"So, congratulations, Wanda. You have gained the Stone's recognition..."
Noah's expression darkened.
He tried to look calm, as if nothing was wrong, but the twitch at his brow completely sold him out.
Off to the side, Wong was laughing-far too openly.
Yes.
Noah had guessed wrong again.
Just like his first year at Hogwarts, when he confidently predicted the House Cup winner and missed completely.
Every time.
Without exception.
Noah had always believed his luck was decent, maybe even good.
But whenever he tried to predict something, fate seemed determined to mock him.
This time was worse.
He hadn't just guessed wrong once.
He'd been wrong about both of them.
In the willpower assessment, neither Stephen Strange nor Wanda Maximoff had failed.
But the problem lay elsewhere.
Strange's mindset was not as pure as Wanda's.
He had lived through too much.
He had once stood at the absolute pinnacle of his profession, one of the very best in his field.
That kind of experience left marks.
His thoughts were layered, complex, tangled.
The character assessment was essentially pass or fail.
Strange did pass.
But he took far longer than Wanda.
Wanda's heart was simpler.
She was young. She had experienced little.
Her greatest trauma was the death of her foster parents-killed by weapons produced by Stark Industries.
Because of that simplicity, she passed the assessment with ease.
Her score wasn't just higher.
It was much higher.
Then came the final hurdle.
The Infinity Stone itself.
And Wanda, having secured priority, left Strange no room at all.
Her compatibility with the Mind Stone was terrifying.
In less than ten minutes, she passed its trial.
Just like that, she became the Mind Stone's Guardian.
At that point, Noah finally let out a breath.
A suitable Guardian-found.
Mission accomplished.
And yet.
What made the whole situation unbearably awkward was this-
Stephen Strange.
The one Noah had been absolutely certain would succeed.
The one he had bet on.
He'd failed.
Not dramatically. Not deservedly.
Just... failed.
Noah was furious.
And Wong's barely concealed laughter pushed him straight to the limit.
Noah shot Strange a look, then casually snapped his fingers.
A glowing portal opened beneath Wong's feet.
Before he could react, he dropped straight through.
"Alright. The noisy one is gone," Noah said calmly.
"Now we can talk properly."
"For the next period of time, both of you will remain in the Sanctum. There are new things you need to study."
And there truly were.
New knowledge.
Noah had always paid close attention to his apprentices' combat styles and traits.
He had prepared these teachings long ago, waiting for the right moment-waiting for them to complete their assessments and earn a Stone's recognition.
Teaching according to aptitude was something Noah took seriously.
Originally, he had expected Strange to gain the Stone's favor.
Because of that, Noah had prepared his own understanding of Infinity Stone energy usage for him.
Not deep development-just foundational application.
What came after would be Strange's own path.
Each Stone embodied a different authority, but their energy structures were remarkably unified.
How a Stone evolved depended on its holder.
But how its energy was used followed common principles.
Noah had planned to give that knowledge to Strange.
And to Wanda, he intended to teach illusion-based techniques derived from Arcane studies.
Either set alone would have kept them occupied for a very long time.
But plans rarely survive reality.
Once again, Noah was reminded that gambling wasn't his strength.
Every time he placed a bet, Lady Luck made sure to slap him.
Now he had two complete sets of materials.
Which left him with two choices.
Give Wanda only one set.
Or give her everything.
Noah didn't hesitate.
He had never been stingy with his own people.
Human nature was difficult to control.
Noah would never claim he could fully control another person.
But there were things he could trust.
Wanda had passed the Phantasm Realm.
There was no cheating there.
That alone told Noah enough.
He had once considered placing control spells on the future Stone Guardian.
That thought was gone now.
Partly because Wanda had proven herself.
But mostly because Noah himself had grown too strong.
His power had crossed beyond mortal limits.
He now stood halfway past the boundary, at the same level the Ancient One once occupied.
At that point, he simply didn't care as much.
Besides.
He personally held two Infinity Stones.
If Wanda ever developed ill intentions, he could deal with it easily.
He hoped that day would never come.
With Wanda settled, only Strange remained.
Noah knew Strange hadn't truly failed.
But that didn't make Noah any less annoyed.
He had prepared everything.
He had even blessed the man.
And somehow, that blessing turned into a curse.
Sighing, Noah stopped dwelling on his terrible luck.
As for Strange's reward?
Noah decided to give him something even better.
If Wanda was receiving two full sets of knowledge, Strange's reward couldn't be inferior.
So Noah made his choice.
He would give Strange his personal insights into Space Magic.
And more than that-
A Seed of Light.
Yes.
A true Seed of Light.
Refined and purified from Noah's own Holy Light.
It was similar to what he had once given Elizabeth in the pirate world-but far more stable.
Strange was closer to Noah.
If anything went wrong, Noah would know immediately.
And whether in Strange's former life as a surgeon or his current role as an exorcist, Holy Light was absurdly effective.
Healing.
Purification.
Exorcism.
It fit him perfectly.
Noah raised his hand.
A pale-gold mark formed at his fingertip.
With a gentle flick, it shot into Wanda's forehead.
She noticed-but didn't dodge.
Trust kept her still.
"This mark contains knowledge suited to you," Noah said calmly.
"Absorb it. Make it your own."
"Work hard, Wanda. You will be a qualified Guardian."
"Thank you, Mentor." Wanda bowed slightly.
Even a brief probe of the mark revealed its nature.
A library.
Vast. Structured.
But not free.
Every page required effort.
Noah never handed out power without cost.
He had studied relentlessly to reach his level.
He expected no less from others.
Noah nodded, then turned to Strange.
This time, the pale-gold light at his fingertip was different.
When the mark condensed, a powerful holy aura erupted.
So pure.
So overwhelming.
Both Strange and Wanda froze.
For an instant, it felt as though the true Lord stood before them.
Then the mark vanished-entering Strange's mind.
"This..." Strange stood stunned for a long time.
Only after fully examining it did he look up, disbelief written across his face.
"Mentor..."
"This is Holy Light," Noah said with a faint smile.
"A new power."
"You've felt what it can do."
"Whether you're saving people or destroying monsters, it will serve you well."
"It's... incredible," Strange murmured.
Then he straightened.
And bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Mentor. I know what I must do."
"Good." Noah waved a hand.
"Study well, Stephen. Both of you may go."
"Spend your time mastering what I've given you, not standing here exchanging meaningless words."
That was the end of it.
Strange and Wanda exchanged a glance, nodded, and left.
They understood.
The only real repayment was mastery.
Everything else was noise.
Once they were gone, Noah leaned back in his chair.
"You've watched long enough. Come out," he said lazily.
"Or have you developed a new hobby?"
Space cracked.
Wong stepped out of the rift, scowling.
"Damn it, you actually threw me into the Mirror Dimension."
"You really had the heart to do that?"
"If the Mirror Dimension could trap you, you wouldn't be Wong," Noah replied flatly.
"...Fine. I'll take that."
"But don't do it again."
"Maybe. Who knows."
"...How did I end up with a friend like you?" Wong sighed.
"And shouldn't you be a little more concerned?"
"You're heading to the High Sanctuary in just a few days."