EnCoffin Me Chapter 49
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 49
Alexio decided he would never send reaction stickers again. It had been a painful lesson.
By the time he arrived at the press conference venue, night had already fallen. However, many staff members were still working overtime to prepare the space. To best reassure the public, the press conference was scheduled to take place inside the conservation center. One of the conference halls had only been slightly damaged and was chosen as the site for the event.
Some members of the media had already begun entering. Given the extraordinary circumstances, all procedures were kept as simple as possible. Alexio spotted staff distributing materials. Journalists only needed to show their credentials and have their lightbrain scanned to receive the relevant information. Alexio went over and asked for a copy as well. The staff member, who had been handing out the materials mechanically, suddenly looked up and saw Alexio. She suddenly became flustered.
“Sir… Sir…”
“Thanks for the materials,” Alexio said, scanning the information on his lightbrain. Just then, he heard Andrei calling his name. He nodded slightly to the staff and nearby reporters, then walked over to where Andrei was waiting.
It wasn't until he had walked a fair distance away that the reporters dared to speak quietly among themselves.
“His presence is unreal… even after fighting almost all day…”
“I can't even imagine how much damage the conservation center would have suffered without Xixi… Prince Alexio.”
“Hurry and take your seats. It's about to start. Have you prepared your questions?”
After receiving more materials like speeches from Andrei, Alexio was reviewing them when he suddenly sensed someone silently approaching him.
When he looked up, the white-cloaked saint had quietly taken a seat beside him, also holding a lightbrain.
“How is… Dr. Zhu?”
“The old marshal is still speaking with him,” Lucius said. “He seems to have some of his own ideas and hopes to reach an agreement with the military.”
“What kind of vague answer is that? What exactly are these ideas?”
Alexio knew how this lunatic worked. Getting information out of him was like squeezing toothpaste. One had to keep pressing.
“He wants to go undercover.”
“…That's way too risky.”
“He can be trained,” Lucius replied succinctly, then lowered his eyes slightly. “Theo has to be dealt with as soon as possible.”
Alexio agreed. After the initial surprise, he fell silent too.
If that was Dr. Zhu's choice.
Still, he was used to bickering with this lunatic that he had to throw in a jab or two just to feel comfortable.
“Why are you so eager to get rid of Theo?”
The lunatic didn't respond right away. Alexio turned to look at him, puzzled by the lack of a comeback.
The press conference was about to begin, and the surroundings gradually fell silent. Only sporadic murmurs and breaths remained in the hall. The saint still had his eyes lowered, but beneath his lashes, his pupils shifted slightly toward Alexio, giving him a quick glance before turning back.
“…Aren't you afraid?”
He spoke in a low breath, careful not to be overheard. Alexio's hand, which had been swiping across the screen, suddenly froze on the page. He pressed and held, and the pages on the screen rapidly flipped backward, so fast it made one dizzy, but he kept his hand steady.
“You flipped to the wrong page. This one.”
The saint grasped his hand, placed it on the table, then slid the materials back to the first page.
“This is the right one.”
He calmly studied the vampire's expression, from his cheeks down to the slightly trembling tips of his ear. Finally, seeing Alexio gripping the table as if to crush it, he reached over and handed him a bottle of water.
“Want some water?”
Alexio grabbed it suddenly and downed half the bottle in one go. He intended to offer the rest to the lunatic, but suddenly changed his mind, pulled his hand back, and silently finished the remaining half himself.
The saint rested his face on one hand as he watched him drink. When Alexio finished, he slowly fetched another bottle from nearby.
“……”
The saint quickly fetched another bottle, then another after that, neatly stacking them by Alexio's side.
Their movements were so subtle that Andrei, sitting nearby, was completely oblivious. He focused on the report in his hands. This time, there were almost no deaths among the dark creatures. Among the humanoid dark creatures, the most seriously injured was Zerita, who was now under control thanks to Alexio's intervention. Several staff members had died. Most casualties happened during the initial attack, when the ruthless mercenaries showed no mercy, cutting down those caught unprepared in a brutal onslaught.
The root cause of this incident was the almost complete lack of armed forces stationed within conservation center. Only a few powerful angels like Augustus were deployed as guards around Pupil. The core perimeter defenses were extremely robust but proved useless during the invasion. Fortunately, after the initial chaos, Alexio's timely intervention brought the situation under control.
Alexio… the dark creature from ten thousand years ago…
He hardly had to worry during the first half of the press conference. He was reviewing the center's battle damage to assess whether his previous drills had been effective. The results were good. Alexio was satisfied. After all, these dark creatures had been spoiled for years, so achieving eighty percent adherence to his deployment was quite an accomplishment.
“…I'm a reporter from Pupil. May I ask Prince Alexio a few questions?”
Receiving Andrei's questioning glance, Alexio nodded slightly.
“As one of the earliest responders and an external supporter who entered the center, how did you detect the abnormality?”
Alexio had already rehearsed this question with everyone. The ruins of the Sea of Undead beneath the Emerald Inner Sea couldn't be exposed yet, so he had his answer ready.
“It started with a little game I played with Zhen. In the East, there's this type of concentric knot where if one side unravels, the other side also loosens.” Seeing the reporter nod in understanding, he continued, “The knot in my hand came undone, and I couldn't get through on communications, so naturally, I got worried and came back to check.”
The subsequent rounds of questions were clearly vetted by officials, focused on what the public most wanted to know. Alexio answered each one carefully. His identity as a dark creature naturally drew sympathy, and his recent heroic intervention made him the perfect person to deliver some of these answers.
“Prince Alexio, if I may ask, were all dark creatures ten thousand years ago as powerful as you?”
The question was almost endearing. Alexio smiled, and the livestream faithfully captured his expression, visible to everyone watching. The vampire gave a slight smile, revealing his subtly pointed, short fangs.
“How could that be?” He scanned the hall. “This question isn't closely related to today's topic, so I'll only answer it once.
“No, and it's impossible. While the overall power level ten thousand years ago was higher than it is now, it wasn't to such an outrageous extent. I am a dark creature and a third-generation vampire. Even during the wars ten thousand years ago, few could match me, except…”
He glanced at the saint beside him but didn't continue.
As the press conference drew to a close, the last reporter stood up and quietly asked, “What changes do you think will come about after this incident?”
The question covered a lot of ground. Alexio thought for a moment and answered point by point.
“Regarding the conservation center, I expect the military will station permanent troops here. After all, no one wants this tragedy to happen again. Don't worry about the dark creatures being agitated or frightened. The center and I will coordinate to handle that.
“As for the enemy, we have already identified some of their objectives and can mount targeted defenses. In fact, through this incident, we captured a large number of prisoners, and Marshal Olsen will personally oversee that.
“Finally, if you want to ask about the future of the dark creatures… Then I'd like everyone to watch a video.”
The video was a compilation of clips from Zhu Qing's illegal livestream. It had already gone viral online, but only in very blurry versions. What Alexio now showed was undoubtedly a high-definition copy obtained by Pupil. The silver wolf, its massive frame streaked with blood, continued to roar in defiance. He learned and grew at an incredible speed during the battle. Even his fans would have difficulty recognizing that this was the same wolf cub who used to whimper after only a few steps.
When the video ended, the vampire stood. His gaze swept over everyone in the hall before finally locking onto the camera broadcasting live.
“My kind has regressed for far too long,” he sighed. “So long that the werewolves forgot how they once ran across the snowfield. So long that liches forgot how to command their undead armies. So long that fallen angels forgot how to fly. So long that dark elves forgot how to draw their bows…
“As long as my kind does not change, regression will not stop, and balance will not be restored. So…” He slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression was resolute.
“The dark creatures will move forward.”
As his words settled, the lights in the room suddenly went out. When the crowd tensely feared another attack, the massive screen behind Alexio lit up, displaying the image of a giant eye. The restless crowd gradually quieted, realizing that Pupil had taken control of the venue.
Alexio was momentarily stunned. Remembering the message Pupil had sent earlier, he realized what Pupil intended. Now was indeed the best moment for a public reveal. He sat down and glanced in the dim light at the saint, who was also watching him.
A sound like striking porcelain ice crystals echoed. Clips from the Flowers of Heavens danced across the screen. As the prologue ended, the swirling snow crystallized into a clear and solemn name—
【Helgodon.】
The name lingered for a while, then dispersed into snowflakes, slowly vanishing into the darkness.
A man's voice sounded, the tone casual yet tinged with mocking amusement.
“Go to the snowyfield, Alexi.”
The screen gradually began to glow faintly, though it wasn't fully bright, showing only blurry shadows. It vaguely depicted a dimly lit but luxurious room, with a fireplace blazing fiercely. Someone was calmly seated in a carved armchair, his posture relaxed and at ease, as if no one in this world could threaten him.
“See what those crude ‘friends’ are up to, and what the Holy Temple is doing. Afterwards, come back and report to me.”
In front of the chair, half of the vampire's cloak trailed on the floor, and ambiguous light shimmered on his long eyelashes. Suddenly, his eyelids lifted, revealing a dazzling, deep rose color.
His voice, however, was in stark contrast to his splendid appearance, sounding very sharp and severe.
“Yes, Father.”