Several days later, Karl's detective agency was once again at the center of attention.
A crowd had gathered outside—reporters who had caught wind of the news, along with numerous apartment residents hoping to catch a glimpse of the Avengers.
Because, aside from the Hulk, every single Avenger was currently inside Karl's office.
They had celebrated hard the night before.
Now, several of the men were sprawled across the couches like fallen soldiers, snoring without shame. The only ones still conscious were Natasha, Gwen, and the others. Pepper had already left early that morning for work.
"What are we supposed to do about the reporters outside? How can they face anyone looking like this?" Wanda asked helplessly, staring at the scattered "bodies."
After returning from the Dark Elf realm, Karl had enjoyed a few peaceful days. On the eve of Thor and Loki's return to Asgard, Tony had suggested a celebration. Naturally, they chose Karl's agency as the venue.
Somehow, the reporters had found out—and swarmed the place overnight.
"It's fine. I'll inform the Director. He'll handle it," Natasha said calmly as she called Nick Fury.
Far away at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Fury felt a familiar wave of exhaustion. In the end, he was always the one cleaning up the mess. Some responsibilities, it seemed, were inescapable.
One phone call later, the reporters dispersed. The apartment residents returned to their routines as well. After all, if they wanted to see superheroes, they could do so anytime. Karl and the others were landlords here—and Tony Stark himself was still living in the building.
Yes, his Malibu mansion still wasn't finished.
Tony Stark had standards. If something didn't meet them, it was redesigned. If redesigning didn't help, it was demolished and rebuilt from scratch.
Under Jane's reluctant gaze, Thor and Loki returned to Asgard. They still had to face Odin and plead for leniency. After all, they had defied his orders and even enlisted help to escape—technically earning themselves charges of treason.
They had to go back.
Otherwise, there was no telling when Odin might show up on Earth at the head of an army.
This time, Thor promised Jane he would return soon. After all, the Bifrost no longer needed to be shattered for travel—he could come and go as he pleased.
One amusing detail: Thor and Loki had finally learned why Karl always called Loki "Atreus."
Karl had told them the story from his previous life—the tale of a certain God of War and his illiterate father.
Both brothers were utterly stunned.
Loki in particular was completely bewildered. For a moment, he genuinely began questioning his own parentage. According to Karl's story, he was the child of an Olympian demigod and a Frost Giant. The absurdity of it nearly broke his composure.
Karl had repeatedly clarified that it was just a fictional story—but that didn't stop Loki from overthinking it.
He already knew about Laufey from Frigga. But who his other parent was? Even Frigga didn't know.
For a brief, ridiculous moment, Loki genuinely suspected this "Kratos" character.
Karl hadn't expected a simple story to emotionally destabilize both Asgardian princes. Loki, in particular, looked like he was reevaluating his entire existence.
But what happened when they returned to Asgard was no longer Karl's concern. He had told a story—clearly labeled fictional. Anything beyond that was not his responsibility.
After seeing the brothers off, Karl returned to his office—only to hear the system's voice in his mind.
[Ding~ Congratulations, Host. Mission complete. You successfully prevented the Dark Elf invasion and restored peace to the Nine Realms. Reward unlocked: Summoned Beast – Shiva.]
A sudden chill coursed through Karl's body, like plunging into a glacial spring on a scorching summer day. A flicker of icy blue light flashed through his eyes.
In the Star Sea, the statue of Shiva—standing near the massive Mother Crystal—began to glow with an icy azure hue as color gradually filled her form.
"Another female summon…" Karl muttered.
Back in his previous life, he had admired Shiva's beauty while playing the game. But transforming into Garuda had been one thing—Garuda wasn't fully humanoid.
Shiva, however, was different.
She was entirely human in form.
A very stunning human form.
Karl could already imagine Tony holding up his phone, filming relentlessly with that smug grin.
"No. Absolutely not. I need to collect some blackmail material on him first."
If he was going to suffer embarrassment, Tony wasn't getting off unscathed.
Life gradually returned to normal.
Wanda went back to Kamar-Taj. Her training was nearly complete. According to the Ancient One, within a few months she would have full control over the Chaos Magic within her and officially graduate.
The Ancient One was particularly fond of Wanda. Even among Kamar-Taj's gifted students, her magical talent ranked at the top. Combined with her reserved, humble personality, she was well-liked by everyone there.
Gwen continued her routine—splitting her time between Stark Industries' laboratory and the agency. At this point, she had effectively moved into the office full-time.
George and Helen could do little but accept it. Their daughter had grown up.
And it was obvious how she felt about Karl.
George himself was entering a pivotal stage. He was running for New York State Attorney General. Age was catching up with him, and frontline police work was becoming increasingly demanding. After discussing it with his family, he decided it was time to aim higher.
The position offered advancement, less physical danger, and a more administrative role. He would no longer need to charge into danger—his subordinates could handle field operations.
In Karl's view, George's election was practically guaranteed. His experience, qualifications, and record spoke for themselves. Besides, S.H.I.E.L.D. likely preferred it this way. Protecting a state attorney general required far fewer resources than safeguarding the NYPD commissioner.
Karl himself didn't particularly care what title George pursued. With their current assets, the family could live comfortably for generations. George could retire tomorrow without financial worry.
But George simply wasn't built for idleness.
Without work, he felt restless.
As for Karl—he had once again become the most leisurely one of the group.
Tony had thrown himself into developing a new suit. He was dissatisfied with the current armor's firepower and energy efficiency and had been working around the clock.
Skye had begun selectively accepting contracts—primarily from large corporations. The projects were long-term but highly lucrative.
After all, not every company had access to an artificial intelligence like J.A.R.V.I.S.
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