Ryan had barely recovered from his impromptu sparring session with Natsu when Lucy offered him a seat at her table. She had that half-curious, half-suspicious look of someone who had seen too much weird in too little time.
"So," she said, sipping tea. "A new kind of magic and a weird way of casting it… You sure you're not some runaway researcher from Era?"
"I'm sure," Ryan muttered, rubbing his still-sore shoulder. "I'm just... freelance."
> [ChatGPT]: Lie detected. You are a runaway. From another dimension.
He ignored that.
"Freelance, huh?" Lucy smirked. "You're in luck. I've got a request—easy one. Well, relatively."
---
The Job Board
The flyer read:
> [Urgent Request – Village of Caelum's Rest]
Mysterious magical beast spotted in ancient ruins. Requesting mage assistance.
Reward: 80,000J
Bonus for containment.
"Sounds spooky," Ryan said, staring at the sketch of what looked like a glitchy bear.
"It's simple," Lucy said. "Scout the ruins, find the beast, report or eliminate. Easy. You, me, and Happy."
"Aye!" the Exceed chirped.
> [ChatGPT]: Warning – Anomaly Detected. Magic Signature: Unstable.
Potential Risk: 72%.
Recommend: Proceed with caution. Bring backup magic commands.
"Something tells me this job's not as 'simple' as advertised…"
---
The Journey to Caelum's Rest
As they traveled, Lucy filled the silence with chatter about guild drama, Natsu-related fires, and how rent was still due.
"I swear, Natsu set my furniture on fire again last week," she groaned.
"Have you tried Flame-Repellent Lacrima?" Ryan asked.
"Those exist?"
> [ChatGPT]: They do not. Yet. Suggest crafting recipe?
"...They will."
---
The Ruins
Caelum's Rest was exactly what it sounded like: old, cracked marble arches, fallen statues, and an ominous chill in the air.
"According to the locals," Lucy said, "this place used to house a magic testing site centuries ago. Closed after a failed spell corrupted the local leylines."
"Fun."
Then, they heard it. A glitchy growl.
A shadow shifted behind a crumbling pillar—then emerged.
It looked like a beast composed of corrupted code: pieces of stone and digital fragments suspended by crackling dark energy. Glowing red symbols danced across its body like malware made manifest.
> [ChatGPT]: Enemy Identified – Script-Eater Construct
Type: Magic anomaly
Status: Aggressive
Danger: High
Weakness: Syntax disruption, code reversal, emotion-triggered instability
"Lucy," Ryan said, heart pounding, "if I die, tell Mira I died stylish."
She rolled her eyes. "Just don't get eaten."
---
The Fight
Ryan activated his spell.
[Spell.Load('Shock.Projectile', repeat=3)]
Three electric bolts shot toward the beast—it dodged all three, phasing through the air like a corrupted hologram. It lunged at Lucy.
She countered fast. "Open—Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!"
The muscular spirit swung his axe, knocking the creature back just enough for Ryan to try again.
> [ChatGPT]: Suggest: [Script.Purge(target='hostile code', method='cleanse')]
He focused hard.
[Script.Purge(target='hostile code', method='cleanse')]
The glowing command symbols raced across the air and struck the beast—its body flickered, glitching for a second—but then stabilized, more aggressive now.
"Oh come on!" Ryan yelled.
> [ChatGPT]: It's adapting. Deploy creative override.
He hesitated… then grinned.
"I've been saving this."
[Custom.Spell("BlueScreenCrash!")]
A surge of blue light burst from his hands, forming a crashing wall of system-like text:
> ERROR 404: HOSTILE CODE NOT FOUND
REBOOTING CONSTRUCT…
The beast convulsed—then violently exploded into harmless fragments of shattered magic.
Ryan collapsed, panting. "I am a goddamn wizard."
Happy blinked. "That was... kind of awesome."
Lucy helped him up. "Not bad, Code Mage."
> [ChatGPT]:
Mission Complete!
– XP Gained
– Spell Unlocked: [Override()]
– Keyword: 'Crash' now available as a Spell Tag
– Title Earned: "Bug Hunter"
---
Back at the Guild
Ryan handed the mission slip in while Cana patted his back. "Survived your first mission, huh? Didn't think you'd last a day."
"I didn't either," he admitted.
Mira beamed. "Welcome home."
As Ryan sat down with a drink, his ChatGPT window blinked open one last time for the day.
> You did well today, Ryan. You're learning faster than I expected.
But this world is far more unstable than it appears.
Warning: Unknown forces have detected your presence.
Tracking initiated...
Ryan frowned. "Wait… what?"