There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 313

Chapter 313: Chapter 305. Unexpected Guest

I don’t need them anymore.

Bassena glanced at his guide’s bare face as he drove. It was such a simple sentence, but what it entailed was far from simple.

What was the mask for Zein? It wasn’t just a tool to keep miasma away from his respiratory system. It was also a tool to keep other filth away from him. It was a tool of survival. It was his dagger and his shield.

The mask was the icon of his security.

It contributed to the serenity of his mind, and had little to do with his physical security. Otherwise, he would have shed his mask the moment he stepped into the relatively safer green-zone, not to mention in Bassena’s presence.

But back then, aside from the time he was eating or drinking, Zein rarely retracted his mask, even inside the safe guild building with Bassena beside him. Only after he got closer and more comfortable with other guild members did he start to ease up a little bit. Even then, he would only be comfortable enough to retract his mask in front of Han Shin or Radia.

Others wouldn’t understand, but for Bassena, seeing Zein open his mask more and more was like seeing a man on his healing journey. It meant seeing Zein trust people more and more; it meant seeing Zein lowering his wall more and more; it meant seeing Zein letting himself more and more free.

And to hear the guide say he didn’t need that mask anymore, despite being fresh out of an awful experience, despite knowing there were people still targeting him out there...

Bassena bit his lips because he didn’t want to cry again. But he couldn’t help the welling emotions of seeing Zein coming out of a horrible experience even stronger than before; seeing Zein healing instead of succumbing to dark thoughts.

He was so happy about this positive result that he forgot what kind of effect Zein’s bare face had on people. It was a passive charm trait which effects included mesmerization, petrification, and to some extent, temporary stupidity--as is; whoever they were, they would just stop and stare at that face like an avid fan meeting their celebrity idol.

Which was what happened in the guild lobby.

Of course, for some guild members, it wouldn’t be their first time seeing Zein’s face in person. But it was their first one seeing Zein deliberately not wearing his mask at all; his fair neck was free off the choker-like device. And it means, they could see that beautiful face without any hindrance, freely--not just a few stolen moments when Zein drank his coffee or had his meal.

And for those who had only seen it through pictures taken from afar...well, now they understood why their colleague swore Guide Luzein was way prettier in person.

"Captain?" Nadine widened his eyes when he saw Zein. She was the only one, aside from Alice, who knew what happened to him. More than the fact that Zein was no longer wearing his mask, she was more concerned about the fact that Zein was in the guild already instead of resting. "Are you--"

"I’m fine, thank you, Nadine."

Zein patted her shoulder lightly, not just to show that he was alright, but also to tell her that no one should know about this. "I’m not here to work today anyway," Zein told her, even though he clearly wearing his guide uniform. "I’ll be spending time in the guildmaster’s room today, but give me an update for now--and the guiding schedule I missed."

Nadine blinked, for a few seconds only able to stare at Zein dumbfoundedly. No--not because of the pretty face, but because Zein acted like nothing happened in the past two days. As if he wasn’t sick or being kidnapped. As if he just come back from a vacation, glowing brightly and ready to tackle any work.

How...? _{ƒreewebɳovel.com}

"Nad?"

Still blinking slowly, Nadine asked without removing his gaze from the older guide. "Captain...can’t you just take me to the frontline?"

Zein raised his brow; he thought Nadine had already given up on the assignment list, but it seemed like she still wanted to go. Truly, it was still fascinating for him to see someone eager to march to the Deathzone.

"Who will run the division back home, then?" Zein smiled subtly and patted the female guide with the paper in his hand. "You have to keep producing more combat guides to aid me upfront and I trust no one but you to do that."

"And who will aid you there?" she pursed her lips a little bit, for the first time looking grouchy.

Who would aid this Captain of hers who kept on pushing himself to work and work without taking care of himself adequately?

"Have you so little faith in your fellow guides?" Zein chuckled while giving the paper bearing his delayed schedule back to the receptionist siblings.

Again, Nadine just pursed her lips, so Zein gave her a consolation before he moved on to the top floor. "After we establish more than one base of operation there, I will need someone to coordinate the guides there."

Nadine blinked before widening his eyes, and Zein patted her with a smile on his face. "Come and give me an update."

* * *

"Nora?"