Helen Cho leaned against Karl's broad chest, and for a moment she could even hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The warmth and stability of his presence made her feel unexpectedly safe.
But when she suddenly realized what she was doing, she quickly stepped back.
Her cheeks flushed red as she turned away, not daring to look directly at him.
"What are you doing here?" Helen Cho asked with her back still facing Karl.
"I heard from Mr. Tony Stark that you're a very busy man now. Apparently you became a billionaire overnight yesterday."
Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
"It's quite an honor for someone like you to visit my small laboratory."
Karl smiled slightly.
"Of course I came to see you, my sapphire."
"Don't listen to Tony. That guy exaggerates everything."
He leaned casually against the worktable.
"Besides, I'm a billionaire now. If you beg me nicely, maybe I'll invest in your research."
Helen Cho rolled her eyes.
"If a billionaire invests in my research, does that mean I have to sleep with him?"
She said it bluntly.
She had experienced this many times before while seeking funding. Most investors were far more interested in her appearance than in her scientific work.
Karl shrugged.
"No need."
"Just become my wife and I'll give you billions in research funding."
He grinned.
"And you'd also get a handsome husband."
"Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it?"
Helen Cho stared at him in disbelief.
"What if I run away with the money?"
"That's hundreds of billions of dollars."
Karl answered calmly.
"I'm not worried."
"All my money is managed by my woman."
"If she wanted to disappear with it, I could become penniless within three minutes."
Then he shrugged casually.
"But do you really think I worked hard to earn that money?"
"No."
"To me, money is just a number."
"It's actually the least valuable thing I have."
Helen Cho clicked her tongue.
She remembered Karl's abilities.
Teleportation.
And the enormous quantity of vibranium Tony Stark had obtained recently — which she now knew had come from Karl.
For someone like him, obtaining money probably was as easy as drinking water.
"Alright, alright," she said finally.
"You've shown off enough."
"You should leave now. I still have experiments to finish."
Karl laughed softly.
"Alright then, my sapphire."
"I'll come see you again next time."
The moment he finished speaking—
He vanished.
Helen Cho continued working, thinking he was still standing somewhere behind her.
Only when several minutes passed without hearing his voice did she turn around.
Karl was gone.
But on the worktable where he had been leaning—
A brilliant sapphire the size of a pigeon's egg rested quietly under the sunlight, reflecting dazzling blue light.
Meanwhile, Karl had already left.
During the flight back, he suddenly remembered something.
A memory from his previous life surfaced.
According to information he once read online, a Celestial embryo was gestating inside the Earth.
Its name was Tiamut.
The Celestials had planted a Celestial Seed inside Earth long ago. Once the planet accumulated enough intelligent life energy, the Seed would mature and the Celestial would emerge.
But the birth of a Celestial required unimaginable energy.
The result was simple.
The planet itself would be destroyed.
In Marvel canon, the Celestials sent the Eternals to planets like Earth. Their hidden task was to cultivate intelligent life until the required energy threshold was reached.
Then the Celestial would be born.
Ending the civilization that created it.
If this information was true—
The situation was extremely serious.
Karl immediately teleported to 177A Bleecker Street, the location of the New York Sanctum Sanctorum, one of the strongholds of the Masters of the Mystic Arts.
If anyone knew the truth, it would be the Sorcerer Supreme.
As Karl arrived, a circular portal of golden sparks appeared in front of him.
Clearly, the Sorcerer Supreme already knew he had come.
Karl stepped through.
The scenery changed instantly.
Ancient stone buildings surrounded him.
He stood atop one of the sanctum's rooftops.
In front of him was a tea table.
Seated calmly beside it was the Ancient One.
She had already prepared tea.
Karl sat down across from her.
"Sorcerer Supreme," he said directly.
"Is a Celestial being gestating inside Earth?"
The Ancient One poured tea for him slowly.
"Yes."
Her tone was calm.
"There is indeed a Celestial embryo within the Earth's core."
Karl's expression became serious.
His suspicion had been correct.
"Then you must also know," Karl said slowly,
"If it is born… Earth will—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
He knew she understood.
The Ancient One took a sip of tea.
"I know."
"But I cannot interfere."
"My time is nearly over."
She looked at Karl calmly.
"And you already know why."
She continued:
"If I act directly against that Celestial embryo now, the Celestials themselves will notice."
"It is not yet the right moment."
"And besides…"
She paused slightly.
"This matter ultimately belongs to him."
Karl immediately understood what she meant.
Her time was running out.
The Ancient One was not referring to her natural lifespan.
For someone of her level, ordinary longevity had never been a problem.
Marvel's Earth contained countless artifacts capable of extending life.
Someone capable of projecting her spirit across the multiverse would never fail to find such methods.
Even the Dragon Bones Karl possessed contained fragments of law-level energy. For ordinary beings they could extend life dramatically.
For the Ancient One, such power would not be useless.
The real reason was something else.
The magic of Kamar-Taj was not truly her own power.
It was borrowed from countless dimensional entities.
Those debts must eventually be repaid.
Normally, repayment came after death.
But as the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One had protected Earth for centuries.
If she died, the dimensional entities who lent power to Kamar-Taj would attempt to collect their debt.
Yet there was a problem.
The Ancient One's soul could ascend into the cosmic order under Eternity, the embodiment of the universe itself.
And none of those dimensional lords or demons would dare challenge Eternity.
Which meant—
They could only endure the loss.
Karl looked at her carefully.
"Could it be… that you've already…?"
He didn't finish the sentence.
But both of them understood the meaning.
…
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