Karl possessed overwhelming power.
Dealing with a Dark Phoenix that had not yet fully taken shape was extraordinarily simple for him.
This was especially true because he had mastered the origins of the soul and mind, giving him exceptional proficiency in the use of psychic power.
In that field, he was even slightly more capable than Professor X.
Although it had seemed as though a long time had passed inside the mental world, only a few seconds had elapsed in the real world.
When Karl opened his eyes again, Professor X and Reed still thought he had not even begun.
"What's wrong, Karl? Why did you stop?"
"Did something go wrong?"
Professor X asked anxiously.
He was genuinely nervous, terrified that something unexpected might happen.
After all, he had witnessed Jean's power years ago.
Jean had only been a young girl at the time, yet she had nearly killed both him and Magneto. She had also come close to destroying an entire city.
Back then, Jean had still been a child.
Her body had not even fully developed.
Things were completely different now.
Jean had become an adult.
The power within her had already reached the pinnacle of this world as well as the limits of her own potential.
Just as Karl had said, Jean was now extraordinarily powerful.
The moment the seal within her mind failed, the entire Earth could be destroyed.
Under such circumstances, it was only natural that Professor X was frightened and nervous.
Even Reed felt his heart tighten.
As the leader of the Fantastic Four, he also understood just how terrifying Jean was.
She was unquestionably one of the most powerful mutants in the world.
Worse still, she could not control her own power.
That also made her one of the most dangerous mutants in the world.
Seeing Karl stop so abruptly left both men visibly tense.
Their nervous expressions momentarily left Karl dumbfounded.
"Don't misunderstand."
"Nothing went wrong. I've already solved the problem."
Karl spoke calmly.
Professor X stared at him blankly.
Reed was equally speechless.
"Are you joking?"
"Are you certain you've already solved it?"
Professor X asked in disbelief.
"Of course I'm certain. You can examine her yourself."
"I've shattered her other personality."
"As time passes, Jean will naturally absorb the remaining psychic fragments."
"However, there is something you need to keep in mind. You must help her master her power as quickly as possible."
"Otherwise, her personality will inevitably develop problems again."
Karl warned them earnestly.
Jean had developed another personality precisely because the power within her had been beyond her control.
That uncontrolled power had brought the second personality into existence.
Should she remain incapable of controlling such immense power, another personality might eventually emerge.
That was not a problem that could be solved through sealing alone.
"We understand."
"We've already developed a corresponding plan. Reed is even preparing to design a device specifically to help her resolve this problem."
"Before that, however, we need to confirm Jean's condition."
Professor X spoke seriously.
"That's only natural. Charles, go ahead and examine her."
"I don't think there should be any problems."
Karl spoke with complete composure.
He then sat to one side and leisurely watched the two men conduct their examination.
Professor X closed his eyes.
His psychic power cautiously entered Jean's mind and slowly began investigating it.
Even though Jean currently had no ability to resist, Professor X remained extremely careful as he entered her mental world.
Should he accidentally trigger Jean's subconscious defenses, he could be gravely injured.
He did not possess the same monstrous power as Karl.
His psychic power slowly entered Jean's mental world.
Professor X cautiously explored it.
He soon discovered an extraordinarily complicated sealing system.
Brilliant golden seals bound the remaining psychic fragments of the Dark Phoenix together.
Only Jean's own powerful personality remained free.
After examining the contents of the seals, Professor X confirmed that Karl had indeed solved the problem.
However, he found the result extremely difficult to accept.
Had it truly been that easy?
Karl had solved a problem that Professor X had been unable to resolve after several decades.
Was the difference between them truly that enormous?
Was the Sorcerer Supreme really this powerful?
Professor X could hardly believe it.
He had never imagined that Karl could possess such astonishing abilities.
By the time Professor X withdrew his psychic power from Jean's mental world, his expression had become extremely complicated.
The sight made Reed's heart leap into his throat.
"Charles, what happened?"
"Did you discover a problem?"
"Why are you making that expression?"
Reed asked nervously.
He was terrified that something had gone wrong.
Although he was the leader of the Fantastic Four and possessed an enormous amount of advanced scientific knowledge, his understanding of mutant abilities was inferior even to that of some children at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
"There isn't a problem."
Professor X answered with a complicated expression.
"Then why do you look like that?" Reed asked.
"Take a look for yourself and you'll understand."
"I think you'll be even more shocked than I was."
Professor X's expression remained complicated.
The power Karl had demonstrated was undoubtedly greater than his own, but the difference in their raw strength had not appeared impossibly vast.
Karl's methods, however, were absolutely astounding.
For the first time, Professor X realized that psychic power could be used in such a way.
The intricate and systematic psychic structure Karl had created was something Professor X felt he could never reproduce, even if he spent the rest of his life trying.
It belonged to a completely different system.
Compared to it, Professor X's use of psychic power seemed extremely crude.
It was like giving two people the same rope. One person could only tie a crude knot, while the other could weave it into an elaborate decorative knot.
Professor X was utterly dumbfounded.
Reed also became curious.
What exactly had happened?
How could it have shocked Professor X so deeply?
Professor X had experienced countless extraordinary events throughout his life.
He had lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis and the battle against Apocalypse, both crises that could have led to the destruction of the world.
Professor X was someone who had truly seen almost everything.
What could possibly have shocked him this much?
Reed was deeply curious.
He adjusted a specialized visualization device.
Jean's mental world was immediately projected onto a screen.
Reed instantly saw the incomparably complicated seals within it.
The vast and elaborate system was both three-dimensional and extraordinarily intricate.
The entire sealing construct was practically a work of art.
Reed turned and stared at Karl in astonishment.
No wonder.
No wonder Professor X had been so shocked.
Could a human truly create something this complicated?
Looking at it gave Reed the same feeling he had experienced when seeing an alien warship for the first time.
The shock was like staring up at colossal gods towering into the heavens, their bodies covered in impossibly intricate structures.
It was completely different from the way mutants used their abilities.
This was the absolute pinnacle of technique.
Before a creation such as this, mutants seemed like nothing more than a group of brute-force brawlers.
Had the standards of the Sorcerer Supreme truly risen this high?
(End of Chapter)
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