Chapter 124: —Amos, You’re Too Late

Chapter 124 — Amos, You're Too Late

A beautiful face, a dismissive tone, a longbow wreathed in flames held effortlessly in one hand.

The casual yet condescending words.

In the shadows, amber eyes glinted.

Not long ago, they had mocked the pathetic excuse for mech piloting.

Yet none had imagined such a scene unfolding.

Reflected in the eyes of all, terror flashed.

Ji Yuan’s head hung heavy, feeling the air in his lungs being squeezed out bit by bit. In the grip of overwhelming fear, someone behind him fanned the flames of his fear.

Memories of past horrors swamped his mind, and in the midst of it all, he completely lost consciousness.

Chu Zao, meanwhile, turned his gaze to the distance. The mechs that had been gearing up to strike him now stared in terror at the chaos unfolding, while Chao Huangmu had already sprung into action.

Dealing with these foes was child’s play for Chao Huangmu—some mechs blew apart outright, taking their pilots with them, while others bailed out in panic, fleeing only to be intercepted by Chu Zao.

The unspoken tension thickened.

Yet this mind control didn’t even require Cupid’s Bow in its usual mode.

"What was your plan?"

Chu Zao said with a smirk.

"Under the orders of the Beast Lord—this time, we lured the troublesome Sacred Territory into the hunting grounds to ensure the wiping out of the psychics—"

The man met Chu Zao’s gaze, froze for a moment, and then spoke instinctively.

When he realized what he’d just revealed, he jerked back, tripping over his own feet and face-planting, crab-walking away in panic.

What had just happened?

Why—?

How could he have possibly divulged such a thing?

About how the Gesen Empire had been colluding with the beasts from the very beginning, selling out their own kind to secure its supremacy.

How could he have dared to say it aloud?

Even if he wasn’t killed here, he was surely dead meat back home—

In his terrified eyes, the young boy’s silhouette standing with the longbow burned.

Chu Zao tilted his head, batting his eyes.

He looked harmless, deceptively so.

But to this man, Chu Zao’s appearance now sent shivers down his spine. The illusion of frailty had shattered in an instant.

A devil—this had to be a devil straight from hell!!

The livestream instantly exploded into chaos.

The Gesen Empire was indeed powerful, and for a long time, many had believed it ruled at the top of all human nations.

But being caged sheep, ranking themselves by their own abilities and teaming up with 'wolves' to achieve their goals—these were entirely different things.

This showed their whole 'survival of the fittest' survival contest was a lie from the start.

It had always been a game rigged by the high-level alien beasts.

They could decide which race would fall in any given year.

And who knows how long they had already done this.

Of course, upon reflection, you could see this coming.

Yet under such overwhelming suppression, nobody wanted to think too hard, nor did anyone say it out loud.

Just as Chu Zao had anticipated.

Chu Zao was about to speak again when—

A whistle of an arrow suddenly came from behind him.

Was it Third Uncle's arrow?

Chu Zao hesitated for a moment before instinctively looking up.

Then he swiftly retreated. In the next instant, the spot where he had just stood blew up, kicking up a dust cloud.

At the same time, all the livestreaming devices in the area began flickering intensely before started smoking.

As this live feed cut off, the horrified viewers still watching saw a hulking figure slowly rising from the dust—along with the sudden glow of countless tiny, clustered compound eyes.

Around it, what seemed like swarms of little ones, tiny insect-like creatures, gathered, making everyone's skin crawl.

This was the intermediate-level Monster Commander guarding the core of the Survival Contest this time.

Some kind of caterpillar monster of the insectoid variety.

The Alien Beast Suppression Center was, in fact, meant to help the mech teams that scored well in the warm-up matches.

It ensured that the alien beasts active in the vicinity left them alone.

Yet for the first time since the Survival Contest began, the Monster Commander stationed at the contest's central point had broken out and made a move against a participating nation or region.

The caterpillar-like alien beast had been called in by Shan Huo, a high-level insectoid Alien Beast Commander of the same lineage.

Its face was still barely human-looking, its massive mandibles clicking open and shut, while countless tiny compound eyes fixed on their direction. Not far behind it, Finn's arrow slammed into a mountain with a boom, shaking the entire planet of the Survival Contest.

The overwhelming surge of mental pressure instantly sent tremors across the entire Survival Contest planet. Countless participants, unaware of what was happening, panicked as they looked around.

"Ah—"

Finn nocked another arrow, the crown on his head suddenly glowing brightly.

"Too far to hit easily, is it?"

The Monster Commander here was indeed different.

At least it wasn’t like the Monster Commander An Ya said they took down before.

This one was noticeably stronger.

Finn caught onto it a bit sooner, but by the time Xiao Chuzao spotted it, the creature had already approached Zao Zao.

There was barely enough time and space for Zao Zao to pull back.

Xiao Chuzao touched down, the blast’s shockwave whipping at his clothes and hair.

Finn was already on the move behind him, closing the gap in a flash while drawing his bow.

Before anyone could blink, his longbow was jammed against the bug monster’s skull.

Chu Zao barked, "Brother Mu!"

Chao Huangmu knew exactly what the little one was getting at.

No hesitation—he hauled Sacred Territory and the Eastern Alliance’s crew to safety, fast.

Nearby, a high ledge jutted up—not quite a mountain, more like a cliff that had cracked open mid-rise, leaving a sharp drop.

Chu Zao’s fingers dug into his longbow.

The second the monster spotted Finn, a barrage of threads spewed from its jaws.

Finn twisted midair, landing cleanly behind the thing.

Chu Zao drew his bow, lining up a shot on the monster—always a half-step behind Finn.

Xiao Chuzao loosed his arrow without a second thought.

Finn attacked simultaneously. Finn could hold his own up close, but as an archer, he wasn’t as slick as his siblings—not with this freak of a foe.

Slip up, and it’d cost them—

Finn’s babyface twisted into a scowl.

Where the hell was Amos?

They’d gone all-out because Zao Zao swore he’d spotted Amos’s Psychic thread—figured they had backup. Now?

Amos—get your ass here! Now!

Xiao Chuzao’s arrow flew.

Finn struck in unison.

The Crown Clan’s psychic blast locked the bug monster in place, stunned.

Up in the air—

Shan Hu’s gaze drilled into Xiao Chuzao—

His back shivered—

Weird.

Really damn weird.

Is he—afraid?

Shan Huo's face twisted into an ugly smirk.

Monsters don’t feel fear!

Just destroy what’s causing it—no point overthinking.

See—it's restrained now, isn't it?

These freaks aren’t as unstoppable as they act.

After Xiao Chuzao fired his arrow, Shan Huo moved slowly.

This little one’s weaker than the other, but somehow more dangerous.

As psychic energy detonated, Finn fell back.

Then, realizing something, he whipped his head around—only to find something already looming over the little one's head, unnoticed until now.

Finn’s last thread of restraint snapped.

He didn’t bother checking if the bug monster was really dead, swiftly redirecting his arrow toward Shan Huo while rushing to Chu Zao's side.

"Zao Zao!"

Xiao Chuzao paused for just a moment, looking up to meet those disgusting eyes.

His eyes narrowed a fraction. With Finn's help, he counterattacked and retreated, but the delay from facing a high-ranking Monster Commander left him slightly slower this time. A wing clipped him, sending loose feathers flying from his messy plumage.

Meanwhile, Chu Zao was already airborne, perching on the highest ledge.

Finn’s shoulder was bleeding.

He let out a cold laugh.

"Hah, you pests—think I’m just standing around? Targeting our young ones? Typical filthy behavior—"

A gale whipped around Finn, the blood in the air feeding his rage. His calm eyes flickered with growing frenzy.

Shan Huo eyed the gaping wound from Finn’s twin arrows—slowly healing, yet still oozing blood.

He lowered his head, licking the blood off his thin fingers with a needle-like tongue.

His many eyes twitched, unnervingly bug-like.

His gaze flicked from Finn to the mid-rank commander Finn’s bow had nailed to the dirt.

Their trick? Exoskeletons. Near death, they just shed their shells.

The molted commander lay motionless.

Blinded by rage, Finn ignored defense to attack faster, ignoring attacks that might harm him.

One-handed, he yanked his spirit-bow back.

Sights locked on Shan Huo again.

Shan Huo didn’t move, calculating.

"Indeed—if we let you continue like this, you will become a grave threat to us."

As a high-ranking Monster Commander, Shan Huo was also horrified to realize the fear and urge to flee he felt toward the figure before him.

From the very beginning when he ventured into the sacred territory, he had already sensed it—otherwise, he’d never have felt this dread.

Ji Yu was right.

Mental energy is truly terrifying.

Those races and individuals adept at wielding mental energy must be swiftly cut down.

Meanwhile, Ji Yu, whom Shan Huo was thinking of, had already ventured deep into the monsters’ cursed territory.

The silence around him was suffocating.

Such quietness would normally mean nothing to a monster, but the primordial fear emanating from this star system made Ji Yu tremble uncontrollably.

What exactly—

What the hell was here?

Ji Yu fought against his own instincts to turn and flee.

Finally, he caught sight of a white planet—

No, that was no white planet—it was a graveyard.

When he saw it clearly, Ji Yu’s body convulsed. Though the surroundings were silent, he seemed to hear the chilling roars of unknown creatures.

Ji Yu halted, not daring to take another step closer.

That instinctive dread made him tremble as he stared at the distant white planet—a planet covered in the pale, monstrous skeletons of colossal, eldritch beasts.

On the other other side, an enraged Finn faced off with Shan Huo.

Finn didn’t know if there were other Monster Commanders lying in wait nearby.

If it were just him, he wouldn’t hesitate.

But Zao Zao was here too.

Though Finn knew Xiao Chuzao was becoming a strong, healthy, true Little Crown warrior,

to let a cub of this age—one who hadn’t even undergone the coming-of-age ceremony—face these abominations head-on...

His focus would splinter in the fight.

This wasn’t the moment for a bloodbath.

But Zao Zao’s wings—

Finn gritted his teeth. "You bastard—"

How dare he rip out their cub’s feathers.

He’d skin this bastard alive!

Despite his words, Shan Huo hesitated, eyeing Xiao Chuzao warily as he stood atop the high ridge.

The little one's wings folded shut, and Chu Zao stood holding a bow and arrow, looking down below.

Xiao Chuzao muttered under his breath—"Stay cool. Gotta stay cool."

The vantage point sucked, and no telling if more monsters were lying in wait.

There were humans here who needed protection—

Clearly, these mechs stood no chance against a Monster Commander of this level.

The one before them was strong, stronger than the first monster that had charged earlier, let alone that rookie Monster Commander Xiao Chuzao had encountered in Saint Cas.

Could he take this thing out without getting anyone killed?

Xiao Chuzao pondered.

People were gonna die.

Did I screw up?

Was it 'cause Zao Zao still didn't know enough, leading to incomplete judgment?

Dad... what do I do?

Where is Dad?

Zao Zao should have seen him earlier—

He's gotta be close...

Cool-headed now, Chu Zao began assessing how to handle each subsequent moment and how to keep the sacred territory's people alive.

But despite these thoughts, Xiao Chuzao pulled the bowstring and spoke softly, word by word, not a quiver in his voice.

"You're disgusting."

I'm not scared of you!

Finn watched the way Shan Huo looked at the little one and immediately went rigid, preparing to act.

But the next moment, Finn suddenly froze.

Shan Huo seemed to pause as well.

Wings spread behind the little one—

No, it wasn’t Zao Zao unfolding his wings, but rather a trick of the angle when looking up from below.

Finn let out a slow breath—ah... Amos... bro...

Finn bared his teeth and lunged at Shan Huo without hesitation.

"You little shit—it's you, huh? What are you doing? Who are you aiming at? Who the hell do you think you are—messing with our kid?"

Finn’s demeanor shifted abruptly, the tension and pressure reaching their peak before exploding outward. Like a rabid animal, he seemed to be holding nothing back, blindsiding Shan Huo.

Then Chu Zao caught Finn's shout.

"Amos, about damn time!"

Chu Zao widened his eyes, hearing the subtle swirl of wind beside him—someone had landed behind him, light yet carrying that familiar calm aloofness.

"Yeah, the polluted zone wasn't easy to cross. Unlike you, who just rode the dimensional currents here with Zao Zao."

Finn: "..."

Uh, can we save the reckoning for later?

Chu Zao turned his head abruptly, looking behind him.

A towering Crown Clan figure stood alone, his crimson eyes fixed calmly on his little one.

Amos's expression softened a fraction.

"Zao Zao."

But soon, the patriarch's attention slowly shifted to the feathers ripped from his little one—and the six wings—still fluffy but clearly disheveled—

"Da—Daddy!"

The little one, tense moments before, went slack-winged, the dust-streaked fledgling staring up at Amos.

No longer the tiny fledgling who’d wail and fling himself into his father’s arms upon seeing him.

Xiao Chuzao looked at Amos, his honey-gold eyes shimmering with quiet hurt.

Like a small animal accidentally taken outside, battered by storms, half-starved, shivering, and exhausted—now seeing the patriarch who had rushed out to find him, he faltered, half-convinced this was a mirage.

—Like the world had wronged him utterly.

Since Amos had picked up Zao Zao, when had this little one ever endured such hardship?

Reining in his rage, biting back a icy chuckle, Amos reached out and hauled the gangly fledgling—still slight by Crown Clan standards—against his chest.

A firm pat landed between the fledgling’s wings.

"Mhm, Daddy's here."

Shoving his face into that familiar scent, Chuzao’s breath hitched audibly.

"This place is so weird, Daddy. Everyone here’s so mean—"

But the little one was still the same little one, still hiccuping grievances to his father after suffering.

Telling him about his experiences—though it had only been a few days, to Zao Zao, it felt like Daddy took forever.

"Daddy was a little late."

Amos soothed softly.

Arm slung over his little one’s shoulders, his fingers combed through the battered wings—

Though Xiao Chuzao hadn’t been directly injured, the howling winds had stripped patches of feathers, and the concentrated loss in one spot had left faint traces of blood.

Amos’s eyes went black with fury, terrifying in their stillness.

"Hurts?"

Amos asked quietly.

Xiao Chuzao was still complaining, whimpering and growling in anger.

He looked up, not intending to cry at all, but after a brief sob, the mature Xiao Chuzao quickly composed himself, believing he had grown up.

But now, when his father asked.

The little one's eyes began to redden slightly.

"Daddy—dada—"

It'd been so long since he last saw Amos, and he acted clingy.

"It hurts."

Actually, it didn't hurt that much.

But the moment Daddy asked, it suddenly felt so painful.

He wanted to tattle about everything.

"Zao Zao's been so good, always been so good."

Amos had already listened to the little one's chattering, appearing calm as he held Xiao Chuzao's shoulder.

"Daddy has said it many times before, right?"

"Mm-hmm."

The usually independent Little Crown Clan member was more prone to showing his childish side in front of his parent.

"With Daddy here—I'm not afraid of anything."

Everything would be resolved.

Amos was collecting himself, letting out a soft sigh.

"Finn."

He called out Finn's name.

Finn, who had already torn off one of Shan Huo's insectoid limbs, jerked back. He clearly realized something, looking toward Amos's direction, clicking his tongue before speaking.

"Alright—I really want to tear this guy apart too..." But if he didn't leave this thing for Amos to vent his anger, Finn felt he'd be screwed.

The hell's happening?

What happened?

Shan Huo clearly sensed that the atmosphere around him had changed.

Harming the young of the Crown Clan had altered the nature of the entire situation.

And Finn, acting like a rabid dog, sneered before suddenly retreating, leaving the battlefield.

Before Shan Huo could realize what was about to happen, a crushing psychic pressure from behind made every hair on his body stand up.

Half of Shan Huo's body was suddenly cleaved apart in an instant. Thanks to his freakish healing factor as a mutant creature, it was knitting back together. He stared at the stranger who had somehow appeared behind him—wearing a matching crown and wings.

The stranger gripped a gleaming black longsword in his hand.

Crouched on the ground, he picked up the feather that had just been knocked from Chu Zao, stowing it carefully in his pocket.

That attack had just one purpose.

He appeared without warning, alone. Landing, he didn't even look up, his expression obscured, without any preparation, yet his terrifying aura was already overwhelming.

*Such immense power*, Shan Huo thought.

Then he froze abruptly.

Because Amos, who had picked up the feather, had somehow already materialized right before him.

Amos held the Psychic Sword in his hand, slowly lifting his gaze.

In that instant, Shan Huo’s dense cluster of compound eyes trembled violently—*From where? How did he get here?*

The Dark Emperor, arriving a step too late, seethed with rage.

His face was entirely shrouded in shadow—he rarely displayed such clear, unrestrained emotion, this level of wrath—

So much so that his crimson pupils seemed to ignite with scarlet flames.

Yet he remained haughty and cold. The little one’s posture had nearly mirrored his own—or rather, the one before him was the true origin of brutality and ferocity. The little one was merely evolving swiftly toward that state. Then, slowly, he spoke.

"You—knocked off Zao Zao’s feather—didn’t you?"