A beautiful face, a careless tone, a single hand grasping a longbow that seemed to burn with flame.
Those idle, indifferent words, yet spoken from on high.
And in the darkness—honey-colored pupils lit up.
Just moments ago, they were still laughing and joking about what a god-awful mess the mech operation was.
Yet none of them expected such a scene would play out.
Reflected in everyone’s eyes, fear sprang forth.
Ji Yuan couldn’t even lift his head, feeling as if the air in his lungs was being squeezed out bit by bit, until finally, in overwhelming terror, someone behind him seemed to fan the flames of his dread.
So many past, dreadful memories flooded back to overshadow his mind, until at last, in such a state, he completely lost consciousness.
Chu Zao looked towards not far off, at the mechs which had been coming for him but now stared, horrified, at what was happening. Chao Huangmu had already moved.
For these guys, Chao Huangmu was so at ease he couldn’t be more at ease—some mechs exploded outright, taking their cockpits and pilots with them; some mecha pilots ejected in panic, scrambling to escape, only to be stopped by Chu Zao.
That emotion, spreading without sound, was roused.
Yet such guidance didn’t even require Cupid’s Bow’s standard mode.
“What was your plan?”
Chu Zao asked with a light laugh.
“According to the command of the Aberrant Beast lord—this time, let the eyesore Holy Sanctuary enter the hunting grounds, and ensure the eradication of those who habitually use psionics—”
Meeting Chu Zao’s gaze, that person froze for an instant, then instinctively spoke.
By the time he realized what he had just said, he abruptly retreated, tripped over his feet, fell to the ground awkwardly, and scrambled backward in panic.
What happened?
What on earth just happened?
Why?
How could he possibly have told anyone such a thing?
That, from the very beginning, the Gesen Empire had been cooperating with the Aberrant Beasts, betraying humanity to ensure its own supreme status.
How could he dare say it?
Even if his life were spared here, he’d be done for once he went back—
In those terror-stricken eyes reflected the figure of the young boy standing with his longbow.
Chu Zao touched his chin, blinking.
He looked guileless and harmless, easy to let one’s guard down around.
But now, this look in that person’s eyes made him tremble—just moments ago he thought this person was weak, but that impression was instantly overturned.
A devil—this had to be some devil from who-knows-where!!
Meanwhile, the livestream chat instantly erupted.
The Gesen Empire was strong. From long ago, people thought Gesen stood atop all of humanity.
But they were just penned sheep—ranking themselves with their own abilities, versus colluding with the “wolves” to reach their ends—that was entirely different.
It meant that so-called survival of the fittest they lauded as their creed had never truly existed.
It was always the game of the higher Aberrant Beasts.
They could decide which race would fall in any given year.
And who knew how many times they’d already done it.
Of course, thinking about it now, it all made sense.
Yet under such overwhelming dominance, no one wanted to dwell on it, nor did anyone dare bring it into the open.
Just as Chu Zao expected.
He was just about to speak again.
When suddenly, a whistling sound behind him—
Was that Third Uncle’s arrow?
Chu Zao paused, instinctively looking up.
Then retreated swiftly—at once, the spot where he’d just been standing burst as if something detonated, smoke and dust billowing.
At the same time, all the live-broadcast equipment around them began to flicker furiously, then to smoke.
As the livestream shut down in that area, viewers still watching were horrified to see, in the midst of the smoke, a tall figure slowly standing—countless, suddenly-illuminated, tiny compound eyes everywhere.
Around it, it seemed as if countless tiny insects gathered, making one’s skin crawl.
This was the mid-level Aberrant Beast Commander at the heart of this season’s suppressive trial.
Some kind of insectoid caterpillar Aberrant Beast.
The Aberrant Beast Suppression Center was actually created to give a head start to mecha teams in the pre-selection round.
To prevent nearby Aberrant Beasts from interfering.
But for the first time since the survival games began, the beast stationed at the center of the trial had charged out to attack a participant country or region.
That caterpillar beast was mobilized by a fellow insectoid high-level Aberrant Beast Commander—Flashfire.
Its face still barely resembled that of a human; its enormous palps opened and closed, countless tiny compound eyes fixed on their direction. Not far behind, Feeney’s arrow thundered into a mountain, booming with a violent explosion.
Such overwhelming psionic force made the entire survival trial planet tremble—countless contestants didn’t even know what was happening, looking around in panic.
“Ah—”
Feeney drew his bow again, the coronet atop his head suddenly gleaming.
“The range is too far, so it’s easier to evade?”
The Aberrant Beast Commander here really was different.
At least different from the one Anya said he’d killed before.
This one was obviously stronger.
Feeney had noticed it earlier than Chu Zao had, but by the time Little Chu Zao spotted it, the thing was already not far from Zao Zao.
Time and distance only allowed Zao Zao to withdraw from the field.
Little Chu Zao landed, his clothes and hair lifted by the shockwave of the blast.
Behind him, Feeney was already moving—in the instant his bow was drawn, he closed in at once.
In a flash, the longbow was now leveled at the insectoid beast’s crown.
Chu Zao responded: “Brother Mu!”
Chao Huangmu understood exactly what the kid wanted to say.
Neatly leading the Holy Sanctuary and the remaining people from the Eastern Alliance quickly to the safety zone.
Nearby was a high platform—not much like a mountain, more like a cliff cracked open as one climbed, shaped into a steep slope.
Chu Zao gripped his longbow tighter.
The Aberrant Beast, upon seeing Feeney, instantly spat out countless threads from its palps.
Feeney had to change position, twisting lithely as he shifted behind the beast.
Chu Zao also drew his bow, aiming for the beast that was a half-beat slower than Feeney could react.
Little Chu Zao loosed an arrow swiftly and decisively.
Feeney attacked in sync. Though in some ways Feeney was formidable in melee, as an archer, he simply wasn’t as adept up close as some of his siblings—especially since this Aberrant Beast was truly tough.
Underestimating it would be dangerous—
Feeney’s boyish face grew grim.
Where the hell was Amos?
They’d only attacked so forcefully because Zao Zao said he’d seen threads of Amos’s psionic power, thinking someone would clean up afterward; but now?
Amos, where are you? Where the hell did you go?
Little Chu Zao’s arrow flew.
Feeney moved in tandem.
The Crown Clan’s terrifying psionic force stunned the insectoid beast.
In the sky above.
Flashfire stared at Little Chu Zao on the ground—
His back was trembling—
How strange.
Really too strange.
Was he—afraid?
Flashfire’s face twisted as he sneered.
Fear isn’t something Aberrant Beasts feel!
Just eliminate the source of the fear first—don’t bother with the why.
See? Isn’t it under control?
These strange creatures weren’t invincible after all.
After Little Chu Zao fired his arrow, Flashfire moved sluggishly.
This little one was easier than the other beside him, and felt like a greater threat.
So, in the burst of psionic-fueled explosion, Feeney fell back.
Then, realizing something, he suddenly turned—and saw something had already appeared over the kid’s head, only then did he notice.
The taut string in Feeney’s mind snapped in an instant.
He didn’t care to check what had become of that supposedly slain insectoid beast—his arrow now aimed at Flashfire, he darted toward Chu Zao.
“Zao Zao!”
Little Chu Zao paused only for a moment, looked up, and locked eyes with those repulsive pupils.
Little Chu Zao’s pupils contracted slightly; with Feeney’s help, he counterattacked and withdrew, but since this was a high-level Aberrant Beast Commander, Little Chu Zao was a bit slower than before, and caught a nick on his wing—several feathers floated down from his already-fluffy, frazzled wings.
Chu Zao, already flapping his wings, rose and landed atop the nearby high platform.
Feeney’s shoulder was injured.
He let out a cold laugh.
“Ha, you creatures—think I’m just for show? Always going after our little one? Disgusting, every one of you—”
Wind and waves buffeted around Feeney, the smell of blood seemed to further incite his latent bloodlust, his typically calm eyes slowly tinged with madness.
Flashfire lowered his gaze to the deep wounds left by dual arrows—healing slowly with blood still oozing out.
Bending low, he licked the blood from his hand with a slender tongue.
Countless compound eyes twitched—it really was insect-like.
He looked at Feeney, then glanced at the mid-level commander nailed to the ground by Feeney’s longbow.
These commanders had a feature—they were exoskeletal, capable of molting when dealing with lethal wounds.
The freshly-molted, silent mid-level insectoid commander lay still.
Nailed by an enraged parent, just to launch a quick counterattack, Feeney cut corners on some defenses, ignoring attacks that might hurt him.
Drawing his psionically-powered bow with one hand.
He aimed again at Flashfire.
Flashfire stood still, pondering.
“As expected—if you’re left unchecked, you’ll become an enormous threat to us.”
As a high-level Aberrant Beast Commander, Flashfire was quite alarmed to find himself experiencing fear and evasion toward this one before him.
When he first traveled to the Holy Sanctuary, he’d already sensed it—otherwise why be so uneasy?
Stormdrain was right.
Psionics were indeed terrifying.
All individuals and races adept with psionics must be eliminated as soon as possible.
Right then, the Stormdrain being targeted by Flashfire had already penetrated the Aberrant Beasts’ forbidden zone.
The quiet was bone-chilling.
Ordinarily, such stillness would mean nothing to the Aberrant Beasts, but in this star region, their very marrow trembled with dread—Stormdrain himself shivered intolerably.
What was this—
What was here?
He fought the urge to bolt.
At last, he saw a certain white planet—
No, that wasn’t a white planet.
Upon seeing clearly, Stormdrain began to shake—though the area was quiet, it was as if he could hear the roars of unknown creatures, terrifying and gut-wrenching.
Stormdrain stopped, not daring to approach.
That visceral fear made him stare, trembling, at the very distant white planet—a planet covered in monstrous, unknown white bones.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the furious Feeney faced off with Flashfire.
Feeney had no idea whether there were more Aberrant Beast Commanders around.
If it was just Flashfire, that was one thing.
But Zao Zao was still here.
Though Feeney was sure Little Chu Zao was growing sturdier as a strong, healthy young Crown Clan member—
To have a child at this age, before their coming-of-age ceremony, face things like this head-on.
Of course the parent would be distracted in battle.
It was not at all ideal for an all-out brawl.
But Zao Zao’s wings—
Feeney gritted his teeth: “You bastard—”
How dare you tear out a feather from their little one!
He wanted to tear this thing apart!
Though Flashfire spoke thus, he clearly harbored caution, glancing at Little Chu Zao on the platform.
The fledgling’s wings had closed; Chu Zao, bow in hand, looked down.
Little Chu Zao spoke to himself softly—calm down, stay cool.
The position was unfavorable, and it was unclear if more Aberrant Beasts were hidden.
Others here still needed protection—
These mechs, of course, couldn’t withstand a commander of this rank.
This enemy was stronger than the previous one that had just rushed up, let alone the fledgling commander Chu Zao encountered in the Holy Cas region earlier.
Was there any way to resolve this, save everyone, and deal with the problem before them?
Little Chu Zao pondered.
Someone would die.
Had he been too reckless?
Was it because Zao Zao hadn’t learned enough, so his judgment was lacking?
Dad…Zao Zao, what should I do?
Where was Dad?
He thought he’d just seen him—
Should be arriving soon…
Calm inside, Chu Zao began thinking through every possible response, how to protect those few from Holy Sanctuary each time.
But as he contemplated, Little Chu Zao drew his bow, spoke low and clear, word by word, with not a trace of fear.
“Disgusting thing.”
Zao Zao is not afraid of you.
Feeney, seeing Flashfire’s gaze toward the child, tensed further, ready to move.
But just then, Feeney suddenly froze.
Flashfire seemed to pause as well.
Behind the little one, wings unfurled—
No, that wasn’t Zao Zao’s own wings—it was a misalignment in depth as seen from below.
Feeney let out a slow, ragged breath—ah…Amos… Second Brother…
Feeney smiled, and charged straight at Flashfire without hesitation.
“You, yeah you—what the hell do you think you’re doing? Who are you aiming at? Who do you think you are—daring to touch our little one—”
Feeney, suddenly unleashed, his tension and pressure erupted—like a mad dog, heedless now, catching Flashfire off guard.
Chu Zao heard Feeney’s voice.
“Amos, you’re too late!”
Chu Zao’s eyes widened, hearing subtle gusts and eddies—someone landed behind him, light, but with that familiar calm and coolness.
“Mm, the contamination zone wasn’t easy to traverse. Not like you—you just rode spatial turbulence here with Zao Zao.”
Feeney: …
Wait, can we settle this score a bit later?
Chu Zao suddenly turned, looking behind.
A tall Crown Clan member, alone—crimson eyes calmly fixed on the family’s fledgling.
A shade of gentleness on Amos’s face.
“Zao Zao.”
But almost at once, the adult’s attention slowly shifted to the lost feathers on their fledgling—those six soft, now somewhat disheveled wings…
“Dad—Baba!”
A moment ago, the taut little one’s wings drooped all at once, the dusty child staring at Amos.
Children at this age aren’t like when they were small, flying into their father’s arms at the first sight of him.
Little Chu Zao watched Amos, honey-colored eyes holding a faint grievance.
Like a small animal, brought outside by accident, battered by wind and rain, hungry and cold, not sleeping well, seeing the family head who hurriedly came looking—lip trembling, not daring to come closer, as if in disbelief.
—Looking utterly wronged.
Since Amos took Zao Zao back in, when had the little one ever suffered like this?
Amos forced down his fury, suppressing even his sneer, and reached out, pulling the grown but still slight, for Crown Clan standards still a child, into his arms.
He patted the little one’s back lightly.
“Mm, Baba’s here.”
Suddenly enveloped by that familiar scent, Little Chu Zao’s voice caught.
“It’s so strange here, Baba, so many awful people—”
But the little one was still the same, always sniffly and complaining to family after getting slighted.
Telling of the things he’d faced—though it’d only been a few days, Zao Zao felt he’d waited an age for his father.
“Baba was indeed a bit late.”
Amos soothed softly.
He only draped an arm over the child’s shoulders, gently smoothing the fledgling’s wings—
Although Little Chu Zao was not directly wounded, just had a bit of feathers pulled loose by the cyclone, still, the feathers were concentrated in one spot with faint bloodstains already showing.
Amos’s gaze darkened by degrees, becoming faintly menacing.
“Does it hurt?”
Amos asked gently.
Little Chu Zao was still complaining, sniffling and outrageously angry.
He looked up. He hadn’t intended to cry, only choked up for a moment. Thinking himself grown now, he quickly composed himself.
But being asked by his parent at such a time—
The child’s eyes reddened.
“Baba—Baba—”
He hadn’t seen Amos for so long; acting spoiled.
“It hurts.”
It actually didn’t hurt that much.
But once Dad asked—it really stung.
He wanted to complain about everything.
“Zao Zao did very well, has always done very well.”
Amos listened to the little one’s endless complaints, calmly embracing Little Chu Zao’s shoulders.
“Baba’s told you many times before, hasn’t he?”
“Mm.”
The independent little Crown Clan, in front of family, was even more obviously a child.
“With Baba here—I’m not afraid of anything.”
Everything would be solved.
Amos calmed himself, exhaling lightly.
“Feeney.”
He called Feeney’s name.
Feeney, having just torn off one of Flashfire’s insectoid arms, hastily withdrew, evidently realizing something. He looked up at Amos—clicked his tongue, then said:
“All right—I’d love to tear this guy up myself…” But if he didn’t leave it to Amos for a little venting, he knew he’d be doomed.
What was going on?
What happened?
Flashfire clearly sensed the atmosphere had changed.
Having hurt the Crown Clan’s child, the entire nature of things had shifted.
Feeney, wild-dog-crazy, sneered and suddenly pulled out, quitting the battlefield.
Before Flashfire could react to what was coming, a surge of powerful psionics from behind made his hackles rise.
Half his body was suddenly split open by the attack, healing slowly but already closing with Aberrant Beasts’ regenerative powers; before him stood an unfamiliar figure—wearing a coronet with wings.
The stranger held a silver-black longsword.
Kneeling, he picked up the feather Flashfire had just knocked off Chu Zao, and carefully put it in his pocket.
It seemed the only reason he’d struck was for this.
He appeared suddenly, all alone, and even now didn’t look up—his expression unclear, not bothering to tidy himself, but the terrifying pressure he radiated bore down.
Such power, Flashfire thought.
Then he froze.
For as Amos picked up the feather, somehow, without Flashfire noticing, Amos was now standing right before him.
In his grip, the psionic longsword lifted as he slowly looked up.
In that moment, Flashfire’s countless compound eyes quivered furiously—where from? Where had this one come from?
A step too late, the Lord of Darkness was furious.
His face wholly shrouded in shadow; rarely did he show such clear emotion, such anger—
So much so that his red eyes seemed to burn with actual flames.
So arrogant and cold—just as moments ago, the little one had—indeed, this one was the violent, ferocious ancestor; the child merely growing fast toward that direction. He spoke slowly.
“You—knocked off Zao Zao’s feather—did you?”