"Come with me. The boss wants to see you."
Yelena suddenly stopped at the gate and spoke to Stephen Strange before turning around and walking inside the estate.
Strange was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected that Karl would actually agree to meet him.
But after a brief hesitation, he quickly followed behind Yelena.
Nearby, Natasha Romanoff watched the scene with curiosity.
Karl rarely met with ordinary visitors.
Yet this time, he had personally asked to see this man who looked exhausted, unshaven, and desperate.
That alone made Natasha curious about who Stephen Strange really was.
When Yelena brought Strange into the manor garden, Karl was already sitting at a table enjoying afternoon tea.
Karl glanced at Yelena and nodded slightly.
The meaning was obvious.
She could leave.
After Yelena departed, only Karl and Stephen Strange remained at the table.
"Sit down, Stephen Strange."
Karl spoke calmly while looking at the disheveled surgeon.
Strange was slightly surprised.
Karl knew his name.
Although he didn't understand why Karl had agreed to meet him, he quickly sat down opposite him.
Deep inside, Strange was already preparing to ask Karl to heal his hands.
But Karl spoke first.
"I already know why you came."
"I won't heal your hands."
The words hit Strange like a hammer.
A flash of panic crossed his face.
But before he could say anything—
Karl continued speaking.
"However, I can take you somewhere."
"A place where you might find the method and answer to heal your hands yourself."
Strange froze.
Then relief slowly replaced the panic on his face.
He immediately stood up and bowed slightly.
"Thank you, Lord Karl."
"Please… take me there."
If there was even the slightest chance to restore his hands, he would seize it.
Karl calmly took another sip of tea before standing up.
"Alright."
"Follow me."
He casually sliced his hand through the air.
A blue-black portal opened instantly.
The other side revealed a courtyard filled with ancient architecture.
Kamar-Taj.
Karl stepped through the portal first.
Stephen Strange hesitated only for a moment before following him.
The moment Strange stepped through—
He was stunned.
The courtyard was filled with people wearing simple robes.
Many of them were practicing strange hand movements and forming glowing mystical sigils.
Some were even opening portals, identical to the one Karl had just created.
Strange's eyes widened.
Although he knew superpowers existed in the world—
He had never imagined that magic was real.
Karl ignored Strange's shock and led him deeper into the complex.
Many disciples looked at Karl with curiosity as he passed.
None of them tried to stop him.
Eventually, Karl arrived at a quiet temple hall.
Inside, someone was already waiting.
The Ancient One.
She was seated calmly at a tea table.
Two cups of hot tea had already been prepared.
Clearly—
She had been expecting them.
Karl didn't hesitate.
He sat down directly opposite her and picked up one of the teacups.
Stephen Strange sat down as well, though he still looked confused.
"Hello, Stephen Strange."
The Ancient One spoke gently.
"This is Kamar-Taj, the headquarters of the sorcerers of Earth."
"We protect this world from threats beyond your understanding."
"From other dimensions… and from forces that seek to destroy reality itself."
Strange barely heard the explanation.
His focus was elsewhere.
"My hands…"
He spoke urgently.
"Can they be healed here?"
"Please… I just want my hands back."
The Ancient One looked at him calmly.
"There is indeed a way to heal them."
"But I cannot do it for you."
"You must learn it yourself."
She pointed toward the door they had entered.
"Go."
"Someone will guide you once you leave this room."
Strange looked confused.
But the desire to heal his hands pushed him forward.
Without further hesitation, he left the room.
Now only Karl and the Ancient One remained.
Neither spoke for a long time.
They simply drank tea quietly.
Eventually, the Ancient One broke the silence.
She removed the Time Stone from the Eye of Agamotto.
Then she placed the green gem in front of Karl.
"Take it."
"It will end up in your hands sooner or later."
Karl looked at the stone calmly.
He did not refuse.
He simply picked it up.
"Are you preparing to leave?"
he asked.
The Ancient One nodded gently.
"Such things are inevitable."
She paused before continuing.
"Without the Time Stone, Stephen Strange's path will become more difficult."
"So I hope you will take care of Kamar-Taj… and of Stephen Strange."
Karl nodded slowly.
"In Eastern terms…"
"I am also half your disciple."
"Teacher."
The Ancient One smiled softly.
"That may be the best news I could hear before I leave."
She then looked at Karl more seriously.
"You will eventually leave Earth."
"You have already reached the Sub-Skyfather level."
"Reaching the Skyfather level will not be difficult for you."
"But the true challenge lies beyond that."
"The Single-Universe Level."
She continued:
"To reach that level, you must elevate your life level and soul."
"So if you ever encounter something capable of evolving those aspects…"
"You must obtain it."
"That is the true key to advancing."
The Ancient One sighed lightly.
"Unlike you, I have only reached the peak of the Skyfather level."
"At best, I might barely touch the pseudo single-universe level."
Karl was slightly surprised by her words.
Not because the information was new—
His system had already told him this.
But hearing it directly from the Ancient One still carried weight.
Without the system, he might have spent countless years trapped at the Skyfather level.
In that sense—
The Ancient One had helped him avoid a long detour.
And for that, Karl was genuinely grateful.
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