After a long while, the feverish blush finally faded from Daphne's cheeks, and her rapid breathing settled back to normal.
She carefully placed the pile of shimmering Dragon-Slayer Magic Crystals from her arms, one by one, into the special metal case a short distance away.
Happy tilted his head at her back and asked curiously, "Roger, can Daphne sign a contract with you?"
"Sure," Roger answered, giving the purple exclamation mark hovering over Daphne's head a puzzled look.
"But if I remember right, her magic is concealment-type. Her raw potential and power aren't anything special—"
He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Could her insane talent for invention have bumped up her overall rating?"
"Huh? Huh?" Daphne had just finished storing the crystals and walked back in time to catch the second half. She pushed up her round glasses, eyes behind them sparkling with questions.
"Are you guys talking about something that involves me?"
After the group explained everything in a chaotic jumble of voices, she excitedly asked to sign the contract. Roger nodded, and the two sealed the deal.
DING! Acquired Concealment Magic. (Roger)
DING! Acquired Ancient Codex Pro Max (Ultimate Edition) Magic. This upgraded version of the original world's Ancient Codex allows control over non-living objects. The higher the user's understanding of the target, the easier it is to manipulate. (Roger & Daphne)
Input magic power into the Codex to obtain knowledge from another world (2-day cooldown).
Pro Max? Ultimate Edition? Roger's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
This naming scheme reeks of a certain fruit-branded phone. Could it be any more casual?
"Huh? Huh?" Daphne also felt the flood of new magic knowledge in her mind. She pushed up her glasses again and muttered, "Controlling non-living things… I've never touched a magic type like this."
She channeled her magic. A yellow magic circle, more intricate than a standard Ancient Codex array, flashed in front of her.
Then, a translucent oval screen made of light floated before her.
Below it, a rectangular virtual keyboard rapidly unfolded, pixel-block style, covered in various symbol keys.
"How exactly am I supposed to use this to control stuff?" Daphne mumbled, staring blankly at the unfamiliar interface.
Almost the instant she spoke, clear lines of text popped up on her screen:
Basic Operation Guide:
- Lock Target: Focus gaze on desired non-living object.
- Inject Magic: Channel personal magic power into the Codex.
- Movement: Use WASD keys for basic navigation.
- Actions: Use J, K, L, U, I, 0, etc., for attacks or preset actions.
- View Switch: Freely toggle perspective with your mind.
Roger stared at the identical guide floating in front of him, his expression growing even more deadpan.
"Why do I feel like… I'm not casting magic, I'm playing some ancient browser game?"
The key layout was identical to the mini-games he remembered from a certain 4399 website back in the day.
It felt so outdated. Totally unworthy of the "Pro Max" suffix that sounded so high-tech.
Roger sighed inwardly, then turned his gaze to a lizardman on standby nearby. A faint yellow glint flashed in his eyes.
The next moment, his screen let out a soft bzzzt of static. The operation guide vanished, replaced by the lab view from the lizardman's "eyes."
"Whoa!" Natsu and the others, crowding around to watch, all whipped their heads in sync with the screen and gasped.
Erza: "Did we just… hijack that lizardman's senses?"
Happy zipped right in front of the controlled lizardman, waving his paws like a maniac.
The screen perfectly captured Happy's goofy antics.
"Wow! It really sees me! So cool!" Happy squealed.
Natsu's eyes lit up. "Dude! This magic is sick! It's like piloting a remote-control toy!"
Roger thought for a second. The lizardman turned its head; the screen swiveled left and right.
He held down the W key with his left hand. The lizardman started marching forward with stiff, mechanical steps.
He rapidly tapped J. The lizardman threw punches and kicked in place.
"Pretty smooth controls," Mirajane said with a sweet smile.
"But what happens if it gets attacked? Can it dodge?"
As she spoke, she blurred into motion, appearing beside the lizardman and slashing down with a lightning-fast hand-chop!
The instant Mirajane moved, the screen changed. The normal view slowed to a crawl—her strike became crystal-clear slow-motion.
At the same time, a white circular reticle popped up in the top-right corner.
"No way—" Roger's mouth twitched again. Pure reflex took over; his thumb slammed the spacebar.
Whoosh!
The lizardman slid sideways in a near-instant burst, dodging Mirajane's chop. While evading, it clenched its right claw and used the momentum to counter-punch straight at her waist!
"So fast!" Mirajane's pupils shrank. That reaction speed was way beyond what she expected!
Instinctively, she activated Satan Soul. Her claws shot up—clang!—and caught the lizardman's fist with a light metallic ring.
But the impact she braced for never came. Mirajane tilted her head, puzzled by the feather-light pressure on her claws.
"So… weak? Its speed and power are completely mismatched."
"And earlier, it wasn't this fast."
"Huh? Huh!" Daphne pushed up her glasses and pointed at the lizardman debris Natsu had smashed earlier. "The artificial lifeforms I control don't dodge anywhere near that fast. The Fire Dragon obliterated them in an instant."
"The reaction speed and agility seem directly tied to the controller's reflexes."
"But strength and defense still depend on the target's own material and structure. The controller doesn't boost those."
Reaction speed boost—this was starting to feel like a full-body VR game. The thought barely crossed Roger's mind when another prompt popped up:
[Enable Holographic Control Mode?]
Roger paused, then mentally confirmed yes.
The next second, the virtual keyboard whooshed back into the screen.
The oval display expanded into a massive curved light panel, nearly half Roger's body height.
The field of view exploded outward, covering almost his entire frontal vision.
Just a thought, and the distant lizardman executed complex moves—jumping, rolling, punching. When his gaze swept over Erza, the screen even flashed a faint "Switch to Requip Magic" assist prompt!
Roger fell silent. After a long moment, he mentally typed a giant 6.
This magic had just upgraded from a low-budget browser game to a high-end immersive VR cockpit.
Okay, fine. It does deserve the "Pro Max" tag.
"So how do we use the 'acquire otherworld knowledge' function?"
As soon as he spoke, a small control platform rose from the center of the enlarged screen. It had one obvious circular indentation.
Roger raised an eyebrow, placed his hand on it, and slowly channeled magic power.
A blinding white flash erupted from the screen, forcing everyone to squint.
When the light faded, a slowly spinning virtual treasure chest hovered in the center.
Under everyone's stares, the lid clicked open with a clack, releasing green light.
Seconds later, the glow condensed into a familiar blue-covered book that made Roger's pupils quake.
Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations: Math
Are you kidding me?! I time-traveled to a world of magic, right?
He pinched the bridge of his nose hard, then glanced at Erza and Mirajane to confirm he was still in Fairy Tail, not warped back to a hell of endless practice tests.
Okay, (==) technically, this is "otherworld knowledge" for me in this world.
But the vibe? Weirdly cursed.
Then he noticed more colored spines beneath the blue book.
He swiped upward on the screen.
Instantly, countless thumbnails flooded the display like a library catalog—every title containing "Math," "Physics," or "Chemistry."
Elementary Math-Physics-Chemistry Mastery, Middle School Math-Physics-Chemistry Essentials, Advanced Math-Physics-Chemistry Overview…
Roger felt imaginary black lines sliding down his forehead. "Did it just declare war on STEM?"
"This is ridiculous. Drawing this kind of knowledge—I don't even know if I should call it lucky or cursed."
Seeing the mix of shock, resignation, and hysterical amusement on his face, Erza and the others looked baffled.
Shouldn't Roger be thrilled to gain otherworld knowledge?
Why does he look so… conflicted?
"Huh? Huh!" On the other side, Daphne let out a sound. She was glued to her own screen, which now showed a red scythe icon. She read the description aloud in a whisper:
Weapon Name: Crescent Rose
Functions: Freely switches between giant scythe and high-performance sniper rifle forms. Uses massive recoil from firing to enable rapid user repositioning and tactical mobility.
Special Trait: Automatically converts defeated enemies' corpses or severed limbs into rose petals. Combines artistic flair with battlefield cleanup—no more corpse disposal hassle!
Warning: Complex operation. Requires rigorous training. Forcing use without mastery may cause severe self-injury, including but not limited to cuts, dismemberment, etc. Exercise extreme caution.
She devoured every word, breathing growing ragged.
"It can directly convert biological matter into roses?!"
"Can I reverse-engineer this energy conversion and apply it to my artificial lifeforms?!"
"If I build this weapon and load combat data into their systems, their mobility and lethality will skyrocket!"
Watching the manic, research-obsessed glint return to her eyes, a giant sweat drop rolled down Happy's head. He turned to Roger with deadly seriousness.
"I suddenly feel like… letting her have this magic might—possibly—be a bad idea."
"(=_=) I've got a bad feeling. At this rate, it won't be long before her crazy, dangerous inventions destroy the entire world—"
Mirajane waved a carefree hand. "Relax! Roger's here to keep an eye on her."
"Besides, that's what makes the future exciting~"
"That's exactly why I think she'll destroy the world—with you two enabling her!" Happy internally screamed. One ear drooped limply.
His mind was already flashing with visions of the guild thrown into chaos by "accidental" experiments, maybe even dragging all of Magnolia down with it.
←_← Countless bizarre gadgets, plus the guild's usual chaos-lovers who'd probably cheer her on… Happy covered his face with both paws and slowly slid them down, revealing blank, lightless eyes.
"We're doomed. This world is beyond saving."
"What are you freaking out about?!" Natsu laughed, scooping Happy into a headlock and ruffling his fur.
"We're super strong! No matter what happens, we'll handle it! Chill!"
Happy wriggled free, let out a long, dramatic sigh, and gave Natsu the deadest fish-eye stare.
"Sigh… If only I could be like you, Natsu. One-track mind, only thinks about fighting, brain on permanent vacation—life would be so much easier."
Natsu's forehead exploded with cross-shaped veins. His fists clenched with a crack.
"Oi! I was comforting you, you little—!"
Happy instantly threw up his paws in pure innocence.
"I was complimenting you! I said you're cheerful, pure-hearted, and warm like the sun!"
"Huh? Really?" Natsu blinked, then scratched his nose with a sheepish grin. "Heh, well… I'm not that great…"
(Man, Natsu's so easy.)
"Speaking of—" Erza rested her chin on her hand, thinking for a few seconds before raising a point everyone had overlooked.
"When we took down those lizardmen earlier… nothing dropped?"
"Oh yeah!" Mirajane clapped her hands. "Normally, even regular monsters or enemies drop some magic power when defeated. But this time, no system prompt at all."
Roger thought for a moment, then guessed, "That's probably because these artificial lifeforms run entirely on external magic crystals."
"They're closer to precision magic puppets than actual living beings. That's why they don't drop magic power—just like destroying a building wouldn't drop anything."
As he finished, more details about the Ancient Codex magic surfaced in his mind.
He focused on Daphne, selected the Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulations series on his screen, and mentally hit "send."
The next second, a translucent data-transfer progress bar appeared above Daphne's head and filled instantly.
When it hit 100%, the same flood of STEM book icons appeared on her Codex screen.
"Huh?! Huh?!" Daphne gaped at the new additions. "Can Codices… share data with each other?"
"Not just between Codices," Roger shrugged.
"This magic can also directly transmit stored info, images, even complex concepts straight into someone else's mind. It's like… telepathy, but for data."
"Wha—?!" Mirajane's hand flew to her mouth in shock.
"It can do that? So all those brutally hard, memorize-or-die subjects could be learned instantly? That's insanely useful!"
"An extremely practical ability," Erza nodded in agreement, watching Daphne already drowning in the sea of new knowledge.
"The original Ancient Codex was already considered one of the strongest research-assist magics by scholar mages, thanks to its massive database and search functions."
"But it had almost no combat use and was ridiculously hard to learn, so it never caught on."
"Roger's upgraded version keeps the core knowledge library and adds the insanely versatile ability to control non-living objects."
"You could say this magic was tailor-made for Daphne."
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