Five ancient books on mysticism. To an outsider, they might seem as cryptic as celestial writings, enough to make one's head spin at first glance. But Noah quickly memorized everything in them, thanks to his innate gift of phenomenal memory.
After reading the books, he didn't immediately master magic. These tomes contained no specific spells. Instead, they served as foundational works on mysticism, meant to help students entering the magical world understand its secrets better.
Typically, people who came to study at Kamar-Taj were ordinary individuals unfamiliar with magic. Before their encounter with it, they were steeped in modern science and materialism, making it difficult to accept the existence of a mystical world. Without a primer in mysticism, comprehending magic would have been a struggle. These books provided the necessary groundwork, allowing newcomers to grasp the hidden truths of the universe more easily.
"Oh, wait a second... this Codex of the Supreme is actually useful."
Among the five books the Ancient One gave him, four focused on mysticism, while the fifth, Codex of the Supreme, clearly related to the Sorcerer Supreme. Noah realized this as he began reading: the book detailed the deeds of past Sorcerer Supremes and their thoughts on magic.
"Why isn't there anything about the Ancient One?" he wondered after finishing the book. It seemed only the histories of deceased Sorcerer Supremes were recorded here.
However, that didn't matter. The next time he visited Kamar-Taj, he would return these books and receive the Double Ring from the Ancient One, enabling him to study Earth-based spells.
"Although the Double Ring is used to commune with dimensions and channel energy, I already have my own magical power. Do I even need it?"
In Kamar-Taj, every sorcerer used their Double Ring to wield magic. If they lost this artifact, they would lose their ability to perform magic. The key skill of Kamar-Taj—portal creation—also required wearing the ring.
"That thing's so bulky; I'll probably just store it in my inventory," Noah thought, recalling the Double Ring's design: not a simple band but a metal plate with two interlocked rings. It was rather cumbersome.
Recently, Noah had upgraded his inventory system, allowing stored equipment to retain its properties. While he hadn't tested this with Earth's magical artifacts yet, he assumed it would work. Once he got the ring, he would be sure to try it out.
"Oh, I almost forgot." After neatly stacking the books, he remembered another important item.
From his backpack, he retrieved an artifact—a ring with a golden stone and a violet rim, known as the Dark Seal. Before his visit to the New York Sanctum, he had removed this soul-devouring ring and stored it in his backpack.
An object that enhanced its wielder's power by consuming souls was inherently associated with darkness and demons. Noah had worried that wearing it in Kamar-Taj might attract unwanted attention and spark conflict. After all, he was merely a guest and had no intention of causing a scene.
Still, when it came to the Ancient One, Noah doubted this would have concerned her. Due to certain circumstances, she herself had resorted to dark magic. She wasn't someone who rigidly adhered to the rules. While Noah hadn't abused the Dark Seal's power, he had used it only to eliminate those who deserved death. What others thought about his "criteria" was of little concern to him.
"I'll head back to Kamar-Taj tomorrow."
After tidying up his workspace, he decided not to rush his return. There were other pressing matters to attend to.
Research, training, and the exploration of the Void—all these occupied much of his time. If he wanted, he could fill every hour of his day. But Noah wasn't a machine; even he needed rest.
Tomorrow, he planned to expand his domain within the Void before officially becoming a Kamar-Taj sorcerer and gaining access to dimensional powers. For now, he had time to focus on this.
"Lissandra, seal the training room completely."
Noah was already in the underground training room, holding the Rift Creator in his hands. With the artifact fully calibrated, he no longer expected large energy surges. Thus, he decided to open a rift to the Void here. During his last experiment on the island, no traces of contaminating energy had been detected. However, to avoid any potential mishaps, he chose to work in this underground bunker, made entirely of vibranium.
"Understood, Noah," came Lissandra's voice.
In the white room, doors, windows, and vents were sealed off by layers of vibranium. The walls were lined with a blue energy network powered by Hextech crystals, forming a magical barrier. This place had become the most secure fortress on Earth—perfect for working with volatile energies he wasn't yet confident about controlling.
Once the room was fully sealed, Noah activated the Rift Creator. Magical energy flowed through the staff, and the violet eye at its tip emitted a beam, tearing through the space before him and forming a glowing purple fissure.
"Excellent, everything's stable—no anomalies," he noted, observing the undulating but steady rift. Satisfied, he bid farewell to Lissandra and stepped into the Void once more.
"What?" he murmured, startled upon entering the rift. This wasn't the same place as before. The ground beneath his feet wasn't infused with his magic.
Focusing, Noah tried to sense the part of the Void he was familiar with. It felt distant—somewhere to his left.
"It seems the rift opens to a region of the Void corresponding to its location in the physical world," he deduced. The system had explained that the Void in the Marvel Universe was a reflection of its physical counterpart, matching the dimensions of the entire cosmos. The area he now stood in corresponded to Earth in the real world.
"Alright, I'll set a goal—claim the Void of Earth," he decided, stepping onto the violet terrain that rippled beneath him. In the near future, conquering the Void would be his main objective. However, considering his previous pace, fully covering Earth would take significant time. He would need to imbue not just the planet's surface but its entire volume with magic.
Sitting cross-legged, he began to release his magical energy. Simultaneously absorbing the Void's energy from the already claimed ground and radiating his own power, he created a magical cycle.
Meanwhile, back in the white room, Lissandra recorded data on the rift, assuming it might prove useful later. At the same time, she was in the house with Gwen, both sitting on the couch watching TV. Gwen was engrossed in a show, while Lissandra simply accompanied her.
"What?" Lissandra suddenly noticed something important catching Noah's attention.
"Gather here! Target's ahead!" a loud voice echoed in a secret military facility, followed by hurried footsteps down its corridors.
Sirens blared everywhere, accompanied by distant crashing sounds, as if a monstrous creature had broken loose.
Fully armed soldiers rushed toward the source of the commotion.
"Captain, could it really be him?" one soldier asked the leader at the front. This squad had previously been involved in the mission to capture Bruce Banner and had witnessed the chaos caused by Abomination. They were well aware of how dangerous such monsters could be.
"I don't know. Follow orders," the captain curtly replied, preparing to press the button to open a massive iron door.
Before he could, the door bulged outward as though struck by a massive cannon.
The unit froze in terror, staring at the scene ahead.
BOOM!
"Aah!!"
With a deafening explosion, the door was blown apart.
Ratatatat!
Gunfire and screams filled the air, plunging the corridor into chaos that soon fell silent.
"Hmmph."
The only sound that followed was a disdainful snort.
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