Malrick's life seemed to settle into a new normal.
After acquiring the life codex and a large supply of Kryptonite from the DC Universe, he could finally focus on building his foundations.
Yet, following that fateful night, Wanda found an excuse to move into Malrick's apartment. Life stabilized quickly.
To maintain the balanced development of body and mind, Malrick alternated weekly training sessions with Diana and Kara, and occasionally paid Natasha and her sister extra for their assistance. He also tutored Wanda in magic.
Under Malrick's guidance, Wanda's magical abilities progressed at an astonishing pace. At first, the intensity exhausted her, leaving her to sleep immediately after lessons. Yet she advanced quickly, applying what she learned to new challenges, even using Chaos Magic to accelerate her understanding. Naturally, Malrick increased the difficulty of his lessons accordingly. They trained in the sky, in space, and underwater, constantly pushing the boundaries.
Wanda's progress was remarkable, but it also brought immense pressure. One day, she had an idea: she invited the parallel Wanda to share the burden of Malrick's lessons. Malrick discovered a new dimension of teaching — he could instruct one Wanda verbally while guiding another by hand. It was an experience beyond imagination. Even during Avengers meetings, he longed to exclaim, "You don't understand the joy of teaching magic!"
Today was another such meeting — a Kamar-Taj conference at the Sorcerer Academy within the Small World. In the antique conference room, a red and black felt overlay covered a solid wood round table. Tony, Malrick, and others sat around it. Wong stood at the head, presenting his proposal via projector.
Tony leaned toward Banner. "Banner, have you noticed? Malrick seems… different lately. So cheerful at meetings — he used to despise them."
Banner squinted. "Really? He seems normal. You, Tony, on the other hand — every meeting makes you look worse. Are you okay?"
"How could I be okay? I haven't had sea cucumber, nor oysters, nor abalone," Tony muttered.
Banner gave him a skeptical look, but Wang continued his presentation, ignoring them.
"So, we are divided into two main academies: Arcane and Magic, with six categories: Combat, Arcane, Magic, Alchemy, Enchanting, and Magical History."
Malrick summarized, "Yes. I understand most of this, but why a Combat category?"
Wong shrugged. "Whether Arcane Sorcerer or Bloodline Wizard, there are times when physical combat is necessary. Fists are straightforward in certain situations."
"Even Ancient One favored close combat in battle," he added. "It's a core course for sorcerers. Isn't our specialty magic supposed to supplement this?"
Tony interjected, "Then why not add a Modern Thermal Weapons course? Train sorcerers like Navy SEALs."
Wong raised an eyebrow. "Sorcerers' enemies are hellish and dimensional beings, not guns."
Tony countered, "Why not enchant bullets with magic?"
Wong paused, considering it. "That… could work. I'll add it."
The Combat and Enchanting categories now included: Modern Thermal Weapons Usage and Enchanted Thermal Weapons Research.
"Are these proposals acceptable?" Wang asked nervously, fearing rejection.
"They're comprehensive. You've even planned enrollment. Set a date and prepare the school opening," Malrick approved.
Wong cheered, then hesitated. "Opening the school may not be feasible yet. We lack instructors, and no students have been recruited."
Malrick asked, "Which courses lack instructors? We can recruit externally — reputation and character matter, of course."
"Alchemy and Divination," Wong admitted. "Kamar-Taj emphasizes combat, so those areas are weaker."
Malrick nodded. "Investigate talent in those fields externally. Who's teaching Alchemy?"
"I am," Diana said, raising her hand. "Paradise Island has knowledge of divine artifacts, and Kamar-Taj has books. I can learn while teaching."
Malrick looked around. Everyone else confirmed their roles: Banner taught Magical Creatures and Plants, Mordo taught Close Combat and Spells, Wang handled Magic History and Basic Arcane, Sorcerer Camille taught her specialty.
"I see now. Kamar-Taj truly needs talent," Malrick said. "Wong, compile a list immediately."
"What about student recruitment?"
"Jarvis can handle it," Malrick said. "Big data can do the initial filtering."
Tony added, "Like Hogwarts — acceptance letters, maybe with Iron Man armor?"
"Not joking. Iron Man armor isn't as reliable as owls," Wang said, still nostalgic for Hogwarts.
"Big data can assess potential magical aptitude through immersive virtual simulations. Tony, your virtual consciousness tech could test candidates."
Tony's technology, refined from the Starry Sky World, allowed full immersive experiences, perfect for identifying magical talent.
Malrick nodded. "It's a solid start. Let Jarvis draft the initial student list. This will lay the foundation for Kamar-Taj Academy."