Morning light poured softly through the curtains.
Lock opened his window, letting in the cool air and the sound of orioles singing on the branches outside.
He inhaled deeply—the crisp freshness of dawn filled his lungs and cleared his mind.
"Alright," he murmured to himself. "Time for the usual lottery. Let's see what kind of magic I pull from this A-Rank draw."
It was the reward he'd earned after defeating Iron Shark, and he'd been waiting for this moment since that battle ended.
Of course, he was also curious to see just how famous he'd become overnight.
His phone buzzed on the table.
Sliding down the notification panel, he skimmed the headlines—and blinked.
Nearly every push notification, every article, every trending tag…
was about him.
"License Exam Chaos—Student Hero Defeats Escaped Villain!"
"The Dragon-Blooded Prodigy: Lock's Power Shocks the Nation!"
Lock exhaled with a faint smile.
"So I really did become famous overnight, huh?"
He closed his eyes.
The world around him stilled as his consciousness slipped into System Space—that empty white realm within his mind.
"Use A-Rank Lottery," he commanded.
[A-Rank Lottery Initiated…]
A radiant wheel materialized before him, its symbols glowing as it spun.
Lock's expression was calm; this time, his expectations weren't as high.
He already possessed powerful magic—Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, Lightning Magic, the Yandi Armor.
But still, as any true mage knew… one could never have too much magic.
[Congratulations! The Host has obtained the Magic "Mimicry" — User: Black Snake.]
[Congratulations! The Host has obtained the Magic "Rock Iron Wall" — User: Jura Neekis.]
[Congratulations! The Host has obtained the Celestial Spirit Magic "Virgo" — User: Lucy Heartfilia.]
The moment the wheel stopped, Lock's mind filled with visions—echoes of the magi who had once wielded these powers.
Each spell's structure, memory, and combat flow poured into his consciousness like a flood of light.
He exhaled slowly. Unlike his first A-Rank draw, this one was easier to absorb.
His mind, tempered by countless battles, accepted it naturally.
He reviewed the new magics one by one.
[Mimicry – General Magic]
Allows the user to blend perfectly into their surroundings, concealing both form and presence.
Source: Black Snake of the Dark Guild Raven Tail—founded by Ivan Dreyar, Makarov's estranged son and Laxus's father.
Black Snake had appeared briefly during the Grand Magic Games before being defeated by Laxus himself.
Lock nodded thoughtfully. "Stealth magic, huh? Not bad at all."
While it wasn't offensive, invisibility was priceless for reconnaissance, infiltration, or even tactical surprise.
A solid utility spell.
[Rock Iron Wall – Earth Magic]
Forms an impenetrable barrier of stone and metal, capable of withstanding immense force.
Source: Jura Neekis of the guild Lamia Scale, one of the Ten Wizard Saints.
A master of earth hardening magic who could compress sand into steel, earning the title "Rock Iron Jura."
"Defense magic," Lock murmured approvingly. "Perfect. My offense is strong enough—I needed this."
He smiled. "With this, I'll finally have no weak points."
Finally, his gaze fell on the third spell—the golden key that had appeared in his hand, gleaming softly in the light.
[Celestial Spirit Magic – Virgo]
Summons Virgo, the Maiden of the Zodiac, through her golden key to fight alongside the summoner.
Lock frowned slightly, an odd feeling stirring in his chest.
Celestial Spirit Magic—so Lucy's magic had entered his hands?
It was… strange.
Because this type of magic, unlike most, relied on contracts and keys.
Without a key, the magic was useless.
And once a key was bound to a mage through a contract, no one else could summon that Spirit.
Which raised a very real question.
"This key belongs to Lucy," he muttered. "So even if I have it… does that mean I can actually summon Virgo?"
Before Thisder further, the familiar cold voice of the System echoed in his mind.
[Notice: The Strongest Mage System operates beyond the constraints of original magic frameworks.
All magic drawn serves the Host exclusively and functions independently of prior ownership or contract.]
Lock blinked. "Then what about the summoning contract? The Spirit World's time limits? The boundaries between dimensions?"
Traditionally, Celestial Spirits required a mutual contract with their summoner, defining when and how they could appear in the human world.
They were not slaves—they had their own realm, the Celestial Spirit World, and could only remain on Earth for limited periods.
[Clarification: The Key is a one-time consumable item.
The summoned Spirit enters a permanent, absolute contract—bound by the Host's will.
It may remain in the human world indefinitely.]
Lock stared at the key in silence.
So under the System's power, the Spirits weren't bound by Lucy's contracts or the old rules.
They existed in a parallel version of the Spirit World, unclaimed and unattached—awaiting only him.
In essence… they were no longer companions.
They were his servants.
Lock sighed softly, running a thumb over the golden key. "Sorry, Virgo."
He wasn't cruel—but even he couldn't change how the System worked.
It operated outside morality or consent, shaping magic itself to obey its master.
Still, he now understood how Celestial Magic functioned within his system.
And that understanding would be valuable later.
Closing the interface, Lock glanced at the lower corner of his system screen.
After exchanging for Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, his Fame Points had dropped to zero.
But now—
His eyes widened.
Fame Points: 10,000
"What…?"
He inhaled sharply. "Ten thousand already?!"
He hadn't realized how much attention the license exam and the Iron Shark incident had drawn.
To think that overnight, he'd gained this much reputation—
And it was still climbing.
The internet was still ablaze with discussion; the Hero Public Safety Commission was still issuing statements.
By tomorrow, it would be even higher.
Lock grinned. "Perfect."
He summoned the System menu again, his heart quickening with excitement.
"Alright," he said under his breath, eyes gleaming. "Let's see what else I can exchange next."
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San