"Thor, is this what you usually wear?"
Jane stepped in front of Thor, gazing curiously at his light gold armor and crimson cape.
"Haha, of course! I always wear this in Asgard."
"..."
Off to the side, Lockhart silently watched Thor and Jane's affectionate exchange. He had no intention of interrupting—it wasn't his style to play the jealous third wheel.
However—
He did notice Sif nearby, looking slightly off. Maybe the scene was a little too much for her.
Lockhart quietly took note of it.
Then—
"System, initiate the lottery.
Twenty consecutive draws."
If not now, when?
Thor had just regained his powers, and Lockhart had witnessed the sheer dominance of his combat ability—it was like watching someone toy with their opponent.
This was the perfect time to cash in.
If he didn't pull now, Thor would be heading back to Asgard soon. The next time they crossed paths might not be until the Battle of New York.
That is—if that event even still happened in this version of the Marvel world.
Lockhart knew his own cautious nature. He wouldn't let potential threats linger.
Still, that was a concern for later. Right now—
The results were in.
A pale green interface hovered before him as Lockhart skimmed the results, the corners of his lips twitching into a pleased smile.
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Advanced Combat Experience!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Advanced Lightning Affinity!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Asgardian Warrior Training Manual!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Prototype Power of Thor!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Combat Skill – Thunderstorm!"
"..."
Lockhart nearly laughed aloud.
His eyes sparkled with joy—it was a jackpot.
As expected of Thor—he was a goldmine.
"Draw again. Use 20,000 reputation points. Another 20 pulls."
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Combat Skill – Call of Thunder!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Advanced Combat Experience."
"Ding! Congratulations, host has acquired: Asgardian Hunting Compendium."
"..."
Lockhart let out a quiet sigh.
As expected, the second batch wasn't as impressive. Most were duplicates, with only a few new standouts.
Still—not bad.
More than enough.
He reminded himself not to be greedy.
A true wizard always exercised restraint.
Besides, his favorability rating had already reached its cap. If he wanted to draw more from Thor's pool, he'd need to raise it even higher.
Thor Odinson (69/100)
Lockhart glanced at the system log and mentally filed that number away.
No rush.
He had plenty of time to deepen their relationship.
After all, Thor wasn't going anywhere.
And Asgard wasn't the type of place you visited just once.
Suddenly—
"Lockhart, I really can't thank you enough for everything."
Thor approached, sincerity in his voice. "Oh—and that Dittany potion worked wonders."
Lockhart smiled warmly. "It was the least I could do."
With a flick of his wand, five brown-green vials floated gently in front of Thor.
"These are for you. Since you liked the potion, you might need more down the road."
Thor looked a little embarrassed and started to refuse, but Lockhart interrupted with a grin.
"Don't worry—they're not free."
"I saw you took down the Destroyer. I'd like to collect some of its remains for research."
"Consider the Dittany fair trade. Sound good?"
Thor slapped his chest with a hearty laugh.
"Haha! Of course! Take whatever you want. You're my friend—and that hunk of metal's not getting back up."
Lockhart beamed.
Now that was the kind of generous spender he liked.
Still, taking everything would make him seem greedy—and that wasn't the image he wanted.
Give and take.
Play the long game.
He'd have more chances to interact with Asgardians in the future—there was no need to burn bridges early.
So—
He reached into his pocket and hesitated for a moment before pulling out a small vial of golden, shimmering liquid.
"This is Felix Felicis."
"In the wizarding world, it's considered one of the top-tier potions. It grants incredibly good luck, letting the drinker perform at their absolute best—like they were blessed by fate itself."
Thor's eyes lit up instantly. Without hesitation, he took the vial and said,
"Good stuff—really good stuff. I've never seen anything like this in Asgard. Thanks, Lockhart."
Watching Thor casually pocket what had cost him 600 Galleons and several personal favors, Lockhart winced internally.
That was supposed to be his trump card—his last resort for a world-ending emergency.
Still...
He glanced at the shattered Destroyer in the distance.
Just selling those materials could easily fund several more Felix Felicis—assuming the alchemists recognized their value.
"Accio Destroyer Remains!"
With a wave of his wand, the fragments flew into the air and floated toward him.
With another motion, they disappeared into the spatial pouch at his waist.
Right then, Coulson arrived—
Just in time to see Thor holding the Felix Felicis and Lockhart casually collecting the remains of the Destroyer.
A strained smile crossed Coulson's face.
He'd hoped to salvage something from the wreckage—but it was clear the wizard professor had beaten him to it.
Before he could even open his mouth, Thor walked over and chatted briefly with Lockhart.
Coulson quickly understood the relationship between the two.
To ease the situation, S.H.I.E.L.D. had no choice but to return all of Jane's confiscated belongings—her laptop, notes, and other research materials.
But Coulson wasn't empty-handed.
As he looked at Jane, Erik, and the others, his eyes glinted.
S.H.I.E.L.D. already had detailed profiles on them.
They were connected to both Thor and Lockhart.
While brute force wasn't an option, S.H.I.E.L.D. excelled in gathering intel.
Lockhart caught the look in Coulson's eyes and smirked.
He knew exactly what S.H.I.E.L.D. was thinking.
From the moment he arrived in this world, he had carefully cultivated his image—not just to win favor with beings like the Ancient One,
but also to prepare for inevitable contact with organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D.
He had told them a lot of truths.
But believing everything he said? That would be laughable.
This was the Marvel Universe.
And at this point in the timeline, S.H.I.E.L.D. was unavoidable.
He wasn't some lone rogue.
Whether it was magical research, artifact trading, or resource access—working with a major organization was the smart move.
In the wizarding world, he was a respected author and Hogwarts professor. He had freedom and a reputation.
But in the Marvel world?
He had yet to connect with any true magical organization or supernatural faction.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was his only reliable platform right now.
And with just a few "gifts"...
They'd become his most loyal cash cow.
That's how you leverage magical tech in a modern world.