After a long while, the massive purple eye finally closed unwillingly. At the same time, the Dark Dimension fully withdrew from Earth.
After staring at the sky above the Sanctum for a moment longer, Ifrit gradually dispersed into countless sparks of fire and vanished.
A crimson cloak fluttered.
From within the fading flames, Karl slowly descended to the ground, letting out a heavy breath. Clearly, the battle had taken a serious toll on him.
Summoning Ifrit alone had consumed two-thirds of his magic power. Combined with the Phoenix, he was now completely drained—not a drop of magic left in his body.
[Ding~ Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission. Would you like to claim your reward now?]
"Not now. I'll do it when I get home."
The system fell silent again.
Karl swayed slightly—Wanda immediately rushed over and caught him.
Holding her soft, warm body, Karl glanced up at the sky. Only after confirming Dormammu had truly left did he finally relax, collapsing into Wanda's arms.
---
A few days later, at Kamar-Taj.
Karl stood in the meditation chamber that once belonged to the Ancient One. Strange, Wong, and Mordo were all present.
"Strange, you've passed the Ancient One's final test. The Eye of Agamotto is yours now—take good care of it."
Karl gestured toward the artifact hanging on Strange's chest.
Strange nodded solemnly.
After everything that had happened, he had come to terms with it. Protecting Earth meant more than protecting a single life.
Just like Palmer once said—finding a new purpose didn't necessarily mean returning to being a doctor.
It could mean becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.
---
Kamar-Taj held a grand celebration for the birth of the new Sorcerer Supreme.
Everyone drank themselves into a stupor—
Everyone except Mordo.
His eyes were no longer as clear as before. There was resolve in them now.
He had decided to leave Kamar-Taj… to walk his own path.
---
The sanctum chamber was rebuilt. The portals to the three Sanctums were restored.
The three Sanctums would continue to stand across the world—serving as anchors protecting Earth.
---
Back at the office.
Karl returned to his usual lazy routine—eating, lounging, or wandering around out of boredom.
"System—claim mission reward."
[Ding~ Reward granted. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: Summon—Bahamut]
Karl nodded. He had expected this.
In his Sea of Consciousness, only two summons remained unawakened:
Bahamut and Odin.
Naturally, the system would choose one of them.
The strongest always came last.
---
Within his mind—
Karl looked at the newly awakened Bahamut.
Its massive wings radiated a blazing white light—the ultimate summon representing the power of light.
Opposite it stood the unawakened crystal of Odin, still gray and inert.
"I wonder… which Odin is stronger—this one, or the one from Asgard?"
Karl muttered to himself.
The two were clearly very different.
---
Compared to the others, Bahamut's crystal emitted an overwhelming presence—its radiance almost overshadowing all the other summons.
Almost.
Because—
A burst of orange-red suddenly flared.
Ifrit's crystal ignited, releasing scorching heat, directly opposing Bahamut.
Bahamut responded immediately—its white light intensifying, a faint dragon's roar echoing from within.
At the same time, Ifrit roared back.
As expected of the embodiment of primal fury—
It could stand toe-to-toe with the so-called strongest summon.
---
Just as Karl was enjoying the spectacle—
Suddenly—
The massive central crystal erupted with starlight.
Wherever the light touched, both Bahamut and Ifrit's power began to dissolve—like melting snow carried away by the wind.
Buzz—
The giant crystal vibrated softly.
Karl turned his attention to it.
The crystal pulsed like a living thing.
Except for Odin, which remained unlit, all other summons began to glow:
Green for Garuda (wind),
Purple for Ramuh (lightning),
Golden-yellow for the Phoenix,
Blue for Shiva (ice),
Earthy yellow for Titan,
Orange-red for Ifrit,
And brilliant white for Bahamut.
All lights shimmered together, responding to the crystal's hum.
---
Curious, Karl reached out and touched it.
Though the surface looked rough, it felt smooth and warm—like jade.
And then—
His consciousness was suddenly pulled back into his body.
He found himself sitting in his chair in the office.
"…Weird."
Karl frowned.
The moment he touched the crystal, it felt like he had been forcibly logged out of his own mind.
"System, what was that just now?"
No response.
The system remained silent—like it had also gone offline.
"...Tch."
Karl clicked his tongue.
He could tell—the system was hiding something from him.
And it had something to do with that massive crystal.
Still, he didn't dwell on it. There was no point—he wouldn't figure it out anyway.
---
Just then, Skye suddenly shouted at her laptop:
"Karl! Wanda! You've gotta see this!!"
Wanda instantly appeared beside her.
Meanwhile, Gwen, who had been reading upside down on the ceiling, dropped down on a web behind Skye.
Only Karl walked over lazily, sitting down next to Skye.
On the screen—
A bearded, overweight man was livestreaming.
Karl couldn't help but think—why did so many foreigners love beards? Fat or thin, tall or short—it didn't matter.
Even Tony—trying to make him shave was like asking for his life.
---
In the livestream—
An Asian young man in a red varsity jacket was fighting several men in black on a bus.
"Hey everyone! It's your favorite Cliff! Coming to you live from a bus!"
The bearded streamer turned the camera toward himself—only to be instantly flooded with angry comments.
He awkwardly switched it back.
"As you can see, there's a fight happening on this bus. Since I've practiced martial arts since I was young, I'll now provide professional commentary—"
On screen—
The young man moved with agility like a monkey.
The three attackers were no match for him.
Within ten moves, all of them were taken down.
Finally—
With a flying kick, he knocked out the last two.
Nearby, an Asian woman stared at him in a daze.
---
Karl narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Well now."
Things just got interesting.
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