There truly were all kinds of sorcerers within Kamar-Taj, and Malrick had long since stopped being surprised by their eccentricities.
"Let them be," he said with a faint smile. "In this era, who would dare call themselves a mage without having at least one unique trait? When the Academy begins recruiting, their quirks will actually make us stand out more. Diversity is an advantage."
At the mention of the Academy, Wong's eyes lit up.
"Recruitment? When do we start?" he asked eagerly, his anticipation almost overflowing.
"Recruitment isn't urgent just yet," Malrick replied, studying Wong for a moment. He noticed something unusual. "Wait… have you lost weight?"
The once-rotund sorcerer had indeed slimmed down, his figure noticeably more solid.
Wong quickly rolled up his sleeves, flexing his thicker arms with pride. "Not thinner, stronger!"
Malrick chuckled. He knew why Wong had changed. Ever since returning from Hogwarts, Wong had been utterly devoted to establishing Kamar-Taj's own Academy. For two months straight, he had led the mages who once worked in civil construction, pushing them tirelessly to finish the Academy's foundation and launch operations as soon as possible.
Even the name had been finalized from the start: The Supreme Mage Academy.
Plaques and carvings of the Academy's name adorned both campuses, the gilded lettering shimmering and shifting through countless languages, radiating an unmistakable aura of mysticism.
"But why isn't recruitment urgent?" Wong pressed, unable to let it go. "If we don't bring in students, who will the Academy even teach?"
Malrick folded his arms. "Think about it, Wong. Before we recruit, we need to decide on recruitment methods, curriculum, teachers, house systems, graduation requirements… all of it. Write a proposal. Once that's done, we move forward."
He paused, lowering his tone. "Besides, don't forget we have something else first—the challenge against Asgard."
His gaze swept across the massive circular platform they stood on. "This arena you built will serve well for the preliminary competition. But tell me, Wong… you've been working nonstop on construction. Are you still prepared to fight when it comes to our final match against Asgard?"
The preliminary competition was designed to select Kamar-Taj's representatives for the upcoming battle with Thor and Loki's realm. The agreed date was December 25th—Christmas. Only nine days remained.
Malrick himself wasn't too concerned. He considered the challenge little more than an excuse to put Thor and Loki in their place. But Mordo, Hamir, and the other Archmages were taking it seriously, having trained and prepared for months. Ever since October, they had been pestering Malrick about the final roster, anxious to know if they would be included.
To satisfy them, Malrick had announced an official preliminary tournament.
Over the past week, registration opened, and Jarvis had divided the applicants into groups using combat data analysis. Five groups in total. The first round would be a free-for-all, each sorcerer earning points by defeating opponents within the time limit. The top five from each group would advance.
The second round would be one-on-one duels. From the twenty-five victors, five champions and two reserve fighters would ultimately be chosen.
The venue was the very platform Wong had built—a vast marble arena suspended above the river that split the floating island.
Wong puffed out his chest proudly. "I didn't just build, I trained too. My Control Curse is perfected, and my Petrification and Transfiguration spells are sharper than ever!"
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "So you're leaning into Hogwarts-style magic as your primary combat method? Interesting. Against real opponents, those spells could be surprisingly effective."
His gaze drifted across the platform. Hundreds of sorcerers were practicing their arts in preparation for tomorrow. Among them, he noticed Tony Stark dueling with Mordo, both wielding wands.
Tony had made it clear: he would compete using magic only, no armor. Banner, too, intended to fight as a sorcerer, not as the Hulk. But compared to the seasoned masters, both had been studying magic for less than a year.
Even Tony's arrogance couldn't mask his nerves.
Malrick frowned slightly. "Where's Banner? I don't see him here."
Before he could use his sorcerer's sight, Mordo explained, "He went to reinforce his suitcase. Since he's competing as a Beast Master, he needs to carry his magical creatures with him. The Expansion Charm was weakening."
Malrick stroked his chin. "So he's really going through with the Beast Master role. Strange. His soul magic has come far—he can already influence the Hulk directly. Why abandon that?"
It was true. After months of practice, Banner could awaken or suppress the Hulk at will. But even with that progress, there was one barrier he had yet to overcome. His relationship with Betty Ross was still… incomplete. The surge of hormones during intimacy was too much, and the Hulk always threatened to break free.
Banner had buried himself in soul magic, desperate to find a solution.
Mordo gave a faint smile. "Perhaps his soul magic is destined only to be used in the most critical moment."
Tony, ever the gossip, leaned over. "Want to bet on when that 'critical moment' will be? I say it'll happen sooner than Banner thinks."
Malrick shot him a look. "Instead of worrying about Banner, maybe focus on Pepper. She told me you've been avoiding her, especially at night."
Tony froze, his smug grin vanishing. "I've been preparing for the challenge! This is interplanetary diplomacy! If I skip a few nights at home, that's normal!"
Malrick smirked. "Funny. She also asked me if you're… underperforming."
"Underperforming?!" Tony practically exploded. "Tell her I'm perfectly capable! I'm just busy!"
"Tell her yourself." With a wave, Malrick conjured a portal and sent Tony straight into Pepper's office.
Shaking his head, he returned to the crowd of sorcerers, correcting spellwork, adjusting stances, and offering calm advice. Tomorrow's competition would reveal who among them was truly prepared to represent Earth against Asgard.
---