There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 617

Chapter 617: Chapter 611. An End and A Beginning

The world talked about the emergence of the Great Tree and the erasure of the Deathzone. For days, it became a headline not only in the Eastern Federation but also in other regions.

Even after that, news about the reclamation project kept churning out as if the reporters never lacked any materials to cover. Perhaps because there had been such a draught of news during the operation itself, the articles kept flooding the media as if the dam had been broken.

The recording of the live broadcast kept replaying all over the link. It had become a topic of talk, whether a serious panel discussion in academies and associations or an ice breaker during a hangout in a downtown cafe.

As promised, Radia held another press conference in a symposium hall and relayed the highlights of the operation in front of government officials and the Sentinel Association. It was his way of saying that no one could manipulate the result and claim their role in this operation, which was funded by Trinity and Mortix.

The content of the Reclamation Act was once again spread to the public, who might have forgotten about it after three years. As if by design, the official press release was out on the same date as the announcement of Trinity as the project winner three years ago.

Radia, as the man on the top of the operation, almost couldn’t see the sun; hopping from one meeting to another without rest from dawn to dusk. The PR teams in Trinity and Mortix were losing their sleep managing the flow of public opinion, and the legal teams were battling with mountains of paperwork to take care of the hundreds of contracts that were nearing their end.

While the outside world was chaotic, the newly reborn nameless district formerly known as the Deathzone, was comparatively peaceful. They treated the new region like a vacation site, sunbathing on the side of the lake or having a barbeque party while waiting for their discharge.

When the order of retreat was given, they folded their beach chair and packed their compact tent; washing their face clean and putting on their clean clothes--not the battle-tested equipment and weapons rusted by miasma and beasts’ blood.

"I’m going home! Adios!" Han Shin was among the first ones to bail out of there. He didn’t even bother waiting for scheduled discharge, but slipped through the portal that Nyx made for Radia and Han Joon while shouting a phrase from an Old Age.

No one could blame him though--most of them were eager to leave the place too. While it was no longer the stifling place filled with murky air and thick miasma, it was still a battlefield. Those who had families and significant others missed their homes, and the rest longed for a proper civilization.

Starting from the healer, the personnel left the liberated Deathzone in batches. Mortix and Trinity had prepared buses to bring them to the nearest city, where they could take a chartered flight to Althrea or take other vehicles to where they wanted to go.

Even Zhan, who seemed like he wanted to map the entire new district with his motorcycle, bid them goodbye to visit his big family after years. Gus disappeared secretly with Senia without informing anyone, and Naoya returned with his sister after managing the outpost in the Borderland Unit.

As the operation members left one by one, personnel bearing House Mortix badges and Iron Shield uniforms came into the districts. While the reclamation itself had been successfully conducted, they still had to defend the place--this time from other humans. Before the negotiation regarding the management of the new district was concluded in Rexon, they could not let their guard down and let other people claim the newly opened land.

Thus, even though the tents gradually disappeared from the land, the watchtowers were still standing tall. Patrol teams were still dispatched alongside surveyors, and the Borderland Unit still worked to keep any authorized personnel from entering the place they tentatively called ’Eastern Shore’.

Interestingly enough, most of the guides opted to leave during the last batch, perhaps because they knew they wouldn’t be able to see their ’Captain’ as much in the future. The office that was half-occupied with gym equipment would be no more, and knowing Zein, they wouldn’t even be able to see his pretty face on screen.

So they stayed a bit longer, following Zein around. Sometimes they would sit around a campfire and listen to the guide’s last lecture on what they should do after this to improve themselves even more. When it was time for them to return, the younger kids could no longer hold back the tears they had painstakingly hidden in the farewell party the night before.

"What about you, Captain?" Dheera asked after wiping her tears. "When will you leave? You’re not going to stay here forever, are you?"

Actually, staying there forever was kind of the plan for the future. Not immediately though, so Zein shook his head.

"Someone has to keep an eye on things here until a clear system is established," Zein said, glancing at the former Field Commander who had his own goodbyes with his team members on the side. "And well," he smiled, prompting the nosey guides to raise their brows. "Someone owed me a date."

* * *

We’ll have a date on that cliff--was what Bassena said before charging toward the Fallen Star that day. A simple promise that made them keep trudging forward.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have any chance to fulfill that promise yet. They were busy looking for the last shard and uniting the fragments. Afterward, they were busy with discharge procedures and managing the security personnel from House Mortix and Ishtera. Not to mention, the remaining members who were still waiting for their discharge turn kept holding some kind of events; from barbeque parties and outdoor karaoke, to silly treasure hunts and impromptu sports tournaments.

"Bugs and flying animals are quick to move around," Bassena said. "Ah, and Shin’s friend down there." _{ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com}