"Perhaps not," Malrick replied with a calm smile as he stepped deeper into the towering shelves of the library.
Though Wong was the current librarian, he would one day become the Sorcerer Supreme. In time, his strength and wisdom would become formidable. But now, still early in his journey, he lacked the confidence and weight of experience.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Wong had casually mentioned his background—first managing a supermarket at Kamar-Taj for nine years, then replacing the previous librarian, and eventually becoming Sorcerer Supreme after the Blip. The timeline checked out.
This version of Wong clearly hadn't accumulated that kind of mileage yet. When Malrick brushed off his warning and dove straight into the restricted section, Wong stood frozen, mouth slightly open.
"I really hope he keeps that promise… and doesn't end up hanging me," Wong muttered, clearly unconvinced.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Wong's initial anxiety faded into reluctant acceptance. He'd glance at Malrick now and then as he rapidly flipped through forbidden texts, until eventually it became routine—just another part of the library's daily rhythm.
At first, Wong even questioned whether Malrick was actually absorbing anything. But his doubts faded when Mordo started suffering.
Every day, Malrick would demonstrate a new spell or advanced incantation—sometimes two.
After ten days of this, Mordo was crushed. He started questioning everything, including whether his entire understanding of magic was flawed.
It wasn't until the Ancient One pulled him aside and explained the situation that he realized the issue wasn't with him. It was Malrick.
---
Kamar-Taj, Inner Sanctum
"You've finished all the books already?" the Ancient One asked, arching an eyebrow.
The collection at Kamar-Taj wasn't infinite, but it was ancient and comprehensive. She hadn't expected Malrick to return so soon, let alone to request what came next in his magical development.
"More or less," Malrick replied casually, sipping tea. "Just a few unimportant ones left."
He'd been immersed in texts for over two weeks, day and night, tearing through tomes like a sponge in a flood. He'd even picked up the basics of dark magic through subtle fragments scattered across the forbidden texts.
At this point, if a lesser demon or weak dimensional entity appeared in front of him, Malrick was confident he could break it down and absorb its essence directly.
In truth, he had come to see the Ancient One with the intention of moving on. He hadn't expected to complete his Kamar-Taj phase in under a month.
But the Ancient One had something more to offer.
"Your magical knowledge is sufficient," she said. "Now it's time to study the principles of magic."
"The principles?" Malrick raised an eyebrow. Marvel's magic system never really emphasized that in the movies.
She nodded and began to explain.
"We borrow energy from other dimensions to cast spells. It may feel like mastery, but it's only access. Control without understanding. That's all most sorcerers ever achieve."
She tapped her folded fan lightly.
"The spell itself, its effect, even its release method—these are all borrowed. You're casting someone else's design with someone else's fuel. Remove the fuel, and the design is useless."
"But when you study the principle behind the spell—the core mechanism—you learn to replicate it with any energy source."
Malrick nodded slowly as it clicked.
It explained a lot.
Some spells could only be used by channeling specific entities. The Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, for instance, needed Cyttorak's power. Even if one had access to the Vishanti's energy, the spell wouldn't work because it was intrinsically tied to Cyttorak's essence.
For most sorcerers, it didn't matter. Borrowing was borrowing—who cared from whom?
But Malrick had no intention of staying at that level.
His goal was to rise above even the demon gods. If that meant reconstructing spells from scratch, then so be it.
"Where do I begin?"
"With the magic of the Vishanti," she advised. "They've never objected to mortals studying their methods."
Malrick bowed slightly. "Thank you, Ancient One."
He returned to his quarters, then activated his dimensional travel ability, heading back to the Resident Evil World to take advantage of the time dilation. He planned to spend days there researching before returning to Marvel's Earth for practical trials.
---
Three Days Later, Marvel Universe
Malrick had been experimenting with Watoomb's Winds when Wong suddenly knocked on his door.
"You haven't been to the library recently. I was worried you got sucked too deep into the forbidden texts," Wong said, genuinely concerned. "That path leads straight to darkness."
Malrick chuckled. "Relax. I'm not hiding from the world—I finished all the books. I've moved on to studying spell structures."
"Spell structures?" Wong tilted his head. "Like how to cast them?"
"Not quite," Malrick replied.
He conjured a glowing crimson longsword and held it out.
Wong blinked. "The Vishanti's Holy Sword. So what?"
"Look closer. The energy source."
Wong squinted—and his expression twisted in disbelief.
"Wait… is that Crimson Dimension energy? You used Cyttorak's power to form a Vishanti spell?!"
He stumbled back. "You're insane! That's blasphemy! What if they retaliate?"
"Calm down," Malrick said with a smirk. "As the saying goes—wine and meat may pass through the intestines, but the Buddha remains in the heart."
"They're cosmic entities. I doubt they care what I borrow."
"You're out of your mind. You have to stop. You'll bring trouble to yourself—and to all of us!"
"The Ancient One already approved this."
Wong froze. "…Are you serious?"
"Very."
Wong had nothing left to say. Honestly, the spell had looked cooler than the original.
"…Could you teach me how to do that?"
Malrick raised an eyebrow, then laughed.
"If you want to learn, read every book in Kamar-Taj first. Then we'll talk."
---
The practice of magic, especially experimental magic, wasn't exactly discreet. Even when Malrick didn't open the Mirror Dimension, word began to spread.
A new sorcerer with a unique style. A different approach. A genius.
But Malrick stayed out of sight, immersed in study.
Another five days passed.
Including time spent in the Resident Evil World, he had now devoted nearly a full year to understanding magical principles.
Eventually, progress slowed.
Basic spells were straightforward. But when it came to reality-altering spells—like the Mirror Dimension or the Lord of Hoggoth's abilities—progress became almost impossible.
It was like trying to decipher quantum physics with chalk and a cave wall.
He couldn't truly replicate the Mirror Dimension spell unless he could manipulate space itself.
And with only borrowed power as his tool, he was working with colored dyes and no clean water—trying to purify with pollution.
Malrick estimated that truly mastering the Mirror Dimension's core might take five years… if he was lucky.
Still, he'd already deconstructed the majority of standard spells. Only the most god-tier magic remained.
At this point, he could take the next step—merge with a new energy source, possibly by devouring a lower-tier dimensional entity.
But he wasn't keen on that path anymore.
Merging entities into one's soul carried long-term risks. Even the Ancient One, with her centuries of mastery, had never dared to go that far.
He needed a better solution.
A new world. A new energy source.
"It's time to travel."
He left a message for Tony and a few others, then looked in the direction of the Ancient One. She nodded from far away—separated by walls, but still attuned to his presence.
Malrick brought up his dimensional travel interface.
[Keywords: Internal energy source, enhances Kryptonian genetic potential, unlimited power ceiling, minimal early-stage risk.]
[World successfully anchored.]
[Energy required for travel: 99.999% of stamina.]
[Travel confirmed.]
His stamina dropped to zero in an instant.
Then he vanished from the Marvel Universe.
"Oh no… I clicked too fast. What kind of nightmare did I just jump into?"
His last words echoed faintly in the moonlit room before silence returned.
---
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