There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 450 - 443. A Future’s Gift

For the past few months, the members of Trinity had been trained with hyper-realistic simulation of the Deathzone.

Even though some of them couldn’t do anything the first time, everyone drafted into the advance troop had passed the evaluation that stated they had enough to stand the environment of the Deathzone. Naturally, they thought they already had what it took to face the place.

They thought.

"I understand," Brisk nodded while rubbing his chin--or rather, the mask covering it.

"What?"

"Why Captain always used a mask in the past," he replied. "If you live in this kind of place for years, it must have become a habit."

Dheera scratched her neck slightly, before fixing her collar to cover it before her Captain found it out and scolded her. "I heard from Sis Nadine it’s not really because of that though," she narrowed her eyes. "But I still get what you mean."

"But..." Dean looked into the black cloud beyond the gate. "That looked scary."

"Of course, it would be scary!" Dheera huffed. "Why else would Captain train us as if a second apocalypse would come tomorrow?"

"What if it is?"

Dheera flinched and hiccuped when she heard her Captain’s low voice and a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"What if the apocalypse comes if we fail this project?" Zein asked light-heartedly, but his words made the guides shrink. He chuckled and patted Dheera’s hair. "Just kidding."

"Don’t kid like that, Captain. You have a really serious face so anything you say feels like they’ll come true," Brisk rubbed his thumping chest. "And it can be a jinx, so please!"

"What? Are you saying we’ll fail?"

"N-no?"

Zein scoffed and pointed at the closed gate in the tall wall. "If you’re done acclimating yourself, go to the outpost and take a closer look at the jungle--Shay!"

A Borderland Unit member who was lounging beneath the gate raised her brow and strolled toward them. "You need me?"

"Are you on duty?"

Rather than answering, she glanced at the guides who were stiffening at the presence of an unfamiliar esper. She curled her lips and intentionally made a sharp expression. "Are you telling me to babysit your kids?"

"Yeah; take them to the outpost to have a clear look at the Deathzone," he said. "And stop trying to scare them."

She laughed and broke the tense act. "I know, I know--guides from high zones are delicate," she chuckled, which made the guides--who had been training so hard to become tough like their Captain--purse their lips. Ignoring the annoyed look that came her way, she shifted her gaze toward Zein. "Where’s my payment, though? I’ll do it if you guide me later."

"I’m under contract, so I can only guide you if you’re a part of the operation," Zein said, prompting a sound of clicking tongue from the esper. He took a bar of chocolate from his storage ring and threw it to her. "That enough?"

Shay arched her brow as she caught the chocolate bar and, after looking at the brand for a second, immediately shoved it inside her coat while looking around. "Heh--seems like you really turn into a high-dweller, huh?" she smirked before turning toward the six guides. "Come, Zen’s kids. I’ll show you around."

The guides looked at Zein and Shay back and forth, like kids who had to have their first day at school without their guardian. Shay snickered and Zein cocked his chin toward the gate. "Go."

Reluctantly, the guides followed the Borderland’s esper toward the gate for their first pre-excursion. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Zein watched his kids go with a smile behind his mask before going back inside the Operation’s headquarters. In front of the command building, Bassena was receiving reports from the support team that had been here since two days ago. Han Shin, who was getting bored beside Bassena, perked up when he saw Zein and immediately strutted toward the guide.

"Zein, Zein--I have your package!" he waved a small wrapped package with a pretty blue ribbon, and they ended up sitting on the bench at the side of the assembly yard.

Zein took the package and carefully unwrapped it. There was a small card with nothing but a cute ’e-le-na’ in rainbow written there. Zein chuckled as he put the card inside his coat and found a wooden box. Inside, there was a bracelet made of white round beads.

"This is from that little Saintess you told me about, right? What is this ma-whoaa!" Han Shin blinked as the white beads suddenly turned murky. "Is this..."

"It absorbing the miasma," Zein looked at the bracelet in surprise.

He had thought Elena would give him something normal, just a teenager’s craft. After all, she was referring to Zein’s necklace when asking him if she could give him a gift. But this...

Zein took out the bracelet and the moment he touched it, he could feel Freyja’s power inside--or rather, her blessing.

What kind of craft did you make, girl? Zein chuckled in amusement as he put on the bracelet on the wrist where he wore his commlink.

Together, he and Han Shin watched the bracelet get murkier and darker until it turned completely black. Right after, as if there was a storm inside those beads, the absorbed miasma churned, creating whirlpools. The black storm gradually got thinner and thinner until the beads turned white again.

"Whoa..." again, Han Shin exclaimed softly. "Does it have any effect on your body?"

"I think I feel lighter?" Zein tilted his head. "Or rather...the pressure from the miasma got lessened even more."

"Damn...the damage dealers would love that!"

Forget about the damage dealers; even Zein loved this. For guides who actively used weapons and constantly moved around like him, it was a godsend.

...well, it was a Goddess-proxy-send.

It was even more significant for him because, unlike espers who could repel most of the heaviness that miasma brought, guides didn’t like that. Even if Zein could control mana to some extent.

To be able to make this...Elena would have to ask the Saintess for the materials and then ask the Goddess for the blessing. And for that, Zein knew she had to provide excellent grades in her studies. It was a gift filled with sincerity and prayer.

A prayer for survival.

A prayer that they could meet again in the future.

"A set of pearls doesn’t seem to cover this..." Zein muttered.

"A gift’s value is in the hand of the beholder, not the giver," Bassena suddenly appeared behind the guide. "This is as precious for you, who needed it, as the pearls would be precious for her, who never seen it."

"Is that so?" Zein stared at the bracelet, still feeling like it was a bad trade.

"It’s so rare for you to be so wise," Han Shin commented, which granted him a flick on the forehead.

"Let’s go," Bassena tapped the table and tilted his head toward the Unit’s headquarters. "It’s time for our meeting."

* * *

"Repeat that again," Ron said while massaging the bridge of his nose.

"There’s a fallen Celestial Being inside the Deathzone," Zein repeated nonchalantly, before sipping on the warm coffee.

The groan that came out of the scout’s mouth was understandable. Zein too, had the same reaction in front of the Goddess. Even Radia, their ever-calm High Commander, had to close his eyes for five seconds before making a reply during that video conference in the Temple.

The only one who didn’t seem to be so surprised so far was Bassena, whose special training for his patron God consisted of surviving the Celestial War. He already had a hunch from then on. Besides, the clue was already there since Zein’s last vision.

Naturally, except for a select few, they did not tell anyone about the main enemy they would have to face inside that darkness. It would be counterproductive to make the troops scared before the operation even begin. Those with a quick wit might realize from the operation name, but unless the higher-up said anything, no one would dare to make any speculation.

Of course, they heavily relied on the theory that the Fallen Star wouldn’t attack them from the start, but sent out scouts and advance troops to test the water first. Its arrogance would prevent direct involvement, and its cautious nature from being defeated once would prevent it from sending its main troops right from the start.

But even if the Fallen Star made a move, Bassena was sure he could at least be able to prevent massive casualty before everyone could retreat.

"Operation Dead Star, huh?" and now, another person also didn’t seem to be fazed one bit. Instead, the berserker Captain had a wide grin on his face. "Quite a fitting name."

As expected of a battle maniac, Zein chuckled. "We’ll let you in on the fun, Captain--don’t worry."

"That’s what I’m talking about."

"Hey!" Ron glared at the Captain; couldn’t decide if his partner loved fighting that much or was just suicidal.

No--perhaps he was just bored. If he didn’t need to command the Unit, Ron was sure the Captain would go inside the Deathzone himself every chance he got.

Even though Ron had been trying hard to free this man. The scout could only shake his head and massage his throbbing temple again at the laughing berserker. He couldn’t say anything because it was he who pushed Zein into Althrea so they would have a connection with the reclamation project, so...

Instead, he looked at the strongest person among all of them. The Serpent Lord was frowning disapprovingly at the coffee in front of him, but otherwise, the man looked calm.

"Are you confident?" Ron asked the Saint class esper.

"There’s no point feeling doubtful before facing it," Bassena replied. He raised his face and stared at the scout. "I had once vowed to slay a Celestial Being for Zein," he curled his lips. "Shouldn’t I at least manage to kill a fallen one?"