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Chapter 130: Noah’s Thoughts
🕑 Added 2025-04-21 15:48:51 +0000 UTC"Noah, it's time to rest. Do you want to keep reading?"
"Don't worry. The librarian hasn’t said anything yet, has he?"
"But he’s going to scold us again later. I think we should go."
"Okay, okay, so troublesome..."
Noah slowly closed the book in his hands, sighing with slight regret as he placed it back on the shelf. Then, he followed the anxious, round-faced man beside him.
The book collection in the Kamar-Taj Library was simply too vast and profound. The more Noah read, the more he craved. It was like falling into an endless sea of knowledge.
He had already been in Kamar-Taj for over a month. During this time, Noah had gradually adapted to the life here.
Monotonous, slightly boring, but immensely rewarding—that was how he’d describe it.
A month ago, the Ancient One didn’t even speak a word of explanation. With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal and brought Noah and Ms. Haifin straight in.
Thankfully, she’d allowed them some time to settle their affairs. It would have been far too abrupt to disappear without a word.
Ms. Haifin had naturally handed over the orphanage to one of her most trusted administrators—someone experienced and fully capable of taking over. She often traveled abroad in June anyway, and this administrator typically filled in during those times.
Noah’s own affairs, however, were a bit trickier. Still, he managed to write a few letters to Kate and the others to explain what had happened.
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten Constantine either—he specifically asked him to look after Kate and the rest while he was away.
Not that he expected a reply.
Unless Kate or Constantine found a way to send an owl—or something equally ridiculous—that could deliver a letter to Kamar-Taj, any responses would have to wait until Noah returned.
It was Hathaway, Noah’s owl, that made him feel a little embarrassed. From the moment they arrived, the owl acted as if it had finally found its true home. But when Noah asked it to deliver letters, it looked utterly lifeless and depressed.
He ended up telling Hathaway, “Just deliver the letters… and then go home.”
On his very first day in Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One had discussed meditation methods with him. She had been particularly curious about the technique Noah had developed—wondering just how effective it was.
Noah had no choice but to reveal it. After all, it was his own big mouth that got him into this situation.
So, he took out the simplified version of the meditation technique he had been using. Since he’d already mentioned it, there was no point in hiding it now.
Of course, most things provided by the system were top-tier, and Noah wasn’t too concerned. He had already removed many advanced aspects from the original method.
According to the system’s evaluation, the version he used was only a basic form of meditation.
Noah didn’t have access to anything too advanced anyway, so it couldn’t possibly be considered that perfect... right?
But after trying it herself, the Ancient One stared at Noah with a strange expression that made him feel a little uneasy.
What was going on? Was it that bad?
“Noah,” she asked seriously, “be honest. How long did it take you to develop this meditation technique?”
“Well… ever since I realized that repeatedly using magic could improve my mana and mental strength, I began to wonder if there was a simpler and more efficient method. I mean, not every spell has ideal conditions.”
“I see. And how long have you been practicing this?”
“About a year. But I always thought it needed improvement, so I never shared it.”
The Ancient One nodded. That made sense.
She knew Noah had discovered this method back in his first year of learning magic. When she met him the previous year, his mana had already been terrifying. This year, it had become downright frightening.
Clearly, Noah had stumbled upon a method that dramatically enhanced mana development—and that was this meditation technique.
To the Ancient One, the method was indeed simple. It didn’t involve elemental fusion or multiversal spatial awareness. But for low-level magicians? It was revolutionary.
In fact, she herself considered modifying her own meditation system to incorporate elements of Noah’s method. The attention to detail was extraordinary.
“I understand now,” she finally said. “Your meditation method is actually… perfect. It could even be published as an academic foundation.”
“Really? That’s… great,” Noah replied awkwardly. Thank the system for not limiting him from sharing knowledge from its space. If it had, he’d be in big trouble.
So now that the Ancient One had verified it, could he finally use it openly?
“Noah,” the Ancient One said suddenly, “I want to discuss something with you.”
“Yes, Master,” he replied, instantly attentive.
“Would you be willing to contribute your meditation method? I know part of it might already be incorporated into our teachings.”
“Well… if it’s just for Kamar-Taj students, I think that’s okay.”
“No. I mean, for the entire magical world.”
Noah froze.
He had anticipated she’d want to use the method for internal purposes… but to offer it to the whole magical world?
He wasn’t the kind of person to share everything. Good things should stay within the circle. Outsiders? Not so much.
“Sorry, Master. I don’t think this method is suitable for global distribution. The magical world is… complicated.”
“I understand your concerns.”
“But perhaps,” Noah added thoughtfully, “we could provide it to the ‘university-level’ students who come to Kamar-Taj for advanced studies? At least then, we wouldn’t have to worry about the risks.”
“Indeed,” the Ancient One nodded. “It seems our ‘College Project’ needs to be accelerated.”
She smiled at him. Though a bit disappointed, she appreciated Noah’s cautious thinking. In fact, she liked that he had those ‘little thoughts.’ It made him… real.
“Master, why don’t we take a page out of the ordinary world’s book?” Noah asked, suddenly inspired. “Why not create something like the Nobel Prize?”
“The Nobel Prize?” The Ancient One raised a brow, intrigued.
“Yes! We could establish the Kamar-Taj Magic Awards—to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to magical theory, research, and spell creation. Think about it—many ordinary magicians, even senior ones, would be honored to receive recognition from Kamar-Taj!”
“That’s an excellent idea. And what sort of rewards would we give?”
“Access to Kamar-Taj’s restricted library? A month of multiversal space immersion? Access to special meditation techniques? We’d just have to ensure proper protection for those with low magical ranks.”
“Excellent idea, Noah. Honestly, I really want to keep you here forever.”
The more the Ancient One thought about it, the more thrilled she became.
Noah’s ideas weren’t just innovative—they had the potential to reshape the magical world. Whether it was the grading system, the university curriculum, or now this magic award, these concepts could inject competitiveness and motivation back into the community.
For too long, the magical world had remained isolated from the advancements of the non-magical world. Exorcists had closer ties to ordinary society, but their social standing was too low to make a difference.
Some magical ministries had tried to imitate worldly reward systems, but their efforts were weak, and their influence didn’t extend beyond their borders.
But if Kamar-Taj were to lead the charge? The impact would be unimaginable.
With those ideas now etched in her mind, the Ancient One began training Noah even more seriously.
Outside of regular discussions with Kamar-Taj’s senior mages, she kept a close eye on Noah—never allowing him even a second of laziness.
Noah felt like he was suffering.
And it didn’t help that she insisted he was too skinny, claiming he hadn’t been following the physical training exercises in his notes.
Noah was indignant—he had done them!
As a result, he got stuck training all day with a certain round man who treated workouts like holy rituals—and who beat him up regularly.
That man was Wong.
A towering man from China, built like a tank and not lacking in magical prowess either.
He followed the Ancient One’s training to the letter, which made Noah the unlucky recipient of frequent sparring sessions.
Noah wasn’t good at physical combat—but when it came to magic, he gave Wong a proper beating in return.
Eventually, they became good friends. Now Wong stuck to Noah like glue, which made Noah both amused and a little exasperated.
“Is this what Doctor Strange had to deal with?” he often wondered, rubbing his chin in contemplation.
After leaving the library with Wong, Noah finally returned to his room.
He shared it with one other person—Ms. Haifin—who was also undergoing training under the Ancient One. Her progress was impressive.
"You’re back? Why so late?" Ms. Haifin looked up from her book with a smile.
"Reading," Noah sighed as he dropped into a chair. "There are just too many books in the library."
"Sounds like you didn’t get to finish what you wanted."
"Nope. Damn Wong. If he didn’t drag me out, I’d still be reading. Anyway, how’s your training going? Can you cast normally now?"
Ms. Haifin smiled and didn’t answer. Instead, she lifted her hand, and a golden shimmer danced at her fingertips.
Noah grinned.
This was Kamar-Taj.
And for the first time in a long while… he felt like he was exactly where he was meant to be.
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