The beautiful woman reclining before Karl was none other than La, the ruler of Planet Kala.
Although Kala was merely a low-level civilization by cosmic standards, she still stood at the pinnacle of its power structure.
Her attire resembled a royal robe, but the fabric was unusually thin and elegant, subtly outlining the graceful curves beneath it.
For an ordinary man, such a sight would have been enough to quicken his heartbeat.
Unfortunately for her, Karl was far from ordinary.
The women around him included figures such as the Black Phoenix, Hela, Wanda, May, Raven, and many others, each possessing extraordinary beauty and unique charm.
As a result, Karl merely showed a trace of appreciation before returning to his usual calm expression.
While La possessed a mature elegance and a beauty that differed from the women around him, she was hardly capable of making him lose control.
Her appearance resembled the Eastern aesthetic found on Earth rather than the more Western features possessed by Hela and the Black Phoenix.
Coincidentally, Karl had always been somewhat more inclined toward Eastern beauty standards.
With a casual wave of his hand, a magnificent throne materialized behind him.
Karl sat down leisurely and looked at La with an indifferent expression.
"What?"
"You intend to seduce me?"
"And then obtain everything you want?"
Karl rested his head on one hand.
His gaze seemed capable of seeing through all disguises.
"When you say 'everything,' are you referring to this kingdom?"
"This planet?"
"The loyalty of every citizen?"
"Or are you simply worried about your future after losing your power?"
The moment Karl spoke, he tore away all of La's carefully constructed pretenses.
In truth, Karl could have directly read her thoughts.
However, he chose not to.
There was no need.
Whether he knew her plans immediately or learned them later made little difference.
To Karl, a single planet was insignificant.
Even an entire galaxy would struggle to attract his attention now.
Destroying such a place would require little effort.
Why would he fear any threat originating from it?
Meanwhile, La's eyes widened slightly.
She had expected Karl to be perceptive.
She had not expected him to instantly expose every concern hidden within her heart.
For a moment, she fell silent.
Then she laughed bitterly.
"It seems you already understand everything."
"That's right."
"My original plan was exactly as you described."
"I hoped to seduce you."
"I hoped to gain your favor."
"And then ask for power."
Her voice remained calm.
"I know very well what will happen after you leave."
"The peace on this planet will not last forever."
"And once I lose the power that protected me..."
She paused briefly.
"My future will not be pleasant."
"Unfortunately, it seems I've failed."
After speaking, La slowly rose from the golden couch.
She walked toward Karl step by step.
Her clothing had become somewhat disheveled, but she paid it no attention.
Karl simply watched quietly.
Even now, he remained completely unmoved.
He was curious about what she intended to do next.
Eventually, La stopped half a meter in front of him.
Then, without hesitation—
She knelt.
Both knees touched the floor.
Her hands rested upon the ground.
Her forehead lowered until it nearly touched the surface beneath her.
It was a posture of complete submission.
"My greatest remaining value is myself."
La's voice echoed quietly through the room.
"I am willing to serve you for eternity."
"My only request..."
"Is that you take me away from this world."
At that moment, the ruler of an entire planet abandoned all dignity and pride.
Yet from another perspective, her choice was not irrational.
Karl was a being whose strength had already reached the single-universe level.
To become his servant would place her status far above that of an ordinary planetary ruler.
Throughout the cosmos, countless civilizations would show respect to even a subordinate of such a powerful existence.
In some ways, the position she sought was even higher than the throne she currently occupied.
Karl looked down at the kneeling woman.
He remained silent for several moments.
Objectively speaking, La was exceptionally attractive.
Her appearance, intelligence, composure, and political ability all exceeded ordinary standards.
Yet Karl was not lacking in companions.
He had no reason to accept another follower.
"You..."
Karl was about to refuse.
Then he suddenly stopped.
A look of surprise appeared in his eyes.
Something unusual had caught his attention.
When Karl carefully examined La once more, he discovered an anomaly deep within her existence.
Life.
Or more accurately—
Two lives.
One soul.
Two life signatures.
The discovery immediately intrigued him.
Under normal circumstances, such a thing should not exist.
After death, a soul should enter the cycle of the afterlife, travel to a dimensional realm, or follow whatever metaphysical laws governed that universe.
Yet La's soul seemed fundamentally different.
It possessed characteristics suggesting that even after death, it could somehow live again.
There was clearly something hidden within her.
Something Karl had not noticed during the extraction process.
The Phoenix Force fragment had likely obscured it.
Now that the fragment was gone, the anomaly had become visible.
Karl understood many things.
But the mysteries of souls within this universe were still largely unexplored territory.
This unexpected discovery immediately sparked his curiosity.
After a brief pause, he changed his decision.
"Fine."
"Pack your belongings."
"You'll come with me later."
La's body trembled slightly.
Then she immediately lowered her head even further.
"Thank you, Immortal..."
She corrected herself almost instantly.
"No."
"Thank you, Master."
Karl did not respond.
His figure vanished from the room.
At the same time, Vastness began analyzing the strange anomaly within La's soul.
During the extraction process, Karl had discovered nothing unusual.
Had he not examined her afterward, he might never have noticed it at all.
Whatever this phenomenon was, it clearly possessed the ability to hide itself.
...
Karl soon returned to Ganata and the Black Phoenix.
Not long afterward, La arrived as well.
This time she wore a dignified royal robe befitting a ruler.
Karl merely nodded.
The next moment, everyone disappeared.
When they reappeared, they were already aboard the Skyblade VII.
By then, May, Raven, Pietro, Peter, Samuel, and the others had all returned from their adventures on Kala.
Karl offered no explanation regarding La's identity.
As a result, everyone observed the elegant woman with varying degrees of curiosity.
Soon afterward, the warship departed from the star system.
Sitting comfortably on a sofa, Karl issued a new command.
"Vastness."
"Introduce the warship to La."
"Teach her modern knowledge and basic universal common sense."
"From today onward, she is my servant."
"Understood, Sir."
Vastness immediately acknowledged the order.
After hearing Karl's explanation, May, Raven, and Helen Cho simply nodded.
None of them raised any objections.
Instead, they sat beside Karl and began discussing their experiences on Kala.
They enthusiastically recounted unusual customs, strange foods, and interesting events they had encountered during their exploration.
Karl quietly listened.
Meanwhile, Tony contacted him through the communication system.
He wanted to know where Karl intended to go next.
Karl's answer was straightforward.
"The next Phoenix Force fragment."
During their stay on Kala, Tony and Howard had never left the warship.
Both were completely immersed in technological research.
Pepper and Maria, on the other hand, had spent time exploring the planet while accompanying little Morgan.
...
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