There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 450

Chapter 450: Chapter 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.

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.

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. _{freēwebnovel.com}