The Multiverse was an unimaginably vast domain.
Even for someone at Karl's multiversal level, it was still an overwhelmingly enormous expanse.
It could practically be described as endless.
Only existences such as the Five Great Gods could influence the entire Multiverse with a single act.
If Karl's current strength could be considered mid-multiversal level, then beings like Eternity stood at the late multiversal level.
Annihilus and Galactus, meanwhile, stood at the peak of the multiversal level.
As for an existence like the Living Tribunal...
It had already surpassed ordinary comprehension.
As the administrator of the Multiverse personally appointed by the great One-Above-All, its power was impossible to measure.
Ever since the birth of the universe, everything—from the realms of death to time and space, from matter to the void—had fallen under the Living Tribunal's supervision.
Even existences such as the Five Great Gods were subject to the Living Tribunal's authority.
Within the Multiverse, it was a supreme and unique existence.
It was virtually omniscient and omnipotent, capable of understanding everything within this world.
Any disturbance anywhere in the Multiverse ultimately fell beneath the Living Tribunal's gaze.
In another kind of fantasy cosmology, the Living Tribunal would be comparable to the embodiment of cosmic order itself—the representative of the laws governing existence.
Like the Vishanti, it possessed three faces representing different aspects of its nature.
They also represented its power.
Its sole purpose was to maintain the existence and balance of the Multiverse.
It did not possess ordinary concepts of good and evil.
Everything it did was for the continued existence and equilibrium of the world.
That was precisely why...
Even though the First Firmament had sent so many subordinates to wreak havoc throughout the Multiverse, the Living Tribunal had still refrained from intervening.
The First Firmament itself had not personally taken action.
The balance of the Multiverse had not yet been broken.
Therefore, the Living Tribunal could not interfere directly.
However...
Although the Living Tribunal served as the embodiment and overseer of cosmic order throughout the Multiverse, it still possessed emotions of its own.
The Marvel Universe was, after all, a world filled with superheroes.
Naturally, the Living Tribunal's disposition also leaned toward justice.
Or rather...
When the One-Above-All chose an arbiter, it naturally selected an entity inclined toward justice.
The Living Tribunal therefore possessed a certain compassion for all life.
Its responsibilities prevented it from directly interfering with the First Firmament's actions.
But that didn't mean it liked the First Firmament.
Far from it.
It had even secretly leaked information and discreetly helped the Five Great Gods.
Countless images floated before the Living Tribunal.
Each one displayed battles involving the Aspirants that had recently erupted throughout the Multiverse.
Every scene was under the Living Tribunal's observation.
"The First Firmament is truly going too far."
"After all these years, it still refuses to give up. It actually still wants to reclaim the Multiverse."
A trace of anger appeared within the Living Tribunal.
The surrounding space seemed to sense its anger and began twisting violently.
Fortunately, the Living Tribunal quickly realized what was happening.
It calmed its emotions.
In an instant, everything returned to normal.
The Living Tribunal once again turned its attention toward the countless images around it.
Billions upon billions of pieces of information flickered through its eyes.
"Hm?"
A trace of surprise appeared on the Living Tribunal's normally impassive face.
With a thought, the images around it suddenly changed.
One scene rapidly enlarged.
It was the battle between Karl and the Aspirants.
However...
To the Living Tribunal, watching the scene was no different from viewing a recording.
It could freely accelerate or reverse the events.
Before long, the Living Tribunal had seen everything clearly.
"When did someone this extraordinary appear in the Multiverse?"
"He isn't even a mutant, yet he possesses talent like this?"
A trace of confusion appeared in the Living Tribunal's eyes.
The Marvel Universe was an unforgiving world.
One could almost say that a person's fate was determined from the moment they were born.
Talent decided everything.
No matter how hard someone worked, they could never surpass those born with overwhelming gifts.
It was an extraordinarily cold and merciless reality.
Aside from mutants, practically no one had ever become a supreme powerhouse through training alone.
Someone could spend ten thousand years cultivating their abilities and still fail to match what a true prodigy could achieve in only a few years.
Doctor Strange was a perfect example.
Countless sorcerers at Kamar-Taj had practiced magic far longer than Strange.
Yet a single year of Strange's training could rival an entire lifetime of bitter effort from ordinary sorcerers.
It certainly seemed unfair.
But that was reality.
However...
What astonished the Living Tribunal was that, in such a cruel reality, someone this extraordinary had actually appeared.
Karl had directly broken through the limitations of the human species and obtained power beyond anything an ordinary person could imagine.
"How strange."
"Why would such an unusual human appear?"
"This shouldn't be possible."
Even an existence as great as the Living Tribunal found itself confused.
It examined Karl's past and future, even tracing everything connected to his existence across his entire life.
And yet...
There was seemingly nothing special about Karl at all.
So why did Karl possess such astonishing talent?
Even the Living Tribunal couldn't understand it.
What was especially shocking was Karl's combat power.
It had already completely surpassed what should have been possible at his current level.
The Living Tribunal could clearly see it.
Karl's strength was already not far removed from the level of the Black Sun Celestial and the Death King.
Once he broke through again...
He would stand among the strongest beings in this world.
From the birth of the world until now, aside from mutants, there had almost never been a human existence this powerful.
"Interesting."
"To think that someone this extraordinary would appear in this era."
"If the opportunity arises, I should meet this young man."
The Living Tribunal couldn't help feeling intrigued.
Humanity was not considered a particularly powerful species within the Multiverse.
Many races were born possessing terrifying power from the very beginning.
For Karl to reach his current level was anything but easy.
It required truly extraordinary talent.
Karl had carved his way forward through adversity.
"But that still doesn't make sense."
"This child appears completely ordinary. How could someone like him develop talent this powerful?"
"Could there be something even I don't know?"
The Living Tribunal muttered to itself.
Even though it was already one of the strongest existences in the world, many mysteries still existed beyond its knowledge.
The more one understood, the more one realized how much remained unknown.
Karl's situation left the Living Tribunal astonished and deeply puzzled.
For an ordinary human to possess talent like this simply didn't seem reasonable.
However...
The First Firmament was currently causing chaos throughout the Multiverse, so the Living Tribunal had no time to dwell on the matter.
Suppressing its doubts, it once again turned its attention toward the countless scenes surrounding it.
What the Living Tribunal didn't know...
Was that the repercussions of Karl's actions extended far beyond this.
They were already beginning to send enormous waves throughout the entire universe.
(End of Chapter)
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