There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 556

Chapter 556: Chapter 550. Star Excursion

"I’m surprised Radia let you do this," Zein glanced at the ex-soldier as they walked across the meadow inside the dungeon.

"Our first big fight since getting married," Han Joon smiled deeply with a mischievous spark in his eyes, as if enjoying the memory of their screaming match--although Zein had a feeling it might be the make-up sex after the man was recalling about. "It was quite flavorful."

Zein gave the man a side eye, and Han Joon chuckled in response. "No one slicing anything this time, don’t worry."

"That’s not what I’m worried about."

"It’s alright," Han Joon smiled fondly. "My darling knows how to separate what he wants and what he needs to do."

"I really can’t get used to you calling him that," Bassena shuddered slightly.

"Sure, baby."

Ugh--Bassena groaned. Han Joon was even harder to face when he no longer hiding behind his prim and proper act.

"Hmm...I thought you were calling him Dee from Ra’dee’a but it’s actually from ’darling’?" Han Shin tilted his head. Contrary to Bassena, he had no qualms about his brother using pet names and such--it was just awkward seeing the stoic man he knew turn into this easygoing lover boy.

"Why not both?" Han Joon shrugged, patting his little brother’s head. Han Shin giggled--at this moment, he didn’t even mind if worm creatures surfaced.

No--it still better if they stayed in their place. It still better if they were all dead.

He shuddered at his own thoughts and shifted his focus to the tiny flying creatures that came out once in a while. Not all elemental spirits followed Senia; some stayed inside the dungeon to keep it going. Otherwise, it would turn into a barren land and disappear.

"Zein, can these spirits guide us?" Han Shin asked. "They should recognize the Fallen Star’s trace, right?"

"Hmm...maybe?" Zein glanced at Bassena.

Initially, they would try to use the dungeon core to identify the Fallen Star’s hiding place. But taking out a dungeon core for too long posed a risk of unstabilizing the dungeon, so they would need to return the dungeon core every day. That would make the journey too long, however, so they thought of just going in blind. The Fallen Star’s trace should be pretty strong anyway--or so they thought.

But it wasn’t a bad idea to have a real guide if they could. The problem was...

"I don’t know how to talk to them," Zein looked up. He could talk to the shards, but elemental spirits were out of his expertise.

"Hngg~"

"I can try," the support magician from House Mallarc, Eleanor, spoke from the back. "I have an artifact that allows me to understand spirits."

They stopped to look at her, and when Jock exclaimed softly, Han Joon smirked. "Did my darling prepare it?"

"Yes, Master Joon."

"So, it belongs to House Mallarc?" Bassena chuckled. So much for acting sulky.

Well, actually, it made sense that Radia would do even more to make sure the operation concluded quickly. Now that they poured everything they had, prolonging it was just a waste of resources. Even if he had to dig into his family’s treasure.

"In that case, please proceed," Bassena nodded.

They resumed their walk to where the dungeon core was. Time had passed since the first liberation, and the environment inside the dungeon had become better. The lake was fully filled with fresh water, so the core looked like it was hovering above the water’s surface.

When Bassena approached the small lake, however, a section of the water churned and parted; a stripe of the lake floor raised and made a bridge to the small island where the core was.

"So it does recognize you as the Master," Han Shin chuckled. "After being beaten up so much."

"Sounds familiar," Zein muttered with a smile.

While Bassena grumbled inaudibly, Eleanor took out the artifact Radia gave her; something like a small flute made of wood carved with runes. She played it, and the elemental spirits flying around the lake stirred, gradually flying closer in curiosity. Eleanor opened her mouth, but what came out wasn’t something that the others could understand.

"Is that spirit speech?" Ashur stroked his chin. "How fascinating. Can it be used by anyone?"

"No," Jock shook his head. "As you know, some artifacts need compatibility with the user," he explained, smiling as he looked at the support magician. "This one, if I recall correctly, needs someone who uses druid magic."

"Ah..."

Soon, Eleanor finished conversing with the spirits, and one of them hovered toward the waiting group. Even before Eleanor gave any introduction, they could see that this spirit was a special one. It glowed brighter than other spirits, and instead of a single color, it glowed in a beautiful rainbow hue. Her wings were large and elaborate, and if someone were to look at her from afar, she would appear like a fluorescent butterfly.

"This is the Spirit Queen," Eleanor gestured politely toward the spirit, who promptly flew in Bassena’s direction and touched the esper’s forehead while murmuring something.

Naturally, only Eleanor knew what the Queen was talking about.

"She would like to thank you for liberating this place," the support magician explained. "As such, she would help you find the trace of the entity that had caused her kin misery."

"Ah, thank you," Bassena gave a charming smile he always used for his TV persona--even gave a little curtsy for a bonus, which made the Queen let out a giggling sound.

A pair of blue eyes narrowed. "Hmm..."