Chapter 320: Going to Future Lucy's Timeline...

Sunny Doll: "Punishment game?"

Sunny Doll: "I'm sorry, Nate-sama, but Juvia hasn't heard about this."

Hmm?

Seeing the message from his little informant, Nate began to suspect that Lucy was bluffing.

Sunny Doll: "Nate-sama, Juvia is at the amusement park. Would you like to join us? 🤸‍♀️"

Sigma Male: "You all enjoy yourselves and have fun."

Deciding not to disturb the girls' outing, Nate finished his dinner and then opened the Magic Net's built-in programming tools to continue working on the unfinished code from earlier that afternoon.

Half an hour later, the magic-energy conversion program was finally complete. He embedded the hidden feature into the [Getting Over It] client, finalizing the test version of the game.

Now it was time to find someone to test it.

Nate opened his friend list, carefully selecting his target: the girl next door, Jenny. Seeing Jenny online brought a smile to his face as he recalled their last encounter at the hotel, where he had "helped" her take some creative photos. Now, his private gallery held a collection of photos of her wearing nothing but band-aids and "milk caps."

Sigma Male: "A friend of mine developed a game. I recommend you try it out."

Sigma Male: "[Getting Over It, test version]."

Jenny replied almost immediately.

Jenny: "A new game? 😲"

Sigma Male: "Try it out and write me an 800-word review by tomorrow. 😄"

Jenny: "Sure, I love games~"

The conversation ended there, and Nate hoped the game wouldn't drive her too mad.

Switching gears, Nate activated his Requip Magic, summoning his Gale-Force Reading Glasses and a few books on satellite magic. He resumed studying, delving into the intricacies of magic. Hours passed without notice.

"Nate."

The sound of someone approaching and taking a seat beside him finally pulled him from his concentration.

"Lucy... wait, no, Future Lucy."

Nate glanced up and greeted her, nearly mistaking her for her counterpart. Future Lucy seemed surprised.

"How did you know?"

She had deliberately dressed identically to Lucy today—same clothes, hairstyle, even makeup. The other girls couldn't tell them apart.

Nate chuckled. "Take a guess."

"Hmm... I have no idea." Future Lucy tilted her head, unable to figure out what gave her away.

Nate pointed at his eyes. "'The eyes are the windows to the soul.' Lucy's eyes are always full of joy and peace. Yours, on the other hand, carry a lot of pain."

A person's emotions were often reflected in their eyes.

"Oh, I see. That's impressive," Future Lucy admitted, sighing. "I had fun playing at the amusement park with everyone earlier, but once I returned to the quiet hotel, I couldn't help but think of my fallen friends. Everyone's so kind to me, but I just can't stop feeling this way. I'm sorry…"

"You don't need to apologize. You're too kind," Nate thought, flicking her forehead gently.

"Ah?" Future Lucy rubbed her forehead, wide-eyed as she looked at Nate.

"For the next couple of days, you're staying with Lucy, right?"

"Yeah... I thought about renting an apartment, but I don't have enough money," Future Lucy admitted, looking a bit embarrassed.

Without her Zodiac Keys, she couldn't even take on guild quests to earn an income. She was left relying on the hospitality of her present-day self, which felt awkward despite being "her own house."

"Do you have nightmares?"

"Yes…" Future Lucy stared at Nate in amazement. "How do you know everything?"

Nate shook his head slightly. "Your anxiety comes from fear. Do your nightmares involve the image of ten thousand dragons?"

"Yes!" Future Lucy nodded frantically.

"The way to conquer fear is to face it." Nate smiled faintly, setting down his magic book and extending both hands toward her. "Give me your hands."

Future Lucy complied without hesitation. Over the past two days, she had talked extensively with Lucy about her "boyfriend." Lucy had shared every detail of how they met, grew close, and fell in love. As a result, Future Lucy no longer saw Nate as a stranger. In fact, she trusted and depended on him completely, though she herself hadn't realized it.

"And then?" Future Lucy asked, a hint of anticipation in her voice.

"Stand up with me and hold still."

Holding her hands, Nate helped her rise from her seat. He then activated Flying Thunder God, his time-space magic.

A single golden light particle materialized between them. The tiny speck of light drifted into Future Lucy's chest.

As someone from a parallel future, destroying the Eclipse Gate would normally send her back to her original timeline. But Nate wasn't going to go through all that trouble. By harnessing the time-space coordinates imprinted on Future Lucy and using the power of Flying Thunder God, he could traverse timelines effortlessly.

The next moment, golden light engulfed them both, and they vanished.

"You can open your eyes now," Nate's voice came from nearby.

Future Lucy's eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.

ROAR!!

A beastly howl echoed across the sky.

"This is… the capital?!"

Future Lucy trembled, instinctively moving closer to Nate. The night sky above Crocus was littered with ruins, the city reduced to flaming wreckage. Dragons circled above, so numerous that counting them was impossible. They unleashed their destructive breath, razing what remained of the city.

"This is my world…" Future Lucy clung tightly to Nate, her palms already sweaty. The sight of a world annihilated by ten thousand dragons was overwhelming.

Nate wrapped his arm around her waist, and the two began to ascend into the air.

"N-Nate!"

"Don't be afraid," Nate said calmly. "Your fear stems from a lack of power."

He glanced at her. "Overcoming it isn't as hard as you think. I'll teach you how."

"How?" Future Lucy's voice trembled. "You're not planning to—"

"That's right. Tonight, we hunt dragons." Nate grinned. "Hold on tight; falling from this height could hurt."

Future Lucy hugged him tightly, clutching him as if her life depended on it.

At that moment, a blue dragon spotted them and unleashed a torrent of dragon breath. The water-elemental attack manifested as a massive waterspout, surging toward them. Encased in golden light, Nate and Future Lucy moved like a meteor, darting through the waterspout effortlessly. They landed atop the blue dragon's head.

"What?!" The dragon exclaimed, startled. "Mere humans avoided my breath attack?"

"Good evening, dragon." Nate raised his right foot and stomped hard on the dragon's head. "Sorry, but you looked the strongest. You'll do."

Dragon Taming Magic: Activate!

BOOM!

The stomp's force reverberated as if piercing the dragon's skull. A pitch-black magic circle erupted beneath Nate's foot. Chains shot out from the circle, binding the dragon's head tightly in an instant.

"ARRGH!!" The blue dragon screamed, flapping its wings in a desperate attempt to stay airborne. It was futile. It plummeted toward the ground, bound by the magic chains.

"What is this magic?! I… damn it!!"

CRASH!

The massive dragon hit the ground with a thunderous impact, crushing the remains of a building beneath it.

Future Lucy stared in stunned silence, her wide eyes filled with disbelief.

Then she heard Nate speak:

"This dragon's yours now."