Amos was wrestling with the young cub in his arms.
You had to admit, this little guy was really quite stubborn. Flapping his tiny wings and hooking his little claws into Amosโs clothes, he kept trying to charge forward, clutching a little red fruit in his paws.
Amos had already fished him back several times in a row, like stir-frying vegetables.
The little cub kept yowling in his soft baby voice.
Amos simply pinned him against his chest, lifting the little oneโs head up.
The little oneโs back was pressed against Amosโs chest, his tiny wings pinned down, his big eyes watery and full of indignation, his little head tilted back to look up at Amos.
โZao Zao.โ
Amos pinched the cubโs little mouth.
The cub, whoโd been yowling nonstop, suddenly fell silent, blinking his large, watery amber eyes at Amos.
Amos was a little at a loss controlling the little guy.
He dared not use much force, afraid this delicate little one might get hurt again.
Little Chu Zao was used to being a cub all on his own.
Even though he hoped to find family, to live happily like other little angels, whenever something happened, his first instinct was always to solve the problem himself.
He was practically growing up against cub instincts, never considering relying on a parent.
But admittedly, Little Chu Zao didnโt have parents before.
As he howled in Amosโs arms, the little baby voice was still signalingโโBaba, Zao Zao will beat up that guy! Zao Zao has a little bow and arrow, Zao Zao will bite him to death, Zao Zaoโs teeth are super sharp!โ
Amos held the little one tightly.
He was confused.
He was truly baffled by this cub.
He couldnโt understand why this little one looked so weak but had so much energy, darting around and acting so fierce.
And what was this about a little bow and arrow?
Most importantlyโ
If a five-year-old cub was meant to solve problems, what was he supposed to do?
As the one everyone relied on, this feeling struck Amos as very absurd.
โFound him! Over here!!โ
Hurried noises sounded behind them.
โDeputy, itโs him! Heโs the one who chopped off the captainโs arm!โ
How did they catch up so fast at this moment?
The shopkeeperโs back went cold.
He instinctively retreated to one side.
The others near drifter planet 499 cast nervous glances at the commotion, unsure what was going on.
What was even more frightening was the faint beastly roaring in the sky.
Drifter planet 499 wasnโt especially safe. Though close to the Crown Clanโs territory, on occasion there were still star pirates and alien beasts attacking.
There werenโt legion-scale polluted alien beasts, but lone creatures still appeared.
These alien beasts had tough hides and powerful bodies, some even boasting strong psychic force.
Right beside planet 499 lived a mutant chameleon beast with wings, a huge monster that usually hid on its little planet, sometimes attacking passing starships to feed on humans.
But since it retained much of its original animal nature, this beast wasnโt very active.
Only when someone foolishly provoked it would it go berserk and attack all in sight, only returning after being satisfied.
Amos glanced up at the sky, saying nothing, just speaking softly.
โIโll take care of things here while Iโm at it.โ
The shopkeeper overheard.
He backed away quickly, shrinking into the corner, shivering.
Caught off guard by such a statement, he looked dazedly at Amos, who had a strong air but was quite inscrutable. Thinking about that vicious beast, the shopkeeper genuinely wanted to ask Amosโearlier you called someone else crazy, but whoโs really crazy here?!
The pursuit party was just as fierce, holding energy blasters. Some looked like theyโd just rushed back from elsewhere, spattered with blood and exuding hostility, making the bystanders scramble to hide, afraid to draw their attention.
At the front was a burly man hefting an energy cannon, already aimed at Amos, but he didnโt fire.
โSo youโre the punk who messed with our captain?! What kind of weapon did you use? What are you carrying? Hand it over, all of it! Including that shameless little beast in your arms!โ
It was obvious they figured theyโd survive the beastโs attack, and after hearing about Amosโs generosity, they set their sights on him.
Little, beast?
Amos savored these words, his calm face twisting into a mocking smile. He released his grip on the little cubโs mouth.
Listening as the little one yowled indignantly.
Little Chu Zao was utterly furious.
Heโd encountered plenty of upside-down truth-tellers before, but at least those people tried to keep a veneer of dignity. He had never expected anyone to be so shameless as these here.
He huffed his complaints, telling Amos those people wanted to snatch him away, kidnap the child, and kill him!
Outrageous!
Little Chu Zao was not a cub who liked tattling.
After all, heโd suffered a lot from that; most times it wasnโt his fault, but if he complained, heโd just get scapegoated.
And only be hated by more people.
At that moment, Amos vaguely picked up on something about this little oneโs trouble. He listened to the cubโs continual yowling, almost encouragingly.
From nibbling fruit and behaving, to ending in a flailing, four-legged struggle in his arms.
โActing like itโs real. So that little thing can understand people?โ the man sneered, thinking if not for the lure of Amosโs wealth, heโd already blasted him. โJust a little alien beast, never did understand you folk, treating it like treasure? Hand over your things, and maybe weโll let you live.โ
Amos let go, deciding to teach the cub his first lesson.
โZao Zao.โ
The little one took flight at once, flapping his tiny wings, a fluffy little body fluttering in midair. Hearing Amos call, the young cub turned his head, and heard Amos say, โYouโre right, with people like this, you have to really make it hurt.โ
Normally Amos had no patience for these kinds of people; if it werenโt for this little cub being involved, these types wouldโve been wiped out the moment they aimed at him.
His eyes stayed icy cold, but when he looked at his young cub, some warmth flickered.
There was no substitute for a little hands-on revenge. Otherwise, given the Crown Clanโs competitive nature, it would only gnaw at him.
But the point wasโthis was just a five-year-old cub.
Amos pondered.
โZao Zao, go give his face a good beating to vent your anger.โ
Would other weapons maybe be too bloody for this little guy?
Amos wasnโt sure about the boundary, so he decided the cub could let off some steam, and then heโd handle the rest.
Little Chu Zao caught the encouragement in Amosโs eyes and flew right over.
Heโd never seen such scary cannons and guns before; he didnโt even recognize them. He was super brave!
And Baba had said soโso he ought to go for the face!
Some were already whispering.
They seemed unable to watch the downfall of a white, soft little ball.
The vice-captain of the Tiger Squad grinned savagely, still thinking of offering Little Chu Zao as a gift elsewhere. As for Amos, his backing might be formidable, but as rootless mercenary hunters, once they had enough profit, theyโd just leave this placeโwhat was there to fear?
He prepared a weapon to catch the little white cub.
Yet, he met the gaze of the always-quiet Amos standing opposite.
That lookโhow to put itโwas a bit strange, sending subtle chills down his spine.
And then, he found himself unable to move, eyes widening as he realized he was somehow frozen, forced to watch that little white cub fly up and smack his face hard with tiny paws.
The little one wasnโt very strong, but another, terrifying force followed, smashing him down and leaving him sprawling awkwardly, slapped over and over by the cubโs small paws and tail.
Cold sweat broke out instantly.
What?
His face burned with pain. Everyone else was stunned, his cronies at a loss, unable to move either.
What on earth was going on?
Little Chu Zao as well, breathing hard, lost control. Above his head, a golden glow slowly appeared, expanding into the vague, intricate outline of a crown.
Indistinct, difficult to see clearly.
The Tiger Squadโs vice-captain changed color, staring disbelievingly at the glow atop the cubโs head.
Amos just stood calmly behind Little Chu Zao, confirming these thugs posed no risk to the young cub.
Only then did he look toward the sky.
Another small starship was speeding over, its posture unhinged.
Behind it came a massive star beast, each beat of its wings stirring storms and sending the crowd screaming and fleeing in chaos.
With his superb eyesight, Amos could see the figures inside the starship. The bloodless manโs eyes were frenzied, as if screamingโDie.
The gusts nearly knocked the young cub over. Little Chu Zao swayed in the air, looking up to see the starship plummeting like a meteorite, instantly triggering primal fear.
He froze, unable to move.
He had no one to call for help. He only had himself… only himself?
But maybe that wasnโt true anymore?
Little Chu Zao realized belatedly.
His tiny body trembled, the fluffy, soft ball trying a babyish call: โAwoo!โ
Baba!
โCaptain, waitโtheyโreโโ
The vice-captain screamed in terror.
The Crown Clan were not ostentatious, and there were few photos of them even within the Holy Cas Empire, let alone among drifters like themselves.
But one thing was certain: this most brutal clan in the galaxy, the Crown Clan, when using psychic force, would manifest the terrifying demon godโs crown above their heads!
Swishโ!
Amos lifted his hand ever so slightly, wrist twisting, and a dark psychic silhouette slowly materialized there, like a pitch-black longsword. At the same time, above his head, a black mass like a vortex twisted for a moment, then suddenly expanded, shaping itself into an incredibly elaborate, luxurious crown. In that instant, the eerie radiance seemed to engulf the world.

thanks for translating this!
Now they know who they were messing with hehe