There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Chapter 20. The Black Pearl

Zein didn't like being photographed. Perhaps because he used to be a rogue, he avoided exposure like a plague. But there was nothing he could do if Han Shin said it was for the one who made these clothes.

It was that good.

So, he decided to just ignore the healer and looked at another piece of equipment inside his case.

It was a curious piece of equipment that had a cylindrical shape with a little engraving of an X on the surface instead of SA. So it seemed like the equipment was a product of Mortix. When Zein took it out to scrutinize it, the equipment looked like a collar instead. Or a choker? A neck protector? What was this?

Zein looked at it with narrowed eyes, examining it here and there. The color was also black, but rather than fabric or leather, it felt like it was made of metal instead. There was a section that looked like it could be refracted so that it could be worn on his neck, but Zein wasn't sure how to use it.

"Here, let me," Bassena reached out his hand, already standing in front of the guide.

With a frown, Zein gave the equipment to the esper. "What is this?"

"It's a mask," Bassena replied with a smile, enjoying the look of surprise on Zein's icy face.

"Wha—how?"

Instead of answering, the esper put his thumb on a rectangle pad at the side of the choker-like equipment, and about a third of it retracted. Zein stiffened for a bit as Bassena put the equipment on his neck, like a necklace—or collar—purely on reflex.

The blue eyes glanced up, peering at the subtle smile on the esper's face, and the twinkles in the amber eyes. His eyes were right in front of Bassena's neck, and Zein could see the sturdy muscle, the glistening bronze skin, smelling the scent of soap and musk, and his mind wandered back to their intertwined hands.

For Zein, who only did hand-to-hand guiding, even such gesture was already overly intimate. Bassena wasn't the first one who tried something like that, but he was certainly the first one Zein had ever indulged.

And now he started to wonder why.

Was it because he was strong? No...Zein never cared about that. As long as he utilized his reserve raw magic energy to the limit, he could at least punch a 5-star esper once, and use the remaining energy to bolt.

Was it because of that strange feeling of deja vu? Or the way the esper's mana sea felt like a comfortable blanket? Or was it because of the firm voice that was full of confidence telling him that one day, Zein's hidden wish would be answered?

Before Zein could find the answer, however, he heard a clicking sound and Bassena stepped back.

"Is it comfortable enough?" the esper asked, tilting his head to check on the choker. Zein moved and cracked his neck to test it, and nodded when he didn't feel any discomfort. "Touch the side under your left ear, you'll feel a pad there. Press on it firmly,"

With that instruction, Zein brought his fingers up and felt the mentioned rectangular pad, and pressed.

And almost stumbled back.

With a soft clicking sound, the choker unraveled into sheets of soft metal that crept all over his jaw and formed an almost skin-tight mask covering his lower face. No—since it felt metallic, perhaps he could call it a half-helmet?

Zein got startled by the movement for a second and would hit the table behind him if not for Bassena holding his back firmly.

"Careful there,"

But Zein was too fascinated with the new mask to make any replies. He didn't even move away from Bassena's hand, and was busy touching his lower face.

Since he always dwelled in the end-zone, the equipment that Zein could get his hands on was poor in quality. His mask was just a bulky filtering mask that civilians also used; it was big and suffocating and the filtering quality was honestly trash.

But this one had none of that negative aspect. It was thin, hard like metal on the outside, but felt soft on his cheek. It looked like the material pressed tightly on his mouth, but there was actually a considerable space that allowed him to move his lips easily if he wanted to talk.

And Zein had never inhaled such nice air before.

He took a deep breath, and the air that filled his lungs felt like how people described bright sun and blue skies in those books his brothers liked to read. Just from that, he felt warm and nice and...good.

Haa...Zein covered his face and chuckled, not even realizing how the hand on his back stiffened at the sound.

'Is this why people from the safer zone seemed so positive?' he thought, lips stretched into a bitter smile.

Just a little...just for a little bit, he got curious about how would it feel to live in such a good environment.

"Is it nice?" the question took Zein out of his momentary indulgence.

"Mm, it's light and—" Zein stopped talking, and touched the area in front of his mouth, brow raised in another surprise.

"It's nice, right? It was designed to project your voice as it is to the outside, so even if you're wearing a mask, you won't sound muffled," Han Shin explained with a proud look on his face.

Zein looked down at the clothes and the mask that he wore, and suddenly fell into thought. This was just equipment they gave as a bonus for the mission, so there was a possibility that these were just something like a 'spare' for these people. Then...how advanced was their 'main' equipment?

Zein always knew that the gap between the end-zone and the high-zone was big, but this felt like a chasm that he sighed unconsciously.

"Why? Is it lacking? Do you have any specifications or preferences? There might be something else in the van..." Bassena lowered his head and looked at Zein keenly, scaring Han Shin with how accommodating the esper was.

Zein gave the esper a side glance. Lacking? Zein never even thought that he would get to try something like this, much less own it. He didn't even know a retractable mask was possible.

"No," he replied quickly, pressing on the choker again and marveled at the way the mask retreated. He looked at Ron to see what else the scout got and stood still. "Unless you have another one of that dagger..." his voice trailed, eyes following the sharp metal and sleek sheath.

Ron, who was suddenly receiving a piercing gaze, clutched the dagger like a child protecting their new toy. "Even if it's you, I won't give you this,"

"Tsk," it was rare to see Zein making a jealous expression, so much so that Ron's firm and obsessive gaze even turned troubled.

"Why would a guide need a weapon?" Han Shin tilted his head. "Guide is even more protected than a healer, isn't it?"

"Does your guild never bring a guide inside a dungeon?" Zein frowned.

"Of course we do,"

"But they never bring weapons?" Zein was taken aback. He knew guides didn't necessarily carry weapons, but all of the guides in the borderland, especially those that had a mission to go to the frontline or the Deathzone, would at least bring a knife or light shield.