Lin Jin had finally succeeded. He had utterly defeated the Primordial Fire.
Bathed in the morning sunlight, Lin Jin was exhausted in both body and mind, yet he felt a satisfaction unlike anything he had ever known.
After barely recovering some essence, he staggered to his feet again.
He had not rested nearly enough, but he could not wait any longer.
He had to claim the fruits of his victory before anything unexpected happened.
A protagonist went through countless hardships, only to have some supporting character steal the fruits of his labor because he was a moment too late. That character might even become a major threat later on.
Yet after an even harder struggle to defeat that enemy, his reward was merely what should have been his in the first place.
That sort of plot was all too common, but Lin Jin had no desire to experience it himself.
Crossing the shattered battlefield, Lin Jin approached the cauldron he had previously infused with essence.
The cauldron now felt exceptionally gentle to him. Everything that belonged to the Primordial Fire had vanished.
According to what the Primordial Fire had said before his death, he was a god born of worship.
But that worship had been far too vague, nothing more than primitive insects' longing for warmth and safety.
Without Lin Jin's arrival, the Primordial Fire might have remained in that unfinished state forever, unable to awaken his consciousness.
Perhaps fighting Lin Jin had merely been an instinct, a longing to become whole that Lin Jin himself could also feel.
"I promise you, I'll make good use of this gift. I'll never forget who I am and become an evil god who looks down on every insect."
Offering his final thanks toward the place where the Primordial Fire had fallen, Lin