Through his Six Eyes, Nate observed the fundamental difference between Lucy, a human, and Virgo, a Celestial Spirit. Inside Virgo, two distinct sources of magic were present: one from Virgo herself and another drawn from Lucy. Typically, Celestial Spirits used their summoner's magic to stay in the human world. However, Nate couldn't see Virgo's "soul," suggesting she was a unique, energy-based entity.
After a moment of contemplation, Nate extended his hand. "Virgo, can I hold your hand?"
Seeing alone wasn't enough—he needed direct contact to fully understand her nature.
Lucy, curious, let Virgo step forward. "What exactly are you trying to do, Nate?"
Virgo, placing her hand in Nate's, said earnestly, "Please, do as you wish, Nate-sama."
'Don't make it sound like I'm about to do something inappropriate… this is purely academic research!'
Nate couldn't help but feel Virgo's words had a double meaning, likely influenced by her "naughty" master, Lucy.
He closed his eyes and focused on Virgo's unique nature. Without using Six Eyes, she felt almost identical to a human—her hand was as soft and delicate as a young girl's. Nate channeled his magic into Virgo's fingers, but it was quickly rejected.
"Ah!" Virgo made an emotionless yet theatrical sound of surprise.
"What happened?" Lucy asked, wide-eyed.
"Nate-sama's magic entered me, Princess," Virgo said, blinking. "But I rejected it."
"Don't reject it," Nate said, slightly exasperated. He could push through her defenses, but that would hurt the spirit.
"I'm ready for whatever comes," Virgo added.
"…"
Nate was speechless.
After carefully probing Virgo's body with his magic, Nate began to understand the nature of Celestial Spirits. They were energy-based beings, fundamentally different from humans despite their appearance. Their energy clearly originated from the Celestial Spirit World, and even if Virgo were killed here, she would only return to the Spirit World and regenerate.
Nate withdrew his hand and nodded. "Thank you, Virgo. I think I understand now."
"I'm glad I could help."
"Can I visit the Celestial Spirit World?" Nate asked.
"No, Nate-sama. Just as spirits cannot live long in the human world, humans cannot survive in the Celestial Spirit World," Virgo replied.
"I just want to take a quick look. Can I stay for a little while?"
"No way!" Lucy grabbed Nate's arm in alarm. "That's way too dangerous! Don't be reckless!"
She was genuinely worried that Nate's bold ideas might get him killed.
Seeing Lucy so opposed, Nate thought for a moment and decided not to push the issue. Though he was confident, there was no need to make Lucy panic.
"Thanks for your help. Here, take these," Nate said, handing Virgo a pouch filled with a hundred first-generation magic rings. "I think Celestial Spirits can use the Magic Internet too. Want to give it a try?"
Virgo, intrigued, accepted the gift and looked to Lucy for approval.
"Can spirits really use it?" Lucy asked, surprised.
"Try it and find out."
Nate was 99% sure it would work, having thoroughly studied Virgo, but there was always that 1% chance of something unexpected.
Virgo, visibly excited, slipped on one of the rings without hesitation.
"Use your own magic, not Lucy's," Nate advised.
"Understood."
Virgo followed his instructions, and the ring activated.
"Welcome to the world of the Magic Internet," the system prompted. "Please choose a username. This cannot be changed, so choose carefully."
Seeing it actually work, Lucy's mouth dropped open in shock. She quickly rushed to Virgo's side, adopting the role of an experienced internet user.
"Don't use your real name, Virgo! Trust me on this."
Virgo paused, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. "Why, Princess?"
"It's just better that way!" Lucy said, too lazy to explain in detail. "Let me help you pick a cute name!"
Virgo erased her initial choice and typed in a new one: I Am Virgo.
Nate blinked. "???"
What an odd username. Who names themselves that? Was she shortening "I Am Virgo of the Zodiac"? It certainly hid her identity well, in its own quirky way.
"It's… memorable," Nate muttered under his breath.
"Does this work, Princess?" Virgo asked.
"Just add me as a friend," Lucy said, feeling a little embarrassed by the username.
She quickly opened her own Magic Net account and added 'I Am Virgo' as a friend.
Virgo accepted the request, and Lucy immediately sent her a message.
Gotta Earn Money: "Awesome! Now we can chat on the Magic Net, Virgo!"
Virgo was surprised. "Even across worlds?"
"Yes!" Lucy's eyes widened in amazement. She turned to Nate and asked, "Does the Magic Net reach the Celestial Spirit World too?"
"I'm not sure yet. Have Virgo return and send you a message to test it out," Nate replied with a smile. This was exactly why he had given her the rings—expanding the Magic Net to the Celestial Spirit World was part of his plan.
Lucy nodded and instructed Virgo, "Go back to the Spirit World and try messaging me from there."
"Understood, Princess. Goodbye, Nate-sama," Virgo said, curtsying once more before disappearing in a soft glow of golden light.
"Why is Virgo more respectful to you than to me?" Lucy grumbled.
"How should I know?" Nate shrugged. "Has she messaged you yet?"
"She has! She has!" Lucy exclaimed as a new message popped up.
I Am Virgo: "Princess, I've returned to the Spirit World safely. Can you see this?"
Gotta Earn Money: "I can see it!!!"
Lucy's excitement was evident from the triple exclamation marks. "Nate, this is incredible! The Magic Net works across different worlds! Now I can talk to my spirits anytime!"
"Tell Virgo to share the other rings with the rest of the Celestial Spirits," Nate said with a chuckle. "You've helped me a lot, Lucy."
With the Magic Net now extending to the Celestial Spirit World, Nate could tap into the unique magic power there—let's call it "Celestial Power." This would allow him to create bodies for players in the new game, 'Magic Arena'. These bodies would act like Celestial Spirits, meaning that even if players "died," they wouldn't suffer any serious harm.
With this problem solved, Nate felt triumphant.
"I really am a genius!"