Chapter 1612: Guardian Like a spark falling into an ocean of highly flammable liquid, Reality exploded with radiance, equaling the light that had vacated Reality with the death of Primordial Light’s Throne. In that Instant, every shadow across all realms and dimensions shattered, the skies like black glass were freed from their stasis, the seas frozen mid-wave began to move, and trees that were brittle husks, their leaves that should have never stirred again, sprang to life with the appearance of light. Reality gasped for breath, for one long, glorious moment— Then the light vanished, and the head that Rowan held began to turn gray as if it were transforming into stone, and cracks began to fill it, as an aura of collapse inundated the surrounding space. Rowan did not appear dejected by this failure; he was already expecting something like this. Having Lost only and the remnants of Eva as the new foundation of bringing back the light of creation was ridiculous, but he needed to see if they had even been capable of holding a power of this level. A significant disadvantage of planning ahead with powers of this level was that it was nearly impossible to thoroughly analyze all the potential pitfalls that may arise. However, Rowan knew that this was the nature of the game, and if not for reasons like these, he would never be able to scheme against Primordials. Look deeply enough, and everything was balanced, and the road to victory was being more prepared than your opponents. The head alongside Lost would soon collapse if he did not find a solution quickly, and so Rowan pushed his right hand into his chest and began to probe, and then, groaning in pain, he pulled out a hazy outline like a ring of dust from his body. This dust ring circled around his fingers, and Rowan observed it for a moment to make sure everything was up to his standard. When he created this thing, he was a much weaker immortal, and his sight could not see as deeply; however, his work was flawless, and if there were a trap, it would not be coming from inside this ring. Spreading his palm so the ring of dust would hover above it, Rowan whispered, "First supreme..., no, I have broken the Supreme Circles, and this foundation would not be built on the accomplishment of Primordial Life; this one is for you. This Circle is not meant to be supreme and look down upon all life, it is meant to protect the things I cherish the most..." "First Guardian Circle... Open!" There was an ethereal sound of music and a long roar as if from a dragon, and a ring of dust in his hands exploded in radiance, shining white hot and sending shockwaves that rippled across Reality. Above his right hand, a burning white ring appeared that was vibrating with potential so great it was as if he held a pillar of Reality in his hand, which was not far from the truth, because encapsulated in the Guardian ring were all the foundational roads to power. "This is your one and eternal mission: protect them for all eternity." The Guardian Circle acknowledged Rowan’s Will, zipped away from his hand, and circled Eva’s head before resting behind it like a halo. A white light was emitted from the circle, filling the head, slowly reversing the cracks and giving it back the parlor of life. Rowan watched the healing process, his consciousness analyzing her shift in the powers of laws that suffused the head. When he was satisfied, he continued his work; time was not on his side. Dipping his hand inside his chest, he retrieved another circle of dust, infusing his will into it, he chanted, "Second Guardian Circle... Open." Another blazing white circle hovered over his palm, and with Rowan Will already infused within it, the circle zipped over to the head and hovered behind the first circle. It was larger than the first, and its radiance outshone the first, but then a synchronization took place, and the power of the first circle was lifted to match the second, and both began to blaze in equal intensity. Rowan’s eyes lit up. With the Supreme Circle transformed into the Guardian Circle, his Will of Truth had determined that there was a slight chance that a resonance would be created between these circles that would not just balance their powers but elevate them to the next higher circle in the ranking. It was like watching water flow upstream. The chance of this event triggering was minuscule, but Fate was on his side, and against the odds, this change happened. If the first circle had reversed the destruction about to be inflicted on the head, the second exceeded healing and began regenerating. Flesh and bones made from light began to emerge from the stump of Eva’s neck, and in the blink of an eye, she was whole again. Floating naked in the void with twin halos of light behind her head, her beauty transcended any woman that had ever lived. Rowan sighed and waved his hand, clothing her in light and shadows. Eva was not breathing, but the scent of life and light that was emerging from her body was so potent that the nearest dimension began to light up. An average dimension in the Great Darkness was many times the size of a lower realm universe, and hence the number of stars and heavenly bodies it contained was vastly greater than what could be found in a universe. If so many dimensions were beginning to be filled with life just from Eva’s presence, it meant that her powers were well on their way to reawakening. Yet this was not enough to become a foundational pillar of Reality; she would need to claim every dimension under creation. A wave of tiredness filled Rowan, reminding him that as much as he was running against the clock to save Reality, he would perish if he did not attend to his own affairs soon enough, and he doubted if there would be anyone strong enough except for his enemies who would be able to resurrect him. Pushing his hand inside his chest for a third time, Rowan’s struggles intensified as he pulled out a third ring of dust. His actions might seem simple on the surface, but he was placing everything on the line and using all his powers as efficiently as possible. His previous battle may have ended in great losses for him, but in return, his control over the fundamental forces of creation and destruction had deepened to a ridiculous extent. Rowan’s comprehension had always been unmatched, and the only thing he had been missing was access to information on the utilization of power in the highest levels. The battle he had with Bahamut, and then watching Primordial Chaos and Bahamut fight, patched many holes in his understanding of power, and upon stepping on the peak of the higher-dimensional levels, the refinement of his abilities had exceeded his greatest expectations. Before this battle, he would never have been able to do what he was presently doing without a great deal of time, effort, and a healthy dose of luck, but now it was almost effortless. The third ring of dust hovered above his hand, and he was about to summon its power when a voice reached him through the shadows, "Rowan, let us make a deal. Let the darkness prosper and I shall give you the Authority of Time."