Chapter 11: Wait, why can you take off your halo?!

Chapter 11 Wait, Why Can Your Halo Be Taken Off?!

After an awkward silence, Amos quickly caught the little white fluffball that was about to go flying.

"Meow meow meow!"

Who said I can't understand human speech?!

The tiny puff, about the size of two hands, puffed up in anger, its little halo trembling atop its head. Its shiny amber eyes blinked rapidly in frustration.

Its tiny wings fluttered behind it.

Looking 'fierce and menacing' but not the least bit scary.

The person realized their mistake and waved their hands frantically at the bristling fluffball. "No, no, I misspoke! That's not what I meant!"

Xiao Chuzao was tucked into Amos's arms.

He seemed easy to appease.

He immediately decided to forgive them.

After his outburst, he naturally snuggled deeper into Amos's embrace.

His big, round eyes scanned the circle of strangers around him.

Though Amos had tried to explain things to the little one on the starship,

suddenly being introduced to an entirely new worldview was hard for Xiao Chuzao to process.

In his original world, he had never received proper education.

Amos hesitated for a moment before noticing the little one's tiny paws gripping him tightly, as if frightened.

He was still so young. From the moment they met on the abandoned planet of the Crown Clan's habitat, he had always moved on all fours.

The little one was simply used to surviving alone, too familiar with how to survive.

If you didn't act tough outwardly, others would test your limits step by step.

Zao Zao had learned this the hard way. No matter how small or weak he was, he wouldn't let such things happen again.

But the little one hid it well. The soft little puff looked pretty and cute, and the Crown Clan members, still puzzled by the sudden appearance of a youngling, hadn't noticed yet.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed outside as medics rushed in.

"Your Majesty! The equipment is ready."

Amos then carried the little one, followed by a group of 'tails,' toward the specially prepared medical room for the youngling.

This special medical pod was different from the small one on Amos's starship.

Inside were soft cushions, surrounded by various instruments beeping softly.

The little white puff was placed inside.

They didn't need to run tests—the moment the little one was placed in, the machine detected the Crown Clan youngling's mental energy and immediately lit up.

Xiao Chuzao instinctively raised his tiny body, gripping the edge of the medical pod. The small halo on his head flickered as a red light quickly passed over it.

"Awooo?"

Hm?

The little cub flicked its little tail and rolled over to look at the machines.

"Awooo?"

What's happening, Papa?

"We're checking your health. Didn't I mention it before?"

Amos stood by the medical pod, looking down at the little one with his hands resting on its edge. He appeared relaxed and casual, but in reality, he had drawn the cub into his sphere of protection, enveloping it within his shadow.

Frey, still holding the red fruit Xiao Chuzao had given him, snapped back to attention and couldn’t help glancing over.

As the Alpha Emperor of this generation’s Crown Clan, Amos was the most dominant in both mental power and temperament.

He had understood the Crown Clan’s path to destruction too early and shouldered the burden of planning for the entire Saint Cas Empire long before his time.

He was the most unshakable presence within the Crown Clan—the very foundation of the Saint Cas Empire.

Amos may appear milder compared to Frey, but Frey knew better. When it came to mercilessness and severity, there was only one correct answer within the Crown Clan: the Emperor of Saint Cas—Amos Dwight.

It was rare to see Amos like this, as if slightly softened.

No, no—or rather, the fact that he allowed this small white bundle to call him "Papa" was downright startling.

They were all members of the Crown Clan who had never seen a cub before. Even if they were to care for one, none of them imagined showing so much tenderness—especially since Chu Zao’s origins were still shrouded in mystery.

If even they felt this way, Amos should have been even more detached...

"Awoooo—!"

Meanwhile, inside the medical pod, the examination seemed to discomfort the little cub. His tiny, milky voice dragged out a soft whine, muffled through the medical pod's barrier.

His little paws pressed against the transparent shield, revealing his pink toe beans.

Papa, how much longer?

"Uh... Just a moment, Your Majesty. Besides the basic check-up, there’s also a mental lineage assessment and growth recommendations for the cub..."

The medical center staff were unfamiliar with the procedure as well, stealing nervous glances at the cub while answering Amos’ questions.

They weren’t quite sure how to address the little one.

Should they call him "Little Highness"?

But they’d heard what the other Princes had said—this cub’s origins were still unknown, unclear. In the end, they didn’t know what to call him.

But regardless of what the Crown Clan thought—their hands shook with barely contained excitement.

Their lifespans were different from the Crown Clan’s. If the Crown Clan had never reared a cub in this generation, then the overwhelming majority of citizens in the Saint Cas Empire had never even seen what a Crown Clan Little Highness looked like.

Not to mention maintaining the instruments left behind by previous Crown Clan members to conduct a check-up for the Little Highness.

This was truly—they were at a loss for words.

Or rather, no amount of words could fully capture the intensity of their devotion toward Xiao Chuzao.

The entire Saint Cas Empire held a fanatical devotion and burning passion for the Crown Clan.

Frey glanced at the little cub, then couldn't help but look again. Finally, he took a bite of the unappetizing fruit in his hand.

Yikes—the fruit was tart as hell.

The cub was sweet... ahem, this little guy was seriously cute.

After the simplest preliminary scan, the previously calm instruments suddenly bled with intense alarms.

Similar to the alarms Amos had heard on the starship.

The Crown Clan members went statue-still.

Then—wind began to stir in the small medical room.

No, it wasn't wind, but their psychic energy being stirred into motion.

Their faces, whether indifferent or aloof, took on an inexplicable expression as glowing motes began to gather above their heads.

This psychic tempest barely affected the Crown Clan present, but the staff flinched instinctively, closing their eyes to shield themselves. When the turbulence subsided and they looked up again, they were horrified to see—

Led by Amos, every Crown Clan member in the room had manifested the halo above their heads: the Diadem of the Demon Gods. Inky black, its edges fracturing like broken glass.

The nightmare of countless irreverent beings.

The crushing psychic weight made breathing feel impossible.

For the Crown Clan, this forced summoning of their psychic energy felt like sheer agony.

It was the lingering psychic imprint of a past Crown Clan member. Upon scanning the cub's dire physical condition, it screamed in rage to all Crown Clan across the cosmos—There is a cub here!

Their own cub!!

He is not well!! Where are his parents?!

This was the child they had pined for every waking moment!!!

Why hadn't such a baby been properly cared for by his parents?

Someone hug him now!

Xiao Chuzao was also startled, but what he felt was an inexplicable psychic comfort. The little one's halo flared briefly.

"Mrreow?"

What's happening? What's wrong?

Why is Zao Zao's halo glitching out?

Xiao Chuzao craned his neck to look but couldn't see clearly. He debated whether he should tug his little halo down for a closer inspection.

Meanwhile, in a special chamber within the peripheral palace of the royal court...

A man curled in the corner, his jet-black hair gone completely white, slowly lifted his head. His eyes blazed with feral red, and above him shimmered the Crown Clan's unique halo—though this diadem was nearly shattered, its dim glow casting shadows across his chiseled good looks.

"...A cub?"

How could that be?

Hah...

How could this be?

They had already lost their habitat and had no more offspring—those soft, little bundles of fur, like their final dream.

They were inevitably marching toward the end, heading toward their predetermined fate of destruction.

It was as if he heard echoes of fate from the depths of the universe—the Crown Clan must accept their destiny.

The next moment, he seemed to lose all reason, as if the violently suppressed fury of his psychic energy had suddenly erupted, sending debris flying in all directions and completely shattering the control instruments.

The rumbling and shaking left the guards outside momentarily breathless.

"Not good! Prince Mei Lun's psychic energy is raging again! Hurry and report to His Majesty!"

Meanwhile, with the little one.

The data report was being generated, and the psychic bloodline identification was being checked one by one. The transparent door of the medical pod opened.

The little dragon had been sitting neatly on the soft cushion, its tiny golden halo above its head beautiful and delicate, its small wings folded, and its little tail comfortably curled around itself.

He looked at Amos, whose crown-like halo above his head was slowly dissipating. Xiao Chuzao wanted to say something.

Zaozao didn't understand—what exactly had happened?

Why did everything suddenly light up and then dim again? And why was there wind just now—was that magic? Also, there’s white stuff floating outside; Zaozao wants to take a closer look.

But before he could voice any of these thoughts,

The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.

The door of the medical pod was suddenly flung open.

A wild-looking man in a black military uniform rushed in, his hair disheveled as he strode forward.

"Brother, you came back early? What's going on? What young one?"

This was the youngest Highness of the Crown Clan before Xiao Chuzao, also Amos's youngest brother, Fifth Prince Anya.

"What just happened? The habitat has already been destroyed—how could the Crown Clan possibly produce another young one? This better not be some trick! My latest intelligence suggests some labs have been experimenting with our Crown Clan's genes. Have the kinship tests been completed? Whoever leaked their genetic information, I hope this isn’t some kind of—"

Anya was practically vibrating with agitation. He slammed his hands on the edge of the medical pod, only for Amos to frown and grab his collar.

But it was too late. Before Anya could finish speaking, he locked eyes with those clear amber orbs.

Anya stared blankly at the adorable little one, slowly finishing his sentence: "...time bomb?"

The little one had been sitting neatly on the cushion but was startled by the sudden intrusion. His wings flared open, and he grabbed his tiny halo with both paws, whacking Anya’s hand with it.

With a baby dragon’s roar: "Take that!"

Got you!

"Can't you be less impulsive?"

"Anya—"

He had rushed in too quickly. The Crown Clan members, whose psychic energy had just been stirred, were a split second too slow to react, allowing him to reach the little one instantly. The others' attempts to stop him were still mid-motion, their words left unfinished.

They witnessed Xiao Chuzao's crazy stunt of taking off his halo to hit someone.

Amos: ...

Everyone else: ...

AAAAAHHH!!!

Oh my God, what is this little guy doing?!

He—he's hitting someone with his "brain"!!

Wait, how the hell can you remove your halo?!

Help, my head is hurting just watching this ahhhh!!!

[Author's Note]

Free guess: Who is the 'weakling'!