EnCoffin Me Chapter 52
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 52
Alexio felt that for the foreseeable future, his nightmares would definitely be all about taking on students.
Still, he had no problem accepting this kind of deal. Cravenson was willing to clear all obstacles for him, not just allowing him to bring a few children to the northern front, but even offering to go along. It was a blatant use of his influence to pave the way for him. All Alexio had to do in return was to offer Cravenson some advice and guidance based on his past experience dealing with fallen angels.
He specifically made it clear to Cravenson that under his tutelage, life and death would be up to fate, and wealth and honor up to the heavens.
Cravenson: ……
He was starting to regret it a little.
After finishing his talk with Cravenson, the lunatic also went home. Lucy and Helgodon were now able to train on their own. Alexio was left with nothing much to do. After thinking it over, he chose to stay at work rather than skip out and go home.
He decided to go check on Zhen again.
Zhen was still in the special intensive care unit. He still hadn't woken up, but fortunately, his vital signs were stable. He was just asleep. The conservation center had nervously asked Alexio for his opinion, and his reply was that it wasn't anything serious. Usually, he'd wake up in two or three days.
Opening a【Domain】was a major event in the life of someone granted with divine favor. Alexio hadn't seen the early form of Zhen's【Domain】with his own eyes, but based on the lunatic's description, one particular verse came to mind—
【The imperial son holds a domain, where all beings possess spirits.】
He sat down at Zhen's bedside and checked his condition. He was currently very healthy, with no lack of nutrition. As for the transformation in the mental realm, no one could help. Alexio, skilled in mental power himself, was no exception. All he could do was come by occasionally and sit quietly like this for a while.
He had been watching Zhen in silence, lost in memories, when he suddenly noticed Zhen's hand twitch slightly. Zhen lifted one hand, as if about to bring it to his mouth, likely a projected motion from his dream.
Dreaming about eating, huh… Alexio couldn't help but laugh, but sucking on one's hand wasn't a good habit.
He raised his own hand to stop Zhen's movement.
Zhen was having a dream.
He realized he was lying on a sickbed, but his consciousness was sinking into a web of red threads. He was entangled in them like a caged bird, beating his wings in vain, unable to escape.
He flapped his wings with all his might, and finally, he opened his eyes in the dream.
In his line of sight was a dim palace. It was impossible to tell whether it was dawn or dusk. He sat alone on a throne inlaid with gold and jade. Behind him, a pair of xuan birds was carved into the back of the chair, jeweled beads in their beaks, their rainbow-colored feathers bright and vivid — a favorite motif from the East.
The dream version of himself was calm and silent. Then came light and strangely swift footsteps rushing down the corridor toward him.
【You are awake, Your Majesty.】
The visitor dropped to their knees, offering a full prostration followed by three devout bows. Finally, they lifted the tray that had been placed to the side, knelt before him, and raised the black lacquer plate high above their head with both hands.
【This time, we meticulously selected ten strong adults and obtained the finest medicine. Please take it, Your Majesty.】
But in the dream, he remained silent. He neither raised his hand nor spoke, only stared at the light spilling in from beyond the palace.
So… it was dusk.
【Your Majesty!】
The visitor shuffled forward on their knees, bringing the medicine closer. When they slowly lifted their face, it was already covered in tears.
【Your Majesty, please have mercy on us… please protect us… The world outside is so terrifying, but as long as we have you…】
Bowed low, they held the medicine tray high, their voice shaking with a cry that sounded as if it came from deep within their blood.
【Please take the medicine!】
In the end, the dream version of him reached out and took the blood-red pill into his hand.
The color of dusk, the color of the pill, the color of his lips… all the deepest shades of red mixed together. He had already brought the medicine to his mouth. And from below, the kneeling figure let out a long, broken sob, one of utter relief and joy.
【Your Majesty, you shall—】
Immersed in crimson light, the person bowed deeply.
【—reign for all eternity.】
Zhen opened his mouth, holding the blood-red pill between three fingers, just about to bring it to his lips—
“…Don't suck your hand.”
Zhen woke up abruptly. A hand gently brushed away the one he had raised to his mouth, then tucked it back under the blanket. He opened his eyes to the real world. The natural light was filtered and soft, not harsh on the eyes. Slowly, he turned his head, and saw Alexio sitting at his bedside, munching on an apple.
The faint crunch of the fruit being bitten into finally gave him a real sense of waking up. He almost wanted to laugh, and so he did. His breath stirred the talisman paper resting against his forehead.
“Alexi,” he said in a whiny tone, “I'm hungry. I want a fruit.”
“No, it's cold. I'll get you porridge.” Alexio held the half-eaten apple in his mouth. His sharp fangs came in handy. Once they pierced the flesh, the fruit was hard to dislodge. Still biting down on it, he used both hands to carry over the bowl of porridge. It was chicken porridge, kept warm the entire time, prepared by Zhen's caretaker.
He propped Zhen up a little and let him lean back. A small table was lowered in front of him to hold the bowl. Alexio then pulled the fruit off his fang and continued eating it. But when he looked over, instead of digging in, Zhen was just holding the spoon in his hand.
“Alexi…” Zhen said softly, “Actually, I had a dream.”
He quietly described the palace in his dream, the mad-eyed attendant, the blood-colored dusk, and the pill said to be worth ‘ten strong adults.’ He still felt afraid while speaking, but once he finished, the fear seemed to lift. This was because Alexio, sitting beside him, had shared the weight of it.
“Alexi, what do you know about the eastern faction from ten thousand years ago?”
Alexio set down the fruit and thought for a moment. He didn't know much about the eastern faction. He'd never been there, only heard rumors. In his era, almost no one from the eastern faction left their homeland. They were devoted to a secluded, utopian lifestyle and only seen by other races on the continent when they sent out envoys each year. As one of the leaders of the vampires, Alexio had naturally met many of their envoys over the years, some of whom were shen.
But no outsider had ever visited the eastern faction's main city, and no one had ever laid eyes on the so-called imperial son, bearer of the Mandate of Heaven.
The lunatic seemed to have visited there later, when everything had already collapsed. At that time, Alexio had been working desperately to gather every bit of power from the dark forces, preparing for a final battle with the light.
“I don't know much either,” he said, thinking back. “I remember the eastern faction's main city was called Beizhu. Unlike now, ten thousand years ago, people of that race would never left the city, nor would they trade with the outside world. They lived in isolation, stubbornly guarding that city.
“It was said that Beizhu had a domain. I never got close, so I can't say for certain.”
【The imperial son descends upon Beizhu, his eyes misty with sorrow.】
Zhen thought of this line. So, the name Beizhu must have come from the imperial son.
“Then… Alexio, do you know anything about that imperial son? What kind of person was he?” he asked again.
“That's hard to say. The eastern faction's imperial sons were always rotated. Each generation never left the main city, so it was nearly impossible to truly know any of them,” Alexio said honestly, shrugging. “Personally, I think… no matter which imperial son it was, being stuck in such a closed-off city must've been a miserable fate.”
“…But they were respected imperial sons, weren't they? They must've possessed a lot of things.”
Alexio chuckled and ruffled Zhen's short hair. His deep rose-colored eyes shimmered with light.
“What's the point of having a lot? If you're trapped forever in that city, you're just a noble prisoner.” His voice grew livelier. Even with all the chaos of ten thousand years ago, Alexio had experienced so many incredible things that someone confined to one place could never know.
“If you go to sea during the season of the divine kingfishers and wore those shoes with enlarged soles, you could walk right across the calm water. In the dark elves' underground cities, spiders would count fireflies, only catching seven in a web to leave enough for others to enjoy. And on the border of hell, you could just sit there all day, watching the demons pass by with their beautiful horns…”
With every sentence, Zhen leaned in a little closer, always asking, “And then?” He listened with wide eyes, completely captivated, wishing he'd been born ten thousand years earlier just to see all the things Alexio had once seen.
“Don't worry, you'll get to see them.” Alexio suddenly remembered what Pupil had been working on. “Didn't Pupil say he's making a big werewolf movie? It told me its plans to cover other races afterward. You'll get to see every kind of scene.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Zhen smiled and obediently lay back down. He still needed a few more days of IV treatment to recover his strength. After that, he'd be able to play with Helgodon and Lucy again, resume training under Alexio, and go back to do things he both needed and wanted to do each day.
Alexio's shift was over. He pulled the curtains closed and left the room. As he walked down the corridor, something suddenly came to mind. He quickly messaged Pupil, who promptly sent over the audio clip he'd asked for.
Lying in bed with his eyes closed, Zhen heard his lightbrain chime. He picked it up and saw that Alexio had sent him an audio file — to help him sleep, apparently. Obediently, he switched to bedtime mode, played the recording, and closed his eyes again.
Then came the sound of a soft ‘ding,’ followed by another… and another, seven in total. A faint rustling followed, as if a supple web had stopped unfurling. The spider, concerned that there would be no fireflies left for latecomers to enjoy, slowly crawled into the depths of its cave.
The audio looped, and another sequence of seven chimes began.
In Zhen's dreams, fireflies filled the air.
Meanwhile, Alexio boarded the shuttle home. This was his first time heading back without the lunatic. Bored, he started wondering what the lunatic might be cooking for dinner. By the time he got home, he was absolutely starving.
Alexio: …Hungry!
Driven by hunger, his movements were two or three times faster than usual. He opened the door, only to be greeted by total darkness.
…Huh?
“…Made sandwiches. Soup's in the pot.” The saint's voice came out of the dark so suddenly that it startled Alexio, who hadn't even noticed him sitting there.
Part of the reason was that he'd let his guard down, but more importantly…
“Your stealth skills have really improved,” Alexio muttered offhandedly as he headed to the kitchen to get his sandwich. His gaze swept over the fridge, and as he remembered all the labeled notes marking his preferences, his ears grew slightly warm.
But unfortunately, the sandwiches were on the other side of the fridge…
Without hesitation, Alexio teleported, bypassing the fridge entirely, and secured his dinner. He sat down at the dining table, sandwich in hand, just about to take a bite when the saint spoke up unexpectedly.
“Did we… forget something?”
Alexio bit down. “Hmm?”
“Back at the ruins of the Sea of Undead, weren't we discussing matters related to divine favor? You said you wanted to…”
Ah. Alexio remembered now. He'd said he wanted to take a look at the tattoo on the lunatic's upper back.
His pace slowed as he chewed the sandwich.
Take a look… at the upper back…
Did that mean… the clothes had to come off?
Bit by bit, he turned his head. The saint was sitting on the couch they had bought together, loosening the collar of his shirt.
“Eat quickly.”
The saint kept his eyes lowered, his expression unreadable.
“……”
He'd been tricked! This was a last meal before execution!