Astraea had been the first to cross the threshold.
Her breakthrough had happened months earlier inside the Monster Small World.
Lucien still remembered arriving there shortly afterward and barely having enough time to understand what had changed before Astraea appeared in front of him in her human form.
She had been smiling so brightly that Lucien immediately knew something had happened.
Then she wrapped her arms around him and lifted him cleanly off the ground.
Lucien froze.
For someone who had faced Primordials, ancient monsters, and far stranger things without much hesitation, being picked up like an overgrown child somehow managed to embarrass him more than most of them.
Astraea did not seem to care.
Her joy was too obvious.
The pressure surrounding her had changed completely. What had once been overwhelming even among ancient beasts had crossed another boundary, becoming heavier and more complete in a way Lucien immediately recognized.
Extinction Grade.
