Chapter 114: As If Waiting for This Sentence—For a Long, Long Time

Chapter 114 As If He’d Been Waiting for These Words—For Ages

Just when did this happen?

Despite the huge distance—how had this guy closed the gap in a blink?

As members of the mythic Longlived race, the Crown Clan seemed born for battle. Even the least warlike among them could wipe out an Aberrant Beast Legion singlehandedly once they came of age.

Their psychic strength was terrifying, and their physical abilities? Just as insane.

Though Finn hadn’t even tapped into his psychic energy, the sheer, crushing pressure he radiated froze the squad in terror.

"Yu Ye!"

The squad leader, Xi Yi, shouted through the comms.

"Don’t. Move."

"Hold on—we’re way too close to our turf. We were just on guard, no hostile intent—"

Xi Yi attempted to negotiate with Finn—because, to his horror, Finn, standing atop Yu Ye’s mech, had already begun probing for the cockpit’s entry point, as if intending to tear it open and drag Yu Ye out.

"Uncle Finn~"

A bright, cheery voice cut in—crisp as a mountain brook, with a hint of softness at the edges, like a sweet-natured kid.

The voice was pleasant, but—it came from alarmingly close behind them. In that moment, every member of the Saint Cas territory squad inside their mechs widened their eyes in terror, cold sweat breaking out. Nobody dared turn around to face whoever—or whatever—was creeping up behind them.

"Relax, guys. I’m literally about to have my coming-of-age ceremony—you can’t still call me a ‘kid,’ can you?"

Zao Zao’s all grown up now!

Finn stopped mid-motion, side-eyeing Chu Zao as the kid landed lightly on a ledge, candy bag in hand, Chao Huangmu hovering like a bodyguard.

Finn mentally scoffed—grown up?

Kid, you could live another century and we’d still see you as a baby.

The Crown Clan had been starved for new younglings for way too long. No matter how cool they acted, every last one of them was hopelessly soft for Chu Zao.

Amos, especially—he’d probably lock Zao Zao at age five forever if he could, just to keep him pocket-sized. His big bro would spoil him rotten till the end of time.

And besides—

The Little Crown was still kinda scruffy, his curls bouncing in the breeze. But his golden eyes sparkled. Lowering his gaze, he tore open the candy wrapper with a crisp *snap*—the *rip* of the candy wrapper cut through the dead silence.

Still a total candy fiend!

Thanks to Hale’s years of training, Chu Zao had the whole game figured out. He knew the Crown Clan inside out, and he’d pretty much cracked how to run Saint Cas—even if he wasn’t officially in charge yet.

Finn was a wild card—brilliant in a fight, but his short fuse and love for throwing hands made him a terrible diplomat.

As for Chao Huangmu—

Chu Zao glanced back at the man following him.

He was dead serious, laser-focused on Chu Zao’s pocket—where the kid’s "diary" notebook was stashed.

Chao Huangmu was clearly preoccupied, itching to scrub any mention of himself from that notebook.

Clearly, they still needed Zao Zao.

Chu Zao gave a light cough, raised his head, and offered a friendly smile, his eyes faintly glowing.

The Little Crown Clan, now adept at subtly guiding others' emotions, quietly guided the clearly shaken locals.

"Don't be nervous—"

As his voice reached their ears, their tension gradually eased.

The squad leader finally turned to look at the two standing behind them.

In barely a minute—a distance their mechs might not have crossed so fast—someone had arrived, and not just one, but three—faster than a minute at that.

"We didn’t mean to end up here. We bear no ill will toward your territory."

The Little Crown Clan smiled, gentle and polite.

Some in the squad eased up slightly, though they still stole glances at the dismantled mech arm that had belonged to Yu Ye.

Chu Zao caught on too. He turned to look, blinked a few times, then faced them again with an air of innocence.

"Of course, we didn’t *mean* to break your weapons. Back home, aiming weapons at someone means war. Also, your mechs are just too fragile."

Could you really blame his uncle?

The Little Crown Clan negotiated politely, his harmless look enough to make anyone’s blood pressure spike.

"Mind stepping out of your mechs? Hard to have a proper chat through these things."

And besides—these were *mechs*?

Chu Zao eyed them with admiration. In Saint Cas, only toys came this varied and flexible. On the battlefield, mechs were rarely useful.

Though they *were* too fragile—he wondered how they’d hold up against beasts.

"You—"

Yu Ye finally snapped back to reality, his voice trembling with agitation as if he wanted to say something.

"Yu Ye! Calm down."

The squad leader cut in quickly, stopping Yu Ye from acting rashly. Yu Ye was the youngest in their squad, having survived hardship—chased by beasts outside the hunting grounds, losing both parents in the attack, leaving only him and his younger brother.

Truthfully, after so many generations in the Sacred Territory, when even other nations had long since forgotten Saint Cas, it was clear that a thousand years of change had worn away any nostalgia for the so-called homeland of their ancestors.

Under the grind of survival, many, like Yu Ye, had to toughen up the hard way.

But beasts rarely gave them the time to mature.

Xi Yi watched Yu Ye, making sure he’d cooled off, before issuing the order.

"Everyone, exit your mechs. Yu Ye, stay inside. We’ll fix your mech arm later—keep your mouth shut."

"Captain, is it safe to go out?"

"We don’t know who these three are—"

"Pop the hatch."

Xi Yi didn't respond. He was the first to open the hatch of his mech and jump out.

Xi Yi understood perfectly well—given Finn's swift and decisive movements earlier, staying inside would merely add one trivial step of prying open the hatch for them, barely even a hassle.

Xi Yi hadn't even seen what weapon Finn used—could it really have been just his hands, without any weapon at all?

That would imply unimaginable physical ability, something Xi Yi refused to believe. He was certain they must have simply put away their weapons too quickly for him to notice.

Chu Zao looked up again to find five or six youths in their teens or twenties standing beside him, having emerged from their mechs.

That's more like it—

Chu Zao looked at them. The Crown Clan rarely concerned themselves with matters unrelated to them, but this place was simply too peculiar.

Chu Zao smiled once more.

The Little Crown Clan member still looked somewhat dusty, though his face had been wiped clean. His features were soft, and among the three, he was the most slender, giving off a strangely friendly vibe.

"We were brought here by spatial energy. Could you tell us where this place is?"

"This is Planet No. 67 - uninhabitable zone. We're a squad from the Sacred Territory, here for Survival Contest training."

"You said you were brought here by a spatial disturbance—?"

Chu Zao blinked.

"Is there a problem?"

Finn had already ambled over to stand behind Chu Zao.

This steady and reliable member of the Crown Clan clearly knew he wasn't suited for negotiations. Besides, the young ones needed room to grow, so he without hesitation or apology left the task to Chu Zao.

"No... it's just a bit surprising. Space distortions don't happen often, and—"

Those caught in them almost never returned. Even if one miraculously made it back to safety, there was an 80-90% chance they'd already been flattened into pulp by the forces within.

"Survival Contest?"

Finn stood behind his kid, red eyes filled with confusion as he stared at the boy.

"What's that?"

Is Third Uncle asking me? Zao Zao isn't a know-it-all—how would Zao Zao know? Is this some term the Crown Clan doesn't understand?

Sensing his uncle's gaze, the Little Crown Clan member also turned to look at him, went quiet briefly, before shifting his eyes to Chao Huangmu.

—What is that thing?

Chao Huangmu, who had offered tons of candy and was still waiting for Zao Zao to scratch out the notes in his diary: ...

Wait, hold on—if I say I don't know, will Zao Zao give me another black mark???

After a long moment of contemplation, Chao Huangmu was still clueless. Finally, he looked up at the group before him. "What is the Survival Contest?"

"Wait, where exactly are you all from? How do you not know what the Survival Contest is?"

"Doesn't your race send participants every year? If you don’t participate, aren’t you just thrown straight into the predator zones?"

"Or is it because you hold top rank within your clan, so you’ve been kept in the dark about it—? But that doesn't add up. Even the youngest princess of the Gesen Empire knows about the Survival Contest."

The Little Crown Clan listened...

Based on their words, Zao Zao had deduced some things.

It seemed that the monsters and the humans here had reached a balance, with the Survival Contest as the basis. Moreover, this place was undoubtedly the other side of the pollution barrier. Over the past thousand years, its development had diverged completely from their own star system, but it still had a considerable population and intricate factions and relationships.

Though he didn’t feel especially threatened here,

Chu Zao remembered his teacher’s words—caution was key. A single misstep could lead to playing right into the Hymn Organization’s schemes. And Grandma had always emphasized—after dealing with beasts, always make sure to finish them off properly.

The gist of it was the same.

So, with only the three of them present and no way to contact his father, Xiao Chuzao in the end decided it was best not to draw too much attention. They would wait until they could establish contact with the Saint Cas Empire.

As for Finn, who usually loved stirring up trouble, this was his first time truly being solely responsible for the little guy, and he found himself surprisingly on the same page.

Seeing their clear confusion,

and with Xiao Chuzao’s ability to control and soothe emotions—despite having just dismantled Yu Ye’s mechanical arm—Xi Yi and the others now found them strangely friendly.

They took turns explaining the Survival Contest and everything about it in detail.

By the time Xi Yi’s throat was dry from talking, making him take a sip of water and even relax enough to let the squad’s deputy leader, Mu Kang, take two people to reattach Yu Ye’s mechanical arm, he suddenly jolted back to reality. Staring into Chu Zao’s clear, harmless eyes—now lowered in thought, giving Xi Yi a moment to breathe—cold sweat drenched his back.

What had they just been saying? What had they just been doing?

How had they so carelessly spilled all that information, even details about the Sacred Land?

They had even mentioned how two teams from the Sacred Land had already lost contact during the preliminary rounds of the contest.

Xi Yi instinctively glanced at his teammates, who were also relaxed, observing Yu Ye’s mechanical arm as it was being reinstalled. He tried to say something.

But before he could speak,

the young boy, still looking down, seemed to see right through his thoughts. Without even raising his gaze, he asked directly,

“Is there anything else you haven’t told us?”

“N-no, nothing—”

Xi Yi swallowed his words abruptly.

His hand, hidden at his side, trembled slightly—an instinctive fear of sensing danger but being helpless against it.

Never mind the one who had violently dismantled the mech—what about that boy who looked no older than sixteen or seventeen?

“I just wanted to say… your mechs are really fragile. They seem very different from ours.”

Xi Yi forcibly steered the conversation elsewhere.

“Oh, mechs.”

Chu Zao glanced up, eyeing their mechs.

Chao Huangmu barely glanced at those mechs, only sweeping his eyes over them before turning away.

“Mechs are pretty fragile.”

Chu Zao nodded in agreement.

"The losses are brutal too—"

For those who pursue peak performance as solo mecha pilots, the casualty rate remains very high, especially under the threat of Beasts.

As for the Crown Clan, their insane psych and physique renders mechas unnecessary—even their followers don’t need them. Instead, their focus is on starships and various large warships, which can be churned out in bulk thanks to stable conditions and deliver widespread strikes against Beasts, resulting in way fewer losses.

Chu Zao was still stuck in his head, momentarily unable to break free.

Chao Huangmu, however, clicked with what the kid meant.

This was a total worldview gap.

To those from the Holy Land, Saint Cas’s mechas might seem like a joke, but to the Crown Clan, all mechas are equally trivial.

Don’t even ask—they’re just too fragile and don’t suit their national needs.

"This your training zone?"

Chu Zao continued questioning.

"Are there Beasts here too? In that direction?"

He pointed toward where they had previously heard the Branch Monster shrieks.

But Xi Yi’s expression went tight.

"Those are next-level Vine Beasts. Even if you’re strong, don’t poke that nest. Beasts kill each other internally, but they breed like roaches—wipes don’t even matter. The Vine Beast forces over there are incomplete in formation—though they haven’t yet developed a powerful commander, they seem frequently suppressed. Occasionally, a few chased here by other Beasts form new troops. They’re stragglers, but still nasty. The Beasts on this planet are of slightly lower tiers."

"...Oh."

Vine Beasts?

But the sounds seemed exactly like those of Branch Monsters.

Chu Zao pondered—

As for stragglers fleeing from suppression by other Beasts?

Something felt off.

Could these stragglers be tied to their previous concentrated strikes against many Branch Monsters?

"Captain, there’s no need to say so much."

Finally, Yu Ye, who had been quietly staying inside his mecha, couldn’t hold back.

He had listened for a long time as his teammates spilled their guts, even advising these weirdos not to provoke the Vine Beasts—

By revealing the Vine Beasts’ location, what if these strangers had ill intentions and dragged Beasts to their doorstep?

Though that area wasn’t yet a hunting zone, there was no containing brainless Beasts.

Of course—Yu Ye also knew in his heart that if these three truly intended to act against the Holy Land, none of its current residents could stop them.

His mech arm was fixed now.

He grumbled, "After all, barely anyone out here gets us."

Especially those with skills to scrape through the Contest—they’d never team up or give a damn. Centuries proved it—everyone in the Holy Land already knew.

Don’t kid yourself.

"So..."

Yu Ye knew he was being reckless, but he still spoke up.

"Could you please leave here as soon as possible? You’re a threat to our territory. Forget about the Aberrant Beasts—we’ll handle them ourselves, no matter what, even if you don’t understand—"

Just like the Gesen Empire and their lackeys, who are bending over backwards trying to coexist peacefully with the Aberrant Beasts.

Voluntarily becoming lambs to the slaughter, waiting for the day they’re served up on a silver platter—everything they do just kicks the can down the road.

But here, in this era where everyone is caught up in the Survival Contest spectacle, hardly anyone’s on the same page. Occasionally, a few national alliances dare to communicate with us in secret.

Their first two missing teams were just like this.

Goddammit—goddammit—

At this thought, Yu Ye couldn’t help but pound his mech’s console again.

At the same time, a roar cut through the sky.

This roar was instantly recognizable to Chu Zao, Finn, and Chao Huangmu—

That was the same screech as the Branch Monsters they had encountered earlier at the barrier defense line!

It was getting louder—closer.

"Vine Beasts?!"

Xi Yi had intended to interrupt Yu Ye, but upon hearing the roar, he abruptly stood up.

"No way—they never come this close to our turf! Mu Kang, warn the territory—now. Everyone else, be alert—hold the line against the Vine Beasts!"

Meanwhile, a mangled Vine Beast, having just evolved a sliver of self-awareness and now missing several tentacles, didn’t slow down for a second. Using its corrupted energy and warp skills, it fled to what it believed was a safe zone, only to encounter a horde of beasts.

In that instant, it calmed down, finally snapping out of the terror inflicted by the rain of arrows—

Its strength was fading...

Flesh—it needed more flesh, it needed to replenish its power...

As for the hunting zones established by the Aberrant Beasts?

This Vine Beast paid them no mind. It caught the scent of human flesh, weirdly laced with something mouthwatering—something it had smelled near the barrier before. The same stench that made Aberrant Beasts piss themselves.

But how could that be?

This Vine Beast, now slightly self-aware, thought—how’d they get here?

Not to mention, it had booked it at top speed. Even if those delicious beings from beyond the barrier could cross over, there was no way they could have arrived before it.

Thus, the Aberrant Beast Legion of Vine Beasts, resting and recuperating, rolled out. They turned toward the direction where the smell of fresh meat hung in the air.

Flesh—flesh—

In an instant, they spotted the figures on the planet—

Not enough. Nowhere near enough.

But it didn’t matter—

Even as the Vine Beast watched the mechas charging forward, attempting to block their advance, it thought smugly—*A quick snack wouldn’t hurt.*

Thus, the Sacred Territory squad, which had just cooperated to eliminate several Vine Beasts, stared in shock at the charging Aberrant Beast Legion—especially—

“Does that Vine Beast look… off?!”

“It’s almost humanoid—it’s evolving?! We can’t handle this, retreat, retreat now!”

The smug Vine Beast had already reached Yu Ye’s mecha at the forefront. The mecha, which could barely handle ordinary Vine Beasts, was nothing more than a flimsy little tin can in the eyes of this slowly evolving aberration. Its arm, composed of tangled vines and tendrils, reached out, wrapping around Yu Ye’s mecha, about to pry open the cockpit like a seashell to devour the pilot inside.

Yu Ye could no longer control the mecha. He scrambled for a sidearm and a knife inside the cockpit. He heard his teammates shouting for him over the comms—after a few shouts, the screen cut out—

He looked up, gripping his weapons tightly, staring at the cockpit hatch. But in the end—his gaze turned toward the land so many in the Sacred Territory longed for.

*Home… home…*

Too many had died dreaming of home. Was he next?

So why—even now—did home still pull at their hearts? Was anyone there? Could anyone save them? Just… why… home…

The sheer size of the aberration’s assault also drew the attention of several nearby Monster Commanders.

“Should we intervene?”

“Who cares? That land was always just food from the Gesen Empire.”

“True. I hate their rebellious spirit—it’s not as fun as watching it live.”

“If they die, oh well. We’ll cross that bridge later.”

But neither the Monster Commanders nor Yu Ye and his team had anticipated what came next.

Time seemed to stop.

Yu Ye’s eyes widened as he stared at the last flickering image on his screen—his soul shuddering in recognition—

A lean, grime-streaked young boy had somehow landed atop his mecha. With one hand—he grabbed a Vine Beast tendril. His delicate, slender fingers didn’t seem to exert much force, yet the Vine Beast instantly froze in place. Finn, watching from afar, gave a slow clap for his protégé.

Meanwhile, on Chu Zao’s flank, Chao Huangmu raised an energy rifle, ready to fire—only to pause at the sight of the missing tendril. With a smirk, he quipped, “Hey… you look familiar—”

*Now that’s what I call a surprise. Let me tell you what a real surprise is.*

The Vine Beast’s smugness vanished: …???

*Wait, hold on—the Vine Beast didn’t recognize Chu Zao, but it vaguely remembered Chao Huangmu—this… this can’t be right, can it?*

Chu Zao lowered his head, his clear eyes scanning before finally settling on the mecha’s viewport. He let out what seemed like a soft sigh.

“‘Never surrender’? You were right.”

In that instant, a single tear rolled down Yu Ye’s widened eyes—as if they had heard those words before, or as if they had been waiting for them… for a very, very long time.