There was an enormous difference between the Main Universe and Parallel Universes.
That difference wasn't limited to the completely different levels of power found in the two.
Even the fundamental rules governing them differed enormously.
To put it scientifically, the physical constants of the two universes were not entirely identical.
Broadly speaking, they were almost the same.
But those tiny differences in the details were enough to create an enormous gap between them.
And those differences were clearly reflected in magical texts.
The same spell could produce completely different results when cast in two different universes.
Naturally, the descriptions and theories surrounding those spells could differ greatly as well.
Take the Sacred Sword of the Vishanti, the spell Karl was most proficient with.
In Karl's universe, it emitted dazzling platinum-white light, and its overall structure resembled something crystalline.
But—
In the Main Universe, the Sacred Sword of the Vishanti was completely different.
Here, it manifested more like a solid crystal, looking extraordinarily beautiful.
Its power in the Main Universe was also considerably greater.
Karl suspected that this was because Sorcerers in the Main Universe could draw upon more of the Vishanti's sacred power.
Even among Multiverse-level beings, most of their true existences were centered around the Main Universe.
That was also one of the reasons why the Main Universe was so powerful.
You could practically throw a brick at random and hit some multidimensional powerhouse.
This truly was a paradise for the strong.
After reading Kamar-Taj's books, Karl's understanding of this universe became much deeper.
His own Origin had also grown stronger.
Karl could feel that if he advanced just one more step, he would be able to touch the level occupied by Eternity, one of the Five Great Gods.
As an abstract entity, Eternity's existential level—or perhaps his level of attainment—was clearly higher than Karl's.
However—
If they truly fought, Eternity might not necessarily be Karl's match.
Eternity was undoubtedly powerful.
But all kinds of powerful beings in the Main Universe had beaten him before, to the point that he practically served as a measuring stick for combat strength.
Karl alone could think of dozens of powerful beings who had fought Eternity.
What truly made Eternity formidable was his higher level of existence, which granted him many unique abilities.
For example, with a single thought, he could shake the entire Multiverse.
No matter how powerful Karl became, he currently couldn't accomplish something like that.
His existential level simply wasn't high enough.
Karl could now clearly feel that he was only one step away from crossing that boundary.
As long as he crossed it, he would finally become one of the truly supreme powerhouses of the Marvel world.
But—
Karl had no idea how he was supposed to make that breakthrough.
The more he trained and the more he understood, the more unfathomable the Five Great Gods seemed to him.
Their actual combat strength clearly wasn't overwhelmingly beyond that of other beings near their level.
Yet they possessed countless mysterious abilities.
Their power seemed to have transcended the level of Origin entirely and entered a realm that Karl found extremely difficult to comprehend.
Closing the book in his hands, Karl slowly began to think.
"Why are the Five Great Gods so powerful?"
"Whether it's their will or their raw power, they don't seem overwhelmingly different from other beings near that threshold."
"So where does their power actually come from?"
"Is it because they're so deeply integrated with this universe?"
"It can't possibly be that simple."
Karl frowned as he wandered through Kamar-Taj.
After spending so much time in this universe, this was the first time he had encountered something he genuinely couldn't understand.
He simply couldn't figure out the source of the Five Great Gods' power.
"If only I could get hold of one of those gods themselves and study them."
"Unfortunately, these ancient gods are far too good at hiding."
Karl couldn't help shaking his head.
Whatever else could be said about them, these gods were exceptionally skilled at concealing themselves.
Karl had offended Chthon before.
He had even searched for him throughout the Multiverse.
Yet he hadn't been able to find the slightest trace of the bastard.
And it wasn't only Chthon.
Karl couldn't locate any of the other gods either.
He couldn't even find Galactus, who should have been the most conspicuous of them all, anywhere in the Main Universe.
That left Karl extremely frustrated.
He could already see the threshold—
But he simply couldn't cross it.
The feeling was almost impossible to describe.
It was like reaching your wedding night, getting completely undressed, and then discovering that no matter what you did, you just couldn't get it in.
That kind of frustration.
Still—
Karl quickly calmed himself down.
For someone powerful, the ability to regulate one's emotions was extremely important.
"There'll always be another opportunity."
"I refuse to believe those five gods can keep me stuck here forever."
"All I need is one good opportunity."
"Once I seize it, breaking through will be easy."
Karl thought to himself.
With a wave of his hand, the book he was holding passed through a Golden Portal and returned directly to the library.
Karl began wandering around again.
Now that his strength had reached this stage, blindly training behind closed doors had already lost its usefulness.
What mattered now was comprehension.
Maybe one morning he'd wake up, have a sudden flash of insight, and even a limp dick would suddenly spring back to life.
Karl wasn't in any hurry.
He decided to go find Strange.
He could teach a few Sorcerers and see whether he could gain something from them in return.
Even though he was already close to a breakthrough, there was no harm in gaining further insight into the Laws.
With a thought—
He immediately located Strange, who was training inside the Sanctum Sanctorum.
"Karl? Why aren't you reading in the library anymore?"
Strange looked at him in surprise.
"I finished."
Karl smiled.
Strange: "???"
What were you doing, reading at light speed?
Kamar-Taj's library contained millions upon millions of books.
And they weren't ordinary books.
They were profound magical texts.
If they had been normal books, Strange himself could have used his powerful Mental Force to rapidly flip through their pages.
But magical texts were completely different.
Reading them required intense concentration and careful study.
That was especially true for the books left behind by the Ancient One.
They demanded absolute focus, and every reading session was mentally exhausting.
Reading them wasn't merely about learning magic.
It also involved comprehending the rules of the universe and adapting to its Laws.
And Karl had somehow finished every text in the entire library—
In less than a single afternoon?
Strange stared at Karl as though he were looking at some kind of monster.
Now he finally understood why Karl was capable of dealing with so many powerful beings.
The gap between them was simply enormous.
Strange immediately gained a much clearer understanding of himself and adjusted his expectations accordingly.
Still, he had no intention of fawning over Karl.
He simply regarded him with several degrees more respect than before.
"Karl, I really didn't misjudge you. You're incredible."
"In that case, would you be interested in becoming my instructor?"
"We're all part of Kamar-Taj, aren't we?"
"Even if you come from a Parallel Universe, you're still one of us."
Strange spoke enthusiastically.
At that moment, he didn't resemble a Sorcerer Supreme in the slightest.
He looked more like an overly enthusiastic recruiter trying desperately to secure a valuable prospect.
Karl smiled and didn't refuse.
"Of course. That's not a problem."
"I'd also like to see exactly how the Sorcerers of the Main Universe differ from those in my universe."
Karl's Mental Force was extraordinarily powerful.
With even the slightest perception, he could sense a great many things.
On average, the Sorcerers of the Main Universe were stronger than those in his universe.
The only thing he didn't know—
Was exactly how much stronger they were.
(End of Chapter)
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