Chapter 1: Little White Ball and Big White Ball

**Chapter 1: The Little White Fluffball and the Big White Fluffball**

"Awoo?"

The wind howled, sending sand swirling through the air. In the pitch-black sky, a tiny glow flickered across the barren land. Amidst the rumbling sounds, a small, wobbly voice could be heard.

A snow-white puffball curled up to the size of an adult's palm. Its soft fur trembled in the wind. Soon, two round, confused eyes blinked open. As it moved, the little golden halo on its head—shaped like a crown—wobbled slightly.

That glow had come from the halo.

Still dazed, the little one’s golden, honey-colored eyes sparkled with curiosity as it looked around. Then, it turned its gaze forward into the empty space ahead.

In front of it floated a small pale-blue orb, blinking gently. The white fluffball reached out with a soft paw, tilted its head again, and let out a gentle, puzzled sound:

"Meow?"

Who're you?

"Hello, Zao Zao baby," came a gentle female voice from the pale-blue orb. "You can call me... System."

"I heard your wish," she continued warmly, "so I brought you here to find your true family."

The snow-white puffball let out another "Meow."

It clung tightly to the ground, trembling slightly. Suddenly, a pair of tiny wings—like those of an angel—unfolded from its back. It stretched them lazily and tilted its head again, studying the glowing orb.

The little one didn’t understand what a "System" was.

—Family? Zao Zao’s family?

Zao Zao doesn’t have a family.

He grew up alone. No one wanted him… but he did okay by himself.

This place was unfamiliar to Xiao Chuzao. He was five years old—a little angel—but not like the angels from his old world. He had jet-black curly hair and a small crown-like halo. When hurt or scared, he would change into this form: a fuzzy white ball with a halo, kind of like a strange little creature.

Because of this, he was pushed away by other angels. He was teased and bullied until he had no choice but to live all by himself.

In his last memory, he saw other young angels celebrating a birthday. Fireworks lit up the sky while they made wishes. Zao Zao never knew his own birthday. He had no friends. Watching from afar, he felt so lonely. Why was he the only one different? Why was he the only one without a family?

So he made a wish too—he didn’t want to be alone anymore. He wanted to be a happy little angel.

And then—

His eyes shrank, and he trembled in fear as he remembered what happened next. A magical disaster struck from the sky. Rocks fell like rain, and there was no escape for someone his age. One hit him, and before he even felt pain, he blacked out.

Was the System talking about that wish?

The little one shook himself awake, blinking his big eyes. Looking down, he realized he couldn’t change back into his angel form. His fur puffed up nervously, and he pressed himself lower to the ground. Being like this always got him hurt, so he couldn't help but panic.

The golden halo above his head flickered on and off.

Lying low on the ground, he stared at the little orb.

"Meow?"

—Make his wish come true?

Can Zao Zao really become a happy little angel? The orb’s voice was kind and playful. "Of course! Zao Zao does have a family. Look up, Zao Zao—your family is right ahead. He belongs to the strongest psychic race in this galaxy, but his powers are slipping into darkness. His feelings will swallow him whole—it’ll destroy him."

Xiao Chuzao had been clinging to the ground with all four of his tiny paws from the very beginning.

The surroundings boomed with noise, and powerful gusts howled through the air, as if they could sweep the little one into the sky.

He looked up and gave a tiny "Meow."

In fact, not far from him, there was another colossal being.

But it was so massive, so close, that the little one took it for part of the landscape.

The creature towered like a skyscraper, its snow-white fur stained with dust, with a pair of wings stretching behind it—so vast they vanished into the distance.

Swirling dark energies surged around it, resembling shockwaves or spatial distortions, before erupting outward and slamming into a distant mountain peak, shearing it clean off.

It let out a guttural roar, like a legendary, majestic dragon. But above its head, a massive black halo resembling the Sword of Damocles appeared—the Psychic Crown hung in fragments, barely holding together.

Xiao Chuzao gulped.

The little furball blinked its big eyes, its slightly pink, furry ears pressed tightly against its head as it curled up, looking for all the world like a baby seal.

"Meow..."

M-my parent?

Is something not quite right here?

Look at Zao Zao's fur—huh? The fur is pretty similar.

Then look at Zao Zao's paws—huh? The paws seem the same too.

And Zao Zao's halo—

The little one stretched out a tiny paw, managing to wiggle off its small halo and holding it high to compare with the shattered black crown in the distance.

Wait a minute—that black crown, if pieced back together, would really look just like Zao Zao's halo! The little one, initially flustered by its own appearance, soon forgot its worries.

Zao Zao stood frozen.

Zao Zao pointed at the distant behemoth—"Meow?"

Will Zao Zao grow up to be that majestic too?

And the system was stunned too.

The soothing system voice even seemed tinged with disbelief.

"How can you just take off your halo??"

Is that even possible???

Xiao Chuzao popped the halo back on and blinked. "Meow."

Zao Zao is a little angel. Of course, a little angel can take off its halo.

Zao Zao worked really hard at it.

By the time Xiao Chuzao arrived, it seemed everything was winding down.

After a few more roars, the distant behemoth quieted down, the Psychic Crown above its head bobbing unsteadily, its edges flaking away like ash.

Xiao Chuzao inched forward.

The snow-white furball clung to the ground, moving bit by bit.

He carefully made his way all the way to the feet of the towering beast.

The system floated beside the little one, her emotions now composed. The small glowing orb slowly dissipated, seeping into the tiny cub’s body.

The cub blinked, confused, instinctively reaching out with his tiny claws to grab the shimmering lights—but grasping nothing.

Only the system’s final words were the last thing he heard:

“Zao Zao, prevent him from descending into ruin. In return, you will become the happiest little angel. Zao Zao can do it. You’re no ordinary angel—you’re the last cub of the Crown Clan. He is your father, the Emperor of Saint Cas Empire, the Alpha Wolf of the Crown Clan—Amos Dwight. If you ever need anything, call my name. I’ll appear when Zao Zao needs me most, and I’ll always be with you. Zao Zao isn’t alone.”

The little cub’s eyes went round. “Meow meow?”

Where… where did you go?

What’s Saint Cas Empire? The Crown Clan?

Zao Zao doesn’t get it…

The little one curled into a tight ball.

Amos Dwight’s psychic storm had just ended. He was resting with his eyes closed, his snow-white fur covered in dust and bloodstains. Drops of blood fell, making soft *pitter-patter* sounds as the wind gradually stilled.

He was trying to calm the chaotic energy within when, through the dripping, he heard a strange, soft *meow*.

It felt like a hallucinatory illusion. His eyes snapped open. Ever since his Psychic Crown shattered, his pupils had turned a frenzied crimson.

Meanwhile, the little cub chewed on the word *father*.

He had seen many little angels his age cradled in their parents’ arms, sweetly lisping, “Dada! Mama!”

Xiao Chuzao had never called out like that.

From the moment he was born, he’d been parentless—and worse, he could turn into a little snow-white monster.

No angel had ever wanted to adopt him.

Perhaps the journey here had been too surreal, or maybe it was finally seeing someone who looked like him. Still young and lacking proper upbringing, the little cub felt a flicker of hope. Mustering all his courage, he blinked his amber eyes and cautiously stretched out a tiny paw, placing it on the massive one before him.

In a tiny, trembling voice—“Meow…”

…Daddy?

Amos: !

The giant froze instantly, realizing it wasn’t a hallucination.

His massive frame allowed him to see far and suppress internal collapse during psychic surges. But with his senses dulled by chaos, he barely perceived what lay beneath him. With clumsy effort, he bent down.

Xiao Chuzao stayed curled up, his little paw resting on Amos’s. Sensing someone watching, he tilted his head back, his bright, darting eyes meeting those crimson ones. The huge gap between them made the cub instinctively shrink back slightly.

Amos blinked, disbelieving his eyes.

He couldn’t be sure if he was seeing correctly.

By his leg, there seemed to be a soft white cub—so small it didn’t even reach the size of his claw—curled into a tight little ball.

The little cub had a pair of clear amber eyes, fluffy ears flattened against its head, and small wings tucked nervously behind its back with a hint of shyness. A little dragon-like tail was clamped between its legs, while above its head, a shiny golden crown materialized with a gentle sway that matched the cub’s movements.

Chu Zao swallowed hard—those big eyes were pretty scary when they locked onto him.

The majestic creature, resembling both a fierce predator and a mighty dragon, strained to bend down and peer at him through the gap, staying quiet for what felt like ages.

The glow above little Chu Zao’s head pulsed faintly as he hesitantly called out again.

“Meow?”

Baba?

Baba?

Daddy?

Amos froze the moment he clearly saw that crown.

By the time he realized he could understand what this whimpering cub was saying, he had already stiffened completely.

—He was of the Crown Clan, a star-faring mythical race possessing angelic wings and a halo-esque Psychic Crown. Their true form bore a dragon's tail and majesty, along with a predator’s visage.

Their numbers were few, having once single-handedly built the Saint Cas Empire. But when the cosmic pollution disaster struck, they lost their ancestral habitat—deeply tied to their psychic energy—and spiraled toward extinction.

He was the last of the Crown Clan, and no young had been born among them for centuries.

So long, in fact, that Amos had nearly forgotten what a cub should look like—was this it? Why… was there a cub here?

Amos stared for a long time.

Xiao Chuzao was equally puzzled.

After a moment’s thought, he flared his tiny wings open and peeped softly, “Meow.”

Baba!

See? Look, we look the same!