Time passed quickly; before anyone realized it, five years had gone by.
Neither Noah, Thor, the Ministry of Magic, nor the mundane leadership had expected that the decisive battle they had been preparing for would remain unstarted for five years.
Noah and the others had no idea what Thanos and the Kree were thinking.
Over these five years, small and medium-scale conflicts never ceased. Several times, it seemed the real war had begun.
But at the last moment, it always ground to a halt. Neither the Kree nor Thanos seemed ready for total war.
Noah and Thor found this baffling. If you want to fight, fight-why stop at the critical moment?
Well... never mind. Since they didn't want to fight, maintaining this stalemate was a decent option.
During these five years, mundane soldiers got their first real look at the alien world. More and more soldiers were brought in continuously.
Space combat was a completely different experience than fighting on Earth. Initially, the soldiers felt extremely maladjusted.
They endured cosmic inconveniences, learned to operate Helicarriers, and frequently went out in heavy suits for training. If unlucky, they would face real skirmishes.
Fortunately, they adapted quickly. Tony's presence meant their equipment was constantly updated.
Initially cumbersome, their gear became exceptionally light over time.
It even featured special power systems. After consideration, Tony decided to use the new energy source from his own suits to power these armors.
Tony wasn't reckless. He knew the energy's potential and wouldn't allow indiscriminate use-even though he had already switched to a different energy source himself.
After years of research, Tony no longer used the original "new energy." Instead, he fused it with Mana, creating a special power.
Normally, this would be impossible. Yet this energy resembled a weakened Infinity Stone-its traits diluted but still potent.
Howard Stark had been an unprecedented genius. Had he been born in a different era, his potential might have been even greater.
It didn't matter.
Noah's Reanimation Jutsu from the Ninja World, modified for this universe, had made significant progress. Beings at the "God" level were terrifyingly capable.
Noah had tried it himself but couldn't do it here. He couldn't perceive the cosmic barriers, let alone the sleeping souls beyond them.
He had to wait for the Ancient One and All-Father Odin to develop it gradually.
They wouldn't interfere-at least for now. Noah agreed. Young people needed to protect what was theirs. Those who always relied on elders could never become eagles spreading their wings.
Based on their progress, testing wouldn't be long off. By then, Howard might even return.
The weakened Infinity Stone energy Howard created was highly compatible and malleable. After many experiments, Tony fused his Mana with it at a suitable convergence point.
Noah didn't know the exact strength of this new power, but Tony's confidence implied it wasn't weak.
That was why Tony released the original "new energy" to equip mundane soldiers.
The suits lacked weapons, only auxiliary systems to enhance space operations.
Another interesting development: as the war lingered in tension, people on Earth grew intensely curious about the space soldiers.
Their living conditions, the wizards fighting alongside them, and the advanced alien allies all captured public attention.
The mundane leadership asked Fury, who immediately consulted Noah and Thor and obtained authorization.
Videos of their lives and combat could now be transmitted back to Earth. The equipment recorded everything.
When publicized, the sensation was immense.
Those Helicarriers-no, Space Carriers-were massive.
Wizards in protective suits using magic directly, and technologically advanced aliens, thrilled ordinary people.
For a time, countless mundane soldiers felt the urge to serve in space. Space was mysterious, alluring, and defending Earth made it even more appealing. Fighting alongside wizards sparked additional excitement.
Entry required strict screening. Leadership wouldn't allow just anyone in, to avoid unnecessary trouble for the wizards.
For the wizards, the situation was similar, though their eagerness to go to the front was stronger.
Once the first batch of space-bound wizards was finalized, others could only serve as reserves.
With Tony's magi-tech support and mission systems, mission videos were preserved.
Some wizards uploaded them to their "WeChat" equivalents, instantly making them the most-watched content in the magical community.
These videos taught wizards the current situation and what to watch for in space.
For example, they needed to use magic to adjust gravity and pressure, and prepare "Breathing Techniques" because there was no oxygen.
These were basic but essential.
Beyond that, the most important factor was finding a qualified, reliable exorcist.
Although the Kree fleet was in a standoff with Asgard, they still needed supplies.
A nameless planet near Asgard became the battlefield.
Initially, wizards didn't trust the exorcists-they barely acknowledged them. Noah's order forced them to bring one, but they felt it was only out of respect for Constantine.
Yes, they called him "Sir," but he was the exception. Other exorcists seemed ordinary.
As a result, many wizard squads suffered devastating losses early on. Wizards were supposed to be trained and nurtured; such casualties were agonizing for the Ministries.
Soon, a pattern emerged: most exorcists survived.
Investigations revealed-through mission system feedback, embarrassingly-that exorcists had warned wizards not to act in certain ways, but the wizards ignored them, resulting in disaster.
Squads that survived, or completed missions successfully, had all followed exorcist guidance.
Ministry officials turned grim. Several ministers rushed to the London Sanctum, hoping for portals. Noah didn't refuse; he didn't want young wizards to suffer heavy losses.
After stern lectures, arrogant youngsters finally settled down, though not fully convinced.
Until one wizard squad completed an incredible mission.
Led by an exorcist, they uncovered a Kree sneak-attack plan.
Their rewards were unimaginable. Although not taught by Noah, they were guided by Mordo.
Almost everyone in the magical world knew Mordo: the Sorcerer Supreme's senior fellow disciple, capable of destroying a city under restraint.
After the news spread, the squad released the mission video.
It was clear: the exorcist led, wizards supported.
The magical world realized for the first time just how formidable exorcists were.
Five years slipped by.
On this day, Asgard's monitoring equipment detected several giant carriers approaching-vessels both familiar and strangely alien...