Chapter 3: Chapter -3 Does he really deserve to be called mage?
Chapter 3:
"Hey, what are you all up to? The lunch break has ended!" A teacher's voice echoed from nearby.
The three found the typically bothersome teacher surprisingly friendly at that moment and were about to sneak away.
"Hmm?"
Dudley's soft grunt caused the three to halt in their tracks, as if they were frozen in place, unable to budge.
Should they attempt to move without Dudley's consent?
"Just repay us in three days; don't let me catch you bullying anyone again."
"Get lost."
Upon hearing Dudley's words, the three felt as if they had been granted a reprieve and quickly dashed away at their maximum speed.
"Oh, it's Dudley." The teacher approached, and upon seeing Dudley, a smile instantly appeared on his face.
Dudley, viewed as a monster by the students, appeared quite different in the eyes of the teachers.
The reason is straightforward:
Dudley consistently achieved excellent grades, ranking first in the school every year, nearly attaining full marks in every subject.
He was essentially a model student. To characterize his academic performance using the O.W.L. exam data from the wizarding
world, Dudley had an O (Outstanding) in academics, O in physical education, O in height development, and even O in physique.
Additionally, Dudley enjoyed participating in various competitive events, and importantly, he always brought home first-place
medals for the school.
The trophy display case was already overflowing.
So, do you think the teachers appreciate him?
After a short conversation, the teacher departed.
Only Harry and Dudley remained.
"Dudley, I'm sorry. I couldn't safeguard your lunch." Harry seemed to have made a significant decision and mustered his
courage.
Dudley frowned again upon hearing this: "What should you call me?"
Harry's hard-won courage immediately deflated: "Sorry, D-Bro."
D-Bro, or Big D, was a term of affection only used by Dudley's close friends.
"Harry, you really don't need to be so scared of me."
"Okay, D-Bro."
This kind of exchange left Dudley somewhat at a loss for words. He swore he had never bullied Harry since arriving in this world;
who knew why Harry was so intimidated by him?
'I'm clearly a very easy-going person.'
He indeed hadn't bullied Harry; it was just that every time he assaulted someone else, Harry happened to be nearby, and
Dudley's violent side left a lasting impression on Harry's young mind.
After a brief interaction, he sent Harry to stay in the classroom while he sought a quiet spot to review his recent gains.
Dudley was not from this world.
Now his name was Dudley Dursley, the well-known cousin of Harry Potter in the wizarding world, a minor character who advanced the plot, and initially, even a fool who could not be considered a villain.
He was also the designated Muggle by the original author, destined to be a person with no ties to magic.
If no miracle occurred, Dudley would never be able to cast even half a spell in his lifetime.
As the saying goes, fortune hides in misfortune, and misfortune leans on fortune.
When heaven closes a door, it also opens a window for him.
Suppressing his inner excitement and joy, Dudley pushed open 'that window.'
A few golden letters with a mysterious aura slowly appeared before Dudley's eyes.
This was something only Dudley could perceive, and it was his unique 'golden finger.'
Mage Cultivation System, which literally means a system for cultivating mages.
"Rescue the young savior Harry Potter; reward: one physical lottery draw!"
"Would you like to draw now?" Dudley gazed at the large characters gradually appearing before him.
He rubbed his hands vigorously and hurried to the school washroom to wash his hands thoroughly.
For a lottery, of course, he had to wash away the bad luck first and then attract good luck to himself; only then could he draw a big prize. Having crossed over to the magical world, he had to believe in mysticism.
At the moment Dudley pressed the lottery button, an old-fashioned slot machine appeared before him, and the three slots began to spin wildly.
Regardless of its significance, the sense of ceremony was quite strong.
As the lever was pulled, the patterns on the screen began to roll continuously, and throughout the process, Dudley couldn't
operate it; he could only quietly await the result.
Recalling his last lottery experience,
The last time he drew was "JOJO's Bizarre Adventure"—Ripple Energy.
This is a unique cultivation technique that, through a special breathing method, allows control over the physical body via breathing, significantly enhancing physical fitness. It can also achieve various effects through subtle control. In the later stages of cultivation, one can surpass human limits and even resist aging.
At that time, Dudley was puzzled that a mage system would draw such a thing. The system's explanation was: "A strong physique is a basic condition for becoming a mage." It made sense, and he accepted it.
Since then, Dudley has been practicing ripple energy every day, which led to his current robust physique.
"But still, he wants to learn magic."
No one dislikes magic; compared to physical training, the magical arts are clearly more enchanting. Along with Dudley's sentiment, the slot machine slowly came to a stop, revealing the series of the reward drawn this time.
"Type Moon World FATE"
"The Holy Grail War, the three families of the Yū."
The slot machine displayed a few more words. Seeing these words, Dudley raised an eyebrow; this should be magic, right?
Although that world usually refers to spells as "magecraft" and spellcasters as "mages," even mages should at least be able to cast a fireball, right?
As Dudley anticipated, an image appeared before him. It was the image of a boy with blue seaweed-like hair, currently wearing a lewd smile, with his hand resting on the thigh of a girl in a red outfit with twin tails.
A classic scene from the UBW route of Fate/stay night—"I can play with this leg for a year."
"Congratulations, you have obtained: Matou Shinji's magecraft physique."
Matou Shinji, the eldest son of the Matou family of magicians, had a strong desire to become a mage when he was young. As he grew up, he realized that this wish was destined to be unfulfilled; he did not possess the qualifications to become a mage and even vented his frustrations on his adopted sister, Matou Sakura, committing many acts that drew the ire of both gods and men.
He is a character like Dudley Dursley, who drives the plot forward as a villain. However, in terms of malice, Dudley is far inferior to him.
The only commendable aspect is that he has decent grades and is the vice president of the archery club. For this, Dudley gained a bow and arrow LV1 ability.
Even after cultivating ripple energy for many years, Dudley, who can usually remain unperturbed in most situations, couldn't help but snap, cursing:
"Matou Shinji's magecraft physique? I can't help but laugh."
"Does Matou Shinji look like a mage? Not to mention being a star and a half short, he's at least ten thousand miles away."
"What can you, Matou Shinji, do? Do you even deserve to be called a mage?"