Chapter 97: Huh? Why Is Baba Here?

Chapter 97 Huh? Why’s Dad here?

When people realize they might be in danger and facing death, their minds go blank, turning numb and paralyzed. Even the most basic reactions, counterattacks they’ve performed thousands of times, become impossible to perform.

But the arrows flying from behind and the sudden burst of flames jolted Teng Kelin out of his daze.

He threw himself back, bracing with one hand on the ground, rolling clear of Hei Quan’s reach.

His teammates sprang into action, rushing to back him up.

Teng Kelin stared at the arrows writhing and burning midair—

"What is that?"

He spoke in disbelief.

Like the very environment had surged upward, surrounded by arrows of black flame, twisting into a vaguely humanoid shape—but closer to a writhing sludge-monster. Its pitch-black eyes and mouth were yawning voids, scarier than any nightmare the cosmos could conjure.

A howl echoed, yet the arrows from behind never ceased.

The Black Flame arrows ripped through everything, savagely shredding Hei Quan’s body, chunk by chunk.

Hei Quan roared again, his gaze fixed on Xiao Chuzao.

Seeing the crown ablaze atop the little cub’s head, a spark of fear flared in him.

But soon, pain fueled his rage.

He stopped holding back. He knew Xiao Chuzao wasn’t as strong as the monsters lurking in the depths of pollution, nor as ruthless as Fei Man.

Nothing like the Crown Clan warrior standing among the stars, watching him—the one who had wiped out legions of his clones with a single sword strike and was still dismantling his power.

All he needed was flesh—any flesh—to keep going.

Hei Quan felt an overwhelmingly powerful pressure, panic so raw it overrode his mind. His instincts screamed *run*, to leave this perilous place as quickly as possible.

Devour flesh, then bolt—that was his only shot.

Since those terrifying beings hadn’t pursued him further, there was still a chance—

There had to be.

"Some kind of mutant beast?"

"No fucking clue."

At this gathering point, there were only their two squads.

Chao Huangmu’s weapon was out, thighs coiled tight. Peng Liang scanned for weaknesses, while Yun Songquan aimed his gun.

They stood behind Xiao Chuzao, backlit by the Black Flame’s glare.

"Get up—"

Xiao Chuzao looked at Teng Kelin’s squad, who had hauled ass toward him, and extended a hand toward Teng Kelin.

Teng Kelin gaped up, dumbstruck, meeting Xiao Chuzao’s gaze.

The once polite, seemingly innocent amber eyes were now calm and composed.

Perhaps it was some unique trait of the Crown Clan.

The more urgent the situation, the more coldly analytical they became, capable of choosing the best course of action.

Only now did Teng Kelin have time to think.

In reality, scarcely sixty seconds had elapsed.

From the moment Teng Kelin faced the danger to his arrival before Xiao Chuzao.

Teng Kelin hesitated for a moment before instinctively reaching out. The next second, his scarred hand was seized tightly by a small, warm one. The little one was surprisingly strong, hauling Teng Kelin upright.

"It's an aberration."

Xiao Chuzao spoke, unable to resist glancing toward the distance—where Ayala had just left.

"Brother Mu."

"Here." Chao Huangmu had been by the young Chuzao's side the entire time, his focus entirely on the child—especially after realizing the aberration was different. He was on high alert, staying close to Chu Zao.

"His power seems to scatter. You secure the left flank. Brother Yun and Brother Peng, engage from the front."

"Got it."

As Hei Quan moved, Chao Huangmu lunged forward at the order, with Yun Songquan and Peng Liang following closely.

Xiao Chuzao spoke quickly, then turned to Teng Kelin, who had just stood up.

"Can you hold the other side?"

"We can." Teng Kelin regained focus and nodded.

"Then it's your responsibility."

Xiao Chuzao said.

Despite the unmistakably youthful, milky voice, it carried unshakable command.

Just like the legion of battlefield orders once issued by the Crown Clan, igniting an instinctive surge of excitement in every Saint Cas soldier who carried them out.

For a brief moment, Teng Kelin felt himself awaken from his numb, fugue state.

He was trembling—yes, quivering with adrenaline.

That inexplicable fervor, the most intense emotion a Saint Casian could feel—ultimately, it all came from the Crown Clan's sovereign and royal highnesses.

Brother Ling.

Teng Kelin thought.

Sorry. You haven't returned yet. We haven't regrouped, haven't decided what to do next—whether to stay sharp and competitive or humble ourselves, no longer pushing our way forward to avoid being remembered and marked for retribution.

But now—

Teng Kelin couldn't help but glance again at the longbow wielded by Xiao Chuzao. Three arrows had already formed on the Black Flame-engulfed bowstring, the flames seemingly held in the little one's hand.

Teng Kelin snapped back to attention and moved according to Xiao Chuzao's orders.

Ling-ge.

"He switched sides!"

"Yes!"

All the Crown Clan elders were watching.

Amos, with his strong abilities and quick perception, swiftly dealt with most of Hei Quan's clones.

He stood in the starry expanse, gazing from afar at the place where his little one's psychic energy surged violently.

Gripping his longsword, he stared down intently.

Meanwhile, inside the starship, Frey and An Ya had already returned first.

"So, is it the same thing Zao Zao encountered?"

"Probably. It seems like a Beast Legion Commander-tier beast that hasn't fully evolved yet."

"Like that thing last time, huh? Also emerged from the polluted depths."

An Ya glanced at the coordinates.

"Finn’s hauling ass toward us—get ready. Tell Second Bro—we’ll go intercept later to see if it's the Hymn Organization's starship."

"Right. Also, there’s still much we don’t understand about the Hymn Organization internally. Tell Finn to leave them some breathing room. No need to corner them before we even arrive."

"You’re right. But looking at it this way, Zao Zao’s leveling up crazy fast."

Mei Lun sighed.

He still remembered what the little one was like when Amos first brought him back—cowering, skittish, walking on eggshells about everything.

And now, even power shifting comes effortlessly to him.

If he suddenly unleashes his strength, even adult Crown Clan members who don’t grasp his limits could get wrecked.

But—

Mei Lun chuckled again.

"Hahaha, has Zao Zao been looking for Ayala this whole time?"

"Probably. He’s glanced several times in the direction Ayala left earlier. Probably wondering where the hell Ayala is, hahaha."

"If this thing was at 100%, it’d be formidable. But it was clearly weakened by Second Brother earlier. Ayala must’ve wanted to give Zao Zao a chance to train, so he held back." An Ya raised his hand, gunmetal chains appearing at his slender fingertips. Gripping them tightly, they rattled with a metallic snap between his hands as he laughed along. "No worries. Good. Let Zao Zao stay pissed. Let Zao Zao dislike him."

Failing sucks, but watching someone else eat shit worse always brings a sliver of comfort.

The Crown Clan could see Ayala was nearby—if any danger arose, he could step in ASAP.

Besides, this beast’s ability was just a weird gimmick, but it hits like a wet noodle. Under Xiao Chuzao’s command, it was shut down hard, though the weakness of Hei Quan hadn’t been found yet. The little one was in a deadlock with Hei Quan here.

A group of Crown Clan members were glued to the action, but they weren’t too worried.

Especially since Amos was right there babysitting.

"The corrupted beasts are starting to move," Frey called out.

"Tell Ayala to move in and deal with it as soon as possible."

"Not necessary."

This voice came from Amos—his calm voice crackled over the comms.

Amos, gripping a longsword, was flying toward Xiao Chuzao's location. He lowered his gaze, tracking his cub’s every move.

"Zao Zao’s got this."

What?

As everyone watched, Hei Quan's power was continuously weakened. Each time he spawned clones, Chao Huangmu swiftly dealt with them. Other areas were also sealed off, leaving him no room to escape or hide. The Black Flame arrows were his downfall, relentlessly breaking down his strength.

His special abilities were rendered utterly ineffective.

As the stalemate dragged on, Hei Quan let out a furious roar—

Damn it, damn it, damn it—

He wanted to break free, to leave this place—

He’d kill them all, he wanted to tear apart that detestable crown!

But—

At that very moment, Xiao Chuzao, who had been constantly adjusting his aim, suddenly snapped open new miniature wings from his back. His speed accelerated instantly, and before Hei Quan could react, a Black Flame arrow was already jammed into the weak point that froze him in fear.

Pain exploded.

Hei Quan howled, attempting to summon all the beasts in this sector of space for one final, last-ditch attack.

But the beasts in this region had been systematically hunted down by Saint Cas’ forces, leaving only a sparse few.

As the black fire consumed him, as his body disintegrated, Hei Quan dazedly stared at the crown wreathed in Black Flame, now terrifyingly close to him. The little cub stayed locked in firing position, his honey-colored eyes faintly glowing.

Just for a second, he looked like the most fearsome crowned figure Hei Quan's clones had ever encountered.

And now, he was just as terrifying to Hei Quan.

"Anger only exposes your weakness."

Hei Quan heard Xiao Chuzao speak these words, as if also sensing the unspoken thought—*And I see it all too clearly.*

Arrows hammered into the core he had desperately shielded—not even fully formed yet. The power itself left Hei Quan helpless. Cracks spread across the core before it shattered completely. Hei Quan couldn’t even blink before losing consciousness entirely.

The cub’s wings fluttered as he touched down, his bow dissolving into light. He glanced around. "Is everyone alright?"

"We're fine," the others quickly replied.

Only Chao Huangmu, who had flawlessly matched Xiao Chuzao's rhythm—striking wherever the cub pointed—stood behind him, gaping at the tiny wings on Xiao Chuzao's back.

*What is this?*

What the heck is this?!

Fluffy! Twice as fluffy!!!

Little Chuzao puffed out his cheeks, his tiny hands planted on his pudgy waist.

Skeptically.

"Why didn't anyone come to help?"

Zao Zao was exhausted.

Ayala, who'd been watching from afar, was about to leave when he faintly heard the little one's words. He froze for a second.

For a split second, he turned to explain, but in the end, Ayala stubbornly refused to look back.

However, including Ayala, the Crown Clan parents finally realized how much their little one had grown.

Not even seven yet, yet already possessing leadership chops.

It was a calmness distilled from past suffering, grit hardened by setbacks, and an understanding of his own strengths honed through relentless training. He could even manipulate the beasts’ emotions. At such a tender age, he was already remarkably reliable.

"The beasts are on the move."

Ayala said to his adjutant beside him.

"Round up a squad to deal with them."

"Yes, sir!"

St. Cass First Military Academy’s fleet accelerated their efforts to retrieve the students.

Someone from Teng Kelin's squad got banged up a little and was taken back for recovery.

Chao Huangmu, however, remained full of energy. Hearing about the movements of the nearby beasts and that some instructors were staying behind, he eagerly prepared for more training, ready to go all out.

This prompted Yun Songquan and Peng Liang, who were also exhausted, to call him a total maniac.

At the moment, everyone was regrouping. The little one, filthy and dust-covered, stuck quietly to the side, waiting for further instructions.

Having arrived here, he still missed his aunt he hadn’t seen in ages.

He’d been hoping to meet up with her during this trip.

The little one thought to himself, waiting for his aunt to come pick him up.

*

Meanwhile, near the controlled zone of Saint Cas.

Xi had already reached the designated coordinates.

He hadn't ventured deeper yet, merely hovering at the edges.

He was searching for a location where, after St. Cass First Military Academy's withdrawal, the Saint Cas military had not reinforced their defenses. His starship carried a special explosive device infused with the power of the Divine Grace Stone.

The detonator was already in his hand as he followed the Hymn Organization's orders.

Deep within the contaminated zone, he had installed the necessary special devices containing the Divine Grace Stone's power—intended to trigger a massive upheaval, from the beasts to the corrupting forces, one that would shatter the barriers within the contamination.

Xi's body was now severely weakened, his eyes glowing unnaturally. Propping himself up, he glared at the screen with a dark expression. The pain gnawed at him, making him even more irritable. He could barely keep his emotions in check.

And—

Those guys are complete trash.

Frey thought, how did they even manage to run into the Crown Clan and still need him to handle the final rendezvous?

Nice way to put it—they’re basically sending him to die.

Frey thought coldly.

He scouted for a landing spot.

He was also ready to set off those devices right on schedule.

Of course, Frey had no idea just how many Crown Clan members were packed into this sector of space right now.

Upon confirming that Finn was nearing their coordinates—

The Crown Clan members, who had been casually debating their next move, rose from their positions one after another.

"I’ve got this flank."

"Then this zone’s mine."

"Does Second Bro have another sector?"

"He went to pick up Zao Zao. He said anyone who spots a high-ranking member of the Hymn Organization should report to him immediately."

"Fine, hopefully we’ll catch at least one—at least it’s something."

"Uncle Mei Lun, Uncle Kaman, quit fooling around. You two should team up. You’re still not at 100%, but you insisted on coming. Be careful not to cause trouble, or Zao Zao’ll chew you out."

"Alright, alright. Just stick close and don’t flake out mid-mission again."

"Who’s the one dropping the ball here? Isn’t it you?"

"Oh~ It’s a certain Little Kaka who cried for his mommy."

"*MEI LUN!!!*"

Frey, who had been arranging everything, sighed and ignored the commotion behind him.

The Crown Clan had indeed gotten way rowdier over the past few months. And this mission was a cakewalk for them—the real reason being that there were simply too many Crown Clan members here.

Splitting the work made it a breeze for everyone.

One by one, the Crown Clan set off on their laughably easy jobs.

An Ya was the only one who piped up.

"Hey, speaking of which—Second Bro went to pick up Zao Zao. Does Zao Zao even know?"

Frey also turned to look.

Looks like... nope?

Clearly, the kid was clueless that a whole damn starship of family had secretly followed him.

*

The Hymn Organization, already cornered by Finn and the Third Army, was now inches away from their target location.

"Any contact with Xi?"

The Hymn Organization higher-up, voice distorted inside the hood, clutched the Divine Grace Stone tightly. The sharp edges of the stone dug deep into his flesh, as if the Divine Grace Stone were a ravenous beast, devouring the flesh hungrily, even worming deeper into raw flesh, itching to dig deeper.

"No, sir. The other party seems to have gone silent. This entire region is under Saint Cas's firm control—we’re at a serious disadvantage."

"Are they still pursuing us from behind?"

"Yes."

"Dammit!"

The hooded man stood up, his voice filled with rage.

"Saint Cas, Saint Cas—so damn annoying! We’ll see how hard you laugh after losing that Little Crown Clan member. Push full speed to the target! I’ll rip that Little Crown brat apart myself—"

The moment he said it, alarms screamed across the starship.

"What’s happening?!"

"Report—Ship Thirty-Four’s engaged the Crown Clan!"

"What? Is it Ayala?"

"No, it’s not!"

"Report—Starship Seven has engaged the Crown Clan! Based on compiled data, the Crown Clan member wields a psychic chain, locking them down completely. It appears to be An Ya of the Crown Clan, but we’ve lost contact."

An Ya??

"Wasn’t An Ya still on Saint Cas’s imperial planet?"

"Report—"

Reports flooded in, coupled with lost communications, and sheer terror gripped the two Hymn Organization leaders in an instant.

There was no way they could eliminate that Little Crown Clan member.

It was impossible—

They both thought the same thing—they’d die for nothing.

Their resolve snapped in an instant, leaving only panic in its wake.

They were still lucky enough not to have encountered any Crown Clan members blocking their path.

They immediately issued orders.

"Attempt to escape—if that fails, ram into the contamination!!"

Meanwhile, across the star system, the Crown Clan members, already in position, gave cold smirks at the approaching starships.

Various formidable Psychic Weapons lit up the void.

As if greeting the starships that had unwittingly stumbled into this region teeming with Crown Clan members—Well, well.

*

Xiao Chuzao was clueless about the chaos.

He had been too excited all night, obsessed with scoring points, and hadn’t rested properly. Tiny, filthy, and dead on his feet, he had just dealt with Hei Quan—even though the beast’s power had been greatly weakened by his elders, it still packed a punch for a youngling. The fight had taken everything out of him.

The little one, drowsy and exhausted, waited for his aunt to pick him up. Hungry, he held a cookie in both hands, munching away with loud crunches.

Chao Huangmu had repeatedly tried to touch Xiao Chuzao's wings but was eventually hauled off by the instructor, who said that since he was so energetic, he might as well put that energy to use cleaning the battlefield.

The others were totally wiped out and had been sent onto the starship. Around the little one were soldiers from Saint Cas, including the familiar Legion Commander from last time.

So Xiao Chuzao munched on his cookie for a while, then peered up at the sky, thinking to himself—

Why hasn’t Aunt come to pick up Zao Zao yet?

Until a dark shape dropped down from the sky.

The soldiers beside him saluted.

"Your Majesty."

Xiao Chuzao blinked his big eyes and looked up—

Just in time to see Amos landing, his wings tucking in behind him.

"Daddy?"

The little cub froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up. He sprang up and scampered over excitedly.

"Daddy!"

Amos looked at his dust-coated little cub. The tiny one, bounding and flapping, rushed toward him. After two days without seeing his parent, Xiao Chuzao missed Amos terribly. His little wings flapped eagerly, pleading for a hug. Amos hesitated slightly.

He reached out and gently pressed a hand against the little one’s head, observing his disheveled cub.

King Amos began pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket—

Yes, ever since raising a child, King Amos had started carrying things on his person that would have been unthinkable before.

At least to wipe that dirty little face.

Held at arm's length for a moment, the little cub continued flapping his wings, reaching out with tiny hands innocently. It seemed he had only just remembered to ask Amos—

"Huh? Daddy's here?"

The little cub tilted his head, his grubby little face staring at his father, who wasn't supposed to be here in the first place.

"Didn’t we agree that this time Zao Zao would…"

King Amos, who had secretly followed without telling the little cub: "..."

King Amos barely hesitated before calmly withdrawing his hand and opening his arms.

He still appeared reliable, composed, and completely unflappable.

Alright, no more questions.

Come to Daddy.