Arcane knowledge could be described as both vast and unfathomably deep.
Even Noah hadn't finished reading all the Arcane books he had brought back from Karazhan.
Of course, part of the reason was simple.
He never intended to replace his own magical system.
The Arcane and the magic Noah currently used were fundamentally different systems.
If one had to compare them, it was like Physics and Chemistry-both sciences, yet their cores diverged completely.
It wasn't that Noah couldn't learn Arcane magic.
For example, he had always been interested in the Necromancy branch.
But to his frustration, Karazhan contained almost nothing on it.
Even when it appeared, it was only mentioned in passing.
Presumably, in the Warcraft universe, researching Necromancy was considered an unforgivable taboo.
That made sense.
Things were similar in his own universe.
Necromancy wasn't just about raising the dead.
At higher levels, it could create devastating plagues.
It could condense shadows into corrosive energy.
It could weaponize death itself and spread terror among the living.
It could even reconstruct undead flesh, allowing "killed" creatures to be reused.
In short, if someone wanted to destroy the world, Necromancy was second only to Elemental Magic.
In terms of psychological trauma, it was even worse.
Elemental Magic was fast.
You might not even realize what happened before you were erased.
Necromancy, on the other hand, tortured you slowly.
It dragged you through despair.
It crushed your will piece by piece until nothing remained.
If books like that truly existed, I'd burn them first, Noah thought.
He had no intention of letting some Undead Scourge appear in his universe.
Aside from Necromancy, Noah had mild interest in Illusion magic.
Very mild.
It wasn't that Illusion magic was rare-Loki was exceptionally good at it in the original timeline.
But to high-level sorcerers, it was little more than a trick.
The current Loki was different.
Frost was now his core power.
With the Reality Stone reinforcing his illusions, he was terrifying.
Allowing Wanda and Strange to study Arcane knowledge-more precisely, letting everyone in the Sanctum and all apprentices study it-had been Noah's decision long ago.
So while the two newcomers immersed themselves in study, Noah dragged Tony over as well and made the Karazhan books public.
For a while, a new learning frenzy swept through the London Sanctum.
New magical knowledge was precious to any sorcerer.
Even if systems differed, there were always ideas worth borrowing.
During this time, Noah noticed something amusing.
The sorcerers in his Sanctum all had eyes that glowed like light bulbs.
That was a hallmark of Arcane magic.
During mana surges, the eyes changed noticeably.
It was something Noah himself had overlooked.
Looking at those glowing eyes, Noah found it hilarious.
Why hasn't this ever happened to me?
Then again... I don't want it to.
My eyes are already ridiculous enough.
That wasn't exaggeration.
Whether he used Holy Light or high-dimensional darkness, Noah's eyes changed drastically.
They either burned gold or bled red.
Compared to that, Arcane blue was tame.
While everyone else studied Arcane theory, Noah took time to examine his left eye.
His right eye contained a sealed fragment of a Naaru.
To be honest, Noah still didn't know what possessed him to embed a piece of "armor plating" into his own eye.
More importantly, after doing it, he hadn't thought much about it.
He'd even gone on a trip with Hermione.
Only now did a troubling thought surface.
This plating belongs to a Naaru.
In the original lore, Naaru can regenerate-or even resurrect-through these fragments.
With this thing sealed in my eye... is it going to cause problems?
That was Noah's biggest concern.
He should have thought of it earlier.
But between breakthroughs, travel, and Hermione, his focus had shifted.
He'd even gone to another universe, used Holy Light openly, and created a Seed of Light.
Only now, back in London, did his mind finally settle.
"Don't worry. It can't find you."
The System's cold voice echoed in his mind.
And strangely, it reassured him.
"Do you think I wouldn't have noticed something like that?"
"You severed the connection?" Noah asked.
"That Naaru is troublesome. I don't want to deal with it. And my right eye is constantly absorbing Holy Light-are you sure it can't trace that back to me?"
"It cannot," the System replied.
"First, Naaru are not rare. Second, many races use Holy Light. Third, I have already severed the link. It cannot identify the source, let alone locate you."
"I see." Noah nodded, exhaling slowly.
If the System said the connection was cut, Noah believed it.
Back in the Warcraft universe, he'd worried about being discovered.
In the end, aside from times he deliberately caused trouble, no major figures ever came looking for him.
That alone proved the System's reliability.
His worries faded.
"By the way," Noah said after a pause, "who do you think I should give the Mind Stone to?"
"It's been with me for a while, but it hasn't been very useful. I have two candidates."
"This is your matter," the System replied flatly.
"I will not participate. You should decide for yourself."
"Oh?" Noah tilted his head.
"Not even a reference?"
"I am a machine, not a human," the System answered calmly.
"I make decisions based on rationality. I understand your dilemma, but I will not influence your judgment."
Noah smirked.
He understood.
If the System spoke, it would give the most rational answer.
Which usually meant maximum compatibility.
Or maximum controllability.
In short, it wouldn't help with this headache.
"Fine." Noah stretched.
"I've already thought of a solution anyway."
"I'll copy my mentor's approach."
"A Dreamscape. Or something similar."
"I'll test them thoroughly-knowledge, combat, willpower."
"Since you've decided, why ask me?" If the System had emotions, it would probably be cursing.
"Also," it continued, "now that you're idle, there's something you should do."
"Oh?" Noah looked up.
"What is it?"
"You should personally resist the wills embedded in the Holy Light," the System said.
"It's for your benefit. During combat, I will handle suppression, so it won't affect you."
Noah nodded.
The System had mentioned this before.
But at the time, Noah wanted rest.
Now, with preparations underway, it was feasible.
He didn't want to rely on the System forever.
And the System wouldn't allow that either.
He was meant to become a great sorcerer.
Not a parasite.
"Alright," Noah said calmly.
"I'll handle it myself."
Then he added, "But if something goes wrong-if you sense danger-"
"I will not let anything happen to you," the System replied instantly.
"Remember this: if you fail, I fail too. So don't play with fire. You are a troublemaker."
"I've always valued my life," Noah replied.
"Good," the System said.
"The one who lives to the end is the most successful."
"Commit that to memory."