There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 582 - 576. Brainstorm

Chapter 582: Chapter 576. Brainstorm

[The lake, huh?] Radia’s voice came with the sound of soft tapping before a burst of Han Joon’s low laughter came in the background.

After Jock told them what happened during the reconnaissance, they made a report to the Big Boss right away. The first thing that Radia mentioned as a response was also the thing that had been in the dungeon-hopping members’ thoughts the moment they heard the report.

The lake. The lake they had passed by while taking a leisurely walk around.

"I did have a strange feeling about it, but I never thought it would be where the Fallen Star is," Zein said after a brief silence in which everyone spent their time feeling foolish.

[Oh?]

"I mean...I thought it would be too obvious?" Zein shrugged, even though Radia couldn’t see him.

At that time, he had a fleeting suspicious thought, but he kept telling himself that it didn’t look like a good place to hide. Well, aside from the fact that there was no indication of any dungeon--although they knew the reason now. If anything, Zein thought the dungeon would be somewhere underground or in the mountain that Bassena had seen before.

Honestly, he thought the shards had better hiding places, but...

"Didn’t think we would get reverse psyched," Han Shin laughed, quickly making peace with their negligence.

"Well, it makes sense now," Bassena leaned back and crossed his arms as he looked up in reminiscence. "It is located between these dungeons that we have been eliminating."

[You’re right] they heard Han Joon’s voice then. [But we have a different problem now]

Right. The lake. The lake they had no idea how to cross--even back then with just a few of them. With the entire troops...that was even more headache-inducing.

"Phew..." Zein, Bassena, Han Shin, and Cohen who had seen the lake themselves exhaled heavily.

But Bassena quickly shook his head and made his report. "I sent a team to scout the lake from afar."

[Alright] Radia stopped his soft tapping. [I’m going to meet the Eastern Sun shortly, so we can devise an attack plan after you have enough information] he paused for a bit, before asking in a rather stern voice. [How’s Jock and Ella?]

"Better," Han Shin replied immediately. "Ella shouldn’t be using any magic for a week, but otherwise..."

[That’s fortunate]

"...should we send them back?" Bassena asked carefully, but Han Shin quickly made an X with his arms, shaking his head with a glare.

[No; the journey back would be more arduous. It’ll be better to let them convalesce there]

"Ah..." Bassena nodded, and Han Shin let out a relieved breath before raising his fist silently at the Saint class, making a menacing expression. Bassena pressed his lips and raised his hands to apologize for stepping out of the doctor’s line. "I’ll send them to the Sanctuary then."

[Yes] Radia agreed readily, and they could hear his voice became more relaxed then. [I’ll take him back when I go there later. For now, think about the best plan based on the information you have so far, and get back to me] the soft tapping sound could be heard again as Radia sounded his order. [Start moving the troops to the new camp. We’ll use the ruins and the forest as our main rally point from now on]

"Yes, Sir."

After the call ended, they gathered the executives in the new camp, including all of the people responsible for each base. Zhan, who came after picking up Ashur in the Castle, arrived first on his bike, laughing happily after a few days of action and a chance to ride across the desert.

Ashur did not share such enjoyment; he cursed and grumbled so much, swearing to never go on a ride with Zhan ever again.

"Seemed like we’re still in high spirits," Tian Yu nodded in satisfaction.

"The only thing that can break that guy’s spirit is being told to stay put," Bassena scoffed.

"Perfect for a battlefield, then!" the old man chuckled.

The other base supervisor came shortly after. The path had become much more convenient after the fifth lane cleared off the tar, so their vehicle could go all the way to the new camp. A big command tent--bigger than even the main base--had been erected in front of the ruin. As the executives entered the tent one by one, they instantly realized this place would be their new rallying point.

Without wasting more time, Bassena immediately gave them a brief about the situation and what they had discussed with the Guildmaster. A mix of tension and excitement filled the tent at the end of the brief, and the people who were still high in adrenaline from the dungeon clearance immediately discussed their next step.

Their first topic was making this place, which used to be the field of fog, to be their new operation base.

"Water is a bit of a problem, but I think we can look for a source," Kei stared at the local map that Jock had made before he went to scout the lake.

"This place used to be a lab, so there should be a water source nearby," Han Shin said. "We’ll dig the ground and make a wall."

Thanks to the shard, the ground around the ruin and the forest had turned soft. Again, thanks to the shard, as long as they found water, it could always get purified. While they decided who would take care of expanding the camp, Ashur glanced in the direction of the canyon.

"Should we build another watchtower?" he asked.

"We should, even if it’s only to strengthen the beacon," Bassena nodded.

Han Shin tilted his head and muttered curiously. "Can’t we just move the watchtower that’s at the main base? I don’t think we need four anymore there..."

"Agreed,"

"But dismantling it is..."

"You don’t need to dismantle it."

They blinked and turned their head to the old man who had been quietly listening to their discussion. Zein, who sat next to Tian Yu, asked the old man right away. "You can move it, Grandpa?"

"My [swap] skill worked for inanimate objects too."

It was instantaneous exclaim around the room. [Swap] was one of defenders’ known skills that allowed them to swap places with someone else. It was usually used so the defenders could take an attack directed at the target of their swap. Naturally, since it was used as protection, the swap skill usually only worked for a person.

Usually.

"Whoa...Saint class is truly different," Han Shin clapped when he realized it also implied that Tian Yu could not only swap a whole ass building but also covered such a long distance with his skill.

"You have one here all this time," Bassena, the other Saint-class, narrowed his eyes.

"Ngh...I don’t know, man..." Han Shin shrugged. "It’s hard seeing you as one when I’ve known you before you even got your license."

Bassena rolled his eyes and changed the topic right away. "Whatever. Since the watchtower problem is solved, let’s think about how we can cross."

"Can we make a bridge from barriers?" Cohen, who rarely spoke unless Zein asked him something, opened his mouth.

"That’s an idea," Bassena nodded. "But I feel rather icky to rely on a bridge made of a skill. If the ones supporting it get attacked or disturbed, the ones still on the bridge will be in danger. Of course, the same goes with my platform."

Of course, there was also an option of strictly protecting the one making the barriers, but it would take a long time for most of their espers to cross, which means a burden for the one casting the skill. Not to mention, they had to go back and forth for guiding too, which meant the one providing the ’bridge’ would be out of combat the whole time.

In short, it was feasible, but too inefficient in a battle where they would need their all. Too many variables to screw it off.

Bassena leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes to think. There was an option of freezing the lake, but it was such a big lake that it would need a Saint-class elementalist to do it. Or a Spirit Queen.

...should they call Senia back and make her contract with the Queen? Even a temporary one would be enough. But...the Queen and Senia had a similar personality that would only make them clash instead of working together.

Bassena exhaled heavily--what to do...

"Hmm...Oh!" Han Shin, who was also working his brain out, had the Iron Mountain in his line of sight. As the others looked at him curiously, the healer leaned forward and looked at the old man with sparkling eyes. "Can we do that swap thing again, Grandpa?" he asked excitedly. "We can calculate the distance and make a long bridge on this side, the type that can be attached instantly--"

"And swap it with something we put on the lake’s surface," Tian Yu caught it right away.

"Bingo!" Han Shin made a finger gun and winked.

"That...doesn’t sound so bad?" Bassena tilted his head, leaving out ’surprisingly’ on the back of his tongue. "We still need to clean the lake, but we have no choice but to do it anyway."

It was a plan with the most stability. They could even prepare more than one bridge in case the first one got destroyed in the battle. Not to mention, the old man himself nodded in agreement, feeling glad about finally doing something significant.

"But it will be predictable too--I mean, about attacking from the lake," Kei said cautiously. "Our reconnaissance was busted, so the enemies would be more alert, right?"

"Then, we just need to attack from another angle too," Zein shrugged. When the others looked at him inquisitively, he followed with a smile. "Isn’t that why we were using the star corridor in the first place?"