Tony and the others were somewhat surprised when they saw La appear wearing an elegant phoenix robe.
Most of them instinctively assumed she was another woman who had joined Karl's side.
As a result, nobody asked questions.
Everyone simply continued eating.
La naturally took a seat beside Karl.
The gathering lasted until late into the night.
Because of the large rectangular dining table and the relaxed atmosphere, everyone spent most of the evening talking, drinking, and enjoying themselves.
Eventually, people began cleaning up and preparing to return to the warship.
Karl, however, had no intention of helping.
He casually summoned a reclining chair and sat down.
Then he slowly rocked back and forth while admiring the moonlit scenery.
As for cleaning?
That clearly wasn't his responsibility.
Even Tony wouldn't dare ask Karl to help pack up.
After settling into the chair, Karl beckoned toward La.
La immediately understood.
Walking over quietly, she sat on Karl's lap.
Karl wrapped an arm around her waist without hesitation.
La's face immediately turned red.
The former ruler of Kala still wasn't completely accustomed to such situations.
Nearby, Hela and the Black Phoenix exchanged amused glances.
Karl leaned back comfortably.
The night breeze swept across the mountain.
The fragrance of the sea mixed with the scent of flowers and grass.
The atmosphere was unusually peaceful.
Eventually, after everyone had finished cleaning and departed, Karl finally released La.
The moment she stood up, her legs nearly gave out beneath her.
After all, life aboard the warship had been extremely different from her previous life as a planetary ruler.
Seeing her unstable footing, the Black Phoenix simply smiled before helping her away.
La immediately became nervous.
For some reason, she always felt uneasy whenever the Black Phoenix looked at her.
...
Not long afterward, everyone returned to the warship.
Pietro immediately disappeared with Crystal.
Peter watched them leave and looked utterly defeated.
The scene was so familiar that nobody even bothered commenting anymore.
More than once, Peter had complained about Pietro's tendency to prioritize romance over friendship.
Every single time, everyone could only laugh.
Soon afterward, May and Raven settled onto a nearby sofa.
Natasha and Yelena stood behind Karl while casually chatting with everyone else.
At this point, only Karl's closest companions remained in the living room.
Meanwhile, Crystal had already gone to Tony's warship.
Most likely, she was still competing with Tony over who got to spend more time with little Morgan.
Karl didn't even need to guess the outcome.
No matter how many layers of armor Tony wore, Crystal would eventually win.
The result was practically guaranteed.
The atmosphere aboard the ship remained relaxed.
After days of travel, battle, and searching for Phoenix Force fragments, everyone was enjoying this rare period of peace.
...
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
On this particular day, Karl arrived alone at the research laboratory.
His gaze immediately landed on the upgrade pod at the center of the room.
Inside floated Yan.
Today was the day she would finally complete her upgrade.
Karl quietly stood there and waited.
Two hours later, the transparent energy liquid inside the chamber slowly began receding.
The machinery surrounding the pod gradually powered down.
Then—
Yan opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Karl standing outside.
Watching her.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
The upgrade pod slowly rose.
Moments later, the hatch opened.
Yan stepped out.
She wore a simple white dress.
Her silver hair flowed behind her.
Her elegant temperament seemed even more extraordinary than before.
Karl didn't immediately examine her data.
Nor did he ask about her strength.
Instead, he simply stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
Yan quietly returned the embrace.
Neither of them spoke.
The laboratory remained silent.
For nearly half an hour, they simply stood there together.
Finally, Karl lowered his head and looked at Yan.
After kissing her forehead, he smiled.
"You've completed the Fifth-Generation Divine Body upgrade now, haven't you?"
His arm remained wrapped around her waist.
Yan nodded gently.
"Yes."
"The upgrade has been completed."
"The Fifth-Generation Divine Body is far stronger than the Fourth Generation."
"I can now manipulate reality and energy directly without relying entirely on a gene engine."
"My control over space, wormholes, and dimensional movement has improved significantly."
Then Yan looked directly into Karl's eyes.
"And now..."
"I can help you."
Her voice remained calm.
She wasn't boasting.
She was simply stating a fact.
Karl smiled.
Only Yan would express something so important in such a simple manner.
Yet because he understood her personality, those words carried enormous weight.
"Hmm."
"It's enough."
Karl tightened his embrace slightly.
The next moment, both of them disappeared.
...
When they reappeared, they were already in the living room.
The Black Phoenix and Hela immediately turned toward them.
The moment they saw Yan standing in Karl's arms, they instantly understood where he had been.
Yan calmly glanced at them.
Her expression remained indifferent as always.
Then she simply leaned back against Karl's shoulder.
The others present didn't receive much attention.
Not because Yan disliked them.
Rather, she had never cared much about unnecessary competition.
Karl noticed something else entirely.
The aura emanating from Yan had already reached the Single-Universe Level.
Unlike Hela and the Black Phoenix, Yan's situation was unique.
Her Fifth-Generation Divine Body upgrade fundamentally transformed every aspect of her existence.
Her life level.
Her soul level.
Her energy system.
Everything had undergone complete evolution.
Even if there had been shortcomings, Karl could have compensated for them.
But there was no need.
Yan had already crossed the threshold on her own.
That meant Karl's side now possessed five genuine Single-Universe Level powerhouses.
Karl.
Ganata.
The Black Phoenix.
Hela.
Yan.
Such a lineup was terrifying.
Outside of organizations like the Celestial Host, very few forces in the universe could assemble so many beings of that level.
Perhaps such groups existed.
But Karl couldn't immediately think of any.
As he considered the matter, the two Skyblade VII warships continued their journey.
Slowly.
Silently.
Leaving the star system behind as they advanced deeper into the vast universe.
...
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