Chapter 85: Zao Zao’s Wings Are Uncomfortable

Chapter 85 Zao Zao's Wings Feel Uncomfortable

Just... *weirdly* crunchy...

Right in front of the 'victim'—how shameless!

Can you believe what this brat’s saying?!

Cavenaugh, the clan leader who thought he was about to peacefully wrap up his life by confessing everything to the Crown Clan, was now filled with one thought—*I’m already dying, and now, right before my end, I have to watch this little Crown Clan runt take bites out of my Psychic Holy Grail?!*

Is this even right—no, is this *reasonable*?!

Can’t I die in one piece?!

He’s *literally* breaking apart—

Oh, and of course, physically, Clan Leader Cavenaugh was also breaking apart.

Cracks and bloody marks spread across his elegant face, his once-calm expression now overtaken by horror as he struggled to sit up, looking a complete wreck.

"I..."

"My dad is about to die—why—*why*—are you gnawing on my dad’s Psychic Holy Grail?!"

Derek, who had nearly cried himself unconscious, widened his eyes in shock.

He upped his wailing.

"Dad... you won’t even leave behind a whole corpse?"

The 'not-even-whole-corpse' Cavenaugh shakily reached out—

No, wait, that’s not quite accurate—technically, the Psychic Holy Grail isn’t even part of his corpse, right?!

*Wow, what a stellar son!*

Of course, such wailing didn’t faze the Crown Clan.

Their attention was entirely elsewhere—Amos held the little one, An Ya steadied the child’s head, and Finn wrenched the cub’s jaws open, almost shoving his whole face in to inspect.

"Mmmph—mmrow! *Let go!*"

*Zao Zao really didn’t swallow it!*

The manhandled cub couldn’t even speak properly, his tiny hands flailing weakly as he blinked his huge, dazed eyes, unable to see clearly. His little hands fumbled blindly—until they caught hold of a strand of hair.

The tiny halo above his head flashed like an alarm.

*Beep—beep—beep—* The heart monitor’s frantic *beep-beep-beep*—

The fever-hazed cub gave the strand of hair an angry tug and let out a furious *meow*.

Finn sucked in a breath, releasing the cub to check his own pulled hair.

Derek remained drowned in grief over his father’s impending death.

The medical center staff standing nearby flailed helplessly, staring at the three-ring circus before them, completely at a loss.

But still—

"Ah, Your Majesty! The psychic breakdown of Clan Leader Cavenaugh seems to be slowing down—his vital signs are stabilizing, not declining as rapidly anymore."

Everything went silent for a moment.

Derek looked up, bewildered—"Is my dad dead?"

He was promptly smacked on the head by Cavenaugh: "Brat, watch your mouth."

Derek: —"My dad’s alive."

Cavenaugh, fed up with his own son, only registered after punching him that he had managed to sit up. The breathless feeling slowly faded, and the blood cracks that had spread to his fingertips now faded from bright red to ink-black, like a tattoo.

Ayala took it all in, dazed, as he turned to Lynn beside him: "What the hell… is going on?"

Lynn, peering in from the doorway: ……

"I don’t know."

What did he really know about this kid?

"I just know he fixes crowns and gnaws on psychic energy—"

Lynn hesitated for a moment.

His voice stood out starkly in the silence.

"Did he… bite off the tainted psychic energy and spit it out?"

Keeping the good stuff?

Is that even possible?

Everyone turned to look at Xiao Chuzao.

The little guy blinked, clueless.

His cheeks were still rosy, his whole body warm as he curled up in Amos’s arms.

Amos finally looked up, observing Xiao Chuzao carefully.

The kid seemed perfectly fine.

Amos glanced at the Psychic Holy Grail in Cavenaugh’s hand, still streaked with black cracks, then back at his own little cub.

The rosy-cheeked cub nuzzled Amos and peered around before whispering softly, "Not yummy, but crispy. Daddy, can Zao Zao chew? Zao Zao will spit!"

It was a completely different texture compared to the Crown Clan’s Psychic Weapons!

Especially the parts on the verge of collapse—crumbly and crisp, breaking at a bite, satisfying to bite into.

Cavenaugh’s monitor screeched another warning. Cavenaugh stared dazedly at the Holy Grail in his hand, now dotted with tiny bite marks.

Amos paused just a moment before carrying the cub over to Cavenaugh’s Psychic Holy Grail.

Cavenaugh: "Your Majesty Amos, what exactly… is happening?"

"Crunch—"

Accompanied by the familiar crunching sound, Cavenaugh felt his scalp tingle as he watched his Psychic Holy Grail being gnawed at the corrupted sections, with the little one spitting them out with a 'bleh'.

Unlike the Crown Clan—whose members, after determining their Psychic Weapon and traits, could create countless weapons with their psychic power—Grail Clan members got just one Holy Grail, from birth to death.

Now—Cavenaugh held up his Psychic Holy Grail—perhaps it could no longer be called a Psychic Holy Grail.

It was a psychic pedestal.

"Dad?"

Derek stood by the bed, looking over.

Cavenaugh glanced at him.

"Where's your Grail?"

Cavenaugh casually brought Derek's Psychic Holy Grail before the little rascal.

With a *crunch*—Derek's scalp tingled instantly.

—'The sickly, dazed Zao Zao sampled bites of everyone's psyche.'

The blackened, infected corner of his Holy Grail was gnawed off by Xiao Chuzao and spat out.

The Psychic Holy Grail, now bearing a tiny tooth mark, flared briefly.

And there was no way to repair it.

Derek froze for a moment, feeling his affliction ease, but that was secondary.

Holding his Psychic Holy Grail, Derek was dumbstruck—would he have to use it with this little tooth mark from now on?

Derek glanced at the little one, who had finished gnawing and spitting, got his mouth wiped by Amos, and then shoved a Psychic Sword at him to chew on the hilt. Then he looked at his father's Psychic Holy Grail, which was barely recognizable as a grail.

He suddenly felt better.

A tooth mark's nothing compared to that!

His dad's was totally wrecked!

"It's stopped—"

The med team had been closely monitoring the instruments.

When An Ya looked back at Cavenaugh, her eyes sparkled with curiosity.

"I thought future visions came at the cost of your life? If Clan Leader Cavenaugh dies again now, does he get another vision?"

She was dying to know what her Second Brother had seen to become so emotionally unstable.

Cavenaugh: ...The hell's wrong with you people?

Sitting on the bed shell-shocked, Cavenaugh held the grail base, which seemed to short-circuit, flickering violently for a moment.

—To see all possible futures, the price was...

—Not 'you don't die'??? You're getting freebies?!

But in the end.

"Are we finally saved?"

Cavenaugh gazed dazedly at the Little Crown Clan cradled in Amos's arms.

He slowly rose to his feet.

"Dad?"

Derek stood by the bed, instinctively reaching out to support Cavenaugh.

Cavenaugh gently brushed him aside, lowered his gaze, and performed a bow of fealty.

"King Amos—"

In all recorded history, never had one Longlived race offered such a submissive bow to another.

"The Grail Clan, though not strong in combat, has never slacked in developing battle machinery. We hope to serve as an ally or vassal of Saint Cas, in our struggle for survival."

It wasn't just because of the special Zao Zao.

But also because the Grail Clan now understood that continuous retreat and avoidance would only invite further encroachment.

Amos held Xiao Chuzao in one arm, appearing to consider briefly, while his other hand rested on the table, fingers lightly tapping the surface twice.

"The cooperation proposal will be discussed further. First, address your internal conflicts. After this beast attack concludes, the Saint Cas Medical Center will assist you."

Amos made himself clear.

The little one in his arms couldn't protect them forever.

This plague targeted the Grail Clan—rapidly spreading and highly contagious, allowing no time to react, potentially fatal. But given time, if the Hymn Organization could develop a psychic plague against the Grail Clan, others could also find a cure.

One thing remained certain: the damaged part of the Psychic Holy Grail could never be restored.

Amos gave no further thought to Cavenaugh.

He turned, holding the still feverish child in his arms.

The child, still dazed from the fever, had his headache alleviated but remained somewhat disoriented. After chewing briefly on Amos's Psychic Weapon, he lost interest and let go.

Amos stowed the Psychic Weapon and carried him out of the medical room, gently stroking his small face.

The little one pressed his face into Amos's palm, warm and soft, looking up at him with misty eyes.

"Papa?"

"Has the fever gone down a bit? Does your head still hurt?"

"Not so hurty now."

After a moment's thought, the little one answered earnestly, small wings flapping behind him.

An Ya was handling cleanup, while Finn, previously cowed by Amos's glare, held back and didn't follow immediately.

Amos walked past Lynn and Ayala, carrying the child.

Just as they passed Ayala, the little one suddenly tucked his head into Amos's chest.

Ayala stood frozen, still processing what he'd seen—he had thought this was just an ordinary child he'd seen in videos and pictures, but how deeply this child affected him was overwhelming.

And because of that injection, the little one was clearly giving him the cold shoulder.

Amos got ready to put the little one to bed.

There was still plenty left to deal with.

Later, they would return to Saint Cas's Mining Planet No. 78 to check out the traces left by that strange Monster Commander. That much was clear.

In a few days, the cub would be celebrating his birthday out in the field.

They'd still need to prep some things.

Xiao Chuzao nestled in Amos's arms, a tiny, well-behaved bundle.

Over by the entrance, someone came rushing out.

Chasing after Amos, still choking back sobs and gasping for air, tears pouring down uncontrollably, Derek clenched his fists.

"Your Little Highness of the Crown Clan..."

He looked at the cub in Amos's arms and bowed deeply.

"I'd thought... I'd lost my home for good... Thank you."

The little guy blinked up for a moment.

From his perspective, he hadn't done anything special.

But as a member of the Little Crown Clan picked up by Amos, the cub felt he had a say in things.

He perked up slightly, dead serious, like always—just like how he studied diligently and strived to master every combat skill to the best of his ability.

"No need to thank me—just keep training and getting stronger, and have everyone in the family watch each other's backs, okay?"

Amos gazed at the cub in his arms.

The chubby little cheeks, with their rounded lines, just barely showed the future slender and striking youth he would become.

Xiao Chuzao stuck out his tiny hand with confidence, already bearing the pride of the Crown Clan.

"This is what Papa taught me."

—Work hard to grow stronger, and have everyone in the family watch each other's backs. That's what Papa taught me.

—'I, Zao Zao... have no home to return to.'

The memory that had gripped Amos shattered in that instant, reforming into the excited, dopey little face looking up at him, waiting for praise.

The cub's crown gleamed with an otherworldly light.

Amos managed a one-handed clap, murmuring "Good job," holding his little one close—thinking, *It's fine. Though I don’t know at which key point things changed, everything is completely different now.*

*

In the StarNet livestream.

The massive, terrifying Beast Legion Commander was cleaved apart by a blade.

Amid the bloody mist, a tall figure stood atop the enormous beast's corpse.

A silver-black single-edged blade rested against his palm, blood speckling Frey's cheek. He ignored it, lifting a hand to adjust the brim of his military cap.

He glanced at the intel.

—Zao Zao is already fine; she just has a slight fever and isn't in shape to travel. They will return to Saint Cas Mining Planet No. 78 nearby for a few days of rest, while also analyzing the Monster Commander’s trail. Zao Zao's birthday is approaching, so they’ll wrap up their tasks and return to regroup in the coming days.

After confirming the information, Frey verified the Crown Clan’s positions—Fei Man, Mei Lun, and Kaman—before glancing toward the distance.

A Saint Cas soldier, stained with blood, darted forward like a drawn blade, arriving before Frey.

"Your Highness Frey! We’ve tracked another Aberrant Beast Legion’s retreat!"

Frey raised his hand, shaking blood from his blade.

"Hunt them down."

He commanded coldly.

"Saint Cas strikes back—full force."

"Yes!"

All of this was streamed live across the StarNet, watched by countless Saint Casians and non-Saint Casians alike.

After all, this was the only frontline live feed available—others were limited to images. While there were broadcasts from other planets or nations, constant disasters—commanders dropping dead—had led to the discontinuation of such live streams. Only sporadic images emerged, leaving many worried about whether their own planets or nations could survive the disaster.

But for Saint Cas, this was not a matter of particular concern.

The King and Princes of the Crown Clan are the strongest—so the Saint Casians believed, throwing themselves into the fight without hesitation wherever they could contribute. And the mighty Crown Clan never let them down.

Though most Crown Clan members couldn’t be bothered with such tasks, someone still had to brief the public and reassure the anxious Saint Cas citizens who yearned to rush to the frontlines.

In the end, only the most stone-cold of them—Frey, the elder brother of King Amos, who had handled many of Saint Cas's miscellaneous affairs—had the patience to manage such matters.

In the StarNet live broadcast, the ruthless and formidable Crown Clan member planted his boot on the Beast Legion Commander’s corpse, declaring coldly—Saint Cas’s full-scale counterattack had begun!

The chat exploded.

'FRREEEYYYY!!! HOLY SH—'

'Full-scale counterattack! Full-scale counterattack!! Wipe these freaks out!!'

'No mercy for these monsters!!'

'Long live Saint Cas!! May the Sacred Crown endure forever!!!'

'You Saint Casians are nuts.'

'I've already seen many Saint Cas small starships preparing for launch, gearing up to fight. Is Saint Cas always this hardcore?'

'Honestly, if I were a Saint Casian, with the Crown Clan standing before Saint Cas once again, I might be even crazier than them—the Beast Legion Commander, wiped out just like that? The entire galaxy hasn't witnessed the Crown Clan's power firsthand in ages, has it?'

'They really are rock-freaking-solid—truly the mythical long-lived race of the universe. I’m hyped just seeing this.'

'And I heard the real fight’s elsewhere—it's over where King Amos is. If it's like this here, God knows what’s going down on His Majesty's side.'

Saint Cas Core.

Saint Cas First Military Academy.

In the first-year classroom of the high school division.

When Frey announced the full-scale counterattack, the entire classroom broke into cheers and shouts.

At the back of the classroom, several teenagers sat there.

They, too, were watching the live broadcast on the Starnet.

"The Emperor and the princes are really, truly strong—"

"Yeah, it's hard to imagine. We once tried to compete with Young Highness—he must be an incredibly powerful member of the Crown Clan too, right?"

"Not sure. There's very little information about Young Highness, but he should be joining the military academy soon. Though, would he start from the lower division?"

"Lin? Where are you going?"

One of the boys, around fifteen years old, stood up and left his seat upon hearing their words.

Teng Kelin turned to look at them.

"If we can't go to the front lines for training, can't I at least go blow off some steam at the training grounds?"

Well, that wasn’t unreasonable—

Those sitting here were all top students in their year.

And not long ago, they had all participated in the Saint Cas Futures Program.

Everyone had demanded they keep pushing ahead, to be competitive and ambitious. But overnight, the Saint Cas Futures Program collapsed.

"Lin, if you keep being this competitive when Young Highness starts attending First Military Academy regularly, you’ll get sidelined."

Someone spoke up with a smile.

"...Mind your own business."

Teng Kelin grumbled and turned to leave.

"Young Highness is strong, I know. But I’m not weak either—and neither is that guy Ling Ye—"

He hadn’t met Chu Zao in person, only seen videos. He was waiting for the day Young Highness would make him bow down properly.

Though, come to think of it, those in the Honors Class were pretty lucky—they’d picked their side early on.

The day dragged on.

*

The situation on the Grail Clan’s side was pretty much wrapped up.

Chief Cavenaugh's Psychic Holy Grail had been chomped through by Xiao Chuzao, causing his psychic power to deteriorate. What was once the strongest psychic power in the clan was now fading fast.

Just as the medical center had previously concluded, there was no coming back from this.

But hey, he lived.

Currently, the Grail Clan was sorting out their own mess, along with working out deals with Saint Cas.

Meanwhile, the starship was cruising along toward Saint Cas’s Mineral Planet 78.

They had actually arrived, but because the little one was still drowsy and half-asleep, still running a fever, the starship hovered around the planet instead of landing directly.

An Ya and Lynn went to handle the cleanup tasks.

Ayala was ordered by Amos to negotiate with the Grail Clan.

After confirming the starship's trajectory, Amos went ahead to check out the remains of the deceased Monster Commander.

By the time the little one stirred awake, the golden tiny crown flared once before glowing steadily.

The surroundings were completely dark and quiet.

Still feverish and out of it, the dizzy little one rubbed his big eyes with little hands.

The blanket covering him slipped down, revealing his little ghost bear beside him.

A tiny thing, wings splayed awkwardly behind him, he looked uncomfortable, his messy black curls in disarray.

"Baba?"

Still half-asleep, the little one instinctively looked around for Amos.

His adorable little face was all scrunched up, still flushed.

Though his temperature had dropped, his discomfort from the wings made him look miserable.

Where’s Zao Zao’s baba?

The room lights turned on.

"Awake?"

Finn, who had stayed behind, stuck his head in from the doorway—

He was supposed to handle Grail Clan affairs with Ayala.

But Finn often couldn’t care less about that stuff, blatantly dumping the work on Ayala before sneaking over to the little one’s side.

Just in time for Xiao Chuzao to wake up.

Finn was about to greet the little guy when he noticed the all teary-eyed and pouty expression—

Finn: Wait a second, why does Zao Zao look like he’s about to cry??

Given that his second brother had been eyeing him strangely these past two days… Finn gulped and instinctively looked for the security cameras, trying to prove his innocence.

If it was his fault, he’d take the beating—but he wouldn’t get blamed for no reason!

The little one, clutching his ghost bear tightly, wobbled his way down from the bed with tiny arms and legs. He waddled over to Finn and looked up at him.

Something wasn’t quite right about the little guy today…?

Finn pondered, carefully assessing.

Oh!

Zao Zao’s wings hadn’t moved at all—they were still stuck stiffly out!

The wings were pinned awkwardly behind the little one like they were fake—

Finn couldn’t help but curl his lips, teasing him playfully—he had taught the little one quite a few things and was very familiar with him.

"Did Zao Zao sleep on his wings and pinch them numb? Let Uncle Finn rub them for you?"

The little one, who had been pouting as he toddled toward Finn, looked up in confusion, meeting Finn’s gaze. His messy little curls and disheveled wings made him look like a total fluffball disaster.

"Zao Zao’s wings hurt, head hurts, and Uncle Finn laughs at Zao Zao—bad Uncle Finn."

Originally, brave Zao Zao had held back his tears, but Finn’s laughter finally broke the little one’s resolve, ready to cry.

Finn panicked instantly, flustered by the small, sniffling bundle before him: "N-no, wait, Zao Zao, don’t cry… How do your wings hurt? Come on, let Uncle Finn carry you to the med bay."