Not long afterward, Ganata returned.
At nearly the same moment, Galactus's cosmic manifestation finished consuming the planet and vanished back into the depths of space.
Karl was naturally curious about what father and daughter had discussed, but he chose not to ask.
Ganata walked directly over to him and placed a small blue crystal sphere into his hand.
"This is some multiversal-grade energy I obtained from Father. There's also a tiny fragment of a cosmic law within it. I wanted you to have it," Ganata said, her bright violet eyes fixed on Karl.
Karl was momentarily stunned.
He smiled and gently pushed the crystal sphere back toward her.
"If you give this to me, what will happen when you're hungry? Keep it for yourself."
Ganata tilted her head.
"Wouldn't you feed me if I got hungry?"
Her expression was completely serious.
"I specifically asked Father for it. Take it."
Before Karl could respond, she stuffed the crystal sphere into his hand and immediately disappeared, clearly afraid he would try to return it again.
Karl could only shake his head helplessly.
After examining the crystal sphere, however, his expression changed.
Inside was an astonishing quantity of multiversal-level energy.
Even more surprising was the presence of a genuine fragment of a cosmic law.
Not merely a trace.
A true fragment.
The energy contained within the sphere was so vast that it rivaled the total reserves accumulated throughout his Shadow World.
For a moment, Karl could only stare silently.
Then an amusing thought crossed his mind.
Could this be Galactus's version of a dowry?
After all, he had effectively taken Galactus's daughter across the universe, and the Devourer of Worlds had never objected.
Karl could not help but smile bitterly.
Regardless of the reason, he accepted the gift.
Ganata would never intentionally harm him.
Extracting a single strand of blue energy from the sphere, Karl condensed it into a crystal and circulated it through the Infinite Concept Energy Formula.
One crystal became a thousand.
The result left even him surprised.
If all the energy within the sphere were converted this way, Vast Ocean would likely never suffer from energy shortages again.
For a very long time.
...
Several months later.
Karl once again entered the sealed region of the Shadow World.
The Greek goddesses had changed considerably since his last visit.
The moment news of his arrival spread through the castle, many eyes turned toward the entrance.
Among them, the reactions of Hera and Gaia were the most obvious.
The former Queen of Olympus and the Primordial Mother Goddess exchanged glances before making their way toward the grand hall on the second floor.
Karl was seated upon the throne when they arrived.
The two goddesses approached side by side.
Hera wore elegant white-and-gold divine garments befitting her former position as Queen of the Olympians.
Gaia's attire reflected her ancient status, adorned with subtle blue and golden patterns reminiscent of earth and life.
Both women carried themselves with the dignity expected of divine rulers.
When they reached the foot of the throne, they bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, God-King."
Their voices sounded together.
Karl raised an eyebrow.
The title had become increasingly common over the past few months.
"What is it?"
His calm voice echoed through the hall.
Both women hesitated.
Despite their former status and immense age, they suddenly appeared far less composed than before.
After gathering her courage, Hera spoke first.
"God-King, we noticed that you seemed burdened by many matters recently."
"We thought perhaps we could assist you in relaxing."
"We have learned various forms of care and service from countless civilizations over the ages."
Gaia nodded quietly beside her.
Even she seemed slightly embarrassed.
Karl observed them carefully.
As a Single-Universe-level being, he could easily sense the changes in their emotions.
What surprised him was how genuine those emotions appeared.
The former Queen of Olympus and the ancient Mother Goddess no longer looked at him solely with fear or resignation.
Their attitudes had gradually evolved over time.
Karl found the situation somewhat amusing.
After all, these were once among the most respected goddesses of the Greek pantheon.
Yet now they stood before him with expressions rarely seen from beings of their stature.
A faint smile appeared on Karl's face.
"Very well."
"You may try."
Both women visibly relaxed.
They ascended the steps toward the throne.
Soon, they stood beside him.
Their soft hands settled upon his shoulders as they carefully began their work.
Karl leaned back against the throne.
For the first time in quite a while, the hall felt unusually peaceful.
...
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