Chapter 112: The Cub Is Lost

Chapter 112 The Little One Got Lost

"He was totally about to flip out just now, hahaha—"

From a corner not far away, Finn was hiding while giving An Ya a live commentary from the scene.

"His ego is so big now, even though he’s still just a little one. But like I’ve always said—looking good is forever!"

An Ya tutted lightly over the communicator. "Keep your laughter down, or he might hold a grudge."

She couldn’t help but smile too.

"I've got my psychic energy locked down tight. How could he possibly notice me?" Finn continued.

From years of experiments, they had discovered that when the little one’s psychic control slipped, his emotions fluctuated, or he failed to fully restrain his psychic presence, he could easily detect their psychic threads and even talk right into their heads.

But as long as they carefully concealed their energy, the little one wouldn’t find them so effortlessly unless he actively searched.

An Ya had no response to this.

Instead, she eyed Finn. "Speaking of which, Third Brother, how did you manage to get here so smoothly this time? It’s weirding me out—no screw-ups at all, and you found Zao Zao right away."

Finn grumbled. "I don’t get lost all the time, you know?"

An Ya scoffed. "Really? I don’t believe you."

On the planet, where the young Crown Clan member stood, a small starship sat behind him. Not far away, the target had been taken out. Chao Huangmu, piloting a temporary small mech, was swiftly approaching Chu Zao.

What the Saint Cas Empire really specialized in was psychic energy—developing psychic weapons and continuously enhancing their power. They excelled in coordinated starship operations, with each Group Army led by a Crown Clan member. These forces often served as auxiliary support for the Crown Clan’s royals. In comparison, mechs—which demanded exceptional individual skill and vast starship space—were barely developed in Saint Cas, treated as backup gear.

As a hybrid with Soul Race heritage, Chao Huangmu had grown rapidly over the years, becoming one of the few capable of operating outside protective zones in contaminated regions, aside from the Crown Clan.

He hopped down from the mech and straightened up—a full head taller than Chu Zao. The young Crown Clan member had to include his crown just to reach Chao Huangmu’s head, just about eye-level.

Clad in a black standard-issue combat suit, still steaming a little, his dark hair damp, Chao Huangmu grinned wide as he approached Chu Zao.

"Zao Zao, tired?"

His puppy-dog eyes lit up as he raised his communicator—he had recorded everything, all his badass moves included.

"MREs are gross—but look what I brought—"

The young Crown Clan member was intently scanning the area, his eyes glowing faintly as he searched for his Third Uncle. Caught off guard by the comment, he turned and was immediately distracted by the candy Chao Huangmu had on him.

Chu Zao: "..."

*Ahem.*

It’s like this—Zao Zao has already grown up. He’s no longer the little one who would go nuts for candy.

He’s a formidable young Crown Clan member now.

But then again—

"Where did you get this candy? Never seen it before."

The young Crown Clan member looked at it once, then again. After a quick sweep to confirm no one else was around, he reached out and took the candy—

Because he had always been particularly fond of candy since childhood and continued to love sweets even as an adult, the Saint Cas Empire had virtually monopolized the candy companies in their sector of the galaxy.

Chu Zao had seen many kinds of candies.

"Right?" Chao Huang Mu also smiled, taking a step forward to try to envelop Chu Zao in his shadow, but Zaozao had grown taller, so he could only cover half of her. "I found it during a resupply. It seemed to be a new factory with unknown origins, but I did a taste test, and it was good. Later, I checked it with instruments, and there was nothing wrong with it."

It tasted pretty good; Chu Zao should like it.

Also, because the Little Crown Clan loved candy, Chao Huang Mu had eaten a lot of candy over the years—unconsciously, this guy who didn't particularly enjoy sweets had come to like them too—after all, Zaozao said that eating sweet things brought happiness.

The Little Crown Clan stuffed the candy into his pocket. He suddenly paused, finally noticing something. His wings flapped behind him, and he flew up, grabbing onto something, then landed—Chu Zao followed the mental thread he had caught with his eyes.

His gaze landed on a spot, and then he reached out, removing his crown and wrapping the mental thread around it—

Not far away, Fenix was still talking to Anya.

Trying to prove that his constitution wasn't really that outrageous—but come to think of it, it was strange.

Although Fenix said this, he was actually wondering himself; this time was indeed a bit strange, everything had gone smoothly, and they hadn't even encountered a single alien beast army.

Anya suddenly added—"Oh, right, Brother Amos sent me a message telling me to have you bring Zaozao to see Grandpa. He told Zaozao you were here—"

Fenix: …

At the same time, Fenix suddenly closed his eyes, taken aback—because a voice shouted loudly in his head—

"Uncle Three!! You're following me again!!"

Well, after being betrayed, he was discovered.

Finn grumbled to himself, finally waving his hand and standing up from behind the boulder, walking toward Chu Zao.

To the Crown Clan in their prime, the Little Crown Clan, though taller and grown up, was no longer the little cub who could be easily scooped into their arms, bouncy and soft, like in childhood. Yet, whether in age or size, he was still very much a cub in their eyes.

"Alright, alright, stop shouting. Third Uncle heard you, little one. Third Uncle was just passing by, taking a look—"

"Third Uncle, you always say that."

The Little Crown Clan pouted, one hand tucked into his pocket. His pretty face, with its gentle features, still showed traces of his childhood when he pouted—slightly puffed up, though now tempered with far more steadiness and composure than before. Only around his family would this little one, who had been cherished and adored since being found, unconsciously slip into acting spoiled—it was practically instinct by now.

Could he really be blamed for it?

Finn mused inwardly—even at Chu Zao's age, logic dictated he should be given more independence. But given the interstellar situation and the unique significance of their young, a Crown Clan member always trailed behind Zao Zao.

It was just that Crown Clan like Amos and Lynn were too good at hiding, so Zao Zao never noticed.

And most of the time, the one who worried the most was Amos.

The one who followed the little one the most was also Amos.

Though at the moment, Amos was occupied with other matters, so occasionally, others would step in to keep watch. Finn had to admit—keeping close wasn’t a bad idea, just in case anything happened.

But Amos was also the most wistful. Though he usually masked his emotions well, to them, his melancholy was visibly wistful—the cub he once carried had grown up. The soft, clingy calls of "*Dada*" and the warm snuggles were becoming rarer with age.

"Dad said Great-Grandpa started reacting to Auntie again. It seems he can recognize her now."

Chu Zao glanced at Chao Huangmu beside him.

"Wanna head over together?"

An Ya’s voice came through the communicator, "I've received the message too and am heading there now."

He’d originally come to relieve Fei Man, but Fei Man had just returned to rest after visiting Ebinino when this update came through—

It seemed they were one step closer to the world on the other side of the pollution.

Over the past few years, the Pollution Tide had gotten worse, and the barrier appeared about to give out. As Ebinino's crown gradually solidified, power started fluctuating constantly.

Before the barrier fully opened, they needed to find a way to enter the pollution, control and eliminate the potential impact of the alien beasts on Saint Cas, and prepare for the next wave of pollution.

Fortunately, thanks to Zao Zao, research on pollution in the galaxy had taken a significant leap forward, allowing them to cross through bad pollution zones even without him.

An Ya had barely finished the thought when he saw Chu Zao and the others preparing to head toward the planet near Ebinino.

No one noticed the violent fluctuations in the barrier's power as pollution surged against it in layers, setting off sudden thunderclaps.

Finn’s head snapped toward the noise, and Zao Zao halted, whipping around, confused. The Little Crown Clan member asked, "What's going on? Is it the Pollution Tide?"

"Probably?"

Chao Huangmu replied.

"This kinda thing happens all the time—"

Before he could finish speaking, Chao Huangmu, who was usually indifferent to most things, his eyes locked onto Chu Zao again.

His pupils dilated slightly like he’d just realized something—around the Little Crown Clan member, power was building up, and for a brief moment, it warped with a sickening tear—as if space itself was buckling.

"Watch out!"

Chao Huangmu sprinted without thinking, trying to pull Chu Zao away.

Finn’s wings flared open behind him, curling around the two kids.

But before they could escape, the galaxy's weirdest space-warping crap expanded in an instant. Countless distortions formed from the clash between the barrier and the pollution, creating numerous spatial anomalies of varying sizes nearby.

Around Chu Zao and the others, a massive spatial fluctuation appeared—like some giant monster’s mouth that swallowed them whole, along with nearby starships, equipment, mechs, and debris—

Chu Zao had experienced something similar when he was younger.

Now, his head was pounding as he and Chao Huangmu both turned to Finn.

The Little Crown Clan member spread his wings—six in total—grabbing Chao Huangmu and dragging his uncle along, trying to break free from the spatial force. But it was clear that from its emergence to its formation, the process was too fast, too sudden, and it sealed up even faster.

An Ya's communicator flickered once before abruptly going dead—

An Ya: ??????

At the same time, the Saint Cas Empire's Group Army issued an all-hands alert—Pollution Tide impact triggering widespread spatial anomalies. All personnel were advised to evacuate planets near the barrier immediately.

An Ya was stunned.

And at that very moment, King Amos's call came through.

Time had not altered King Amos's appearance in the slightest.

But now, his eyes were weirdly intense—

"Where's Zao Zao?"

"Where's my child?"

Communications were instantly lost, and even the locator on the Crown Clan member disappeared.

An Ya: ...

An Ya: ........

"Second Brother, I have good news."

Amos gave him a look, urging him to speak.

"Zao Zao’s with Third Brother, so safety’s not a concern—"

Even in the most severe contaminated zones, there was a Little Crown Clan member whose mental strength was formidable, nothing like the weak five- or six-year-old from before.

"And now—the locator is showing. Third Brother’s tracker’s always glitching, but Zao Zao’s locator is definitely accurate."

An Ya worked the warship’s command console. He stared at the locator and took a deep breath.

Amos had clearly seen the tracker too by now. In that instant, even through the screen, An Ya could feel the oppressive intensity of Amos’s glare.

"The bad news is that the recent spatial distortion swallowed Zao Zao, his little guard, and Third Brother. Their current location is in a distant, uncharted territory."

Though perceptually, Xiao Chuzao and Finn seemed fine, that was still the interior of a contaminated zone they knew nothing about. No one could be sure what was there.

So—

Bad news: Second Brother, your kid’s gone missing.

An Ya had panicked briefly too, but after processing all the information, he managed to steady his anxiety.

Seriously—the one time Second Brother wasn’t on watch, leaving Finn in charge, and yet this happened again.

An Ya said quickly—

"I’ll go check the spot where they were swallowed now."

Meanwhile, at the Saint Cas Empire’s barrier defense outpost, the ruins of the 1st Group Army.

Amos turned his gaze toward the inside of the barrier.

Fei Man pressed her hand to the barrier. Ebinino was acting normal, but the silver-black crown atop his head seemed entwined with golden radiance, hinting at the base form of a Crown Clan’s coronet.

Ebinino was watching Fei Man intently—still mindless in the contamination, he’d sometimes shoot upward suddenly before circling back to stare at her again.

Like their old "fly high" game he used to play with her when she was little.

Then Ebinino gave a low growl.

He looked around—Hey, where’s the little one? Where’d he go?

Amos had already approached.

Fei Man was still clueless, but one thing was clear: her Second Brother was furious—

Or rather, an extremely terrible one. The suppressing force of his mental energy was pulverizing nearby pebbles to dust at a terrifying speed.

But Amos was accustomed to maintaining a calm demeanor, so his face stayed calm—for now.

Fei Man couldn't help but step back, her crown flickered into view as it was disturbed by the movement.

Amos raised his hand and placed it on the barrier. Above his head, a silver-black crown slowly materialized, radiating the supreme authority of the Dwight clan's king, his crimson eyes meeting Ebinino's gaze.

"Ebinino, you need to open a gap in the barrier large enough for a portion of the warships to pass through."

Hearing this name and tone, Ebinino flinched instinctively, but due to his unclear consciousness, he still didn't quite grasp what they intended to do.

Fei Man, however, caught on.

"Elder Brother? What's wrong?"

"We've lost Zao Zao."

Fei Man: ?

What?

"On the other side of the tainted zone."

Amos eyed Ebinino, then gestured with his hands.

He mimicked the unchanged puffy white shape of the Little Crown Clan—perhaps due to his angelic hybrid lineage, his little one's original shape remained fluffy as ever.

Amos held his hands apart to show the size of that small white fluffball—

"Remember? This little one, our little one's gone."

Fei Man: —

"Finn was supposed to be on watch! Why could Zao Zao go missing??"

Ebinino: —

*Little one?*

*Little one is missing?*

*Why is he missing?*

*Because he never lets him finish whining?*

No—

Ebinino reacted slowly, his consciousness still murky, but clearly different from before. Now, he let out a furious guttural snarl—

*Where did he disappear?*

"Ebinino, open the barrier."

Amos had already barked at Fei Man, who was now in a panic, to make the necessary preparations—

Their approach to the tainted zone still required careful scouting, but time was up. While dealing with the issues over there, they also needed to get their kid back.

Ebinino was still lagging.

Amos shot Fei Man a look, but his psychic force bore down relentlessly against the barrier—

"Ebinino is doing okay for now. If he fails to open the barrier after all preparations are complete, I’ll have to take drastic action."

Right now, Amos is the only one who can brute-force a hole big enough to get through.

Word about Xiao Chuzao going missing hasn’t gotten out yet. Things stayed pretty quiet after the Pollution Tide moved on.

But over on the other side of the pollution? Not so chill.

Booming explosions kept going off on some far-off planets—though still far away, their high-tech gear kept tabs on what those fringe-world races were up to, so some were fully aware of the situation.

At this moment, the cutthroat survival game was still going strong out here in space. It’d even turned into a sick kind of entertainment, thanks to this messed-up balance—you had live play-by-plays, betting pools, the whole deal. Everyone was gunning for a shot at the top—total safety, killer mechs, and unbeatable skills.

Out in the pollution, they were just scraps of star systems, boxed in by filth and monsters. They squeezed their tiny turf to the absolute limit, strong-arming weaker races into death games, shoving them right up against the pollution—where deals had been struck with those beasts. Feeding these humans to the beasts kept them safe.

This practice had persisted for over a century.

The smart alien beasts were totally on board with this setup.

They even got a kick out of upping the ante for the survival games—until it became this messed-up pyramid of suffering, whole worlds raised as monster chow.

Out of the handful of clean zones left, the Gesen Empire ruled the roost.

They were currently preparing for the next survival game.

Then—out of nowhere—came the noise.

"The hell’s happening?"

"What have they been up to lately?"

In the halls of the Gesen palace, those deliberating over which planet or race to sacrifice next paused at the disturbance.

"Go see if the beasts are up to something. Things haven’t been peaceful these past two years."

The Gesen Empire, having established this brutal equilibrium, had no desire to see it disrupted.

Meanwhile, the starship, along with the little one, Finn, and Chao Huangmu, had crash-landed in an unfamiliar place.

Finn and Chao Huangmu had the Little Crown Clan sandwiched safely between them.

He hacked on dust, coughing his lungs out, his little face filthy as he glanced around—

"Where is this?"

Then he turned to his uncle, who was spitting out dust with a "Pah! Pah!"

The little one’s usually composed, cool, and handsome expression finally cracked—his six wings flapped instinctively, stirring up another cloud of dust. Chu Zao coughed again, eyeing his now-grayed wings in dismay. *Trouble.* He still hadn’t mastered grooming them properly—if he accidentally pulled out feathers, Dad would scold him. In the end, he simply retracted his wings, then glanced at his now-"frosted" crown and tucked that away too. Zao Zao checked his communicator—finally, Chu Zao couldn’t hold it in any longer. Covered in dust like a grubby little ball, he looked just as disheveled as the equally bedraggled Chao Huangmu and Finn beside him.

The Little Crown Clan leaned against the starship behind him, waving a hand to disperse the dust. Bracing against the ground, he couldn’t help but smack it once more before fixing Finn with an incredulous stare.

"Uncle, did you give this to us?!"

"Where the hell did you land us?!"