There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 586 - 580. The Strongs’ Amusement

Chapter 586: Chapter 580. The Strongs’ Amusement

The miasmic beasts gathered at the edge of the meadow around the huge lake were full of confusion.

Something in their mind told them to go around hunting for beings that weren’t choked full of miasma, but another voice in their mind also told them to stay put and let nothing go past them and reach the lake. Their natural instinct was to roam around and hunt, and yet they couldn’t move away past a certain point.

Some tried to challenge this restriction and stepped over the forbidden line. But the moment they were about to do it, the voice grew stronger and yanked them back to the boring formation, or some ’guards’ tackled and dragged them there.

The beasts, freshly out of dungeons and yet to adapt to being submitted to a higher order, were frustrated and restless. Perhaps because of this, their senses became a bit dull.

When a giant shredding machine in the shape of a Serpent crashed against them, they couldn’t even react.

The serpent came out of nowhere, slithering quietly through the field of sharp black grass. The darkness masked its presence, and a barrier erased it even more. Despite its size, the serpent shredded the outer line of the gathering beasts like a silent killer, and only after the shredded corpses of those at the outer edge splattered to the ones behind, did the troops of beasts stir.

They growled and took an attacking stance, only for the serpent to finally rise and crash into their rank like a lunatic on a warpath. Chaos ensued among the beasts stationed near the meadow as the beasts either followed their instinct to run or followed the invading voice to block the serpent.

Inside the serpent, however, it was peaceful.

Well, as peaceful as it could be inside a shredding machine. Tian Yu looked around at the hundreds of black stakes constantly moving at a fast speed like rotors while forming the shape of a serpent. In a way, it was like a horizontal tornado made of hundreds of shrapnels.

With two espers chilling inside its ’belly’.

"This is my first time inside," Bassena laughed while knocking at the barrier around them with his knuckles. It was as hard as a diamond; he had tried to break the barrier before making the [Jormungard], and it was satisfactorily though.

"This is my first time inside this kind of contraption too," Tian Yu smiled, feeling surprisingly excited as they were lurching through the field and shaking through the attacks.

Bassena was right; it felt like riding a rollercoaster. How long ago was that, since his last time in an amusement park? Tian Yu also thought of one thing while he was inside the giant serpent.

"I think this is what it felt like riding those giant robots--what did they call it, mobile suits?--in the museum of the Old Age Cultural Files," the old man nodded while stroking his chin, reminiscing of his childhood days. "Do you know it, kid?"

"Grandpa, do I look like someone who goes to a museum?"

Tian Yu looked at Bassena, who was tilting his head. The styled hair, handsome face, and custom-made equipment reminded the old man of those celebrities and rich brats who loved parties as much as breathing.

"You look like the type to bring someone to a museum to look cultured and classy," the old man said instead.

"Sure, but Zein is even less of a museum guy than me," Bassena shrugged. Zein couldn’t care less about the Old Age.

"Oh, you’re right about that."

As the old man and Bassena chuckled about the man who was the bridge that connected them, the Serpent had successfully entered the middle of the rank after shredding its way through the field. "Ah, you can see the island from here."

"I can’t," Tian Yu narrowed his eyes. "Get me off here and go rampage or something."

Bassena laughed and waved his hand; the huge serpent split and, while the old man landed on the field, Bassena jumped to the top of the serpent’s head. "Let’s finish this and go back in an hour. I need to cook some dinner."

* * *

While the Saint classes were having their own fun on the lakeside, the troops from the Castle base had finally arrived, leaving only a few to guard the place and give routine reports.

"I thought you’d be coming with Zhan," Han Shin raised his brows when he saw them coming by themselves instead of waiting for the Plain base troops, who would go through the Castle base to get to the new base.

Ashur’s eyes twitched. "The order is to gather as soon as possible," he muttered with a slight grumble that got Zein’s and Nadine’s brows raised suspiciously.

"He just doesn’t want to ride that motorcycle again," Iore betrayed her Captain with a calm smile.

"What are you talking about?" Ashur scoffed after clearing his throat. "It’s so we can get the tents nearest to the mess hall."

"Sorry to break it to you, but we the desert team had already claimed it," Naoya smirked, ignoring Ashur’s incredulous glare by checking the communication monitor. "Oh, Guildmaster just sent a message."

Their attention shifted to the monitor immediately. "Is he coming?" Zein asked.

"Not yet," Naoya pulled the message to the large monitor. "They still waiting for the relic to heal the Eastern Sun. But the materials for the bridge will be here soon," the archer paused and stroked his chin to ponder for a while before looking at the others. "Should we tell the troops in the main base to wait for the materials before coming here? Kei said they are getting ready to depart right now."

They looked at Ashur, who was Bassena’s proxy if the Commander wasn’t there. "How many trucks would there be?"

"Five, since they’ll bring more equipment and logistics," Naoya said.

"Don’t you think the trucks would come with the rest of the guild members that are still in Althrea?" Iore tilted her head.

"No," Zein tapped the glass of silver needle he had just drank. "I think Radia will send them through the portal, together with the Eastern Sun. It’s more efficient sending a lot of personnel that way, unlike with vehicles."

"Hmm...I think you’re right," Ashur nodded and closed his eyes to make some calculations. "Then, tell Kei to assign two squads for the trucks and send the rest to us."

"Ah, ask the Borderland if they want to tag along too," Zein told Naoya, who had become a temporary communication officer. "I don’t want Captain Khan to sulk later."

Naoya chuckled and immediately sent the two messages. "Should we try checking in with the ship too? We haven’t heard anything from them these days."

"It’s because the connection is shit these days," Han Shin shrugged. "I think it’s because of the mass dungeons back then."

"We get rid of them all, though?" Zein tilted his head.

"Not the ones on that side," Han Shin--more or less their chief engineer--pointed in the lake’s direction with his thumb. "I didn’t think of it before, but based on the reconnaissance team’s recording, it’s clear that a lot of dungeons are generating over there too. After all, we had cleared most of the beasts on that side while we were passing by, remember?"

"Ah, so the miasma content in the air disturbing the connection, huh?"

"It’s also possible that the Fallen Star put some barrier around the lake," Han Shin shrugged. He walked to the communication board and tweaked some controls. "But we have yet to calibrate the beacon on the watchtowers. The connection might get better afterward."

"Oooh~" Naoya slid his chair closer to peek from the healer’s shoulder. "Don’t you look dependable~"

"I’m always dependable," Han Shin scoffed.

"That’s true, but it’s hard to say it," Ashur shook his head before a cushion flew toward his face.

As the command room was filled with their laughter, Zein slipped out of the tent. He greeted the espers who just come from the Castle and patted the guides’ heads, praising them for doing the cleansing well during the mass dungeon attack.

Afterward, he walked to the field between the two watchtowers and waited with a subtle smile. Exactly five seconds later, a wisp of black wind announced the arrival of two Saint class espers.

"Huh? Why are you still here?" Bassena blinked in surprise seeing Zein standing not far from them.

"I’ve checked the watchtower and had a little meeting in the command tent," Zein shrugged. "But I felt your presence so--"

The rest of his words disappeared between Bassena’s lips, which captured his without warning as a pair of warm hands pulled him closer by the waist.

Was it because he saw Jock and Elena earlier? They reminded him of a pair of lovers who awkwardly trying to court each other. The location too, reminded Zein of the time Bassena persistently flirted with him. Perhaps that was why Zein didn’t mind letting the esper kiss him outside like this.

Well, he also cleansed Bassena while at it--if only to make it less scandalous for the Grandpa watching them silently.

"Did you come out to welcome me?" Bassena grinned.

"What else?" Zein didn’t mind admitting something like that now. "I need to make sure you go to the kitchen right away."

With Tian Yu’s chuckle and Bassena’s crips laughter, they walked to the mess hall while sharing their adventure in the lakeside.