On the bustling streets packed with traffic and pedestrians, Karl walked among the crowd, yet somehow seemed completely out of place within it.
The flow of people around him automatically parted around him.
And yet, he did not draw anyone's attention at all, as though he did not truly exist in this world.
In truth, Karl was not doing anything.
He was simply lost in thought.
The Ancient One had once said that if he wanted to keep moving forward, then he had to walk his own path.
But while that was easy enough to say, it was far from simple to do.
There were plenty of powerful beings in this world, but very few who could truly stand apart and forge a road uniquely their own.
That required deep research into magic, and even more than that, a vast accumulation of knowledge.
A God-Tier Talent was indeed absurdly overpowered.
It granted astonishing learning ability and comprehension.
But when it came to accumulation, the more innately gifted a mage was, the more they were at a disadvantage.
That kind of foundation required long, persistent effort—seeing more, learning more, and building up knowledge over time.
Karl naturally understood this.
That was exactly why the Sorcerers of Kamar-Taj were so important.
He could focus entirely on studying the profound and difficult things.
As for the broader, more varied, and relatively basic knowledge, he could leave that to the Sorcerers to research.
When the time came, all he would need was a single glance, and he could skip over years of painstaking accumulation.
Besides, just because the Sorcerers were not his equal did not mean they lacked unique magic of their own.
Take Kaecilius, for example. He had created his own spatial spell, the Void Blade.
Karl had learned that from him, and in doing so had expanded his own foundations.
And Kamar-Taj had far more than just one Kaecilius.
That was why Karl paid very close attention to the Sorcerers' situation.
This time, he had come to New York City precisely to understand what worries they still had.
At the very least, he could not very well have the Sorcerers learning magic and protecting Earth on empty stomachs, could he?
So Karl went directly to Stark Tower to discuss cooperation with Tony Stark.
After identifying himself at Stark Tower, Karl was quickly brought to the top floor to meet Tony Stark.
Tony was dressed casually at the moment, and looked like he had just finished working on some research.
"Karl, what'll it be? Red wine, or coffee?"
Tony Stark warmly invited Karl to sit down and, in a rare display, personally began playing host.
That was an extremely unusual sight coming from Tony Stark.
If anyone else had known that the famous Tony Stark was receiving an outsider like this, their jaws would probably have hit the floor.
"A glass of warm water is fine."
"And there's no need to be so polite. Let's get straight to the point."
Karl sat on the sofa as he spoke.
"No problem. I like direct people too."
Tony Stark handed Karl a glass of warm water, then dropped into the seat opposite him in his usual unrestrained manner.
"So, how do you want to cooperate?"
Karl went straight to the point.
"That depends on what you want."
"I don't really know what kind of existence your Sorcerer faction is."
"But I'd say a lot of things from modern society must be useful to you."
"The internet, electronics, all kinds of equipment—I can provide all of that, and all of it will be the best on the market."
Tony Stark spoke with complete confidence.
Hearing that, Karl could not help but smile.
"Mr. Stark, I think I need to correct one misunderstanding first."
"Kamar-Taj is indeed very traditional, but we're not primitives."
"We use the internet and electronics too."
"Our Master Sorcerers are even using the latest-generation smartphones produced by Stark Industries."
Karl said it with a faint smile.
Why had he come to Tony Stark for cooperation?
Because Tony Stark was extremely rich.
Electronics, new energy, new materials, and many other fields—
Stark Industries had its hands in all of them.
The present-day Stark Industries was absolutely a giant.
It was practically the real-world fusion of Apple and Lockheed.
Otherwise, how else had Tony Stark built so many suits of armor?
Each one cost at least several hundred million dollars.
Without that kind of immense financial strength, even Bill Gates would not dare play that way.
Karl had looked into quite a lot.
But Tony Stark clearly did not know Kamar-Taj as well as Karl had expected.
In truth, not many people understood Kamar-Taj at all.
What Karl had just said left Tony Stark thoroughly stunned.
"That really is beyond anything I expected."
"I made a lot of assumptions."
"Then what exactly do you want to cooperate with me for?"
Tony Stark stared at Karl as he asked.
"We need some basic things."
"Fresh food, clothes, and some training equipment."
"As for why we're cooperating with Stark Industries—"
"Of course it's because your company still has a conscience."
"When I deal with you people, I don't feel the urge to wipe you all out with a single spell."
Karl smiled faintly.
But Tony Stark felt a chill shoot straight from the base of his spine to the top of his head.
He had seen Karl's magic before.
If Karl actually used that kind of power, then Stark Industries might not have so much as a scrap left behind.
Tony Stark let out a dry laugh and answered stiffly,
"Well, that really is our honor."
Karl smiled faintly again and said,
"Then, Mr. Stark, what is it that you want from Kamar-Taj?"
"I'm guessing what you want is Kamar-Taj's magic."
Tony Stark's eyes immediately lit up.
"But let me say this first—magic is impossible."
"Kamar-Taj has never had a precedent of letting its magic spread outside."
Karl added that calmly.
Tony Stark rolled his eyes.
"Then what is there to discuss?"
"There is, of course."
"We may not be able to teach you magic, but that doesn't mean we can't help you study it."
"You can test magic and collect data on it."
"I think that should already be enough, shouldn't it?"
"Not to mention, Kamar-Taj has plenty of things that can be traded."
"For example, products from other worlds."
"Materials produced in Hell and Heaven should interest you quite a bit."
"Wait—you're saying Hell and Heaven actually exist?"
Tony Stark's face was full of astonishment.
"Of course they do. If Thor can exist, then what's so strange about Hell and Heaven existing?"
"At their core, they're just extradimensional spaces attached to Earth."
Karl explained with a smile.
Tony Stark's eyes practically began to glow.
"How do you think we should cooperate?"
(End of Chapter)
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