EnCoffin Me Chapter 43
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 43
A chill ran down Alexio's spine when he heard the lunatic calmly utter the derogatory title for the Holy Temple hunters. He was reminded of those dark, harrowing days of being pursued. After returning from several years as regent of the snowfield, the lunatic had chased him all the way from the western to the eastern side of the continent. Every night, Alexio had to sleep with one eye open. Whenever he bought something by the roadside, that lunatic's face would inevitably appear behind the stall.
For nearly half a year, the pitiful vampire prince couldn't return home and was forced to wander from one human town to another. Eventually, his patience wore thin. Whatever slight gratitude he had once felt was completely drowned in fury. He fought the lunatic in a fierce battle and managed to put him out of commission for half a year. But…
Alexio had realized the terrifying speed at which the lunatic was growing stronger.
He had won this time. He would win again next time. But the time after that might be a narrow victory. And beyond that…
This was the truly frightening thing about humans. The lunatic seemed to be burning through his short life in a desperate attempt to catch up with Alexio, who possessed eternal life.
Pulling his thoughts back, Alexio set his priorities. First, he had to ensure that Pupil's location was secure. The alchemical lifeform was far too important to the Federation to risk. After that, he would sound the alarm. Most of the dark creatures in the center had received his instruction in one way or another. A counterattack might be difficult, but at the very least, they could go into hiding.
Along the way, Alexio passed numerous wounded and panicked staff. He instructed them to gather in areas he had already cleared. Some of the staff initially tried to shield him, but after seeing the mercenaries lying sprawled all over the ground, they were too stunned to move.
Alexio's expression remained calm. He didn't care what kind of negative public opinion this would bring him. As the leader of the dark force ten thousand years ago, he had already been cursed enough. What mattered most to him now was preserving the center to the greatest extent possible.
After draining the blood of several people, his crimson eyes grew more vivid, taking on an intense rose hue. Alexio ceased simulating his heartbeat and breathing to better conceal himself. Shadows dispersed from beneath his feet, spreading out in all directions to scout for enemies. Before long, several mercenaries had entered his detection range.
His blood supply was sufficient for the moment, so Alexio stopped plundering anymore. Instead, he simply raised his hand slightly. Flourishing rose branches burst through the mercenaries' bodies. Shadow leaves and blood flowers fixed the mercenaries to the wall. They weren't dead yet, nor would Alexio allow them to die. These people could be captured and put on trial once the situation stabilized, or…
They could become reserves he could draw on at any time.
On the other side, where communication was cut off, Lucius had already contacted the military headquarters. Marshal Olsen himself was stationed there. He had received the distress call from the conservation center earlier and had immediately mobilized troops to encircle it. But the enemy was no easy target. The military's advance was slow, and the jamming devices prevented them from gaining any clear intel inside the center. Lucius' communication was like a timely rain.
“Alexio has broken in?” Olsen had witnessed Alexio's combat strength and felt a surge of hope. Unfortunately, no matter how strong Alexio was, he was only one man, and the conservation center covered a vast area.
“Can he first move toward where Pupil is...?”
“Alexio's already there. He's prioritizing securing the area around Pupil,” Lucius replied as he sped toward the command center. “Marshal Olsen, I'm on my way to the military base now. Please grant me passage and prepare an uncontracted, exceptional griffin.”
Olsen was a little puzzled by the request, but immediately answered, “Everything will be ready.”
“I'd also like permission for Alexio and me,” Lucius said, pushing the accelerator. Glancing in the rearview mirror at the swarm of law enforcement drones closing in behind. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes stayed calm. “If necessary, for the center's sake, we can kill any intruders.”
“…Of course! You both need to prioritize your own safety.”
Lucius drove straight into the military base, leaving the law enforcement drones blocked behind him. Without hesitation, he approached the griffin prepared for him, where the trainer stood nearby, worry etched deep on his face.
“Mr. Lucius, you haven't trained with this griffin before. I'm afraid—”
Lucius looked at the griffin. His memories had fully returned to the period after his time in the snowfield, when he had already been bonded with his own griffin for several years. He understood the trainer's concern, but such worries were meaningless to someone who had resurrected from ten thousand years ago. The hunters of the Holy Temple always faced danger. No one could guarantee their griffin would stay with them for life. If one lost their griffin in battle and became incapable of action, it would surely lead to death.
The griffin watched him warily, then suddenly saw the platinum-blonde saint before it smile faintly.
“Ariosto,” the saint said, “this shall be your name.”
The griffin growled in displeasure, refusing both the name and this stranger it had never seen. But the saint showed no fear toward its agitation. Locking eyes with the griffin, their minds connected instantly. In that spiritual realm, the saint forced the griffin to kneel in submission.
The griffin became calm, even bowing respectfully to the saint and allowing him to mount its back.
The trainer stood frozen, staring up at the saint riding the griffin. The saint's cloak draped to one side, revealing the faint gleam of blades and guns under the reflection of golden thorn embroidery. He looked as if he were about to head into battle, allowing the trainer a glimpse of the shadow of a top-tier warrior from ten thousand years ago.
Since resurrection, Alexio was not the only one who had been underestimated. Everyone assumed the two resurrected beings should be protected, while they themselves had been cautiously adapting to this world, keeping their wartime instincts. But now everything was clear. These resurrected beings had finally revealed their true edge.
【First-level authority granted — Flight.】
【Second-level authority granted — Minor damage.】
【Third-level authority…】
The military's central system emitted a series of alerts. Olsen had undoubtedly granted Lucius the highest permissions possible. No automatic city defenses would block him. The griffin began to flap its broad wings, whipping up a fierce wind that forced the trainer to shield his face and step back. Still, through his fingers, he caught sight of the saint's white cloak and the griffin's wings fluttering together, slicing through the air with a sharp rush—
At that moment, the saint spoke, placing his hand on the griffin's neck and granting it a series of buffs.
“Take off, Ariosto.”
The saint slowly closed his eyes, just as he had before every battle ten thousand years ago.
“For the glory of my god.”
The griffin surged into the sky, the roaring wind following. The hunter, like a white-feathered arrow, shot from the bowstring, rushing irrevocably towards the target pinpointed by the red string!
Under the long night, a comet ascended. Alexio had also reached the central zone of the conservation center. The entrance before him was tightly sealed, and within, a brutal struggle was underway. Alexio sensed the shadow of death.
The door was made of special alloy, impervious even to heavy artillery. The invaders had confidently sealed it, certain no outside force could breach. Alexio smiled faintly at their naivety.
Heavy artillery couldn't break it, but he could.
“Shadow.”
He stretched his hand diagonally behind him. Instantly, a mass of shadow rose from beneath his feet, flowing smoothly into his palm. The darkness spread, first forming a pitch-black hilt in Alexio's grasp. Then the shadow extended downward, outlining a massive scythe. Its blade flashed faintly, stirring a wave of blood-red light.
This was the first time since his resurrection that Alexio revealed his weapon. He believed this door was worthy.
“The last time I let you out, you cut down a Holy Temple bishop,” Alexio said quietly. The scythe glowed faintly in response. With his old companion in hand, Alexio sneered. Without any magic enhancement, the scythe's blade struck the gate twice with heavy blows. The intersecting slashes carved a triangular opening. The sliced panels fell heavily to the ground, successfully drawing everyone's attention inside.
With the scythe in hand, Alexio stepped through the fallen door into the spacious hall and looked up at the dimly suspended Pupil.
“We meet again. How have you been?”
Pupil remained calm and still. A female technician made a precise judgment, her voice trembling with tears as she shouted the current situation to Alexio.
“Pupil has self-locked to prevent them from seizing data and controlling the network! Now they want to destroy Pupil's main body!”
Nodding slightly, Alexio scanned the area. The three-tiered observation deck, once enclosed by transparent glass, was now mostly shattered. Thick smoke and open flames flickered through the wreckage. The sounds of fighting echoed intermittently, mixed with faint traces of light magic. He surveyed the scene unhurriedly, then in the next moment, he teleported directly to the third floor.
Augustus was doing his best to cover the retreat of the technicians. His wings were injured, white feathers soaked with blood, yet the enemy grew more ferocious. These mercenaries had clearly spent years dancing on the blade's edge.
Against such foes alone, Augustus would never have lost. But…
An angel with similar white wings nearby smiled at him. From behind, he stabbed Augustus, then killed several technicians, leaving the data defenses vulnerable. Only then did Pupil initiate self-locking to prevent precious information from falling into the enemy's hands.
“Why…” Augustus struggled to speak, “the center has treated you well…”
“But the Holy Temple has given me more,” the angel smiled, then suddenly seemed to realize something. “Oh, you still don't know what the Holy Temple is, right? I remember what you call them… something like ‘Thorn Society,’ right?”
Augustus' heart sank. The enemy had already revealed the organization's name to him. He likely wouldn't survive the day.
Seeing his expression, the angel laughed. He turned to the mercenaries beside him, still speaking aloud.
“See, he knows he's going to die…”
Then his voice gradually faded to silence.
The red-eyed, black-haired vampire stood where the mercenaries had been, his feet surrounded by blooming shadow roses that wrapped around the strong bodies of the fallen. Hearing the angel stop speaking, he tilted his head slightly in puzzlement.
“Hm? Why'd you stop talking?”
The angel's pupils contracted, but before he could pull back, his wings were grabbed by the vampire! He didn't know where this vampire, who wasn't even as tall as him, found such terrifying strength, but with a single hand, he yanked the angel to the ground, then brutally snapped both his wings. In a fluid motion, he snatched the sword from Augustus' hand and impaled the angel to the ground!
“Augustus,” Alexio said quietly, “I'll handle the rest. You hold this ground.”
Before Augustus could reply, Alexio vanished from sight. The commotion continued for a while, then everything suddenly became eerily quiet. Only the crackling of flames and the nervous footsteps of the technicians remained.
Dragging his wounded body to the edge of the floor, Augustus looked down. The vampire stood beneath Pupil.
“Restart, Pupil.”
The dim, planet-sized eyes began to glow. One ring after another, symbols of reboot, appeared around its form. Pupil's large black pupil rotated gently as it gazed down at Alexio. Inside, vast calculations were underway, preparing to seize control of the conservation center.
Alexio's first task was complete. Without pausing, he prepared to sound the alarm, but the shrill sound of the alarm bell rang out the very next second, echoing throughout the entire conservation center.
Inside the security room, Ellie nearly collapsed from exhaustion but forced herself to stay upright. She triggered the alarm, and the intruders would soon realize someone was in the security room and come to deal with her. She didn't even have time to close the eyes of the dead guards. Holding back tears, she stumbled out, gathering panicked dark creatures and staff along the way.
She carefully made her way down the corridor, instructing everyone she met to head immediately to the edge of the Emerald Inner Sea. She noticed some dark creatures were already moving there on their own, faster and more decisively than their caretakers.
These were all lessons Alexio had taught them… Alexio…
Hurrying past the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the corridor, Ellie couldn't help but glance outside. Over the Emerald Inner Sea, morning clouds pressed down on the pearly dawn sky, and the sun, hidden beneath the surface of the sea, cast a faint emerald light.
Dawn was breaking.