There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 487 - 480. Resuming Operation

"Noona!" Han Shin grabbed the screen in front of him as if he wanted to jump inside, filling the camera with his pitiful expression.

Understandable, however, considering it had been three months since he last saw his fiancee in real-time.

Yes--it took them three months to establish a video connection with the outside world. They had to install a few more beacons in higher places to make sure the signal was good enough for stable footage. The connection itself was considerably good and fast only with the borderland; but the higher zone?

Months of calibration was what they had to do.

Of course, the moment they were able to establish a video conference, Han Shin wasted no time putting himself on the first batch of callers--the perk of a shareholder.

[Baby, why are you looking thin?] Reina gasped as her baby-faced fiance’s lost of cheek fat.

"I know, right?! I have to ration my chocolate since I can’t just get it whenever I want now..."

[Oh, poor you] the girl, who was the source of Han Shin’s predilection to chocolate, made a miserable face. [Should I send it to you, baby?]

"Yes, please!"

"Our logistic quota is strict, so don’t add unnecessary stuff," Bassena smacked the back of the healer’s head lightly, destroying his friend’s temporary joy. "Do you think it’s easy to bring all of that here, huh?"

"Ugh, so stingy..." Han Shin rubbed the back of his head.

But there was nothing he could do about that; if someone was allowed to get whatever they wanted during the monthly supply drop, everyone would want to do it too. They had already needed trucks of supplies with almost a hundred people now, so that wouldn’t be doable.

And Bassena was surprisingly strict about that.

"You have a private package allowance once every six months, so just use it then," the Saint class added. "Adhere to it just like anybody else."

"Ugh, fine."

The sound of giggling could be heard from the screen, and Reina waved at the suddenly appearing Bassena. To be exact, as Han Shin finally leaned back and Reina could see the room behind him--which was actually the command room.

Yeah--the video call did not equip them with privacy since the only place that could connect video calls was the command room.

But again--what could they do? They still had it better than the people in the Borderland unit, who couldn’t even utilize commlink.

[You guys don’t change at all] Reina laughed at the pair of friends that sometimes acted like they were nemesis. But she paused a second later and gasped, shoving her face in front of the camera just like Han Shin earlier. [My muse!]

Zein, who was just entering the command tent looked at the communication screen in front of Han Shin and Bassena. "Hmm? Is Reina on call?"

[Zeeein!!]

As the tent was filled with her excited scream, Han Shin narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. "I think you’re more excited seeing him than me." ƒгeewёbnovel.com

[Don’t worry, baby] Reina giggled and waved her hands. [I’ll still marry you]

"...thanks, I guess?"

Bassena scoffed and Zein approached the screen. He had heard that the video connection was finally available for people other than Radia, but that was the first time he saw someone use it. They ended up engaged with the call even though it was supposed to be Han Shin’s private one.

[Oh, oh--do they tell you about what people talked about here?]

"No," Bassena replied dryly. Well, he actually heard some from Radia, but he already knew what kind of things would pop up from his showbiz days’ experience. "It has nothing to do with us anyway. Whatever they say, the operation won’t stop; Radia will make sure of it."

[Aaww~ you’re so boring now, Bas] the designer rolled her eyes before shifting to another topic. [Anyway, can you send me some of those fragments stuff? The purple crystal thingy? I think I can try making fabrics that can withstand some of its effects]

"We can try," Bassena nodded, glancing at the operation’s calendar on one of the tent’s walls. "The next logistic drop is in eleven days. Go talk with Mortix and have someone pick it up at the Borderland."

[Roger that!]

"Alright, end the call now."

"Eeeh?!" Han Shin turned and exclaimed in surprise.

"Your time is up," Bassena tapped on the timer indication on the corner of the communication device.

As with everything else, they put a limit to how long a call should be made. After all, there was only one channel, and they couldn’t receive any other communication while an outcall was being made. Certainly, they couldn’t risk the possibility of missing any important call just to give the crews more intimate call time.

Perhaps later; if they could establish more than one communication channel. But for now, ten minutes was all they were given.

Of course, Han Shin couldn’t just take it. "That’s because you’re using it!"

Bassena tilted his head. Well...he wasn’t wrong. "Two minutes," he said briefly before walking away to the table in the middle of the tent.

"Aack!" Han Shin hurriedly turned toward the screen again. "Noona! I’m going back on the first batch in three months, so let’s have lots of dates, okay?"

[Of course!] Reina laughed cheerfully. [Stay healthy, baby! Eat a lot even if you don’t feel like it, okay? I love you, bye-bye!!]

"Bye..." Han Shin waved his hands as the device let out a beeping sound that signified the end of the call. He pursed his lips and wobbled to the table with a sullen face.

Without mercy, Bassena asked the healer. "Aight--we’ll have a meeting, so what are you going to do?"

Han Shin clicked his tongue and put his head on the table. "Just go have your meeting."

Bassena laughed and ruffled the healer’s black hair. "Zein?"

"Tell them to come in," the guide nodded, and Senan--who was standing guard near the door--went outside to call for the members on his new list.

The list of personnel he would send to track the shard again.

After the first failure, he had postponed sending another one. Aside from still feeling cautious, they also decided to just focus on establishing the base fully, turning it into a functioning town. Following the artillery and logistic team on the day they were attacked by the beasts, the rest of the troop came not long after.

The empty fields were now filled with residential tents and common rooms, and they had managed to divert the river to the moot around the stadium, making it possible for them to have a steady supply of water. Thanks to the shards, the water got purified when entering the safe zone prism, and slowly, the environment was restored; the ground had become even softer, and patches of wild grass could be seen sprouting from the corner.

The rest of the ruin outside the safe zone had been leveled to prevent hiding places, and two layers of security fences were deployed. Controllable minefields were made, watchtowers were added, and steady guard shifts had taken schedule. While the base was built, thorough clean-up was done around the ruin and along the path leading to the outside world, sterilizing the road from the beasts.

Now, it had become a fortress that would be safe enough as long as it wasn’t a high-Specters or a fragment that attacked them.

And thus, it was also time for them to continue the expedition.

This base was only the first step. No matter how much praise they got for making it, the real fight hadn’t even begun. Their real mission was to find all of the shards fragment of Setnath, and so far, they hadn’t found a new one. While Zein, Bassena, and the rest of Anzus along with Iron Brigade would embark to look for another shard, they also had to look for the one Zein felt in the mountain range.

This time, however, they would make sure the team was sufficient.

Senia entered the tent with her usual sour expression. While the others had started to get used to her present, she hadn’t truly become part of the group. But that was why this mission was fit for her.

To counter the problem they had the last time, Zein asked Sierra--who had a long-distance mass teleportation skill--to join the team. Bassena had also picked a couple of melee attackers, a scout, a healer, and a support magician. Zein chose two defenders from the Iron Brigade to join the team as well as watch over Senia to complete the rooster, and finally...

"I’m going to ask you again; you won’t regret it?"

Dean smiled at the stern gaze from those blue eyes. "Someone has to do it, right? I’m the only A-class here anyway."

Zein looked at the other guide’s eyes keenly, and only nodded after he saw the conviction inside. "Alright. Thank you again."

"Don’t worry, Captain; I’m also doing it for the money," Dean grinned, prompting Zein to let out a scoff. It seemed that hanging out with Brisk every day had made this kid more relaxed.

"Why are you only asking him? Why didn’t you ask me whether I wanted to go or not?" Senia protested amidst the amicable atmosphere.

"Because I’ll still be sending you even if you refuse," Zein shrugged, eliciting chuckles from the rest of the team. Except for Sierra, who was a necessity, Zein and Bassena chose people who were not afraid of this former princess, who still couldn’t completely shed her haughty side.

Senia frowned in annoyance. "That’s discriminative!"

"That’s trust," Bassena said, making the girl stiffen and look at him with stupefied blinkings. "Do you think he’ll send just anyone for an important mission?"

Senia blinked and looked at Zein, who showed nothing but a subtle smile on his face. "...oh."

"Alright," Zein ignored the sparkling gaze from the girl and spread a makeshift map on the table, while Bassena placed a new device on top of it. "Now, this is what you’ll do this time..."