"This is your new magic?" Wong and Mordo studied the flaming humanoid, their voices tinged with doubt.
They hadn't expected Noah to create such a... peculiar spell.
The strength was decent, and like all of Noah's spells, it contained four elements. But here, the elements were separated by pure Mana, unlike Noah's fused elements in a Domain.
Of course, the downside was obvious-it couldn't compare to a Domain. They were on entirely different scales, like a god versus a mortal.
They couldn't understand why Noah had made it. It didn't seem to suit him. It felt like a waste of time.
"Yes, new magic," Noah nodded.
"How is it? Not bad, right? It's not fully polished, but it's close enough."
"It's strong. Very impressive," Mordo said, trying to be diplomatic.
"But for you, isn't it..."
"To put it simply, you're wasting your time," Wong interrupted bluntly.
"This spell is useless to you, isn't it?"
"I wouldn't say it's useless. All magic has a purpose. Can you say a 'Wind Blade' is useless to me now?" Noah asked, unsatisfied.
"Besides, I didn't make this for myself. It's for you and all the other sorcerers."
Not for himself?
Mordo and Wong were stunned. They didn't understand. The spell seemed strong but didn't appear to have many advantages.
Seeing their expressions, Noah knew what they were thinking. He snapped his fingers, and they were instantly transported to the Mirror Dimension.
His mastery over space magic was instinctive.
"This is just a prototype. Its true power lies in its malleability," Noah smiled and expanded the spell.
"I discovered some interesting things while developing it."
The magical Susanoo expanded. A giant, armored, flaming warrior stood where Noah had been! The face was blurry, but at Noah's thought, it transformed into his own likeness. Its physique changed.
Within seconds, a terrifying elemental giant appeared before them. It looked exactly like Noah-armored, with Mana wings on its back.
Powerful Mana washed over Wong and Mordo. They nearly suffocated.
The full version was terrifyingly strong. Noah stood within a crystal at the giant's forehead, smiling down.
"Well?" Noah asked.
"The full version is decent, right? By the way, someone do me a favor and manifest your Dragonborn magic."
"Dragonborn magic?" Wong and Mordo exchanged glances. Mordo stepped forward.
"I'll do it."
Mordo, a traditionalist, believed the original forms of spells were best. Noah had created the original Dragonborn magic, so Mordo used the exact same version: the hardest path, transforming into a dragon.
He focused his Mana. A minute later, his body surged with power. Black energy enveloped him, and his form shifted.
When the energy dissipated, a thirty-meter-long black dragon stood before Noah.
However, a thirty-meter dragon looked small next to Noah's fifty-meter giant.
Without a word, Noah directed the magical Susanoo to layer itself over Mordo's dragon. He sat atop Mordo's head. Mordo rolled his eyes but focused, knowing resistance was futile.
"This... this level of strength?" Mordo noticed immediately.
"This spell can... be layered onto Dragonborn magic?"
"Yes, didn't I say it was malleable?" Noah smiled.
"Of course, you need strong Mana control. But anyone who has learned Dragonborn magic can handle it. Injecting the elements takes time, but it's gradual."
"A gradual process?" Mordo began to ask more, but Noah dismissed the spell, returning Mordo to human form.
Noah's words left him deep in thought. Wong pondered as well.
A "gradual process." This was vital. As Sorcerer Supreme, Noah wouldn't act without reason. He said it was for all sorcerers.
The spell was strong, with a high upper limit-but what about the lower limit?
Both Wong and Mordo saw that the difficulty wasn't too high. It required precise Mana control and elemental mastery. Remove the elements, and the structure wasn't complex-just demanding in control.
Thus, the "gradual" nature became fascinating.
They guessed Noah's plan: starting from the academy?
"Is your 'gradual process' starting somewhere specific?" they asked in unison.
"Yeah, the Magic Academy," Noah said after a moment.
"The base version isn't hard. It'll help the kids practice control and build a foundation."
As expected!
Mordo and Wong confirmed their suspicions. This was exactly Noah's plan-start training children early to build a foundation for later spells.
And which spells? Dragonborn magic, obviously. Its high Mana control demands were notorious. A simpler, control-heavy precursor made the learning curve far less painful.
Progressing the spell developed Mana control. To reach the next level, elements had to be injected-training elemental mastery.
All of this served the ultimate goal: the Domain.
With these preparations, learning Domain magic in the future would be far easier. Noah was laying the groundwork for future generations, from the moment they entered the academy.
"Meditation, then this spell, then Dragonborn magic, and finally the Domain," Mordo sighed.
"You're a terrifying man."
"Huh?" Noah looked at him, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Building a foundation in the academy, then Kamar-Taj University, then the Magic Awards... even after they enter society, everything they use will be connected to you." Wong sighed.
"You really are terrifying."
"I say, what are you guys talking about?" Noah asked, genuinely lost.
"What do you mean?"
He had just made a spell as a foundation for others. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Noah was only on the first level-maybe the third, considering practicalities.
But Wong and Mordo had already placed him on the fifth.
The most important part? They weren't wrong. Noah was a master strategist-he just hadn't realized it yet.