Chapter 43: Digital Assistant: Ur

Ur gradually calmed down and began accepting her situation. She silently observed Nate with her beautiful eyes—a young and handsome man.

But no, considering someone capable of creating such mysterious magic like the Internet, he must be a powerful mage who had long delved into the depths of magic. His appearance was just that—mere appearance. His true age couldn't possibly be judged by his looks.

"So, Nate... sama," Ur began cautiously, "You broke my 'Iced Shell' and collected my soul... What was your purpose?"

Meeting her confused gaze, Nate simply smiled.

"Why must there be a purpose?" he replied.

"To melt 'Iced Shell,' as far as I know, only the 'Moon Drip' magic can achieve that," Ur implied. Going through all this trouble without any motive seemed unlikely. Could this mysterious mage be so old and bored that he revived her just for entertainment?

It wasn't impossible, but it was highly improbable.

Nate shook his head. "I think you've misunderstood something."

He then briefly explained Lyon's actions. "He's your student. He wanted to surpass you, so he spent years trying to melt your 'Iced Shell' to defeat Deliora with his own hands. But what he didn't realize was that the demon Deliora, after being frozen for so many years, had already lost its life force. It died as soon as it was unsealed."

"I just happened to be there and thought I might as well collect your soul."

Ur's expression turned blank. That indeed sounded like something Lyon would do.

"And another thing—you've misunderstood me too." Nate chuckled. "I'm not some 'master.' I'm actually younger than you."

Ur stared at Nate in disbelief, utterly confused.

Younger than her? Not some ancient monster of the magical world? How could that be possible? A mage so young, yet capable of creating such unbelievable magic? Even a genius must have limits.

She gawked at Nate for several minutes before rubbing her forehead, trying to process everything.

"Wait, give me a moment to take this in." She paused, then asked again, "So, Nate... san, you collected my soul without any particular goal?"

She had changed her form of address from "sama" to "san." Ur was respectful like that—after all, he had saved her life, so simply calling him by name felt too informal.

Nate pondered. Maybe having a soul as a companion wouldn't be so bad... like keeping a digital pet.

Of course, he didn't say that out loud. It would be tactless.

"Do you feel a strong need to repay me?"

"Yes," Ur nodded, smiling gracefully. "I was destined to die, yet you saved me. I'd feel uneasy if I didn't do something in return."

Having "died" once, Ur felt grateful to be given a second chance, even if it was just her soul that survived. She still wanted to repay Nate for his kindness.

Seeing her genuine smile, Nate gave her an appreciative look.

"Ur, do you know what your current state is?" he asked. "You can't leave the Deep Web. Without magic to sustain your soul, it would quickly dissipate if you tried to leave."

"That's not to say you can't leave at all," he continued.

Then, with a snap of his fingers, the surrounding world crumbled into endless streams of 0s and 1s. Data rushed upward, leaving behind only an abyss of nothingness.

It wasn't just darkness—rather, it was 'nothing'. How do you describe nothing? It's like trying to see with your nose—what you perceive is 'nothingness.'

Ur felt a sense of dread, as if she were falling into an endless void.

After some time, a sphere of pure white light appeared beneath her, growing larger and brighter until it filled her entire vision.

"Do you know what this is?" Nate asked, approaching the glowing sphere. He plucked a tiny thread of light from it and let it merge with Ur's soul.

"This is... magic!" Ur exclaimed, shocked. "Pure magic!"

"Correct. It's the magic source that powers the Internet," Nate nodded. All the magic consumed by Internet users—99% of it—gathers here. If this sphere were ever depleted, the Internet would 'disconnect.' But theoretically, that would never happen, as the system doesn't consume magic if no one is online.

"I'll give you a small portion of this magic. With it, you can leave the Deep Web and move freely in the real world."

Ur felt her soul solidify slightly as magic filled her.

"However, even with this magic, you can't stray too far from me," Nate added. He didn't hide anything, explaining Ur's current condition in full.

Ur smiled warmly. "This is more than enough. Thank you, Nate."

"There's no need to be so gloomy," Nate said. "If the chance arises, I'll see if I can help bring you back to life for real."

"Then I thank you in advance," Ur said optimistically, her expression calm and peaceful.

"Now, is there anything I can do for you? Anything at all—even if it's destroying the world, I'll do my best."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Why would I want to destroy the world?"

He snapped his fingers again, drawing a larger portion of magic from the glowing sphere and infusing it into Ur.

"This should be enough for you to move around for a while. Use it wisely, though."

After all, keeping a digital pet that consumed too much magic would be troublesome for him, as this source of Internet power was also his reserve magic. He didn't even use it frivolously himself.

Ur felt the nourishing magic spread through her, making her soul even more solid. She even felt capable of using magic again.

Seeing her content smile, Nate realized she was easier to get along with than he had expected. Unlike some geniuses with quirks, she was quite pleasant.

"Nate-san, how can I ever repay you? No, I'll never be able to repay such a debt."

Ur chuckled helplessly. If only she had her body, she could offer something in return... but that was out of the question for now.

"If you really want to do something, help me manage the Internet," Nate said. He figured giving his digital pet some tasks would keep her busy and avoid any existential crises.

"How do I do that? I know nothing about your magic," Ur said.

"I'll teach you, slowly. For now, I'm off to rest. See you tomorrow."

With that, Nate waved her off and exited the Deep Web.

In the real world, in the cave by the pool of water, Nate slowly opened his eyes.

The next moment, a ripple of magic appeared beside him, and Ur manifested in the physical world.

"Ah, so this is what it feels like to be alive again?" she said, stretching, her translucent form displaying a graceful figure, her face glowing with a satisfied smile.

However, unlike normal people, she was semi-transparent.

"Good morning, Nate," Ur greeted him naturally.

'Good morning? It's already late!' Nate grumbled, and with a wave of his hand, he sent Ur back into the Deep Web.