The Primordial Record

The Steele replied to Rowan, "There had been precedents in the past, but none had succeeded. Your Title is already unique, are you sure you want to push for more?"

Rowan nodded, "I am not at my limit, and my dreams are grander than anyone else in existence. I shall always push for more."

He thought he detected a hint of amusement in what the Steele said next, "Like a snake, you want to devour existence in a single mouthful. I will watch your trial."

"I will be honored," Rowan replied and his gaze went cold. The time of reckoning had begun.

Rowan stood up, rising to his full height, eight feet tall, he gasped in surprise as purple light rippled across his body, and he was encased in powerful armor that could equal the defenses of his Powers, likely crafted by Eva as a safeguard the moment he took flesh, Rowan smiled and he shrugged, discarding the armor.

Allowing the glorious armor to fall to the ground, he was left with leather knee breeches and a simple belt, leaving him naked from the waist up. He had simply retrieved this clothing from a mortal city, it had no defenses or spells attached to it.

This clothing was made by an elderly woman, who patiently stitched every single thread and worked on the leather for decades. Her only child went off to war, and she was going to give it as a present to him when he returned. He never did, but she did not stop maintaining it and making sure that on the day he returned, it would be waiting for him in perfect condition.

In accepting this clothing, Rowan also accepted the Soul of the child who lingered beside his frail mother, and he showed her the peace her child would enjoy in his care. In death, she smiled, and her soul and its origin entered his grasp.

The powerful armor made by Eva may interfere with the Title he was hoping to gain, it was the same reason he was not going to summon his Destroyer, but his first mortal weapon Envy.

Although a powerful weapon, its roots were still shrouded in mysteries and its potential was not all the way unlocked, for this battle, it would do. His Destroyer was too efficient in what it did, Rowan wanted something more… primal.

He began walking down the Aether pyramid, as a loud crack like thunder echoed on the horizon and his Great Axe flew in from the depths of the universe and hovered beside him, exuding a red and green light that shrouded his body.

Glancing at the weapon, he saw that Envy was no longer the same weapon as before, her large Axe head was red like blood and it was broader, and her shaft was no longer a single piece of metal, but resembled the handle of a guitar, with seven green strings that ran from the base of the Axe, all the way to the head.

Rowan's nose twitched as he detected a new smell from the weapon, and when he heard the new voices in his head, he grinned,

"I am here to serve…"

"I offer my strength to you… I am Pride."

The first voice was recognizable, it was like two metals rubbing together, and Rowan easily recognized it as Envy's. The other was different, like the sound of a tambourine, a high-pitched rattling sound that sounded sweet to the ears but still held a note of wickedness underneath.

This should be Tenma's weapon and it would appear that Envy and Pride shared the same roots leading to this unexpected merger, Rowan was eager to find out their abilities, but before that, he truly needed to complete his spell and finish his plans.

Grasping the handle of the weapon, the Great Axe shivered, and Rowan rested it against his shoulder and continued his descent.

He looked directly across Reality to the dead universe where the Third Prince watched him like a hawk, his gaze measured, most likely attempting to decipher his spell. Perhaps given enough time he might succeed, Rowan knew not to look down on this tricky foe, but he would not give him the time.

"Twilight!"

Rowan gestured with his right hand, and his shattered Consciousness Pillars in the dead dimension rose up and began to fly toward him, when they reached the dividing point between the present and the past, they slammed down with a resounding boom, creating a golden bridge that spans from the present to the past.

The Twilight Bridge straddled the present and the past, providing a road to move across time.

This completed his spell and opened it to the gaze of everyone in his shattered dimension, and even the weakest among them were granted the ability to see the full scope of his spell. Rowan waited for a few minutes in silence as the full weight of what they were witnessing sank into their consciousness.

The growing uproar among their number was silenced as with a single step, Rowan crossed the gulf of space and arrived at the middle of the bridge, he pointed to his shattered dimension, his finger encompassing all his enemies, "I give you the greatest boon you shall ever receive in your life if you are strong enough to take it."

His voice was powerful enough to spread throughout the shattered dimension, enrapturing everyone in his sight and pulling their gaze to him. There was a supernatural charm to Rowan's voice that could even bend the dead mind of a stone.

Rowan pointed at the living universe behind him, "That is a fully contained past reality of this dead universe, Amy changes you make within it would not be reflected in the present because what has happened cannot be changed, but it presents you with the opportunity to take from the past everything you do not have in the present. This includes seizing the powers from your past and adding them to your future. Even from yourselves."

Rowan waited for what he had just said to sink in, "This is a fully contained universe that holds all the resources you need and they can be plundered without consequences. If you have a powerful weapon without equal, then congratulations, a second pair of that exact weapon now exists in the universe behind me, free for you to take. You shall face no opposition as everyone behind me cannot retaliate, even if you collect their lives. There is only a small catch you see."

His Great Axe was more than seven feet tall, and he slammed the hilt on the Twilight Bridge below him, "To gain all this benefit, you would have to cross this bridge you see, for it is impossible to reach across the past and take from it without consequences. Therefore a price must be paid that is steep to ensure that such a miracle is possible."

He looked at the eyes of his enraptured audience, not only the Will Holders but there were still countless sentient creatures from gods, demons, and archmages who had survived up till this moment and Rowan smiled, "To achieve whatever you desire, you will need to cross this bridge and battle me, if you slay me, a universe and all its riches are yours, but if you die, then nothing of you shall remain, even the memories of you shall be no more."