Once the idea took root, Lucas acted on it.
The Phoenix constellation was only missing two stars. Awakening it was simply a matter of time.
Even without combat, his daily routine—ten thousand punches a day—would eventually ignite the remaining stars. At most, it would take three months.
The real problem wasn't the constellation.
It was the Cloth.
More specifically, one missing component.
Gammanium.
The other materials were manageable.
Take meteors, for example. Meteor fragments could theoretically be refined into Stardust Sand, one of the materials needed for forging a Saint Cloth.
And meteorites weren't particularly rare.
Across the United States—especially among wealthy collectors—meteor fragments were highly sought-after items. New York alone hosted several meteorite trading events each year.
With enough money, obtaining one wouldn't be difficult.
Vibranium was another story.
It was practically priceless.
But Lucas wasn't worried.
He knew exactly where Vibranium came from.
If the time ever came when Vibranium was the last missing material—and asking politely didn't work—he wouldn't hesitate to take it himself.
The logic was simple.
If he needed Vibranium, why should anyone else's opinion matter?
That left only one unanswered question.
Gammanium.
Over the past several days, Lucas had developed a routine.
After finishing classes, he went straight to the library.
There, he borrowed books about gamma radiation while using the public computers to search for relevant research.
During that time, he also discovered something useful.
The private citizen in New York who owned the largest meteorite collection.
Norman Osborn.
Yes—the same Norman Osborn who ran Oscorp Industries.
Lucas had stumbled across a post on an online meteorite forum from a month earlier.
According to one enthusiast, Osborn kept an entire room in his estate dedicated to meteorites he had purchased over the years.
Lucas had also looked into Wakanda.
Specifically, the Wakandan ambassador to the United Nations.
Since the UN headquarters was located in New York, the ambassador lived in the city as well.
So now Lucas knew two things.
Where to find meteorites.
And where to find Vibranium.
Only Gammanium remained a mystery.
Lucas sat at one of the library computers, continuing his search through articles related to gamma radiation.
If anyone in the Marvel Universe understood gamma radiation better than anyone else, it would undoubtedly be Dr. Bruce Banner.
Unfortunately…
Banner had vanished after the Battle of New York.
Rumor had it he rode off on a motorcycle and disappeared.
S.H.I.E.L.D. might know where he was.
But Lucas had no interest in getting involved with them.
Or any superheroes.
S.H.I.E.L.D. practically attracted trouble like a magnet.
Fortunately, Banner wasn't the only person researching gamma radiation.
Others were working on it too—just with less success.
Lucas clicked open a research paper he had just found.
"Applications of Gamma Radiation in Biological Therapy."
Author: Dr. Curtis Connors
Institution: Oscorp Industries
Lucas blinked.
"…Wait."
"Isn't that the Lizard?"
He stared at the screen thoughtfully.
Just then a voice spoke behind him.
"You're reading Dr. Connors' paper?"
Lucas turned around.
Standing behind him was Gwen Stacy, holding a book against her chest. A few loose strands of blonde hair fell across her forehead as she leaned slightly closer to look at the monitor.
She read the title aloud.
"Gamma radiation in biological treatment…"
Then she looked at Lucas curiously.
"I thought you wanted to study law at NYU. Why are you researching gamma radiation?"
Lucas didn't answer immediately.
Because law was originally just my backup plan, he thought.
Before the Cosmo Awakening System had unlocked, he had carefully planned his future.
Originally, he had considered becoming a doctor.
But medicine was complicated.
In some places, people joked that persuading someone to study medicine was almost cruel.
Here in the United States, however, the situation was different.
A successful doctor—especially a surgeon—was extremely respected and extremely wealthy.
If a doctor didn't live in a mansion or drive an expensive car, people would assume they weren't very good.
But after thinking about it carefully, Lucas abandoned that idea.
He didn't think he had the natural talent for medicine.
So he chose law instead.
Lawyers could earn just as much.
And if he didn't want to work at a law firm, he could join the district attorney's office.
Maybe even become a judge someday.
That had been his plan.
Before his Cosmo awakened.
Now things were different.
He still intended to attend college, but he no longer felt pressure to follow the path he had originally designed.
Lucas smiled faintly and closed the webpage.
"Just browsing," he said casually. "I stumbled across it."
He stood up and gave the computer to the next student waiting in line.
Then he headed toward the old gymnasium.
Ten thousand punches still awaited him.
After maintaining the routine for over two years, skipping a day felt wrong.
Gwen watched him leave the library.
She blinked thoughtfully.
Before she could think further, another student pulled her away to find a seat and study.
Final exams were approaching.
From tomorrow onward, Midtown High would enter the most terrifying time of the semester for underachievers.
Finals Week.
Every school had struggling students.
Midtown High was no exception.
Many of them were wealthy kids whose parents paid tens of thousands of dollars per semester in tuition.
And many of them were suddenly cramming textbooks in desperation.
Lucas wasn't worried.
Even before awakening his Cosmo, he had never needed last-minute studying.
Now it was even less necessary.
His future was already set.
Comfortable.
Or even more comfortable.
So Lucas continued living at his own steady pace.
Inside the old gymnasium.
Lucas stood before a punching bag, focused entirely on his training.
His fist struck.
Boom.
The bag barely moved, but the surface rippled violently as dust burst into the air.
Sunlight streamed through the cracked windows, illuminating the drifting particles.
At that moment, the gym door creaked open.
A familiar voice entered with it.
"The school board says they're tearing this place down after the semester," Gwen said as she stepped inside.
"They're turning it into a swimming complex."
Lucas threw another punch.
THUD.
The bag shuddered again beneath the force.
Sunlight caught the drifting dust in midair.