Di Wan slept until noon. If no one had come to wake them, she probably would not have risen at all.
Still groggy, she sat at the edge of the bed, leaning weakly against Karl's chest. Her lips moved slightly now and then, as though she were murmuring in her sleep, caught in that hazy state between dreaming and waking. The sight of her like this—soft, vulnerable, and unconsciously charming—would have been difficult for most men to resist.
But Karl was not like most men. He had absolute control over his desires. He would never hurt Di Wu. If he did, the one person she relied on most would become her worst nightmare.
After leaning against him for five or six minutes, Di Wan finally came fully to her senses. She got up to wash and dress. All the toiletries had been prepared for them, and even the Wi-Fi password had been thoughtfully provided.
She took nearly half an hour to finish getting ready before the two of them stepped outside.
Perhaps knowing that no one here meant her harm—and that Karl was beside her—Di Wu did not show signs of panic, though she remained cautious.
As soon as they exited, a man dressed in black robes stood waiting outside the door, smiling faintly. The moment Di Wan saw him, she instinctively shrank behind Karl.
"I am Mordo," the man said calmly. "Master Gu Yi asked me to take you to eat first. Please follow me."
He seemed surprised by her reaction but simply nodded to Karl and gestured for them to come along.
The air at Kamar-Taj was fresh, though slightly cold. Fortunately, Gu Yi had warned them the day before that they might stay for quite some time, so they had brought extra clothing.
As they passed the open training ground they had seen the previous night, Di Wan noticed groups of three or five apprentices practicing. With a few gestures of their hands, glowing sigils or weapons would materialize, and they would engage in sparring.
Curiosity flickered in her eyes. She slowed her steps to watch. Behind her, Karl stopped as well. This was a good sign—if she could observe something unfamiliar instead of recoiling from it, it meant she was beginning to accept it.
Mordo, walking ahead, noticed them pause and stopped too.
"This is how we sorcerers fight," he explained. "If you have time, you're welcome to train here. I'm quite interested in your strength."
Mordo did not smile often. He genuinely wished to spar properly with Mr. Superman.
"I don't want to hurt you," Karl replied evenly, turning his head toward him.
Mordo's faint smile stiffened. "Would you like to see right now? I truly hope you can hurt me."
He had been at Kamar-Taj for many years. During the Battle of New York, he had remained behind to guard the sanctum and had not witnessed Karl's feats firsthand. He had only heard Gu Yi remark that a certain man had appeared on the battlefield, making the conflict little more than a farce.
Curiosity burned within him. Was Karl truly that powerful? Yet the calmness in Karl's tone sounded almost arrogant.
"I'll ask her first," Karl said quietly.
He glanced down at Di Wan. She had heard the exchange. Hesitating for a moment, she nodded.
"Where?" Karl asked Mordo after receiving her consent.
Though Mordo did not understand the dynamic between them, it was none of his concern. He led them to a secluded corner of the field where no one else was practicing.
From a weapons rack, he picked up a short staff and twirled it in demonstration. Karl asked Di Wan to stay at the edge and walked forward, ignoring the display.
"Be careful. This is my magical weapon—the Staff of the Living Tribunal."
Holding both ends, Mordo pulled it outward. The short staff extended, its center linked by a chain of glowing magic, which he let drop to the ground.
Karl raised an eyebrow, watching without much reaction.
Seeing that Karl seemed unimpressed, Mordo lowered his stance and hurled the weapon toward him.
Clang!
The magical staff struck Karl's body with the sound of metal hitting iron.
Mordo stared in disbelief. Gritting his teeth, he spun and launched it again, faster than before.
This time, Karl would not allow himself to be struck. With his left hand, he casually caught the magical weapon that had been hurled at him.
Mordo yanked backward, trying to retrieve it—but the chain did not budge. No matter how much force he exerted, Karl merely held it loosely in one hand, unmoved.
Around the training ground, many apprentices had stopped to watch. Mordo was one of the earliest disciples of Gu Yi, his magic fierce and pure as flame. Yet now, before their eyes, he could not even reclaim his own weapon.
Finally, Mordo exhaled.
"I concede. You are indeed very strong."
After exhausting every effort and failing even to retrieve his staff, he accepted the outcome.
Karl released the weapon and offered a polite smile before turning back to Di Wan.
Though momentarily frustrated, Mordo soon regained his composure and continued leading them to the dining hall.
Under the astonished gazes of the apprentices, the three left the training field.
—
The dining hall contained only a few women in Daoist robes. Karl and Di Wan ate simply. The food was decent—perhaps not exceptional, but certainly better than most Chinese takeout in Los Angeles.
Unable to tolerate much of the food in Los Angeles, Di Wan had begun cooking for herself. For someone who did not particularly enjoy cooking, that in itself was no small feat. Perhaps it was because she had yet to find a good restaurant. Karl, however, genuinely liked her cooking.
After lunch, Mordo led them back to the Daoist hall from the previous night.
Inside sat an elderly man with a goatee and round eyes, reading quietly, along with several women in black robes.
Gu Yi looked up as they entered, invited them to sit, and poured tea. He seemed particularly fond of tea; on the wooden table lay seven or eight metal tins containing different varieties.
"I've selected a few books for you," Gu Yi said to Di Wan after preparing the tea. "These are foundational texts for understanding the path of a sorcerer. You may take them with you. You are also free to explore Kamar-Taj and speak with others here."
Di Wan followed his gesture. The books looked ancient, their covers worn with age.
"A sorcerer?" she asked hesitantly.
Gu Yi, who had lived for centuries, saw through her confusion at once.
"If you wish to heal, that decision is not mine—it is yours. The soul is mysterious. No one truly understands themselves. Since the dawn of civilization, some have studied another force within the universe—magic. To a certain extent, practicing magic involves the soul. In time, you will naturally understand how to heal yourself."
Di Wan nodded slowly and stepped forward to pick up one of the books. Flipping it open, she frowned.
"Is there a Chinese or English version? I can't read this."
"It is Sanskrit," Gu Yi replied with a gentle smile. "It seems you must first learn some fundamentals."
If translated, many of the terms would lose their meaning entirely, for they were not ordinary linguistic constructs but symbolic expressions beyond common human language.
"If you don't understand something, you may ask Mordo, Kaecilius, or myself—though I may be rather busy."
With that, he gestured for them to relax. Kamar-Taj had few rules: do not kill, do not commit arson, do not practice dark magic—otherwise, one was largely free.
Thanking him, Di Wan took the four books and left the hall with Karl. She wanted to find somewhere quiet to read.
They settled in a pavilion with stone benches and a table. Sitting down, she opened the first page—and understood nothing. She pulled out her phone and opened a translation app.
"Would you like me to translate for you?" Karl asked.
She looked at him in surprise. "You can understand this?"
Karl smiled faintly. "My memory is very good. I can write down the meaning of each word first, then explain it to you. That way you won't need to keep using your phone."
Di Wan looked at him, her lips pressing together as warmth flickered in her eyes.
In truth, she had long regarded him as her only family in this world—closer even than relatives. She remembered everything he had done for her. Though emotionally fragile, she had not lost her sense of right and wrong. She simply did not know how to repay him.
"Why are you so good to me?" she finally asked.
She had wanted to ask this long ago but had been afraid—afraid he might misunderstand, afraid he might ask for something she could not give. Yet after all this time, even the coldest iron tree would have blossomed.
Karl gazed at her for a long moment before answering slowly.
"You were the first human I ever met. I don't know if that means anything. Perhaps it was coincidence. But you were the first. Everything we experienced afterward… I bear responsibility for what you have become. All I can do is stay quietly by your side."
His words filled her with emotion. She clasped his hand, tears welling in her eyes.
"At first, I blamed you. I even resented you. But you're the only person I know in this world. I can only rely on you. I know this world is dangerous. I know I can't survive alone."
Lowering her head, tears fell onto the back of his hand.
"It's been more than three months, and I still can't accept that this is a different world. Every night I think about the past. I've thought about death—but I also want to go back. I've thought about leaving you and living alone—but I don't dare. I've grown used to sleeping beside you, and I'm afraid of being without you. I don't know if this is just dependence born of being in a foreign place… or something else."
She lifted her head. Though her cheeks were streaked with tears, her smile was radiant.
"You've slowly walked into my heart. This feeling is unfamiliar. I don't understand it. I only know that I can't live without you. No matter where you are, I want to be by your side."
Karl gently wiped the tears from her face with his free hand. He did not fully understand the emotion either—but he felt it just as deeply.
"I will protect your life."
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