Chapter 7: The terrifying crown of the demon god!

Chapter 7 The Dreaded Crown of the Demon God!

Amos was wrestling with the little one in his arms.

The little guy was surprisingly stubborn, flapping his tiny wings and clawing at Amos's clothes as he tried to charge forward, all while clutching a small red fruit in his hand.

Amos had to haul him back several times in a row, like flipping a pancake.

The little one kept Meow-ing nonstop.

Amos pinned him firmly against his chest and lifted the little one's head.

The little one's back rested against Amos's chest, his tiny wings restrained, his big, teary eyes glaring angrily as he was forced to look up at Amos.

"Zao Zao."

Amos clamped the little one's mouth shut.

The Meow-ing abruptly stopped as the little one blinked his watery amber eyes at Amos.

Amos struggled to control him.

He didn't dare use too much force, afraid he might hurt the delicate little creature.

Xiao Chuzao was used to being on his own.

Though he yearned to find his family and live happily like other angel-children, his first instinct when faced with trouble was to solve it himself.

He seemed to defy his instincts as a youngling, never once considering relying on a guardian.

Of course, Xiao Chuzao never had a guardian before.

While Meow-ing in Amos's arms, his tiny voice still insisted—'Baba, Zao Zao will beat them up! Zao Zao has little bow, Zao Zao bite them, Zao Zao's teeth are sharp!'

Amos clutched the little one tightly.

He was completely baffled.

This youngling truly perplexed him.

He couldn't understand why such a seemingly weak little creature had so much energy to bounce around, acting like some kind of force to be reckoned with.

And what was this about a little bow?

Most importantly—

If a five-year-old was going to solve the problem, what was his purpose here?

As someone others usually relied on, this feeling struck Amos as absurd.

"Found them! Over here!!"

Urgent shouts came from behind.

"Deputy Captain, it's him! He's the one who chopped off the captain's arm!"

Why were they catching up now?

The shopkeeper shuddered in fear.

He instinctively stepped aside.

The others near Drift Star 499 also glanced over in mild alarm, unsure of what had just happened here.

Even more alarming was the distant yet unmistakable roars of some monstrous creature in the sky.

Drift Star 499 wasn’t particularly safe. Despite being near Crown Clan territory, it was occasionally attacked by space pirates and aberrant beasts.

There were no organized Aberrant Beast Legions here, but stray aberrant beasts still roamed.

These creatures had thick hides, formidable bodies, and some even possessed powerful psychic abilities.

Near Drift Star 499 lived a winged, mutated chameleon aberrant beast—a hulking monster that usually laired on the small planet it occupied, occasionally attacking passing starships to prey on humans.

However, since it retained its original biological traits, the beast wasn’t very mobile.

Unless provoked, it wouldn’t come charging out in a frenzy, attacking indiscriminately until satisfied before retreating.

Amos also glanced up at the sky. He didn’t speak, only murmuring casually,

"Might as well clean this place up."

The shopkeeper nearby heard him.

He had already backed away quickly, shaking like a leaf.

Hearing those words so suddenly, he looked utterly bewildered. Staring at Amos—who exuded an imposing aura and whose power was immeasurable—and recalling the beast’s brutality, he really wanted to ask Amos, *You were just calling others insane, but who’s the real lunatic here?!*

The pursuers were equally fierce, brandishing energy rifles. Some seemed to have rushed back in haste, their clothes stained with blood and radiating hostility, causing the bystanders to scatter in panic, afraid of drawing their attention.

Leading the pack was a hulking man, shouldering an energy cannon aimed squarely at Amos—though he hadn’t fired yet.

"So you’re the punk who touched our captain? What weapon did you use? What are you carrying? Empty your pockets—now! Including that ungrateful little beast in your arms!"

Clearly, these men believed they could escape the aberrant beast’s attack and, having heard of Amos’ generosity, had set their sights on him.

*Little. Beast.*

Amos savored those words. His calm face twisted into a furious smile as he released the hand covering the child’s mouth.

Listening to the child’s indignant *meows*.

Xiao Chuzao was fuming.

The little one had met many who lied through their teeth before, but at least those people had a shred of decency. He never expected these men to be completely shameless.

Furious, he ranted to Amos—how they tried to capture him, kidnap him, even kill him!

*How outrageous!*

Xiao Chuzao wasn’t the type to complain often.

After all, he’d suffered plenty from that. Often when things weren’t his fault, speaking up only got him blamed instead.

And made more people hate him.

But Amos was beginning to vaguely understand the child’s plight. He listened encouragingly as the little one kept going on and on.

From how he had been obediently nibbling on fruit earlier, to now angrily kicking and squirming in Amos’ arms.

"Quit the act. Can that little pet of yours even understand human speech?" The man snarled. If not for his greed for the man's riches before him, he would've already blown him away with his cannon. "Just some freakish little animal—you people actually treat it like a treasure? Hand it all over now, and maybe we’ll spare your life."

Amos loosened his grip. He decided it was time to give the little one his first lesson.

"Zao Zao."

The moment he was free, the little guy flapped his tiny wings and took off, his fuzzy little body bobbing through the air. Hearing Amos’s voice, the little guy turned his head and listens as Amos says, "You're right. With punks like this, you’ve got to hit 'em hard enough to hurt."

The Amos of old wouldn't have wasted time listening to such trash talk. Had it not been for the little one, these men would've been dust the moment they aimed at him.

Amos’s eyes were ice-cold, thawing just a bit when they landed on the small creature.

He needed to let the little one get his own payback. Otherwise, given the Crown Clan’s competitive nature, he’d keep stewing over it.

But this was just a five-year-old child.

Amos thought for a moment.

"Zao Zao, just smack him good in the face to vent your anger."

Letting the little guy use other weapons might be a little too hardcore.

Not sure how far to take it, Amos decided to let the little one unleash his fury with his own strength—then he'd finish things off.

Xiao Chuzao, seeing Amos’s encouraging gaze, zoomed right over.

He had never seen cannons or guns before—they meant nothing to him. He was fearless!

And since Dad said so, he'd aim straight for the face!

Someone nearby gasped, clearly unable to bear watching the fate of this soft little white puffball.

The deputy leader of the Tiger Squad sneered. He still planned to take Xiao Chuzao to suck up to someone higher up. As for the man before him, he might have powerful friends—but they were nomadic mercenary hunters. With enough loot, they could easily leave this place. What did they have to lose?

He reached for a weapon to capture the little white puffball.

But then he met Amos’s gaze from across the way.

There was something about that look—something that gave him chills.

Then, suddenly, he realized he couldn’t move. His eyes widened slowly as he found himself frozen in place, forced to watch helplessly as the little white puffball flew forward and smacked his face hard with tiny claws.

The little one didn’t pack much punch, but another terrifying force slammed him down, sending him sprawling backward as Xiao Chuzao whaled on him with tiny claws and tail.

Cold sweat instantly broke out.

What...?

His face burned with pain. Everyone around stood stunned, and his henchmen, who had rushed in, tried to react but found themselves equally paralyzed.

What was happening?

Still fuming, Xiao Chuzao couldn’t hold back. A faint golden glow slowly appeared above his head, gradually expanding into the vague shape of an elaborate crown, flickering in and out of view.

The Tiger Squad deputy’s face went pale in disbelief as he stared at the top of the little one’s head.

Amos stood calmly behind Xiao Chuzao, making sure these guys wouldn’t hurt the little cub.

Then he looked up at the sky.

Another small starship came rushing in, appearing completely out of control.

Behind it followed a massive Star Beast. Its flapping wings created powerful wind blasts that sent people screaming and scrambling for cover.

Amos’s exceptional vision allowed him to see clearly into the cockpit—a pale-faced man with madness in his eyes, roaring—“Die!”

The gust also knocked the little cub off balance, sending him stumbling. Xiao Chuzao flapped unsteadily as he rose into the air, only to look up and see the starship plunging down like a meteor, immediately terrifying the cub.

He stood paralyzed with fear.

He had no one to call for help—he was all alone… Or was he?

Xiao Chuzao realized this only belatedly.

His tiny body trembled slightly. The little white fluffball whimpered timidly: “Meow!”

“Dad!”

“Captain, wait—they’re—”

The deputy leader shrieked in panic.

The Crown Clan didn’t usually make public appearances. Saint Cas Empire itself had barely any photos leaked to the public, let alone among these drifters.

But there was one thing they did know—when this most brutal race in the galaxy, the Crown Clan, used their psychic powers, a terrifying demonic crown would materialize above their heads!

Whoosh—!

Amos lifted his hand slightly, flicking his wrist gracefully. A blade of dark psychic energy slowly formed in his grasp, resembling a pitch-black longsword. At the same time, above his head, a swirling mass of black energy twisted like a black hole before suddenly expanding, gradually shaping itself into an elaborate and majestic crown. In an instant, an ominous glow threatened to consume the entire world.