The Price of a Pioneer

Lin Ye had understood one thing before him—

Weight had never been a burden.

Weight was proof.

Proof that you were still carrying them, still walking, still giving those you carried somewhere to go.

Primordial Source remained silent for a long time.

Then he dropped to one knee.

He was not kneeling to Lin Ye, but to that cloak.

Kneeling to the 3.737 billion beings being reborn beneath that cloak.

"Lord of Ashes." His voice was low and solemn. "From this day forward, Primordial Source is willing to serve as an Ashen Guardian and walk beside you."

Lin Ye looked at him in silence for three seconds.

Then he stepped forward and personally helped Primordial Source up.

"Get up."

He pointed at the areas of the cloak that were no longer blank.

"They do not need you to kneel. They need you to lead them and find their way home."

Primordial Source rose and looked toward that Star Sea.

Upon the cloak, 3.737 billion stars slowly revolved along some mysterious trajectory. Those were all the civilizations being carried, making room in their own way for their newly joined companions.

There were no more blank spaces beneath the cloak.

Primordial Source softly asked, "Where do we go next?"

Lin Ye did not answer.

He merely turned and looked deeper into this Void—farther than Primordial Fear's domain, deeper than the ruins of the Zero Era, older than every known dimension.

There was nothing there.

But precisely because there was nothing, it could become the Zero Era's true home.

"Let us carve it out."

Lin Ye took a step forward.

Behind him, 3.737 billion stars lit up at once, illuminating the road ahead.

Primordial Source followed close behind.

The two figures, one before and one behind, walked toward that absolute Void.

Toward the