"You're right, Master Ancient One. I do intend to intervene in the matter of the Dark Elves."
Karl did not hide anything and nodded frankly.
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you," the Ancient One said with a smile. "When Earth faces a crisis, you will always step forward to defend it. That is one of the reasons I have always trusted you."
In truth, Karl wasn't acting out of some lofty desire to protect Earth. He was motivated entirely by the system's mission—and the reward of a new summoned beast. Otherwise, he would have happily stayed home doing nothing. But that was something he naturally kept to himself.
"Master Ancient One, I want to know how to get to Asgard," Karl said, getting straight to the point. This was his real reason for coming.
"To Asgard?" the Ancient One asked in mild surprise. "Why?"
After all, her duty was to protect Earth. What happened to Asgard was not really her concern.
Karl paused.
Right—why did he want to go to Asgard?
Originally, it was because he didn't know when the Convergence would begin, so he thought of going to Asgard to wait and see. But now that he was already here with the Ancient One, couldn't he just ask her about the timing directly?
"Because I don't know the exact time of the Convergence," Karl replied honestly. "So I thought I might try my luck in Asgard and wait it out."
The Ancient One chuckled softly, clearly amused.
"Wanting the exact time is quite simple," she said. "Karl, do you know what happens when the Convergence occurs—when the nine realms align?"
"Of course," Karl said instinctively. "They line up in a—"
He stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening.
That's right.
When the Nine Realms align… that means an eclipse.
Karl nearly slapped himself. How could he have forgotten something so obvious? When the realms align into a straight line, an eclipse naturally occurs—and eclipses can be predicted with precision. A simple astronomical forecast would give the exact time.
Seeing the look of sudden realization on Karl's face, the Ancient One smiled again.
"So now you know the timing," she said. "Do you still wish to go to Asgard?"
Karl thought for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"Yes, Master Ancient One. I still want to go. If the Dark Elves can be stopped in Asgard, then Earth won't have to suffer the consequences."
But there was another reason he didn't say out loud.
In his previous life, watching Thor: The Dark World, Karl had always felt uneasy about Frigga's death.
Thor and Loki's growth had relied heavily on Frigga's guidance—especially Loki. No matter how much Loki denied it, Frigga's death was the blow that hurt him most, even more than Odin's eventual death.
Karl had always admired Frigga as a character: a wise and gentle mother who guided a foolish eldest son and a cunning second son, prevented them from becoming true enemies, balanced the relationship between her children and Odin, and restrained Odin's more stubborn and reckless tendencies.
Using Frigga's death merely to accelerate Thor and Loki's development had always felt unnecessary to Karl. Thor didn't truly become a worthy king until Ragnarok, and Loki didn't truly reconcile with Asgard until then either—when he finally abandoned the shadow of his Frost Giant heritage.
In Karl's eyes, Frigga's death was entirely avoidable.
He had crossed into the Marvel world—if he didn't change anything, then what was the point? To relive the same tragedies as a spectator? That would be no different from watching a movie.
This time, he wanted to change things. To rewrite regrets.
So yes—he would go to Asgard. To prevent Frigga's death, and also to see Asgard with his own eyes. The golden palaces and magnificent scenery had always looked breathtaking on screen. If he didn't visit before Asgard's eventual destruction, it would be a real shame.
The Ancient One nodded after hearing him.
"Very well. I will need Odin's consent. I know you have your own arrangements, so wait for my message."
Karl nodded gratefully. What followed was casual conversation—some idle chatter and discussion about magic theory. Nothing serious, just relaxed talk.
That evening, Karl arrived as promised, carrying good food and fine wine.
Mordo, Wong, and Kaecilius were already waiting at a cliffside platform in Kamar-Taj. Calling it a cliff was generous—it was more like a small raised terrace. Once the four gathered, Karl waved his hand, and the drinking began.
It was rare peace.
They talked freely, laughed openly, and forgot the troubles of the day. Sharing drinks with a few close friends, letting go of worries—this simple joy was its own kind of bliss.
By dawn, the four were finally spent.
Looking down, they realized the ground was littered with fruit peels, nut shells, an entire fish skeleton, and empty bottles scattered everywhere. All four were so drunk they walked like waddling ducks.
Arms slung over each other's shoulders, they staggered back toward the dormitories. Surprisingly, Mordo was the most sober among them—his tolerance was far better than the rest.
After settling Wong and Kaecilius into their rooms, Mordo half-dragged, half-carried Karl—who was drunk like a cat—to Wanda's door. He knocked, unceremoniously handed Karl over to her, and then returned to his own room.
Wanda helped Karl onto the bed and shook her head helplessly. It was already near dawn—clearly, those men had been drinking all night.
After tucking him in, Wanda left the room and began her new day of training.
Her control over Chaos Magic had been improving at an astonishing pace. Except for spells of overwhelming power—which still risked backlash—she could now cast most magic without losing control.
In fact, even the Ancient One had begun to consider whether she should allow Wanda to study the Darkhold.
The Darkhold was written by ancient dark sorcerers who worshipped Chthon, the very entity that had granted Wanda her Chaos Magic. Wanda and the Darkhold were frighteningly compatible—the spells within it seemed almost tailor-made for her.
The Ancient One had considered this more than once.
But observation was still necessary.
Only when she was certain that Wanda would not be consumed by dark magic would she allow her to read the Darkhold.
For now, Wanda was not yet ready.
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