EnCoffin Me Chapter 47
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 47
At that moment, hovering above the sea were a dozen or so aircrafts equipped with invisibility devices. Although Theo personally came to the front line for ease of command, he cherished his life greatly. He mobilized a large number of armed forces to accompany him, and once the situation turned sour, he would not hesitate to flee with the captured dark creatures.
He was a cunning and troublesome enemy, but unfortunately, he had met a hunter who was just as cunning and relentless.
After the thunderous strike, Lucius quickly pulled the griffin upward. Numerous enhancement spells stacked one after another. He didn't regret a missed attack nor rejoice over a successful one. Instead, he calmly scanned the surroundings. Then, in a flash, his figure vanished as a special magic concealed his presence.
This was a unique variation of light magic, augmented by life magic. The saint moving between the aircrafts was like a living ghost, his sky-blue eyes watching over the world below. He locked onto another aircraft that appeared to have been damaged by the recent explosion's shockwave.
He ended the poor prey's life. Broken debris and what looked like humanoid fragments fell down. From such a height, survival was impossible.
Lucius searched the area. So far, none of the aircrafts he had destroyed were the mothership. He could use a clumsy process of elimination, but that carried too much risk. The most important target might escape.
After the initial panic, the remaining aircrafts gradually organized themselves. Some fired at him recklessly, ignoring the risk of exposure, while the rest fled. Lucius steered the griffin, dodging several blasts. His eyes darkened, but he didn't rush. Instead, he began reciting a lengthy incantation. Although the protective spell on himself wouldn't enhance his own defenses, he still had his griffin by his side.
Barrier spells unfolded endlessly, layer after layer, only to be shattered one by one. The last barrier broke right before Lucius' eyes as he finished the final syllable.
“Holy Judgment.”
High above the aircrafts, several massive circular arrays unfolded, tilting and adjusting their angles as if debating which target to strike. Soon, the controller made his decision. The arrays flared brilliantly, spewing out a flood of lightblades that shot toward the few fleeing aircrafts in the distance.
Another circular array formed beneath the griffin's wings, seemingly a spell specifically designed to amplify the griffin. The barrier rose again. The cloaked saint watched the slowly burning, falling aircrafts with a faint, mocking smile. His holy and austere features, already striking, seemed to melt like ice with that smile, only to reveal an even more ruthless and frigid core beneath.
Armed aircrafts fled wildly across the sea, but only one man and his griffin pursued them. If this had happened to someone else, Theo might have mocked their incompetence. But now he couldn't laugh. He was too overwhelmed.
More aircrafts crashed into the sea one after another. The turbulent waves rocked Theo's amphibious aircraft. After hiding underwater to observe, Theo had been ready to retreat, deliberately keeping Zhen close. But suddenly, a chill ran through him. He dodged a flash of lightblade behind him.
He turned his head. His loyal subordinate lowered his head, gripping a sword. Sensing Theo's gaze, he slowly raised his vacant eyes—
Another strike!
Theo instantly attacked the man's mind, successfully seizing control. The subordinate forced himself to stab the lightblade into his own heart.
The subordinate's life ended easily. Theo slowly raised his head and stared directly at this fragile dark creature he had never taken seriously.
“…Is this your ability?”
Zhen slowly lifted his head. The talisman on his forehead had disappeared, revealing pure black eyes. His expression was no longer childish but calm and deep.
He raised his hand, and more followers loyal to Theo charged forward. Theo immediately took control again, killing them one by one, then sent a sharp mental probe toward Zhen, hitting successfully!
Having cleared most of the aircrafts, Lucius realized the mastermind might no longer be in this group. They had likely fled or were somewhere beyond his sight.
His gaze suddenly shifted toward the sea.
On the dark blue ocean, a line of milky white appeared. It was already dawn. A vague, obscure power spread across the waters. The force was unstable, trembling slightly. At one point, it was triggered, forming a massive whirlpool that continued to expand outward. In the center, the sea peeled away, revealing a hidden aircraft.
Countless sea creatures and fish swarmed around it, their shimmering silver scales reflecting light everywhere. Above, seabirds capable of long flights gathered, their long cries stirring the clouds and mist as they circled, unwilling to depart.
Fish swam in procession, birds paid homage… If this were land, there would surely be beasts galloping and countless trees flourishing.
He suddenly remembered what he had once told Alexio—
【The imperial son holds a domain, where all beings possess spirits.】
In the face of this power that seemed to command all living souls, Theo unsurprisingly chose to avoid confrontation for now. He did not understand why the fragile dark creature possessed such an ability. If it had been revealed earlier, the world's balance would have shifted long ago. It seemed everything had changed since the day the resurrected vampire rose from the coffin. That was when Theo started dreaming, and when these long-stagnant dark creatures finally began to move forward.
Sensing that the saint in the sky had also locked onto his position, Theo no longer hesitated. He activated the ancient teleportation array left behind by the Holy Temple ten thousand years ago.
Unfortunately, the ultra-long-range teleportation array was already damaged and could only be used this once.
After the painful teleportation, Theo struggled to suppress his body's adverse reactions. Suddenly, soft female arms wrapped around him, panic in the voice that spoke—
“Mr. Theo! The medical team is on standby. You'll be fine soon!”
“Delvie, be quiet.” Theo remained calm and stopped her from speaking further.
Judging by today's events, Zhu Qing, who had attacked the conservation center, probably wouldn't make it back.
He didn't care about today's losses. With his abilities, there would always be a continuous supply of usable people. What concerned him was the saint's attitude. They had clearly communicated before, so why was the saint so ruthless toward the Holy Temple? Did he have his own plan, or did he intend to sever ties with the Holy Temple? Theo didn't believe it was the latter. He had read many Holy Temple scriptures from ten thousand years ago and was certain that once a hunter belonged to the Holy Temple, they would follow its banner for life.
And then there was that strange, obscure power. He had faced it directly and felt deep fear.
Supported by Delvie, Theo slowly straightened up. He needed to recover quickly. There was still much he had to do…
He felt a cold glint aimed at his back. Theo was startled, but before he could react in time, an arrow, as if flying from beyond the heavens, had already pierced through space and hit him with precise accuracy!
In that instant, he was almost bewildered. He didn't understand why he, who had already used the Holy Temple's ancient teleportation array to escape, would still be hit in his safe base!
Delvie's anguished scream echoed in his ears. Theo didn't have time to resolve any doubts before he lost consciousness completely.
The target didn't seem to be dead yet.
Lucius slowly lowered the hand holding the bow and arrow, his mood slightly overcast. Just moments ago, he recognized the Holy Temple's frequently used teleportation array, which remained in the aircraft's control room. He was so familiar with it that he could draw it backward from memory. Immediately, he calculated and then traced it in reverse. Theo had actually cooperated well, carrying the red string infused with Zhen's aura on his person. With this double insurance, Lucius was confident his shot would hit.
Unfortunately, the distance had worn down the arrow's power. He hadn't been able to kill the target.
But…
He opened his notebook and smoothly re-embedded Alexio's button, which he had just used. The shadow power on it had already been extracted by him and generously given to Theo as an accompanying gift with the arrow.
He lifted Zhen, who was weak and unconscious from using his domain, and placed him on the griffin's back. The sky was already fully bright, and the military's aircrafts and rescue ships arrived belatedly. Because Zhen had held Theo back, not a single dark creature was taken away, which was undoubtedly a satisfying result.
Lucius even found himself pondering a rather trivial question.
He wondered how many shadow roses would eventually bloom on the fertile land named ‘Theo.’
The thought of roses reminded him of Alexio. As he watched the approaching military personnel, Lucius sent a message to Alexio.
“I'm done here. Zhen was safely rescued. The other dark creatures are intact.”
“…I'll be as quick as possible.”
Lucius keenly noticed something off in Alexio's tone.
“What, has the situation worsened?”
“No, still under control.” After saying this, Alexio paused for a long moment before continuing.
“As long as the weaker ones withdraws from the center to the edge of the Emerald Inner Sea, everything will be over. I will open my【Red Moon Royal City】.”
The communication with the lunatic was cut off. Even without thinking, Alexio knew the guy must be rushing back at full speed. He was well aware of the lunatic's obsessive fixation on any piece of intelligence related to him. Unfortunately, everything on this side would likely conclude before the lunatic returned.
The name ‘Theo’ caused only a fleeting hesitation in him. Soon, Alexio gathered all his emotions. He believed that even if Theo appeared before him again, he wouldn't be afraid.
After all, that was the vampire king he had once killed.
“Lucy, Helgodon, head to the centralized shelter at the shores of the inner sea,” Alexio called out, casually slaying a humanoid light mutant. He had intended to ask Doctor Zhu to look after the two children, but when he glanced to the side, he saw Zhu Heng standing frozen, trembling slightly, as if hearing something unbelievable.
“…Doctor Zhu?”
Zhu Heng woke abruptly, staring into the deep rose-colored eyes of the vampire. A tremendous sorrow and guilt rose from his heart, choking his breath. He had already connected ‘Theo,’ ‘Zerita,’ and himself, suddenly realizing that he was an indispensable part of Theo's plan. He was the one who agreed to let Zerita undergo Theo's treatment. He had silently condoned Theo's actions in the hope that elemental therapy could save more dark creatures. He had brought Zerita into the main center, and it was he who had caused the current casualties.
Zhu Heng's body trembled slightly. He felt the worried lich girl tugging at his sleeve, and Helgodon quietly whimpered as he circled him. Yet Zhu Heng had no face to look at these innocent children and could only bow his head deeply in shame.
“It was me…” he whispered. “I caused this…”
“Doctor Zhu.” Alexio approached him. From Zhu Heng's unusual behavior, he sensed something, but his expression remained as usual. What he said next stunned Zhu Heng completely.
“Lucius suspected you long ago, and I share that suspicion.”
Zhu Heng raised his head, expecting to see eyes filled with disappointment and disdain. But Alexio's face was calm.
“But I still believed you're a good person. That belief existed alongside my doubts.”
He glanced toward the long corridor with floor-to-ceiling windows. The once exquisite, warm building was now ravaged. Closing his eyes, he could sense many strong rays of light slowly growing within its walls. Alexio knew himself well. He wasn't good at reading others' thoughts and was slow to notice subtle details. His sensitivity to people's emotions largely compensated for this flaw, though sometimes this feeling couldn't be entirely trusted.
So more often than not, he would independently judge a person without relying on anything.
Tone, actions, expression, values… No matter how skilled an actor was, no one could keep up a performance forever. Everyone's true self would leak out in many unnoticed ways. To Alexio, Zhu Heng felt like a plant with resilient branches and leaves, standing under a dark cloud.
Zhu Heng truly cared for the dark creatures.
That alone was enough for Alexio.
“Doctor Zhu, I still trust you in your sincere desire to protect the dark creatures,” he said. “As for everything else, I think we can sit down and talk later. Whether it's about Theo or something else, what kind of judgment you deserve, and what price you must pay for your choices, aren't for me to decide here.”
He paused and gave a faint smile.
“Doctor Zhu, please take Lucy and Helgodon to the shores of the inner sea. Maybe you can try to rescue Zerita along the way? Lucius just sent me word. Theo probably doesn't have the strength to cause more trouble now.”
Turning around, he held the black scythe ready, facing a new light mutant emerging from the corner.
“I'm a bit tied up here. I'll have to trouble you.”
Helgodon let out a soft “woo,” and Lucy gently tugged his sleeve again. Looking at these two innocent children, Zhu Heng felt his eyes sting with tears. In that moment, he almost broke down.
He wasn't forgiven.
But in some way, he was still trusted.
“I will protect them with my life,” he whispered.
He saw the vampire, whose back was to him, nod slightly and even show a faint smile. Without hesitation, he led the two children toward Zerita's location.
Alexio began sweeping through the center. The area was vast, and the number of light mutants was overwhelming. Yet he showed no impatience. At a certain moment, he felt that the frail dark creatures had completely withdrawn from the center, leaving only combat personnel and ordinary people with good physiques.
That was enough. The domain he was about to unleash wouldn't harm the strong.
He used the black scythe one last time to shatter the large floor-to-ceiling windows. Unfiltered, brilliant sunlight poured in, casting the vampire's shadow on the ground.
Alexio spoke softly—
“Through me is the way to the city of woe…”
The shadow began to seep and spread, creeping outward with each step the vampire took, staining everything around, sparing not even the intangible light.
“Through me is the way to eternal pain…”
At the refuge on the shores of the inner sea, everyone felt the sky suddenly darken. Some looked up as the sun and moon performed a grand celestial shift overhead.
The red moon hung high, shadows stretching long. Thorny shadow roses wrapped around the center's outer walls, and the ground was dusted with gray ash. Scarlet rose petals hung frozen in the air. All was dim and lonely. At the highest point of the building, a pair of enormous bat wings slowly grew from Alexio's back, unfurling until they formed a sharp, imposing silhouette.
The two wings folded slightly inward, partially enclosing the vampire beneath them. Alexio rose, overlooking the city beneath his wings—
He was the sovereign of eternal night. At his birth, the abyss had erupted in cheers.