasn't the backdrop that caught his attention. Irene's figure was strikingly curvaceous, with pronounced curves that even rivaled Cana's.

Scarlet Empress: "I really enjoy the [Seaside Arena Map]."

Scarlet Empress: "Does the Great God like this picture? 🤔"

Who said I liked it!? Nate thought, pouting slightly but still pressing the "Save" button.

Sigma Male: "This is the last time!"

Scarlet Empress: "Understood. 😏"

Scarlet Empress: "The Great God is so delightfully human."

Who called me a god in the first place? Nate sighed internally, still bemused by Irene treating him like a divine figure.

Just then, Juvia's voice rang out nearby.

"Nate-sama, the third round is starting!"

Nate looked up toward the ship's prow, where a broadcast screen displayed Makarov.

He quickly replied to Irene.

Sigma Male: "I'll grant you permissions and show you how to create maps later. I have something to handle right now."

Scarlet Empress: "Of course. 😊"

Ending the chat with Irene, Nate walked over to the broadcast screen to join the others in watching the third round.

On-screen, Makarov stood before Mavis' tombstone, hands clasped behind his back.

"Now announcing the rules for the third round of the exam," the Master said.

"This time, only two teams have advanced, for a total of four participants. The final round will adopt a one-on-one elimination format: the victor becomes an S-Class mage, and the loser is eliminated."

"Partners will not fight each other."

At that moment, Mavis appeared on the screen to add her explanation.

"Put simply, for example, if Natsu were to pick Ultear or Meredy as his opponent, beating them would mean he passes and becomes S-Class!"

"Good luck, Examinees~!"

Wait a second, Nate thought.

Isn't there a loophole here?

As a programmer, he instantly spotted a potential bug in the system.