"Going out for a walk? Sure, I've been in the deep web for too long, and I feel like my soul is withering," Ur smiled, agreeing to Nate's suggestion.
Nate snapped his fingers, and suddenly, they were surrounded by swirling binary code. In an instant, they returned to the real world.
"Are you sure you don't need me watching over things, especially since the new version just got updated?" Ur asked, casually removing her clothes as she spoke. Her outfit was just an illusion created by magic, and the habit of undressing was something she carried over from life.
"Can you, uh, put your clothes back on first?" Nate said, exasperated.
Ur, a master of Ice-Make Magic, likely would have been one of the Ten Wizard Saints if she were still alive. She had a unique way of training, often staying naked to better connect with the ice world around her. This led to her casual habit of undressing.
"Oh, sorry, it's a habit," Ur said, pausing briefly before confidently standing with her hands on her hips, showing off her graceful figure.
"Speaking of which, Nate, how about I teach you Ice-Make Magic? Interested?"
"No thanks, I don't want to pick up the habit of stripping whenever I cast magic. People might think I'm some kind of pervert." Nate rolled his eyes and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
Ur chuckled, her smile reminiscent of her daughter, Ultear. "Haha, yeah, that could be a problem."
...
While Nate was brushing his teeth, a system notification appeared.
[Task: Develop a new Internet Magic module "Weekly Sorcerer" and reach 5,000 users.]
[Reward: Choose between a stamina recovery potion or a magic recovery potion formula.]
[Task complete.]
[Please choose your reward...]
Nate paused, surprised. "Already?"
The new module had just been updated the night before, and by morning, it had already gathered 5,000 users.
"Did they release a new issue of the weekly magazine?" Nate wondered, deciding to check online later to see what had attracted so many users. As for the task reward, he gave it some thought and chose the "blue potion."
Although a magic recovery potion wasn't particularly useful to Nate personally—since he could regenerate magic quickly—it could be valuable for others. More importantly, creating this potion would help him avoid drawing suspicion.
People were bound to ask how he could restore his magic instantly—like when he fought Saint Wizard Jose twice, and both times, his magic had fully recovered in an instant. The existence of the potion would serve as a perfect cover.
If someone asked how he had seemingly endless magic, the answer would be simple: "I drank a potion."
"Let's go with that."
After deciding, Nate selected the magic recovery potion.
[Based on your current world, the system will generate a potion formula using local herbs...]
[Processing... 1%... 99%...]
[Research complete!]
A flood of knowledge about magic potions filled Nate's mind, making him feel slightly dizzy from the complexity. After about ten seconds, he regained his composure.
"To think it could automatically develop a magic recovery potion using this world's herbs..."
Nate was impressed with the system's capabilities. The list of ingredients, however, included many plants Nate had never heard of. In fact, before today, he'd only known the name of one herb, and he'd already forgotten what it was called—though he did remember it grew on a snowy mountain near Magnolia.
He recalled Lucy wanting to take a gathering request for it, but Mira had warned her that the area was home to fierce snow beasts. Thus, Lucy had reluctantly given up.
"So it's called 'Snow Herb.' Turns out it's the main ingredient for the magic recovery potion."
"Still, gathering it myself seems like a hassle. I should check the local magic stores; maybe they'll have some in stock."
With that, Nate finished washing up and headed out, only to run into Lucy coming out of her apartment as well.
"Good morning, Lucy," Nate greeted her with a smile.
"Good morning...!" Lucy blushed the moment she saw Nate. "I'm heading to the guild. Bye!" She gave a quick bow and hurried off, clearly flustered.
Nate: "..."
Still shy, huh?
Ur, who had materialized beside him, laughed. "That girl likes you. Aren't you going to chase after her?"
Nate sighed. "Why do you always avoid Lucy? You never show yourself at the guild either."
Ur shrugged. "I'm a ghost... appearing too often could be a problem for you."
Concerned about me? Nate shook his head. "No need to worry about that. You don't have to hide. And by the way, Gray, your second student, is at the guild too."
"I know..." Ur smiled softly. "Seeing him grow up healthy is enough for me. I don't need a reunion."
"You're really at peace with things," Nate admired her mindset. As someone who had died and returned as a ghost, he found her inner world fascinating.
"What if I could bring you back to life one day?" he asked.
"Will that day really come?"
"It will."
Leaving the apartment, Nate didn't head toward the guild. Ur followed, curious. "Where are we going? This isn't the way to the guild."
"We're going to buy a house... and gather some ingredients for making magic recovery potions," Nate replied casually.
"Magic recovery potions? You know potion-making?" Ur exclaimed. "That's specialized magic knowledge. Normally, you can only learn that in magic academies."
Then she paused, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Wait... magic recovery potions?!"
"Yeah," Nate replied, glancing at her.
"I've never heard of such a potion. Does it really restore magic?" Ur asked, stunned.
"Of course. It's my own creation, so it's normal that you haven't heard of it," Nate said with a grin.
Ur took a deep breath to calm her amazement. "For a mage, magic power is life itself. This potion... it's truly real?"
Nate chuckled. "You'll see. With luck, you'll get to watch me make it later. Now, let's go."
...
While Nate and Ur were out shopping for a villa and potion ingredients, the newly updated 'Weekly Sorcerer' module on Magic Net released its first digital issue.
And right on the cover was none other than Nate himself.
The headline read: [The Great Innovator of Magic Net, Newest Ten Wizard Saint: Nate!]
The magazine featured an exclusive interview with Nate, and in no time, the new section was flooded with users.