Chapter 35: Great, it’s an alarm clock; bad, it’s a death knell!

Chapter 35: Great, It’s an Alarm! Wait—It’s the End!

Kaman desperately wanted to say something.

His understanding was still stuck on how vital psychic energy was to the Crown Clan.

He had a thousand things to say, but the Crowns around him remained deadpan—making him the panicking fool.

Kaman was speechless.

Wait—what?

Could you at least act a little surprised?

My psychic energy?

He bit it off!!

He. Bit. It. **Off.**

"Alright, alright, we get it. Zao Zao chomped your psychic energy too."

Mei Lun stopped the washer Kaman had brought to distract the little one and finally messaged Mori to handle Kaman’s mountain of laundry.

He swatted Kaman’s hand away.

"Relax, will you?"

Kaman: "..."

What the—??

"Wait, hold on—"

Kaman stared at the stone-faced Crowns.

"Did you all secretly evolve without telling me???"

But when they heard that ***crunch*** earlier, they all flinched back!

"Zao Zao’s just like that."

With a flick of his hand, the psychic blade appeared in Mei Lun’s grip.

"Look—"

Mei Lun hadn’t bothered repairing the blade—those bite marks were painfully cute, even if they gave him the creeps.

Kaman: "..."

Amos paused, then turned his palm up.

He showed Kaman his sword hilt, thoroughly chewed up.

And then—

"Uncle Kaman, wanna see the rest?"

Amos instinctively looked up.

That seemed to be where the crown's halo should be.

Kaman realized the slightly horrifying truth in that instant—is he going to chew on the halo too?

Kaman frantically waved his hands, signaling that he didn’t want to see it, thinking that was too disturbing.

Suddenly, the fact that his Psychic Weapon had a chunk bitten out of it didn’t seem as shocking anymore… probably.

Kaman looked at the toddler, who was clutching Amos' pant leg in his fluffy pajamas, peering curiously at the washing machine not far away.

He took another deep breath.

No problem—he just needed to put his Psychic Weapon away—

Come to think of it, why had he even used his Psychic Weapon for support?

Kaman crouched down in front of the child.

"Grandpa's got lots of fun stuff."

Kaman tried to change the subject.

Though Kaman was still as lazy and indifferent as before, perhaps because he hadn’t returned to the Saint Cas Empire for too long, he seemed unfamiliar with the place, putting on familiarity while seeming slightly anxious.

Eager to impress, he took out a small mechanical doll—palm-sized and could dance around in one’s hand.

Xiao Chuzao watched the little doll curiously, only extending his hands when Kaman offered it.

He couldn’t quite hold it with one hand—it would fall.

Thinking for a second, the toddler placed the ghost bear he was holding at his feet, letting it lean against him, then cradled the doll in both hands, studying it with wide eyes.

The doll kept singing—such an exquisitely crafted, valuable toy seemed to have a soulful creator.

The doll’s song was strangely addictive, repeating endlessly: "Dance, dance, dance—"

The child watched it intently.

Then, tilting his head back, he raised the doll high.

In a tiny, sugary voice, he echoed, "Dance!"

Repeating it loudly, the little boy—who'd been too feverish to think straight these past few days—now had eyes shining like liquid honey. His feverish cheeks resembled snow-white mochi, tinged pink with fever. The cooling patch stuck to his forehead was like the seal on packaging, ready to be peeled open to reveal a beloved gift.

Amos: "…"

An Ya: "…"

Frey: "…"

Cute but strangely hypnotic—hard to say whether it was good or bad.

But it seemed the toddler liked it.

Kaman, seemingly encouraged and brimming with confidence, dumped out all his treasures with a clatter.

Various mechanical firearms and antique instruments from ancient civilizations.

In an instant, they piled up like a small hill.

"Look, Zao Zao, Grandpa has so many things here. Come see Grandpa more often, and I’ll show you each one, okay?"

Kaman smirked and shot a sideways glance at Mei Lun.

See?

To win over a little one’s heart, you’ve got to do it like this.

We’re all Crown Clan—we’ve all handled kids before. Who’s to say who’s better?

Besides, I’m Zao Zao’s favorite grandpa—

Mei Lun: …

But Xiao Chuzao’s attention wasn’t on these new things.

These were all collected by the Peng family, a noble family Kaman knew well.

There were so many items, like they’d gone all out to fulfill Kaman’s request.

So when Kaman suddenly pulled them all out of his space pouch, they crashed noisily to the ground, making the little one jump as he instinctively took a step back.

Just that one step, however, sent the spirit bear leaning against him tumbling under the pile.

"Ah—Bear-Bear—!"

Xiao Chuzao reacted, staring at the trapped spirit bear.

He first set the small toy aside, then grabbed the bear’s head, still sticking out, and tugged with all his might, like yanking a stubborn weed.

The items were clearly heavy, and after two futile attempts, the little one turned to Amos for help.

"Daddy… daddy… Zao Zao’s Bear-Bear."

Amos moved swiftly, crouching down to move some of the stuff out of the way.

Kaman finally caught on.

He hurriedly stashed everything away.

But the spirit bear was originally Amos’s rough handmade toy, its ears and body held together with ribbons.

Now, after being crushed, the ribbons finally gave way.

The already somewhat misshapen spirit bear now looked even less toy-like.

It gradually reverted to just fabric again.

Zao Zao’s… Bear-Bear…

Xiao Chuzao stared at the spirit bear.

It was gone.

"I—" Kaman, realizing he’d messed up, quickly stepped closer. "I’m sorry, I didn’t notice right away. Let me help Zao Zao fix it, okay?"

Amos had already reached out to steady the ghost bear's fragile form.

He sent someone to fetch new ribbons and thread with needles.

Kaman was genuinely anxious, but it was also unlucky timing.

The ghost bear was already coming undone. Several people had been thinking about how to swap it out of the little one's hands, intending to repair and reinforce it afterward.

But no one expected Kaman’s mishap to be the final blow that broke the bear.

"Can it be fixed?"

Xiao Chuzao asked, his voice barely above a whisper, hopeless.

"Yes!"

Several parents from the Crown Clan immediately responded loudly.

This seemed to give the little one a bit of confidence.

They quickly moved to a new spot.

A group of Crown Clan members, who usually handled all manner of affairs in the Saint Cas Empire, now gathered holding needles, thread, and ribbons, measuring Amos’s old clothes for scraps.

As they worked, they kept glancing back at the little one.

Xiao Chuzao sat behind them, staring at the bear-shaped tatters. He didn’t cry.

He seemed lost somewhere far away.

The active Psychic Crown flickered again.

The Crown Clan parents paused.

The images transmitted by the psychic energy were painfully familiar to them.

A familiar place—where forest met meadow—seemed to be where the little one had once lived.

A younger, tinier version of the child was arranging a small pile of grass beneath a tree.

On top of the grass lay a little toy, hastily stitched with white fabric and shaped vaguely like a human figure.

"They all say... it’s weird for Zaozao to turn into a pale puff. You’re a pale puff too... will you be friends with Zaozao?"

After finishing, the little one leaned against the tree, gazing at the small toy with eyes shining like scattered starlight.

"Do you like it here? Later, Zaozao will make a home for you here, okay?"

The little one then darted to and fro, but with this new friend he’d made, it was almost like playing pretend—he didn’t take it back to his own nest, but instead planned to build a new den for it.

*That way, they could have playdates. He could craft his own companions.*

The little one thought this way—

Until a thunderstorm—a cataclysmic storm magic—struck.

A barrage of lightning ravaged much of the Angelic Realm, including the little one’s new toy and the little den he’d built.

The little nest was just a day or two away from being finished.

But in the end, even disaster magic picked on him.

He’d only glanced away for a second.

The little cub stood before the trees charred by the thunderstorm, staring in a daze for what felt like forever before finally fluttering his tiny wings and returning to his soggy but still-intact nest.

Why was the cub so attached to the ghost bear Amos had whipped up without much thought?

Amos had made it casually, but when the cub held it in his arms, it meant everything to him.

He had to keep looking at it, holding it—like it’d crumble or disappear the second he stopped paying attention.

By now, the repair work on the ghost bear was mostly done.

The Crown Clan adults fastened the ribbons on its ears and head, making sure they were sturdy, while Mei Lun worked with a furrowed brow, needle flying.

Before long, the ghost bear was fixed.

Amos pressed it into the cub’s waiting arms.

The cub blinked, still half in a fog. He looked up at Amos, then down at the ghost bear in his arms.

Same softness. Same smell.

The tiny cub, sitting on the ground, slowly tightened his arms, then crushed the bear to his chest like a lifeline.

Amos bumped foreheads with the cub.

Resting against the cooling patch on the little one’s head, Amos could still faintly feel the cub’s feverish warmth.

Voice barely above a whisper, pleading—whether to Zao Zao or the universe itself—he murmured,

"Zao Zao, be good. No more sad thoughts, okay?"

Amos and the others wanted to understand what had happened to the cub in the past.

But every time, every scrap of memory seemed to challenge the limits of these adult Crown Clan members who had lived for nearly a century.

The broken crown wasn’t the only thing that hurt.

Zao Zao went very still.

"Daddy… you fixed him."

All better.

"Daddy’s magic."

Zao Zao widened his eyes. He didn’t cry, but a lone tear escaped, disappearing into his fur. He examined the ghost bear in his hands, the tension leaking from his tiny frame.

"Zao Zao tried and tried…"

So Zao Zao ended up with nothing.

A hiccup. Then, quieter:

"That’s why Daddy’s here."

Amos breathed in the little one's scent, feeling his gradually stabilizing mental state, and said calmly.

The little one still clung to the bear, then threw his arms around Amos’s neck.

His warm little face pressed against his father's cheek.

These moments treated all present Crown Clan members equally.

The other Crown Clan members let out a sigh of relief but were still taking in the scene.

They seemed deeply absorbed in the moment.

Kaman most of all.

It wasn’t all Kaman’s fault, but the problem right now was his.

Before this, Kaman still wasn’t sure if what he was seeing was real or just his hallucinations.

And his position was painfully awkward.

As the first traitor the Crown Clan had taken back.

Though whether it was Amos, Mei Lun, or the others, their attitudes hadn’t changed in decades, Kaman still felt like an outsider.

He wanted to fit in.

But it was difficult.

So much so that he couldn’t even fully forgive himself.

Thus, he tried to find another way to belong—searching for a reason he could still stay here.

The expression on Kaman's face slowly faded as he took a slight step back, sure Xiao Chuzao wouldn’t want to see him right now.

—Mom, I screwed up.

I’m an idiot.

But then, the little one, after hugging Amos, glanced over in this direction.

He was searching for someone.

But it probably wasn’t him—Kaman thought to himself.

From An Ya, he’d learned that this was a grudge-holding little cub.

Even if he was looking for him—it’d probably be to call him a jerk or something.

Kaman gave a self-deprecating smile, quickly figuring out the words he’d use to apologize.

And now, the little one really did look over—locking onto him.

The patched-up ghost bear had regained its bear-like form—it was made from Amos’s old everyday clothes, likely from some unimportant banquet, yet still a symbol of the Crown Clan all the same.

Now, the whole stern, hardened race seemed to have transformed into that bear meant to comfort the cub—playing at being soft and cuddly, held in the little one’s arms as he waddled closer.

Then the cub stopped right in front of him, his cute little face peering out from behind the bear.

As he moved, the floppy ears on his fluffy hat bounced back and forth.

Kaman managed a weak smile, "Sorry, Zao Zao. Grandpa Kaman just... just wanted to show what I could do—didn’t expect to mess it up. Next time, next time Grandpa will stay further away..."

He had been gone from this place for far too long.

So long that his memories had grown foggy with time.

So long that too many familiar faces were now missing.

—Those familiar faces had dissolved one by one, like bubbles popping. The crown, once flourishing, had withered, and gray had overtaken his hair completely.

Even the mighty Crown Clan could not escape the quivers of the heart.

The Crown Clan was not all-powerful—their crowns could shatter, they could be wounded, their minds could suffer severe turmoil. They were just really good at hiding it.

But after a moment of thought, the little one reached out with little arms and wrapped them around Kaman’s neck.

Kaman went completely still.

He heard the child speak slowly, as if pondering for a long time—because during his feverish haze of heightened psychic activity, his consciousness was pretty out of it, making it difficult to form coherent, lengthy sentences.

"It’s okay... Zao Zao forgives you—"

The little one’s voice was clear and soft, like a child's voice suddenly emerging in the prelude of a raging current—it never felt out of place, but instead filled one with hope.

"Welcome home."

Kaman paused briefly before slowly returning the embrace.

—Welcome home.

The restless spirit that had been adrift in turmoil seemed to finally settle.

Mei Lun, sitting not far away, stood up to break it up.

"Alright, alright, that’s enough. Your Majesty, aren’t you all heading out soon to find Job and Joshua? Is the new equipment all set up yet? Shouldn’t Zao Zao be having his milk now? If you insist on taking him along, at least make sure he’s well-protected and come back early."

Mei Lun crouched behind Kaman and took the opportunity to pat the little one’s head, delighted by how soft it was.

The child was soon taken by Amos.

Kaman remained seated where he was.

Mei Lun, never missing a chance, reached out to ruffle Kaman’s hair, only to have his hand swatted away in annoyance.

Mei Lun stood up. "So? Do you want to remake your Psychic Weapon now and fix that little gap?"

Kaman looked much calmer now, nothing like before. With a flick of his wrist, a psychic spear snapped into his hand.

He lowered his head, carefully examining the little teeth marks on the spear.

After a long pause—

"I will be Zao Zao’s favorite grandpa."

Mei Lun: ?

Why are you taking my line???

Furthermore—

"Seriously, how long have you been back? You're not still avoiding work, are you?"

*

Mei Lun and Kaman, still under Psychic Crown monitoring, can't enter the contaminated zone to retrieve Job and Joshua.

Frey still has to manage royal court business.

Because of Xiao Chuzao's presence, matters the Crown Clan had intentionally overlooked—things meant to foster the next generation of non-Crown Clan leaders—were quickly shut down by the elders.

There's still much work to be done.

Though Job and Joshua are among the strongest of their generation in the Crown Clan, they don't measure up to Amos.

They probably assume that if they lose control, their clansmen can still stop them—which is why they haven't deactivated their personal signal transmitters.

Of course, the little one has already accessed these signals since returning, using his own Psychic Switch.

Once their locations are found, dragging them back would be effortless for Amos.

Especially with An Ya helping.

As for the little one not being able to handle spatial jump technology, the research institute has worked overtime to fine-tune a new interference device. During jumps, he just needs to stay in the shielded pod, which has a live health monitoring system.

This reduces the impact on him to nearly zero.

The pods also offer some protection against low-level contamination, which helps other Crown Clan members too.

Since they're meant for multiple users, the shielded pods are spacious.

Amos places the little one and the ghost bear inside.

Watching the child roll around hugging the bear, Amos smirks slightly.

"Your Majesty, all preparations are complete."

The commander of the 9th Army, Ye Ming, salutes but can't resist glancing at the pod.

—Ah...

—Ahh... The Little Highness is just too adorable!

I can't handle this—my heart's melting.

The Crown Clan is perfection itself.

That's what Commander Ye Ming thinks.

An Ya isn't here—he's in the command room.

Standing before the pod, Amos says calmly, "Depart."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

In the contaminated zone, Job has been outsmarting the advance team for some time.

He was growing impatient.

This place was a hazardous wasteland even for the Crown Clan, yet these puny, coddled pests kept provoking him here again and again.

Did they really think he’d just take their crap?

Wait—no, Job thought—

Hadn’t he already lost his temper and struck before?

Job, his face permanently scowling, now looked rarely uncertain.

He had deliberately avoided the area where Joshua was and didn’t want to run into these people, but the commotion from the mutated beasts was too loud, inevitably drawing his... attention.

Watching as these intruders stepped into the danger zone once more, Job unleashed his mind-forged bone whip, slicing through the beasts like paper in an instant.

"Prince Job! We’ve been tailing you for days. Are you searching for something?"

The squad leader glanced at his communicator before shouting.

"Spit it out! We’ll help you look!"

The team members, who had once been somewhat afraid of Job, had gotten used to him saving their skins over the past few days.

Now, emboldened like their leader, they faced this prince who clearly wouldn’t harm them, even cracking jokes now.

"That’s right, Prince Job! Let’s search together—it’ll be faster!"

"You all—"

Job’s words died in his throat.

Above them, a colossal starship loomed overhead, descending silently.

Painted across its hull was the insignia of the Saint Cas Empire’s Ninth Army.

A shadowy blur dropped like a hawk, wings flapping rapidly behind it.

Job’s reflexes were razor-sharp—in an instant, his gaze locked onto another Crown Clan member he hadn’t seen in ages.

"An Ya."

Fuming, An Ya barreled toward him.

"Brother Job—where’s Brother Joshua? Did you really kill him? My brother’s already on the hunt."

An Ya’s *real* brother—

The only Dwight in the Crown Clan whom An Ya would address with such reverence was—

It hit Job like a bolt. He took off like a shot in one direction.

There was only one—Amos Dwight.

Meanwhile.

*

The Ninth Army’s command ship, homing in on Joshua’s beacon, eased down toward a hidden nest.

Here is the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

Logically speaking, the child would be safer staying in the shielded compartment, but Amos wasn’t comfortable with leaving them in a place that wasn't entirely secure.

To Amos—this was a mistake.

So, the child was eventually fitted with a protective suit and carried by Amos as they disembarked from the starship.

The polluted wasteland of the abandoned star looked bleak.

Debris littered the landscape, and aside from the tainted creatures, there was no other life to be seen.

Those creatures were like locusts, devouring flesh and blood, yet also craving ores. The moment they were tainted, their only drive was to kill and evolve.

"We've already surveyed the zone and have a general sense of why the two princes chose this contaminated area," Ye Ming shadowed Amos.

"The creatures in this polluted zone are Pine Star Lizards."

"Pine Star Lizards?"

Amos turned to look.

Little Xiao Chuzao was in a daze, having arrived too quickly. His overactive psychic energy hadn't fully stabilized yet.

He murmured, "Lizards? Big lizards?"

"Mhm, big lizards."

Pine Star Lizards were a uniquely significant species to the Crown Clan.

They possessed special glands that secreted hallucinogens, lethal to other races, but for the Crown Clan, the effect was... mildly intoxicating.

Like catnip to a cat.

It could briefly numb the Crown Clan, shielding them from the torment of a shattered crown.

And for the Crown Clan, it was completely harmless.

Pine Star Lizards were once relentlessly hunted by the Crown Clan, but eventually, the clan eradicated the practice.

Because some Crown Clan members had already succumbed to a hazy, dreamlike oblivion.

Amos's father, who was still on the throne at the time, had once concluded that these substances wouldn't have much impact on their generation of the Crown Clan. But by Amos's generation, if any Crown Clan members continued down this path, they might choose to die in that euphoric trance.

After analysis, it was determined that after heavy use of such substances, consuming the secretions of a Pine Star Lizard ranked at battalion commander level or higher could cause a Crown Clan member to perish in a blissful dream.

Out of concern for future generations,

all operations targeting Pine Star Lizards were halted.

And now, it seemed his father had been right.

Amos stared down at Joshua lying on the stone bed.

Surrounding Joshua were vast amounts of secretions from Pine Star Lizards—a testament to his elder brother Job's attempt to grant him a peaceful release in a beautiful dream.

Analysis confirmed there were no high-level Pine Star Lizard secretions here.

Amos gestured for the armored 9th Army troops to carry Joshua out.

Xiao Chuzao grew lightheaded from the strange scent.

Joshua's halo remained largely intact, though partially shattered, floating quietly above his head.

The youngling couldn't resist leaning further outward.

Noises came from beyond the nest.

When Job arrived, An Ya had already latched onto him. "Joshua!" Job shouted.

Joshua lay deep in slumber, bracing for eternal sleep—he witnessed countless crowns shattering. He'd assumed the sensations described by his predecessors would be pleasant, so he'd willfully made his request, knowing his brother's endless indulgence. He'd had enough, yearning to leave this world that had lost all meaning within what he thought would be a beautiful dream.

But was this truly beautiful?

Joshua didn't know. In his haze, he felt an uncomfortable sinking sensation—perhaps he'd gone too far. For brother Job... he should have ended things himself. He shouldn't have been so selfish.

He reached out—Brother... He wanted to wake up. Could he still wake up? Ah... but it hardly mattered now. If he left like this, brother would surely follow soon.

Then Job's voice pierced through—

Thank goodness, it was the signal.

Brother came to wake me! This was their unique psychic bond—once Joshua fell into such deep slumber, only Job, who shared his spiritual resonance, could rouse him.

Joshua slowly opened his eyes—then, in the next instant—

The youngling in Amos's arms leaned out again, nearly tumbling from his grasp. Instinctively, tiny hands clutched at something—Joshua's halo.

Joshua suddenly felt his halo being yanked, as if torn from his very being.

Joshua—?!

This is it—the end!