Karl's overwhelming strength had thoroughly broadened the Illuminati members' horizons.
The main problem was that Karl was simply too powerful.
His abilities almost seemed to defy reason entirely.
He could alter the rules of reality and the physical constants within an entire region. How was anyone supposed to fight against something like that?
Although he had only targeted Tony Stark this time, Karl could establish rules specifically designed to counter any of them whenever he wished.
Since Karl could do it, the Celestials naturally could as well.
According to Karl, the Celestials would only be stronger than him, and their methods would be even more sophisticated and versatile.
That made the situation extremely troublesome.
They had no idea how they were supposed to deal with opponents at that level.
As far as they were concerned, the situation seemed almost hopeless.
"What's wrong? Are you already despairing over something this minor?"
"If that's all it takes, what was the point of forming the Illuminati?"
Karl spoke calmly.
"We haven't given up. We're merely trying to think of a solution."
"If we truly faced an enemy at your level, it would be extremely difficult for us."
"We're trying to determine how we should confront something like that."
Professor X explained.
"There is no other option. Find stronger people and ask for their help."
Karl answered indifferently.
"You aren't the only ones working to protect this world."
"Nor are you the only ones who want to save it."
"Some superheroes possess extraordinary power."
"As long as you can persuade them to help, you will naturally have a chance of stopping these powerful enemies."
The Illuminati members could only smile bitterly upon hearing that.
It was nowhere near that simple.
There were many powerful beings in this world, but the Illuminati did not necessarily know all of them.
Even among those they knew, personal conflicts might prevent them from working together.
Finding even stronger allies was no easy task.
"All we can do is try our best and see whether we can find anyone willing to help."
Professor X spoke helplessly.
The other Illuminati members nodded.
"We'll also conduct research and see whether we can develop powerful weapons to defend against these approaching enemies."
"Reed, it looks like we'll be working together this time."
Tony Stark spoke as well.
Mister Fantastic nodded.
The two men widely regarded as the smartest people on Earth had agreed to cooperate.
"We should find Banner. He'll help us."
Reed suggested.
Tony Stark nodded, and the two immediately reached an understanding.
Watching from the side, Karl nodded in satisfaction.
At least these people were willing to search for a solution. His efforts had not been wasted.
The only problem was that he had no way of determining what kind of methods the First Firmament would use.
The First Firmament was a god from an ancient age.
He was overwhelmingly powerful, and his methods were numerous and unpredictable.
Who could possibly know what means he would use against them?
It was not even certain whether the First Firmament considered them worthy of his attention.
The First Firmament's true opponents were the Living Tribunal and the Five Great Gods.
Even so, Karl did not believe there was anything wrong with preparing in advance.
The First Firmament might be targeting the powerful beings of this world, but even a tiny amount of energy leaking from their confrontation would bring an unimaginable catastrophe upon Earth.
Preparing early was always better than making no preparations at all.
Those who failed to consider future dangers would soon face immediate troubles.
Only by making the necessary preparations could they confront the crises that awaited them.
Whatever Karl did, he always prepared in advance.
That was especially true when dealing with a being as powerful as the First Firmament.
"Since you're willing to prepare, I can rest a little easier."
"However, you must not let your guard down."
"Even the smallest trace of power released by a being on the level of the Five Great Gods would be beyond anything we can imagine."
Karl spoke with solemn sincerity.
The less people knew, the more likely they were to possess inexplicable confidence.
The further Karl advanced in his training, the more deeply he understood the immense power of the Five Great Gods.
The gap between someone who had only just reached the Multiverse level and the Five Great Gods was simply too vast.
They might be capable of killing a Multiverse-level being with a single thought.
The First Firmament was an entity capable of confronting the Five Great Gods head-on.
His methods were naturally terrifying.
Karl had to remain vigilant.
He silently considered several different plans, but his expression revealed nothing.
The Illuminati's superheroes had also become extremely cautious because of Karl's warning.
"Karl, thank you for warning us."
"But you can rest assured. We won't lower our guard over something like this."
Tony Stark spoke with complete seriousness.
The other Illuminati members nodded.
The Illuminati had originally been established to anticipate dangers before they occurred and protect Earth.
Although their good intentions often produced disastrous results, those outcomes were not entirely within their control.
The future was simply too unpredictable.
All they could do was use their abilities to the fullest and protect Earth as well as they possibly could.
Every member present shared that belief.
Faced with such a powerful crisis, they would naturally do everything they could.
"As a precaution, I'll search among the mutants for several powerful individuals."
"If the situation truly deteriorates beyond recovery, we'll still have one final option."
Professor X spoke with great caution.
Mutants were among the most extraordinary beings in this world.
There were many immensely powerful individuals among them.
One needed to look no further than Phoenix at the Mutant School.
If she unleashed the full extent of her power, instantly destroying the First Firmament would be an effortless task.
However, the current Phoenix was unable to control her terrifying strength.
Even so, provoking her would be an entirely different matter.
She might tear through space and time without hesitation simply to come after the person who had angered her.
Mutants were entirely capable of doing something like that.
Furthermore, even the Living Tribunal might not dare interfere.
The mutants were simply that extraordinary.
From a certain perspective, Professor X and Mister Fantastic could be considered the Illuminati's two most formidable members.
Whether judging their personal abilities or the powerful forces supporting them, both ranked among the strongest.
Therefore, the Illuminati were certainly not useless.
When something truly happened, they really would step forward.
They would even risk their lives without hesitation.
Karl had to admit that he could not compare to them in that regard.
These people were genuinely willing to sacrifice themselves to protect Earth.
In terms of moral character, everyone present surpassed him by an overwhelming margin.
Karl believed that this was an admirable quality, one that deserved to be praised by everyone.
After all, if something truly went wrong, Karl believed he would much rather have friends like Tony and Strange than someone like himself.
Karl gave the Illuminati members a meaningful look before waving his hand.
In the next instant, they returned to the hall.
"Everyone should begin making preparations."
"We truly don't have much time."
The expressions of every Illuminati member became solemn after hearing Karl's words.
(End of Chapter)
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