After chatting for a while, Rowan saw that everyone had gradually accepted the truth about parallel worlds. Taking a quiet breath, he decided it was time to say what had been weighing on him.
That was the reason he had laid so much groundwork earlier.
"Natasha, Wanda, Sharon," Rowan said slowly, "there's something I need to tell you. In the other world, I also have women I love. We've decided to get married. I hope that you can be my brides as well, and that we can hold weddings in both worlds."
The room fell silent.
Natasha, Wanda, and Sharon froze for a moment, their expressions complicated.
Natasha bit her lip. "Rowan, you…"
Wanda's eyes flickered with a trace of sadness, but it quickly settled into calm resolve. "I'm willing," she said softly.
Sharon lowered her head and said nothing.
Seeing their reactions, guilt washed over Rowan. He stepped forward and took their hands.
"I know this is sudden, and it isn't fair to you," he said earnestly. "But I love you. In that other world, I've already accepted their feelings. What I feel for you is just as real."
The three women exchanged glances. Hesitation and inner struggle were written clearly in their eyes.
After a long moment, Natasha sighed.
"Rowan, we love you. Since you've made your decision, we'll accept it. But you have to promise us one thing. You can't disappear like this again. We want to stay together, always."
Wanda and Sharon nodded in agreement.
Warmth surged through Rowan's chest. He pulled all three of them into his arms.
"I promise," he said quietly. "I'll never make you worry again."
With that weight lifted, his heart finally felt lighter.
Rowan continued touring the lunar base with everyone. Along the way, he gained a deeper understanding of just how much effort Tony and the staff had invested into cultivating the Muya Crystals.
Advanced technology, relentless experimentation, and the harsh lunar environment had all been overcome through sheer dedication.
When the tour was nearly finished, Rowan asked about the current stock of Muya Crystals.
JARVIS, who oversaw collection and logistics, responded immediately.
"At present, the base holds a total of one hundred ninety-eight thousand Muya Crystals. Last year, Chief Engineer Shuri removed an additional three hundred thousand. Combined, the total reaches four hundred ninety-eight thousand."
Rowan nearly laughed.
In just a few years of seclusion, he had quietly accumulated nearly half a million Muya Crystals.
If all of them were used on Earth, they could theoretically create half a million Planetary-level warriors.
Of course, that was unrealistic.
Only Apprentices at the eighth or ninth stage could safely advance to Planetary level using Muya Crystals.
As his thoughts drifted, Rowan's consciousness returned to Earth.
Earth
Hall of the War Gods
Rowan's true body arrived at the War God Hall and summoned Beast directly.
Beast was one of Hong's personal disciples, a close-combat specialist who had reached the peak of Planetary Ninth Rank. He was only a step away from Stellar level.
Thanks to the massive resources Hong had provided, especially after everyone received dozens of Chaos Units from the World Within a World, his disciples had advanced rapidly.
Even Glacier now stood at the same peak.
Their only shortcoming was talent. None of them had comprehended a Domain like Hong had.
"Greetings, Lord Rowan," Beast said respectfully, dropping to one knee.
"No need for formalities," Rowan replied. "How many War Gods are there on Earth now?"
Beast answered without hesitation.
"According to the War God Hall's records, there are currently sixteen thousand seven hundred eighty-five War Gods. Of those, nine thousand seven hundred fifty-six are at the initial stage. The rest are advanced War Gods or peak-level elites."
Over sixteen thousand.
Even Rowan was surprised.
In just four years, Earth had produced this many War Gods.
After a brief reflection, the reason became clear.
The Violet Light Path.
It enhanced comprehension, sharpened perception, and strengthened Planetary-level warriors. With its support, a surge in breakthroughs was inevitable.
"That explains it," Rowan murmured.
"Three days from now, convene a War God Assembly," Rowan said decisively. "I have something important to announce."
An idea had already taken shape in his mind.
From Apprentice to Planetary level, advancement was largely about accumulation. Before Immortal level, external enhancement carried no inherent risk.
With the right methods, humanity's growth could be accelerated safely.
After issuing his orders, Rowan left the War God Hall.
Once the lunar matters were settled, Rowan collected every last Muya Crystal and returned to Earth with Natasha, Wanda, and Sharon.
The seaside villa greeted them with the familiar scent of salt and wind. The atmosphere was peaceful and warm.
They had barely stepped inside when the roar of engines shattered the calm.
"Shuri really doesn't waste time," Rowan said with a faint smile.
Natasha and Wanda walked out to look.
Natasha had changed into a sleek black outfit, her red hair shining in the sunlight. She crossed her arms and smirked. "I knew it. The moment you came back, she wouldn't be able to sit still."
Wanda smiled gently. "I'll go prepare some food."
She turned and headed inside.
Moments later, a compact aircraft descended smoothly in front of the villa.
The hatch opened, and Shuri burst out like a whirlwind. She wore a wrinkled lab coat, her hair loosely tied back, sweat clinging to her cheeks. In her hands was a sealed transparent container.
"Boss! You're finally back!" she exclaimed, eyes bright with excitement.
"What has you this worked up?" Rowan asked with a chuckle.
"You'll see," Shuri said eagerly. "Open this. I promise it'll surprise you."
She removed the container and handed it to him.
Inside was a vine glowing faintly purple, its veins pulsing with mysterious energy.
"This is the Blood Vine sample you gave me," Shuri said, her voice trembling with excitement. "I succeeded."
Natasha and Wanda crowded closer.
"Wow," Wanda said. "It looks incredible."
Natasha studied it closely. "That energy feels intense. How did you manage this?"
Shuri lifted her chin proudly. "Months in the lab. Endless experiments. I finally stabilized the core energy structure."
Rowan activated his internal energy and absorbed a trace.
The sensation was identical to the Blood Vine he had encountered in the Devouring World.
His eyes lit up.
Shuri was a true genius. Armor, Muya Crystals, Blood Vine. Her potential was terrifying.
He couldn't help but wonder if she could eventually replicate even rarer substances.
"By the way," Rowan asked, "how is the research on the bloodline evolution serum?"
Shuri's smile faded.
She sighed. "It's far harder than I expected. This goes beyond Earth's current biological theory. I've only solved about fifty percent. Any imperfect replication causes severe side effects."
She pulled up data on her tablet.
"The test subjects showed dramatic physical enhancement at first. Strength, speed, reflexes. But soon after, their bodies destabilized. Organ failure. Death."
Rowan frowned.
Gene-level modification was dangerous territory.
"What do you need to speed things up?" he asked.
"A complete and advanced gene structure theory," Shuri replied firmly. "Earth's research isn't enough. I need deeper, broader genetic frameworks."
Rowan's eyes gleamed.
In the Devouring World, such knowledge was everywhere.
"I'll handle it," he said confidently.
Shuri's eyes sparkled. "Really?"
"Absolutely."
If bloodline evolution could be perfected, the implications were enormous.
Rowan immediately contacted Babata.
"Babata, help me purchase a complete biological gene programming system. The more comprehensive, the better. Include simulations and research papers."
Babata stared at him suspiciously, floating closer to examine his face.
"You're serious?"
"Just do it," Rowan replied flatly.
Grumbling, Babata entered the Virtual Universe network and began compiling data.
The information wasn't particularly expensive. Humanity shared most beneficial research openly.
The volume, however, was staggering.
Rowan also instructed Babata to convert all the material into Earth languages.
Two days later, Babata finished transferring everything onto a storage drive.
Holding the drive like a treasure, Rowan smiled.
With a thought, he transferred it to his Earth clone.
The next phase had begun.