Two more years passed, and Aerin was now nine years old.
On one quiet day, Adrian floated beside her beneath the vast spread of stars. They did this often. Whenever Adrian had time, he would take her out like this, drifting slowly through space while stars burned quietly around them.
Aerin's curiosity about the universe was endless, and these 'walks' had become their routine. She asked questions every time, questions about stars, distances, light, motion. Many of them were things no one had ever bothered to ask aloud before.
Sometimes she asked where new stars came from, or why some stars moved while others seemed fixed in place. Sometimes she asked so many questions that even Adrian, with everything he knew, could not answer all of them.
Adrian never minded. He found her questions refreshing, unfiltered by the assumptions that cultivators accumulated over centuries. She looked at the universe with fresh eyes, seeing patterns where others saw only chaos.
Today, she pointed toward a distant stretch of the void, her expression thoughtful rather than excited.
Her small hand extended, finger tracing invisible lines through the darkness.
"Uncle," she asked softly, "if space goes on forever… why does it feel like we're standing inside a bowl?"
Adrian stiffened.
His gaze followed the direction of her gesture, toward the invisible boundary that marked the galaxy's edge. The barrier. The Great Nothing. The wall between their world and the universe beyond.
He knew instantly what she was sensing.
That direction was the Edge, the boundary of the galaxy itself, sealed beyond perception by a barrier so vast and absolute that even ancient cultivators believed it to be a natural phenomenon. No SSS-rank being had ever truly sensed it, and yet here was a child, casually reaching out with her perception and feeling the limit of their world.
For a brief moment, Adrian felt a chill.
He turned to study her face. She wasn't frightened or confused, merely curious, as though she'd noticed an odd texture in fabric and wanted to understand its weave.
Was it because of the miniature Source Seed inside her?
It had remained inert since the day it appeared, showing no signs of awakening or influence. Adrian had monitored it carefully over the years, watching for any change, any ripple, any indication that it might interfere with her natural development.
Nothing.
And yet, as he watched Aerin grow, her terrifying comprehension and intuition reminded him too strongly of his own path. She learned space concept with frightening ease; her mana control surpassed warriors who had trained for decades. He knew better than anyone how deeply the Source could affect understanding, even without direct interference.
Whatever the reason, this was not something a normal child should have been able to sense.
Not at nine years old. Not at SSS-rank.
Adrian composed himself and smiled gently, reaching out to ruffle her hair.
"You're very perceptive," he said warmly.
Aerin looked up at him, waiting.
Adrian gestured toward the stars around them, "Imagine you're inside a giant glass bubble."
Aerin tilted her head, listening closely.
"From the inside, it looks endless," Adrian continued, sweeping his hand across the expanse, "You see stars in every direction. Everything moving, everything alive."
"But when you walk far enough… You will start to feel the wall."
Aerin's brow furrowed slightly, processing.
Adrian turned his gaze toward the Edge again, "Long ago, someone very strong placed a shell around this place."
"A shell?" Aerin repeated, her voice small in the vastness.
"A barrier," Adrian clarified, "One so powerful that even I cannot break it."
Aerin's eyes widened, genuine shock crossing her features.
"…Stronger than you, Uncle?" she asked in disbelief, "But you can move stars. You can tell Space what to do! How can someone be stronger than that?"
Her tone carried absolute conviction in his power, the kind of unshakeable faith only children possessed.
Adrian chuckled softly, "There are always stronger people, Aerin."
He let the words settle, then added, "Do you remember the sand garden Selena made?"
Aerin nodded immediately, her expression brightening at the memory, "The one with all the tiny mountains and rivers!"
"That's right," Adrian said, "You thought it was the biggest thing ever, didn't you?"
"Mm!" Aerin agreed enthusiastically.
"But then we stepped back," Adrian said, his tone gentle, "and it fit inside one room."
Understanding flickered across Aerin's face.
Adrian gestured toward the stars around them, "The universe is like that. No matter how big you become, there is always something bigger."
He paused, watching her absorb the concept.
"What we know, what we see, what we think is everything… It's only a tiny grain of dust floating inside something much, much larger."
Aerin stared at him, then turned back toward the distant Edge. For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, quietly, "Does that make you sad, Uncle?"
Adrian blinked, caught off guard by the question.
"Knowing you're small?" she clarified, "Even after you got so strong?"
Adrian considered the question seriously, giving it the weight it deserved.
"No," he said finally, "It makes me curious."
Aerin looked up at him, her head tilting slightly.
Adrian met her gaze directly, "Because if there's always something bigger," he continued, a faint smile touching his lips, "that means there's always something new to discover. Always another step to take."
He paused, then added more softly, "That's not sad. That's exciting."
Aerin's face brightened immediately, the earlier thoughtfulness melting away. Her eyes widened with renewed wonder, and she bounced slightly in the void, her spatial manipulation keeping her suspended.
"Then…" she said, excitement creeping into her tone, "…can we go on an excursion outside the bubble, Uncle?"
Adrian froze.
The smile died on his lips. A familiar sense of dread crept up his spine, the same feeling he got whenever Aerin asked for something with that particular inflection. He knew that look far too well, the wide eyes, the barely contained enthusiasm, the absolute certainty that he would say yes.
Whenever Aerin asked for an excursion, no one ever won the argument. Not Aurelia, not Sentinel, certainly not him.
And he realized with mild horror that he had just unknowingly invited this question himself.
He looked back at the stars, memories surfacing unbidden. The Guardian Spirit's words. The Void Emperor's test. The knowledge that beings existed who could destroy galaxies as collateral damage.
After a moment, he replied carefully, "Not right away." He kept his tone gentle, "Big places need preparation. But… yes. Someday soon."
To Aerin, it sounded like a promise.
Her face lit up, radiant and uncontained, "Really? You promise, Uncle?"
"I promise," Adrian confirmed, knowing the words were binding the moment they left his mouth.
To him, though, it was more than just appeasing a child's curiosity.
He had not agreed simply because she asked, though that alone might have been enough. The thought of stepping beyond the Milky Way had lingered in his mind for years now, buried beneath the responsibilities of empire and the comfortable rhythm of peace.
Curiosity was one reason, the simple, natural desire of a sentient being to understand more about existence. No matter how strong he had become, no matter how many concepts he mastered or enemies he erased, that curiosity had never faded. If anything, it had grown sharper.
Another reason weighed more heavily. He knew there were beings far stronger than him. The Guardian Spirit had said it plainly: if two high-level cultivators ever chose to fight near their galaxy, the aftermath alone could wipe everything away. It might happen in thousands of years, or millions, or perhaps never at all, but the possibility existed.
And he would be powerless to stop it.
When he had been weak, struggling through the Vanguard Program or fighting at Sea Wall Fortress, he had not needed to worry about such things. His world had been small. Now, when he had become stronger, he learned how vast his ignorance truly was.
And beyond all these considerations, there was the Void Emperor's test, the offer to conquer Andromeda, to establish the Origin Empire as a major power worthy of joining the Void Sect. But that only mattered if Adrian ever chose to join. And even that could not be considered unless Adrian first understood the universe itself, something he currently knew almost nothing about.
All these thoughts had been buried quietly in the back of his mind, dormant but never forgotten.
Aerin's question had simply pushed them forward.
He shook his head faintly and thought to himself, It's just an excursion. Maybe someday later…
It had been around fifteen years since he killed the Demon Emperor. Since then, life had been peaceful, almost leisurely. Perhaps this change of course was overdue.
"When can we go?" Aerin pressed, already planning, already imagining.
Adrian reached out and ruffled her hair, his larger hand nearly covering her entire head, "When you stop stealing Aurelia's cooking before guests arrive."
Aerin's expression turned immediately indignant, "That was one time!"
"Seven times," Adrian corrected mildly.
"…Okay, maybe seven times," Aerin admitted, her cheeks puffing slightly, "But the sweets were right there, Uncle! What was I supposed to do, not eat them?"
Adrian couldn't suppress a quiet laugh, "Yes, Aerin. That's exactly what you were supposed to do."
She crossed her arms with exaggerated offense, though the effect was somewhat diminished by her continued floating, "You're being unreasonable."
"Your mother would agree with me."
"Mother is also being unreasonable lately," Aerin declared with the absolute certainty of youth.
Adrian smiled despite himself, then gestured toward the Origin Capital in the distance, "Come on. We should head back before your mother starts wondering where you disappeared to this time."
Aerin brightened again, her earlier indignation forgotten, "Race you back!"
She blinked through space before he could respond, her small form vanishing in a ripple of spatial essence.
Adrian followed at a more measured pace, his thoughts already turning toward what an excursion beyond the galaxy would truly require.
...
The next day, news of Adrian's promise spread among the core members.
Aerin, unsurprisingly, could not keep her mouth shut.
She rambled excitedly about the promised excursion to anyone who would listen, her words tumbling over themselves in her enthusiasm. She told Elara during breakfast. She told Selena while watching inscription work. She told Kael when she found him in the training grounds. She even told Varik when he came to deliver reports to Adrian, cornering the administrator with breathless descriptions of stars beyond the barrier.
And she emphasized one detail above all others, repeating it like a mantra.
Outside the galaxy.
By the time Adrian realized what had happened, every core member already knew.
And now, everyone wanted to come.
The first indication came when Max appeared in Adrian's study unannounced, leaning against the doorframe, "Heard you're planning a trip."
Adrian looked up from the reports he'd been reviewing, "It's just an excursion."
"Outside the galaxy," Max said, his tone deceptively casual.
"…Yes."
"Count me in."
Adrian blinked. Max, whose primary occupation had recently become sleeping in increasingly creative locations, suddenly expressed deep interest in traveling beyond the galaxy. Adrian was genuinely shocked, "You want to come?"
"Obviously." Max straightened, his expression serious for once, "You think I'm going to let you go wandering into the universe without backup?"
"I wasn't planning to take—"
"Too late," Max interrupted smoothly, "Already decided."
Before Adrian could respond, Draven appeared behind Max, "If Max is going, I'm going."
"Me too," Orin added, materializing from a spatial tear, "Sounds fun."
Adrian stared at them, realization dawning with creeping inevitability, "Aerin told you?"
"Aerin told everyone," Orin confirmed, "She's been talking about it non-stop. Pretty sure half the Capital knows by now."
Adrian closed his eyes briefly, already seeing where this was heading.
Over the next few hours, the situation spiraled further.
Elara arrived with Thomas, both stating calmly that if Adrian was leaving the galaxy, they were coming. Selena appeared shortly after with similar intent, followed by Kael, who argued that someone needed to maintain tactical oversight. Aurelia and Sentinel came together, Aurelia pointing out that since Aerin would obviously be coming, she and Sentinel would need to accompany her.
Even the other Celestials began expressing interest, all citing various reasons but ultimately arriving at the same conclusion.
They wanted to see what lay beyond.
By evening, the scale had spiraled completely out of control.
Even Empress Lysandra contacted him personally through the Origin Net, her projection appearing in his study with her usual composed expression. "Origin Emperor," she greeted smoothly.
"Lysandra," Adrian replied, already bracing himself.
"I understand you're planning an excursion beyond the galaxy."
"Aerin has a big mouth."
Lysandra's lips curved slightly, "Indeed. However, I must say the timing is fortuitous. If this is merely an excursion, exploratory in nature, then I can certainly arrange time to join."
"You want to come too?" Adrian asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Knowledge of the universe beyond our barrier is invaluable," Lysandra said reasonably, "The Lexarian Empire would benefit greatly from such understanding. And personally…" Her expression softened slightly, "I am curious."
Adrian rubbed his temple, feeling the beginnings of a headache that had nothing to do with mana depletion, "This was supposed to be a small journey."
"Was it?" Lysandra asked, her tone knowing, "Or was it always going to become something larger the moment you promised Aerin?"
Adrian couldn't argue with that.
Over the next day, the requests continued. Alice contacted him, then Drazmir, then Zerathul. Even Kaelith sent a message expressing interest, though she at least had the courtesy to phrase it as a question rather than a statement.
What Adrian had envisioned as a small journey was quickly transforming into something far larger.
By the third day, Adrian sat in the Origin Construct's central hall, staring at a projection displaying the growing list of people who wanted to join the excursion.
And as he stared at the growing list, feeling the weight of what this journey was becoming, Adrian realized with a faint, helpless smile that this "excursion" was becoming a family and friends outing on a galactic scale.
And somewhere in the back of his mind, beneath the mild exasperation and creeping sense of inevitability, Adrian felt something else stirring.
Anticipation.
The universe awaited, vast and unknown.
And he would face it not alone, but surrounded by everyone who had walked beside him from the beginning.
Perhaps that was how it should be.