EnCoffin Me Chapter 65
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 65
After Alexio began paying extreme attention to the lunatic, he gradually started noticing something unusual.
For instance, the lunatic seemed more interested in his schedule. There were also more stretches of time when no one saw him around. And he was feeding Alexio more often, as if trying to hide something… Alexio held his milk tea and fell into thought.
Then again, maybe that last one was just the lunatic succumbing to his charm and willingly paying tribute.
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No, this wasn't the time to think about that. Alexio decided to follow the lunatic once and see what he was really up to.
But again, Alexio fell into thought.
In the past, it had always been the lunatic tracking him. He had never tried following anyone before. He resisted the urge to ask the lunatic for advice. Just then, Alexio heard the military radio buzz, signaling for a a shift change. He stood up, his cloak falling behind him. When he opened the door, a gust of wind and snow hit him.
The military forecast warned of a heavy snowstorm that night. They planned to push the front line before the blizzard arrived, then quickly set up camp to survive the high-risk night. The reason it was high-risk was because the northern front had experienced too many light bursts. The snowstorm would be mixed with intense blinding light elements, which posed a severe threat to ordinary soldiers.
Alexio hurried through half the camp. Although the storm raged, he saw the griffin legion had already soared in the air, showing a sense of urgency. He didn't waste any more time. He searched for the lunatic's trail while meeting up with Andrei. Together, they rushed toward the front lines.
“Where's Luna… Lucius?” Alexio asked. Every time the lunatic disappeared, it made him uneasy.
Unexpectedly, Andrei replied, “The resistance at the front line is too strong. Things got a bit tight, so Mr. Lucius was reassigned there.”
A gust of fierce wind blew in. The left-spiraling horn on Andrei's head glowed faintly white. With light elements all around, casting light magic became effortless. He quickly formed a barrier, enveloping both Alexio and himself to withstand the blast of wind.
“Marshal Olsen suggested you don't take to the skies today. The storm is too severe. You might be blown off the front,” Andrei continued. Alexio heard his cloak rustle loudly in the wind and snow. “Besides, this light burst happened at high altitude. We've already taken measures and will deal with it immediately once it descends, so there's no need to fly out for now.”
“I understand.” Alexio nodded slightly. “The storm is too harsh. Have Lucy and Zhen withdrawn?”
“They're already safely behind the lines, with Helgodon.”
Those children carried the everdark stones filled with dark energy that Alexio had given them, so he didn't worry much. After nodding in response, he rushed toward the front.
Perhaps the wind and snow were too noisy today, but before seeing the lunatic, a restless feeling lingered in his heart.
The unicorn remained by his side. The unique barrier he spread proved to be effective. Freed from defensive concerns, Alexio turned his full attention to purging more of the light mutants.
The storm served as the perfect cover. While human senses were dulled by the harsh environment, the light mutants moved unhindered. They could even use the concentrated light elements to teleport short distances, making them extremely hard to defend against.
Alexio stayed calm and told Andrei to notify Olsen to retreat quickly and hold the camp, in case a large light mutant appeared.
“The front line can be pushed back anytime. There's no need to rush,” he warned. The recent rapid advances must have significantly bolstered the military's confidence. Olsen was steady but still testing how far to push forward. But in moments like this, someone needed to step on the brakes and pour cold water on their ambitions. Alexio was undoubtedly the right person for the job.
“Withdraw everyone. Fall back to camp within half an hour.”
Andrei relayed his order. Olsen accepted without hesitation, and the troops began an orderly withdrawal.
The lunatic's location should have been quite far forward. Alexio intended to move that way but suddenly scanned the area and didn't see Cravenson. His heart sank slightly, and he asked directly, “Is Cravenson fighting this time as well?”
“Yes. Mr. Cravenson volunteered.”
“I think all these recent victories have gone to his head!” Alexio said bluntly. “Dark creatures do have an advantage against the light burst, but how long has he been out of the safe zone? How could he dare to stay on the battlefield for so long? I'll go find him.”
Alexio changed direction. He glanced once more toward where the lunatic was but decided to rescue Cravenson first. If he didn't, the man might die. It was also Alexio's fault. He had only taught the dark creatures to charge forward courageously but forgot to teach them that every living being has limits. Pushing too hard before fully maturing could very likely lead to an early demise.
Andrei led the rest slowly back, while Alexio cut diagonally through the storm toward Cravenson. He slaughtered every light mutant in his path. To speed up, Alexio drew his scythe. No light mutant could survive even one round against him. Through the wind and snow, he vaguely saw Cravenson's figure. Before he could call out, his gaze sharpened!
Above Cravenson, who was facing off against a massive serpentine light mutant, a dense array of magical circles suddenly appeared.
“Holy Judgment!”
Holy light rained down like a storm. Cravenson instinctively shut his eyes, but the pain never came. A cloak brushed past his cheek, and he realized what had happened. He opened his eyes with surprise and relief.
“Your Highness!”
The scythe-wielding vampire shielded him, his deep rose-red eyes piercing through the wind and snow, seeing the attackers clad in hooded white cloaks. Although their attire and magic differed slightly from ten thousand years ago, Alexio recognized in their actions the shadow of the Silver Crusaders once loyal to the Holy Temple.
The ones who had killed Helgodon and Kossinia, who had attacked the Sea of Undead, and who had ended an ancient kingdom in the East that had endured for thousands of years…
The Holy Temple's Silver Crusaders.
Alexio's red eyes widened slowly, burning the white-clad, white-hooded phantoms into his vision with searing intensity.
One of the Silver Crusader silently made a gesture, and the group vanished like phantoms. But Alexio knew they hadn't disappeared. They still hid in the storm, ready to strike like snakes with a lethal attack.
The magical circles in the sky recharged, and the Holy Judgment rained down like a deluge. The vampire blocked it all with his black scythe. Arrows then came flying from unusual angles. They knew Alexio would protect Cravenson, so they vilely targeted this weakness. Cravenson was in constant peril, and after several close calls, Alexio's patience finally wore thin.
“You have some special device, don't you?” the vampire asked, not expecting an answer. “A device that lets you move freely in the storm. The Holy Temple has always been good at these tricks.”
No one responded. The vampire let out a quiet laugh.
“What you rely on is nothing more than this storm.”
The phantoms beyond the wind and snow remained silent. The glow of magic once again illuminated the surroundings, but this time, Alexio was completely fed up with everything.
His fangs pressed against his lips. With his scythe held firm, a thin trail of blood began to seep from where he gripped it, crimson threads twisting as if the blade had suddenly come to life. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, heavy with impending snow, their dull gray light casting a pallid glow over the vampire wielding the scythe.
“This ends now. I'm sick of this.”
He slashed his scythe into the storm.
A sharp, piercing noise tore through the air. Cravenson immediately covered his ears tightly and erected a barrier to withstand the dreadful noise. He caught a faint scent of blood, likely from the attackers who were caught off guard.
Cravenson endured the wave of horrific sound. He slowly looked up, feeling as though something was missing.
The storm… had vanished?
In front of them, the Silver Crusaders lost their cover. Some failed to avoid the vampire's scythe and were cut down by that very strike. What shocked Cravenson even more was the scene unfolding before his eyes—
The wind howled fiercely from both sides, yet directly ahead of them, the raging storm was split apart by a single sweep of the vampire's scythe. The force of that strike lingered, and no more snow or wind dared to cross into that space!
An unprecedented silence settled around them, broken only by the sounds of the vampire hunting down the remaining Silver Crusaders.
Alexio slew the last Silver Crusader, tore off their hooded cloak, not letting go of the travel device at their waist. He then copied the deceased's fingerprints and other personal information, draped the cloak over himself, stood up, and glanced in the direction of the camp.
“Cravenson, you go back first. Take these fully charged everdark stones.” He handed nearly all the stones he carried to Cravenson, keeping only the two pieces the lunatic had given him. Cravenson sensed a rare solemnity in Alexio's expression.
“Your Highness, what about you?”
“I'm going after him,” Alexio replied. He beckoned Cravenson closer and cut his palm, letting blood crystallize under his magic.
“Take this too. If something truly uncontrollable happens, consume it. It will give you a brief surge of power.”
Gradually, Cravenson understood what he meant.
“Do you think the camp is in trouble now?”
“More or less. A small squad of Silver Crusaders has appeared, and there are at least two more teams, possibly even more, in the vicinity. Usually, they operate in multiples of three, corresponding to their three major legions from ten thousand years ago. Besides their strict obedience and willingness to complete missions at any cost, they have the most repulsive trait. Because of this, I must get to Lucius as quickly as possible.”
“That trait is…?”
“They kill their own. Anyone suspected of disloyalty is executed without trial.”
Strictly speaking, the hunters didn't belong to any main legion, but they fought alongside the Silver Crusaders. Laughably, Alexio knew that at least a hundred excellent hunters had died not in battles against dark creatures, but at the hands of the Silver Crusaders' Judgement Legion.
Oath, Expedition, Judgment… The three legions had killed countless of their own, merely because they suspected the deceased's faith had wavered.
Now, it seemed the Holy Temple ten thousand years later still inherited the old system. The Judgment Legion, masters of long-range magical control, had partially arrived. Alexio feared their primary goal was not to attack the camp, but to besiege the lunatic.
The three children inside the camp had been personally trained by him. Empowered by the everdark stones and his blood, their combat strength would skyrocket. With the military's support, holding out until dawn was entirely possible. By then, the storm would have passed.
Tonight was destined to be a night of blizzard.