The little cub was still lying on the ground. After spreading his small wings, he carefully stretched out his tail—a white, dragon-like tail with a tuft of soft pink-tinted fur at the tip—and wagged it twice on the ground like a well-behaved little creature.
See—his tail was the same too!
And also—
The little cub thought for a moment, wanting to pull off his halo again to show it to the towering Amos in front of him.
There was a glimmer of secret hope in his eyes—
Would this person raise him?
Just one cub, please?
He was a little angel after all!
But before he could remove his halo, the massive figure before him vanished in an instant.
Little Chu Zao blinked, confused, looking around in a daze.
“Awuu?”
Eh? What happened? What’s going on?
The next second, the little white fluff ball lying on the ground was suddenly lifted by the scruff of his neck by a slender hand.
It was a tall man, nearly two meters in height. He wore a black military uniform. His body bore traces of damage from uncontrolled spiritual power, and a faint metallic scent of blood clung to him. He had an exceptionally handsome face—arrogant and cold—and his piercing scarlet eyes were now studying the tiny creature in his grasp.
“You… where did you come from? What race’s cub are you? Why are you here? Are you…”
This was the homeland of the Crowned Race—the polluted sanctuary long abandoned. The Holy Cas Empire had isolated and sealed off the area to prevent further contamination.
In this era, every special race cherished and protected treasured cub. No species would abandon a cub in a place like this—not even the most savage beasts. Unless… the parents had lost their minds.
Amos stared at the small creature dangling in his grasp for a long time. He began to suspect that his own spiritual turbulence had caused him to hallucinate.
Otherwise, why did this little one look more and more like one of his own kind?
…Was he the one whose brain was broken?
But the Crowned Race hadn’t birthed a cub in hundreds of years. Their reproduction depended on spiritual resonance and their habitat. When the cosmic pollution destroyed their homeland, the already dwindling race had stepped onto the path of extinction.
Amos was one of the last of his people after the catastrophe.
So—a cub? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
He must have been mistaken. The halo, the angelic wings, the dragon-like tail—
Surely one of them had to be fake?
Yet… there were no flaws at all???
The longer Amos looked, the more doubtful he became. He even reached out and gently pinched the little tail.
It was real. Soft. The tiny creature wriggled, clearly unhappy, trying to pull itself free.
Amos’s refined face drew closer and closer—until he was nearly nose to nose with the cub.
Had he really… picked up a cub?
Huh???
The little white ball, initially tense, relaxed slightly after sensing his familiar aura.
This person’s scent was just like the big white creature’s from before.
They really were the same.
Chu Zao thought, even finding comfort in Amos’s slightly wavy black hair—he wasn’t an outcast anymore.
He had a kin.
It was just that… this position was uncomfortable.
“Awuu~”
Chu Zao’s tail swayed once, and he gave a soft whimper of protest. He lifted a tiny paw, pressing it against Amos’s face, trying to push it away.
Being held like this is uncomfortable, Baba.
Zao Zao wants to go down.
Was he… calling me Baba?
For a moment, the always composed and calm ruler of the Holy Cas Empire, Amos, froze, his expression unusually grave. He—rarely—couldn’t think.
“Where did you come from? Are you really of the Crowned Race? How did you survive here, in the homeland? What are you—”
“Awuu!”
This way of holding me is uncomfortable, Baba!
The cub struggled again, this time a little louder, shaking in midair and nearly slipping from Amos’s grasp.
Amos snapped out of his daze and immediately shifted his grip, cradling the tiny creature in his arms instead.
The cub’s body, which had been dangling, now rested securely—not on the ground, but on something both unsteady and safe at once.
Little Chu Zao instinctively tightened his small paws. This was an entirely new experience for him.
He carefully raised his head, peeking at Amos’s rigid jawline, then cautiously rested his fluffy little head against the crook of Amos’s arm.
Oh!
The little cub’s pupils dilated like a cat’s, round and bright, his small tail swaying gently.
This feeling…
The ball called “System” had been right—this was his Baba.
The man’s movements were clumsy, awkward even—but also very gentle.
The embrace was cold and faintly tinged with blood, the metal clasp of Amos’s uniform resting beneath the cub’s paw. Tilting his fluffy head, the little one’s pure white ears perked up. His wide eyes, innocent and curious, shone as he lightly hooked a claw on the clasp, tapping it curiously. The soft click of metal echoed faintly.
Amos lowered his gaze.
So small.
Just this small—barely the size of his palm.
He stiffened all over. He couldn’t fathom how his ancestors had ever managed to raise something this tiny.
Still… this was far too strange. Was this truly a cub of the Crowned Race?
Under the Crowned Race’s leadership, the Holy Cas Empire had made countless enemies. Conspiracies against them were endless. Many nations and races longed for their downfall and fragmentation.
As the last of his kind, Amos bore many responsibilities—and at such a time, he had to be more cautious than ever about these sudden, inexplicable appearances.
At this moment, the feeling was hard to describe.
It finally gave Amos a sense of reality.
Oh—this was indeed a cub.
He thought.
The environment here was unsuitable for a cub to stay in. Amos took off his coat and wrapped the little one in it.
Whatever trap or scheme this was, he would have to leave this place first.
The spiritual power of the Crowned Race was formidable—so strong, in fact, that it often lost control. In the past, their homeland had balanced it for them. But after the homeland’s destruction, their power became unstable, just like what could be seen now—their spiritual crowns gradually fractured, and every so often, they needed to release the pressure to prevent the crown from shattering completely.
Once the crown fully broke, the life of the Crowned Race ended with it.
Each time Amos released his power, he would return here.
This time was no different. He brought no guards, no attendants—only piloted a small starship.
He still felt a bit dazed. There seemed to be a small, soft bundle in his arms, but it was so light—it almost felt like an illusion. The white wings on his back slowly unfurled, lifting him into the air. Protecting the little cub in his arms, he contacted the Royal Court of the Holy Cas Empire.
—
In the Royal Court of the Holy Cas Empire, the atmosphere was solemn.
Their emperor, Amos Dwight, had departed for the homeland when his spiritual energy began to riot. Seven full days had passed with no news.
Until just now—a message arrived from across the distant void of space.
Everyone in the grand chamber stirred.
“His Majesty sent a message?”
“Where is Second Brother now? Is he coming back soon?”
“How’s his condition? Is his spiritual energy stable?”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
The young man who had received the message—tall, sharp-featured, with hair spiking slightly upward—looked utterly puzzled.
“Uh—Second Brother said he… picked up a cub?”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“…He said he picked up a cub. The cub is too small for a space jump. He’ll return within seven days. He wants the butler to prepare a nursery and medical examination.”
The remaining members of the Crowned Race were few. Half of them were gathered here, all staring blankly in confusion.
“What cub? Whose cub?”
“…Did His Majesty’s spiritual energy riot cause hallucinations?”
“Yeah, yeah, how could there be a cub? Maybe he picked up one from another species?”
Despite saying that, everyone instinctively crowded closer, craning their necks to peek at the communicator.
“Let me see—”
“Didn’t you just say His Majesty was hallucinating? Why are you looking?”
“Well, I have to confirm what kind of hallucination he’s having, don’t I?”
Right, right—they hadn’t seen a cub in hundreds of years. Though the Crowned Race were long-lived beings, hundreds of years meant little to them. Their alpha, the emperor of the entire Holy Cas Empire, had been gone for seven days without attendants or guards—
They had to make sure His Majesty was alright, right?
Surely not… surely not because of a mysterious cub mentioned in a single line?
Hahaha… Your Majesty, please clarify—what kind of cub are you talking about?!
The members of the Crowned Race, normally so calm and dignified, had lost all composure. They crowded around the communicator, staring so hard it was as if they could make flowers bloom on its surface.
But—it was a one-way transmission!
Seven days!
Your Majesty, do you have any idea what these seven days will be like for us?!
—
Little Chu Zao was now lying inside the starship.
His wide amber eyes sparkled as he curiously took in his surroundings.
The tiny fluff ball naturally crouched low in the unfamiliar space.
When Amos finished setting the ship’s navigation, he turned around to see this sight.
The little one blinked his bright, round eyes, a small, low, fluffy figure. Despite his frailty and unfamiliarity, he adjusted astonishingly fast. His snow-white tail, tipped with faint pink fluff, swayed behind him like a cotton puff. Though crouched low, the tip of his tail stuck up, wagging back and forth. The golden halo above his head swayed gently along with it.
It was strange—by nature, the Crowned Race’s spiritual crowns did not hover visibly at all times. The brighter and more intricate they appeared, the stronger the bearer’s spiritual power.
And before now, no member of the Crowned Race had ever possessed a golden crown.
“Awuu?”
Little Chu Zao crouched low, meeting Amos’s gaze.
His tone shifted—from uncertainty, to hesitation, and finally to a firm, childlike declaration.
His soft voice was unclear, but the meaning was obvious—Baba!
Setting aside the “father” matter for a moment—
Amos came to his senses, looking at the small, fluffy creature before him.
He prided himself on being unshakable. He had seen too much, dealt with too many crises, to be surprised by anything. But now, faced with this tiny being, Amos found himself at a loss.
His spiritual power had flared violently. He had departed in haste, flying only a small ship with one-way communication and no medical tools. Confronted with this strange little cub, all he could do was crouch down in front of it and ask seriously,
“Where did you come from? How old are you? What’s your name? Why were you there? Did you see anyone before arriving?”
He needed answers. The emperor half-knelt before the cub, his expression solemn as he questioned.
It had been centuries since they had last seen a cub. Even if this one truly belonged to their race, Amos didn’t believe he would make any exceptions.
The Crowned Race was known for being cold and merciless. Amos had long forgotten what his own childhood had been like—but one thing he was certain of: he, too, had grown up under strict training. There was no way he would ever feel…
The little cub tilted his head, blinking his round eyes. So many questions—Zao Zao didn’t know.
He stretched out his tiny paw. “Awuu~!”
Baba! Zao Zao doesn’t understand!
Amos froze, staring at the little fluff.
…He could never be too affectionate toward a cub.
That was what he told himself, even as he reached out, expression taut, and picked up the fluffy little ball again.
How can you not love him He’s such a baby