Chapter 48: Photo Feature, Ultear’s photo.jpg

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Photo Feature, Ultear's photo.jpg"I... my daughter?"

Ur was stunned.

"Your daughter, Ultear. Isn't that right?" Nate repeated.

He wanted to laugh but held it in. Ultear had been chatting with him late at night online, unaware that her mother had been watching the entire conversation.

Suddenly, Ur fell silent.

Indeed, her daughter's name was Ultear, a name chosen for the tears of joy at her birth. The name itself meant "Ur's Tears."

Ultear had possessed immense magical power from birth, but her young body couldn't handle it. To save her, Ur had sent her to a research facility. Shortly afterward, she was told her daughter had died.

"Nate!"

Ur's expression grew urgent. "Are you serious? She..."

Ur pointed at the private message interface.

"Witch of Pain?"

Judging by the timeline, her daughter should be around 18 now. The painful nickname suggested she had endured much suffering.

"Ultear is alive?"

"Does your internet magic let you see what the other person looks like?"

"Please, I want to see her!" Ur's voice trembled, full of desperation and urgency, as she begged.

"Video chat?"

Hearing her, Nate thought for a moment. It seemed complicated—adding a video chat function would require new magic knowledge, something that couldn't be done quickly. The current internet system only had a photo feature...

Wait—photos?

Nate had an idea. If all they needed was to see the person, a photo would suffice. He just needed to add a small function to the chat module for taking and sending pictures.

While he was thinking this through, Ultear, having not received a response from Nate, sent another message:

Witch of Pain: "?"

Witch of Pain: "Your friend can see you're online!"

Witch of Pain: "Why aren't you saying anything, little brother? (confused.jpg)"

She had no idea that everything she sent was being seen by her mother.

Nate knew Ultear wasn't up to anything good, but since it was just harmless online chatting, he didn't mind playing along.

Sigma Male: "You said you were in the bath?"

Sigma Male: "I don't believe you, unless you send a picture."

Sigma Male: "Hold on, I'm going to add a photo feature to the chat right now!"

After sending the message, Nate immediately opened the programming tools for the internet magic. The magic for taking pictures was already embedded in the deep web's core code; all he needed to do was call that function and add a button to the chat module to allow users to use it.

Considering that photos would need a place to be stored, he also quickly created a private gallery for users to store their pictures.

It sounded complex, but in reality, it was quite simple. In just over half an hour, Nate finished developing the new feature and promptly rolled out an update.

All at once, every user connected to the magic web was suddenly disconnected.

For "veteran users," this was nothing new. The members of Fairy Tail, in particular, knew Nate must have added some new feature.

But for new users—now numbering four to five thousand—it was their first time experiencing this. Many began to worry that their magic rings were broken.

After reactivating the internet by inputting their magic, they were greeted by an update announcement.

...

Magic Internet Alpha 0.4 Update Announcement:

1. Added the 'Photo' feature to the chat module. Now you can share pictures with friends.

2. Developed the 'second-generation ring'. Even non-magic individuals will be able to use the internet smoothly. Stay tuned for information on how to purchase it.

3. I didn't add anything else, but if I don't write more, it'll seem like I (the developer) didn't do enough work, so here's an extra line.

4. That's all.

...

For new users, this update notice was a first, but they quickly grasped its meaning. Immediately, many rushed to test the new feature.

...

Meanwhile, at Ultear's residence—a regular mansion not far from the council's headquarters—she was enjoying a bubble bath on the second floor. The surface of the bath was covered with milky bubbles, hiding her long, shapely legs beneath the water. Above the surface, her delicate collarbone was visible, along with a hint of her pale chest.

"He's really added a feature to send photos?" Ultear thought, amused.

No one else would know, but she was well aware that Nate had added the function just to see her in the bath! Despite her flirty tone in their conversations, it was all part of her strategy to get close to him. In reality, she was a very reserved girl.

Out of curiosity, Ultear decided to try the new photo feature in the chat. After pressing the button, the camera screen appeared, and there were several options, including one labeled 'Reverse Camera'. Pressing it showed her sitting in the bath.

Just then, more messages came through:

Sigma Male: "Go on, take a picture! I don't believe you're in the bath!"

Sigma Male: "You're not just saying it, right?"

Sigma Male: "Say 'I'm sorry, Nate oniichan,' and I might forgive you."

Ultear frowned slightly. She had checked Nate's background and knew he was 20, two years older than her. Calling him "oniichan"? Never going to happen. He was just a plaything, after all.

Witch of Pain: "So eager to see your big sister in the bath?"

Witch of Pain: "Too bad, you're not getting it! (hmph.jpg)"

But even as she typed this, Ultear was adjusting the camera, intentionally lifting one long, pale leg out of the water and snapping a photo.

'Click.'

The photo was taken.

Admiring her handiwork, she hesitated over whether to send it. A little shy... but then she took a few more pictures, just in case.

...

Meanwhile, back at Nate's apartment, he noticed that Ultear hadn't sent a photo yet. Turning to Ur, he said with a smirk, "Looks like I was wrong about your daughter. Ultear's just all talk, only daring to flirt with words."

...

Ur: "..."

She still wasn't sure if that was really her daughter. On one hand, she hoped Ultear was alive. But on the other hand, if it really was her daughter, Ur wasn't sure how to feel about her behavior.

Suddenly:

Witch of Pain: "bath1.jpg, bath2.jpg, bath3.jpg."

Ultear sent three pictures all at once.

Witch of Pain: "Do I look beautiful, little brother? (shy.jpg)"

Nate opened the photos, enlarging them to fill the screen. He had to admit, Ultear had impressive selfie skills—nothing revealing, but still surprisingly alluring. Especially her long, pale legs.

Resisting the temptation to 'touch' the screen, Nate silently saved the photos to his private gallery. Then, he turned to Ur and asked, "Now do you believe me?"

Ur stared at the pictures, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Despite the years that had passed, she recognized her daughter instantly. Ultear looked so much like she had when she was young.

"No, wait... I still look young. If we stood together, people would think we were sisters."

"I really thought she was dead... but she's grown so much."

"I was deceived by the people at that research facility!!!"

Ur's tears were now mixed with anger as she wiped them away.

Nate, somewhat surprised that a ghost could cry, asked, "Do you want me to tell her the truth?"

"...I don't deserve to see her," Ur said, her eyes filled with guilt.

Nate immediately typed:

Sigma Male: "You look amazing, keep sending more. I love it."

Sigma Male: "Oh, by the way, your mom's watching too. (sunglasses.jpg)"

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