EnCoffin Me Chapter 88
Translated by Q the Panda (ko-fi)
Chapter 88
There were four days left until the Carnival, and three days until the All Souls Day.
Pupil released the first trailer for the Carnival.
The video was filmed at the newly built Carnival Plaza. This simple and direct name was clearly coined by Alexio. The conservation center had spent an entire night rehearsing the lighting setup, using the opportunity to shoot the promo.
Many dark creatures participated, all from the main conservation center. This was considered a special privilege, given that the main center was funding and organizing the event. These dark creatures had all been taught by Alexio. In other words, they differed from the dark creatures that came after the firestorm. Although still kind-hearted, they were gradually regaining a shadow of their former selves, both in terms of strength and mindset.
The trailer played out like a short story. A human girl, portrayed by Lucy, attended the Carnival grand parade. She wore a beautiful dress and had a serene smile on her face, clearly enjoying the festive atmosphere.
She passed a stall selling masks. The vendor, whose hand was adorned with beast-fang accessories, removed the white wolf mask from his face, revealing the ears on top of his head, which twitched nimbly from beneath the mask's beast ears. At another stall, she bought a cup of sweet and tangy juice, while a sigil snake poked its head out from the shadows beneath the counter, watching her leave. A demon and an elf were performing a legendary tale of joint adventure, complete with monster doll merchandises. The girl picked up a doll and suddenly heard a commotion. A bat-winged float slowly rolled in. Onboard, someone dressed as a vampire bared sharp fangs, a meaningful smile lingering on his lips…
Everywhere she looked there were lights, masks, and swaying figures. The girl happily stopped at one stall after another, talking and dancing with passersby. Everything was too lively, too dreamy, all wrapped in fiery passion bursting forth with this joyous festival!
The music changed to a softer, more enchanting melody. An actor dressed as a fallen angel, with black wings on his back, reached out to the girl, inviting her to dance. Just as she was about to respond, another hand suddenly reached out from beside her. A blond young man, looking panicked, pulled her away. In a corner, the young man panted heavily, explaining to the girl with a fearful expression that a monster had infiltrated the Carnival.
Then he saw the girl looking at him with a serene smile.
The flesh peeled away from those well-proportioned, slender hands. The girl, now a lich, reached out, her bone fingers gently cupping the overly adorable human's face.
【Welcome to the Carnival.】
As expected, the comment section under the video exploded.
【Aaaaah I want to be there in person! I want to be there, waaaah!】
【You think I don't?! I want Lucy to cup my face too, waaah!】
【I can feel the charm of dark creatures now, huhuhu! That eerie, mysterious, yet extravagant vibe is killing me, absolutely killing me!】
【Xixi is killing me! Xixi's little fangs are too much!】
The comment section was a battlefield of emotional wreckage. After reading through it, Alexio was thoroughly pleased. The video not only promoted the Carnival but also helped reshape the public image of dark creatures. Once the livestream of the Carnival aired, the impact of this image transformation would be even greater.
Theo, who had claimed he would stir up negative publicity, had been unusually quiet lately. Alexio figured he'd chickened out again, trying to steer clear of the peak attention surrounding the Carnival. But… even if Theo released those statements once the Carnival passed, there would already be a wave of public sentiment about the new transformation ready to suppress his narrative.
With that thought, Alexio felt refreshed and even had more energy to work overtime.
Theo, whom Alexio had been thinking about, indeed chose to lay low amid the Carnival frenzy.
With his memories from ten thousand years ago, Theo knew exactly what kind of event the Carnival was. Although he didn't like it himself, the weaker beings loved it. In this world after ten thousand years, the weak had become the majority, voicing themselves through social networks. Theo wasn't foolish enough to confront such a massive group head-on.
Instead, he focused on the period after the Carnival. Since the southeast branch was under his control, creating unrest among the dark creatures there would be easy. He couldn't match Alexio's momentum now, but that didn't matter. Rising after a fall was still a viable strategy. Let his child bask in fleeting triumph for a while.
He glanced at the table where, inside a transparent container, a soft-bodied queen worm stretched its antennae, restless and stirring.
Theo smiled.
All of the above, however, depended on the success of the Carnival. But if the Carnival failed…
It would be a one-sided defeat.
*****
Two days before the Carnival, one day before the All Souls Day.
Lucy awoke from meditation, holding her scepter as she descended the steps made of bones. Above her was the deep sea. Her small kingdom of undead lay sleeping beneath the waves, now gradually taking on her colors.
The feeling was strange, as if the entire Sea of Undead had become part of her soul. She could control it and also revered it. Here, the concepts of life and death were blurred, replaced only by eternal silence. She wasn't even sure if she was alive or dead.
Leviathan floated above her head, having grown quite large. Its tentacles gently draped over the sea, while rippling waves of iridescent light shimmered across its body, making it appear ethereal, romantic, and increasingly divine. The Pillar of the Sea drifted upside-down, observing the lich sitting on the steps, clutching a scepter.
【What are you thinking about, my guardian?】
It waved its two long tentacles, almost tangling them.
【Cheer up, little one.】
Lucy smiled. She found this god quite endearing. In the short half-month they had known each other, they had already become friends. But her smile quickly faded. Her black eyes, burning with soul flames, remained gentle yet carried a hint of loneliness.
【How about I give you a gift before I leave, partly to thank you for reviving me, and partly because Behemoth gave his guardian frost wings. I shouldn't fall behind.】
“...A gift?”
【Yes!】Seeing her reaction, Leviathan brightened.【Just like I want to fulfill the wish of that lich from ten thousand years ago, I will also grant your wish. In fact, since I never managed to fulfill her request, I'll give you both gifts together.】
【You can make a slightly whimsical wish.】
“Really? If a god easily grants someone's wish, won't that… break the rules?”
Leviathan waved its tentacles dismissively, showing no concern for her worry.
【No, because gods rarely interfere directly in worldly matters. We even make deals with humans, asking them to maintain the balance of the world. After all… the stakes gods can offer are very tempting to mortals.】
Lucy finally relaxed. Yet she didn't know what kind of wish she should make. She had everything and no strong desires. This sudden wish even felt somewhat unnecessary. But since Leviathan said so, she gave it careful thought.
【No rush. Just tell me before I leave.】
Leviathan insisted on staying to watch the Carnival. It would only fully restore its divine form at the end of the night and become one of the three pillars of darkness guarding the mortal realm. Such a life was actually quite lonely, so when encountering interesting and kind people, it wasn't stingy with showing goodwill.
Speaking of interesting people…
【Didn't you say you'd take me to meet your friend?】At that question, the lich girl suddenly froze.
Lucy calmly glanced at the time displayed on the lightbrain.
It was already past ten o'clock. Unless Alexio worked overtime for more than four hours after finishing his shift, there wouldn't be a chance. But she wasn't ready to give up, so she immediately got up and headed towards the surface of the sea.
At the conservation center, Alexio announced the end of his shift. He checked on the lunatic who was still sketching.
“Are you planning to stay up all night?” he asked. If the lunatic pulled an all-nighter, his gift-giving plan might be ruined. “After midnight is the All Souls Day. This holiday hasn't been heavily publicized, but we should still celebrate it, right?”
Lucius of course knew this. Since the Carnival clearly suited modern tastes better, the All Souls Day hadn't been heavily publicized.
In their era, there were many beliefs about souls and a deep sense of reverence. So on the All Souls Day, people would quietly stay at home, either thinking of lost loved ones or simply spending time with family, grateful to be alive.
Alexio had already taken the day off, and so had the others. The center respected their customs, so tomorrow both he and Alexio could stay home.
However… there was a problem with the promotional artwork now, and it would probably require working late to fix.
“Sorry, I can only promise to finish as soon as possible,” he said apologetically, then urged Alexio to go home first. “You don't have to stay with me. Go light candles to honor the departed. I've bought the food in advance, you just need to set it out.”
Alexio found this tricky. As a member of the vampire, he wouldn't perform these rituals, but the lunatic, as a human, seemed to do them every year. Leaving the lunatic alone to work overtime made him hesitate, but just as he opened his mouth to object, the madman had already convinced him with a reason he simply couldn’t refuse.
“Just do it for me.” The saint put down his brush with a smile and reached out. Before Alexio could blink, something rubbed across his face.
Alexio, face smeared with paint: “……”
Messing with me again! You can work overtime by yourself!
Watching Alexio stomp off in a huff, Lucius kept smiling. After a moment, he turned back to his work. He truly couldn't bear to have Alexio stay and work overtime with him. The forecast even mentioned rain tonight, so it was better to let Alexio go home, stay safe and sound, eat something, and play some games.
Near midnight, the staff said their goodbyes in small groups and left. Lucius washed the paint off his hands in the restroom. Just as he was about to leave, he glanced at the time on the lightbrain.
It was almost midnight.
The time kept ticking. Lucius watched it for a moment, about to put away the lightbrain, when it suddenly alerted him to a new communication.
It was Alexio.
He paused, answered the call, the time on the lightbrain still counting down. All Souls Day was about to begin.
“Can you hear me?” The voice on the other end sounded a bit huffy at first, but soon Alexio stopped being angry.
“I can hear you.” Lucius stopped walking and leaned against the corridor wall, feeling a gentle warmth inside.
“Even though you're such a pain and just made me mad, I'm still calling you, since we can't wait for midnight together.” Alexio had been sitting on the sofa while on the call, but as he said this, he sat up straighter. The house was filled with lit candles, their flickering flames seeming to welcome the returning souls for their annual offerings.
“I prepared a gift for you. It's something I learned from the water nymph, a circular ring made of star-shaped shells.” Alexio said slowly. He touched his cheek, which was indeed burning hot. It was the first time he had ever wanted to give someone a present.
“Don't laugh!”
“I'm not. I'm very happy,” the saint replied softly, his tone clearly joyful. Alexio felt his own shyness fade, his deep rose-colored eyes fixed on the seconds approaching midnight.
As the clock struck midnight, Alexio took a deep breath and offered his All Souls Day greeting.
“Congratulations on still being alive.”
It was the traditional greeting from the dead vampire to the living human. Alexio was truly glad the lunatic was still alive. What he feared most wasn't waking up in a completely unfamiliar world ten thousand years later, but waking up only to find the lunatic separated from him by life and death.
That would be terrible. But right now was good.
It was wonderful.
“……”
“Lucius?”
“…I'll be back soon. About an hour.”
The call ended. Alexio felt a little puzzled. It took at most ten minutes from the center to his home, wasn't an hour too long? And besides…
Alexio heard thunder rumbling outside, followed by a heavy downpour. In the rain, roses unfurled their layered petals, red and white, dancing lightly in the cool breeze.
Alexio decided to go pick up the lunatic. He prepared his umbrella device and changed into a waterproof coat by the door, feeling a bit helpless.
Really, he still had to play the role of a father and come get him.
Thunder echoed as the saint walked alone along the floor-to-ceiling window corridor. He looked out into the dark curtain of rain, where waves rippled across the Emerald Inner Sea. His reflection in the glass showed a subtle change from usual, something he noticed himself. After a brief adjustment, his expression returned to normal.
He kept walking without pause until he reached the central zone where Pupil was. Having reported to the staff beforehand, they knew he and Alexio were the resurrected individuals specially regarded by Pupil. After inspection, they allowed him through without trouble.
Finally, he stood beneath the enormous, planet-sized eye. With the Carnival approaching, Pupil seemed pleased, releasing small virtual fireworks around itself. Sensing the saint's arrival, the fireworks stopped and its pupil slowly turned toward him.
The saint suppressed the smile on his face and quietly greeted.
“You look happy. Qizhi.”