"What's the rush? I'll teach you eventually," Malrick said with a casual wave of his hand.
"Hey, wait, Malrick—Revered Malrick—at least tell us what kind of magic it is?" Wong asked eagerly.
He and Malrick had grown close over time, both having shared experiences during Malrick's training at Kamar-Taj. Because of that familiarity, Wong didn't usually call him the Sorcerer Supreme in private—but in his excitement, all formalities spilled out at once.
Malrick stopped and looked back. "Even if I told you now, you wouldn't be able to grasp it yet."
"You and Mordo should focus on preparing Kamar-Taj for the next few months."
This training trip would take time. The original purpose of the challenge against Asgard was to help Kamar-Taj's sorcerers adapt to real combat—preparing them for future journeys into other dimensions under his lead. Still, if they could win, they would.
Malrick had considered channeling power from his Inner World to assist them, but after some testing, he found it too unstable. Its energy range was too narrow, and efficiency too low. That kind of enhancement wouldn't be reliable until he ascended to something beyond a Master—maybe even an Immortal or a true Dimensional Entity.
So instead, he came up with a second plan: introduce new magic into Kamar-Taj's system.
As Sorcerer Supreme, he had the freedom—and the responsibility—to bring something new.
He recalled the unique magical approaches from other Earth-based sources. Practitioners like Agatha Harkness could draw from nature, while still channeling inner energy—more like classical wizards than strict mystics. That reminded Malrick of another world's magic system… the one from Harry Potter.
While that fictional universe didn't pose much of a threat or offer powerful enemies to him personally, its spells could enrich the foundational knowledge of Kamar-Taj's disciples.
And Malrick wasn't the type to stay holed up in Kamar-Taj teaching every day. So, he figured it'd be easier to throw Wong and Mordo into Hogwarts for a crash course. When they returned, they could pass on spells like Avada Kedavra, Stupefy, and especially Expelliarmus—which had a very specific use against Asgard.
Asgardian warriors relied heavily on their weapons. Take those away with Expelliarmus, and half the fight was already won.
But arranging a trip to Hogwarts would take a few days. In the meantime, Wong and Mordo would need to manage all of Kamar-Taj's affairs.
"Months? Are we being sent to Asgard as exchange students?" Mordo muttered to Wong.
Malrick raised an eyebrow. "Actually, not a bad idea. If we win, I'll talk to Odin about sending you two there for a year."
With that, he casually drew a glowing circle in the air and opened a portal.
"Get Kamar-Taj's affairs in order. I'll be gone for a few days. Call me when you're ready."
And just like that, he stepped through the portal and vanished.
Wong scratched his head. "Wait… do we even have his number?"
"I don't… but wasn't that a big green monster on the other side?" Mordo asked, eyes wide.
Wong's brows furrowed. "You think he's already recruiting outside help?"
They looked at each other, both clearly unsettled.
"We'd better hurry," Wong said. "If he finishes gathering fighters before we're done, we might get left behind."
They rushed off to handle their duties—no time to waste.
---
Elsewhere…
"Holy crap!"
Malrick had barely stepped through the portal before a massive fist came barreling toward his face. He casually caught it mid-air, turned, and slammed its owner straight into the pavement.
He blinked. "Is this New York? I was aiming for Tony. And… is that Hulk?"
The street was chaos. Crowds scattered in panic as agents in black suits carried civilians to safety.
Then came the real surprise—a massive black figure, over ten meters tall, lumbering from around the corner.
Tony.
He was wearing what looked like an experimental armor—black plating infused with blue-glowing Ten Rings at his wrists, shoulders, and legs. A fusion of the Ten Rings' energy with Stark tech.
"What is this? Mark 8?" Malrick wondered aloud.
"Roar!!"
Hulk, who had just been slammed down, exploded back up in rage. He charged at Malrick again, hands outstretched.
"Big guy, you really don't want to do that," Malrick warned, grabbing Hulk's thumb and stopping the attack cold.
"Arm strength's already over thirteen hundred tons. So he's in rage mode now… What did Tony do to him?"
With a flick of the wrist, Malrick threw Hulk again—this time farther.
And again.
And again.
Over a dozen times, he lifted and slammed Hulk into the concrete.
But Hulk wasn't stopping—if anything, he was getting angrier.
"Over two thousand tons now… He's pure rage, no intelligence. Definitely pre-Ragnarok era Hulk," Malrick muttered.
Unlike his later versions, this Hulk hadn't gained sentience or emotional complexity yet. He was just fury incarnate.
"Sorry, buddy. This is going to hurt."
Malrick pulled Hulk in close and began pummeling his face.
One punch. Two punches. Each one lightning-fast and perfectly measured—ten thousand tons of force, delivered with missile-like precision.
In two seconds, Hulk slumped over unconscious and reverted back into Bruce Banner.
"Malrick! You're back!"
Tony landed nearby, his armor humming as he rushed over.
But in the short time it took him to arrive, Hulk was already defeated.
"What the hell?" Tony looked between Banner and Malrick. "You just got here and took out my opponent? I was hoping for a proper brawl!"
Malrick picked up Banner's unconscious body. "I was going to ask you what made Hulk so angry."
He gestured around. "And look at this mess. Some Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. you are."
Tony raised a finger. "Correction—Avengers Director. And don't worry, all the damage here will be covered by Stark Enterprises. People actually want Hulk to break their stuff so they can claim insurance."
Malrick blinked. "Wait, Avengers Director? What happened in the last ten days?"
Tony grinned. "Oh, a lot. Also, your Superman and my Iron Man merch are selling like crazy. There's even a movie now. Global box office hit."
"Movie? What movie?" Malrick asked, eyes narrowing. "Also, you'd better explain everything that's happened while I was gone."
He looked around at the wreckage and muttered, "This street alone is going to cost at least a hundred million dollars… Is the company really that rich?"
Tony gave him a smug smile. "Filthy rich."
---
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