Three Hundred Seventy Billion Thank-Yous

Lin Ye watched it quietly without saying a word.

[You're not afraid of me?]

Lin Ye smiled.

"What is there to fear?"

[That I'll make it so you never existed.]

Lin Ye pointed behind him—though nothing could be seen there anymore, he knew that 370 million stars were shining in that direction.

"They remember me. As long as they remain, I existed."

Primordial Fear's writhing suddenly froze.

[Them? Those insignificant beings? What can they do?]

Lin Ye's smile deepened.

"Want to find out?"

He raised a hand and pointed at that mass of writhing nothingness.

"Try it. With 370 million pairs of eyes watching you at once, see if you can make it so I 'never existed.'"

Primordial Fear fell silent.

That silence lasted a very, very long time.

Then—

It laughed.

That laughter made the surrounding void tremble.

[Interesting... truly interesting... For endless epochs, this is the first time anyone has dared speak to me like this...]

[Do you know who spoke to me like that last time?]

It pointed at Primordial Source.

[Him. The Lord of Ashes of 37 billion epochs, the first and last person who dared challenge me.]

[Do you know what he is like now?]

[His cloak empty, his burden gone, he can only carry those proofs of 'having never existed' and wander through the darkness for endless epochs.]

It turned toward Lin Ye, a trace of mockery surfacing within its twisted form.

[You will be the same. No, you will suffer even worse—at least he still has those proofs. You will not even have proof, because those behind you will vanish along with you.]

Lin Ye was silent for three seconds.

Then he took a step forward.

Just one step.

But the moment that step fell, Primordial Fear's laughter stopped abruptly.

Because behind Lin