Karl sat upon the golden throne and calmly observed Zeus.
The King of Olympus stood clad in magnificent golden armor.
Around him stood numerous Olympian goddesses and divine attendants.
For a brief moment, Karl's thoughts wandered.
In his previous life, Greek mythology had always been infamous for its chaotic relationships.
At the center of nearly every scandal stood Zeus himself.
Even within Marvel's universe, Zeus's reputation wasn't exactly spotless.
Still, Karl had no interest in discussing mythology.
More importantly—
The Olympians were currently invading Asgard.
Thor was his friend.
And before Odin's death, Karl had personally promised to look after Asgard.
That alone was enough reason.
The moment Karl looked toward Zeus again, there was no friendliness in his eyes.
Only indifference.
And hostility.
"I heard you're trying to take Asgard."
Karl's calm voice echoed throughout the battlefield.
"What?"
"You reached the Single-Universe Level and suddenly think you're invincible?"
The moment he finished speaking, his aura exploded outward.
Boom!
The power of a Single-Universe Level being swept across the battlefield.
Immediately afterward—
Yan released her aura.
Hela released hers.
The Black Phoenix followed.
Ganata did the same.
Five overwhelming presences descended simultaneously.
The entire realm trembled.
Zeus's expression changed drastically.
The pressure generated by five Single-Universe Level entities instantly crushed downward.
His golden throne exploded.
The ground beneath him shattered.
Even Zeus himself was forced downward.
Although he managed to avoid kneeling, the effort required was obvious.
The Olympian goddesses standing beside him turned pale.
Several nearly collapsed.
They had never imagined such a situation.
One Single-Universe Level enemy would already be terrifying.
Five?
The realization nearly broke their confidence.
Meanwhile, Frigga's eyes widened.
The Queen of Asgard had expected Karl to be powerful.
She had not expected this.
Five.
There were five Single-Universe Level beings standing on Karl's side.
Then her gaze landed on Hela.
For a moment, she froze.
The aura emanating from her daughter was unmistakable.
Single-Universe Level.
Frigga immediately understood.
Karl had helped Hela break through.
A trace of joy appeared in her eyes.
Not only had Hela become stronger—
The relationship between Asgard and Karl had become even closer.
Frigga's smile grew warmer.
At that moment, she completely stopped worrying about the Olympians.
Instead, her thoughts wandered elsewhere.
Far, far elsewhere.
She even began wondering what Karl and Hela's future children might be called.
As for Zeus?
He no longer seemed important.
...
Zeus slowly raised his head.
His expression was extremely complicated.
"I never expected to see you here."
His voice carried bitterness.
"Nor did I expect Odin's death to leave behind such a protector for Asgard."
The title of "you" carried obvious respect.
Despite being one of the oldest gods present, Zeus did not dare treat Karl as an equal elder.
The reason was simple.
He had seen Karl's battle against the Celestials.
Like countless cosmic observers, Zeus had witnessed that terrifying conflict.
He had watched Karl kill multiple Celestials.
That memory remained vivid.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that Karl possessed such deep ties to Asgard.
At that moment, regret filled his heart.
Karl looked mildly surprised.
"So you recognize me."
Then he smiled.
Unfortunately, there was no warmth in that smile.
"But recognition won't save you."
Karl leaned back on his throne.
"Let's do this."
"Three matches."
"If your side wins even one of them..."
"I'll let you leave."
The battlefield instantly became quiet.
Thor raised an eyebrow.
Loki narrowed his eyes.
Even Tony looked suspicious.
Meanwhile, Zeus stared at Karl silently.
Unlike the others, he understood something.
Karl had no intention of letting them leave.
Not at all.
The moment Karl arrived, Vastness had already sealed the entire realm of Asgard.
Zeus had tried probing the surrounding space earlier.
Every attempt had failed.
The realm had become a prison.
Even he could not escape.
Karl's words about letting them leave after a victory were merely a formality.
Today, Olympus had already lost.
The only remaining question was how badly.
Still, Zeus nodded.
"I accept."
What else could he do?
Refusal wasn't an option.
Perhaps an opportunity would emerge during the battle.
Perhaps one of his children could survive.
At the very least, he had to try.
Behind him, the Olympian gods immediately stepped forward.
Many volunteered eagerly.
Several even argued over who should fight first.
Zeus looked at them and felt a deep sense of helplessness.
None of them understood the true situation.
To them, this was merely a difficult battle.
To Zeus, it looked more like an execution.
...
Meanwhile, Karl descended from the sky and landed beside Thor.
Tony immediately approached.
His eyes practically glowed with excitement.
"Hey, Karl."
"How about I go first?"
Tony pointed toward the Olympians.
"Let me show them what the latest generation of armor can do."
Then his expression became serious.
"By the way..."
"You're not actually planning to let them leave if they win, right?"
Karl stared at him.
For several seconds.
Then he laughed.
"Tony."
"You haven't even reached Skyfather level."
"And you're volunteering to fight Skyfather-level gods?"
Karl looked genuinely impressed.
"Why don't you just fly directly into the sun while you're at it?"
"If you die here, little Morgan won't have a father anymore."
"Then it'll just be Thor and me helping raise her."
Thor nearly choked.
Tony's face immediately darkened.
Karl continued.
"As for letting them go?"
He shrugged.
"Impossible."
"Whether they win or lose doesn't matter."
"They aren't leaving Asgard."
"Zeus already knows that."
"I sealed the entire realm the moment I arrived."
After hearing that explanation, both Thor and Tony visibly relaxed.
For a moment, they had actually worried Karl intended to spare the Olympians.
Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
Tony immediately rolled his eyes.
Thor burst out laughing.
Karl joined him.
The three men stood together laughing while, in the distance, Zeus watched with a bitter expression.
He understood perfectly.
They weren't discussing possibilities.
They were discussing his fate.
...
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