----
Wong took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I won't deny his talent. He's extraordinary even by Kamar-Taj standards. If the Ancient One has acknowledged him, then he must be uniquely attuned to the mystic arts…"
"But being Sorcerer Supreme isn't just about mastering our spells," he added. "You must also understand all schools of magic—not just ours."
The Ancient One chuckled gently. "Relax, Wong. I'll have Mordo guide him personally."
Her smile lingered, proud and serene.
"I'll study hard," Nolan promised.
"That's not all," Wong warned, arms folded. "As a guardian of Earth, you'll also be expected to repel invaders from other dimensions, pay the price for using magic, and understand the consequences of meddling with reality…"
He eyed Nolan closely, tone heavier than before. To him, humility was the cornerstone of wisdom. Power without reverence was just arrogance.
Wong had watched many prodigies come and go. Only two ever earned the Ancient One's favor: Mordo and briefly Kaecilius. And look how Kaecilius turned out…
"I'm sorry, invaders from other dimensions?" Nolan raised a brow. "If I capture them instead of banishing them… that's fine too, right?"
Wong blinked. "…What?"
That reaction was new.
He was used to young mages quaking at the mention of dimensional threats. Not gleefully suggesting to collect them.
"I mean, they're biologically unique, right?" Nolan shrugged. "Could be useful for… research."
It wasn't arrogance, it was scientific enthusiasm.
Wong stared. Most field deployments required teams. Capturing a creature was beyond most masters. But here Nolan was, casually proposing to bag and tag a dimensional horror like it was a rare butterfly.
"If you can catch one," Wong muttered, "no one's going to stop you."
"Great," Nolan grinned. "In that case, can I skip morning classes?"
"…What?"
"I've sat through two already," Nolan explained. "It's 90% meditation and vague talk about 'feeling the rhythm of the void.' No offense, but I learn better on my own."
He'd only sat quietly because he didn't want to stir trouble.
"...Fine." Wong sighed.
Without waiting, Nolan spun his fingers. A portal sparked to life destination: the library.
As he stepped through and vanished, Wong looked to the Ancient One.
She was smiling again.
"You see now?" she said softly. "He's not bound by morality. Not cruel. Not kind. He is… pure."
"Unclouded," she continued. "He won't hesitate out of misplaced mercy, nor destroy out of mindless rage. He's focused, brilliant… and driven by curiosity."
She poured herself a tea.
"Tell him that dimensional beings have rare anatomical structures. Tell him the dread lords of the dark realms are made of valuable cosmic matter. He'll spend the rest of his life hunting them like Pokémon."
"If you told him Dormammu's physiology could unlock cosmic secrets, he'd vivisect the bastard without blinking."
Wong didn't respond. He just stood there in silence.
Maybe he'd been looking at this all wrong.
---
Back in the library…
Nolan was already flipping through tomes like a man on a mission. His hands flew across dusty spines, pulling volumes on spatial theory, astral projection, soulcraft, and elemental resonance.
If Kamar-Taj had it, he'd find it.
He wasn't here to memorize spells. He was here to understand the framework. The logic behind the mysticism.
He wasn't just building a magic skillset, he was constructing a new magical worldview.
Most students focused on simple cantrips, learning to conjure a spark or open a basic portal.
Nolan?
He was looking for spells that bent space and time. He wanted enchantments that could stabilize an interdimensional lab, simulations that could reverse-engineer cosmic energy signatures.
Sure, he had offensive powers, but what he needed now was control, precision.
Combine frost and storm magic with his hyper-lung capacity?
Freeze a lake with a breath? That was fine.
Freeze an ocean? That was the goal.
His breath could already topple trees. With elemental synergy, it could alter the climate.
And considering Thanos or worse was looming in the future, Nolan had no intention of staying grounded.
This universe wasn't just his home.
It was his laboratory.
'Galactus…' he thought, flipping to a section on cosmic entities. 'Even just a fragment of his essence would be priceless material.'
Kamar-Taj held everything: ancient scrolls on soul manipulation, rituals on mental domain projection, healing sigils, wind-based spells, layered invocations that summoned pure entropy.
And Nolan devoured it all.
Nearby apprentices stared, stunned, as his table piled up with tomes.
"He's not seriously reading all that, is he?" someone whispered.
"I saw him open a portal earlier," another muttered. "By himself. No instructor."
A young, dark-skinned apprentice approached politely.
"Excuse me, fellow acolyte. I don't mean to interrupt," he said carefully, "but… maybe you should focus on Kamar-Taj's core spells first? Other disciplines are very advanced…"
Nolan looked up with a grin. "Appreciate the advice."
He turned the page without hesitation.
----
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