There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)-Chapter 433 - 426. Territory Marking

For a few seconds, Bassena froze, unblinking. He stared at the guide, but he didn’t find any alarming signs. Zein still looked relaxed, and there was no tension in his body.

Ah, so it came from a practical standpoint, not an emotional one.

"Ah, right..." Bassena laid his head down on Zein’s shoulder again. "Radia will tell everyone to make one soon--you know...before we go."

Zein smiled. It was such a Radia thing to do. Essentially, those ’will’ also act as life insurance for the family of the guild members who would go to the Deathzone. A sum of money would be sent to a chosen beneficiary in case of death on duty, and from what Zein heard, the amount was more than adequate--enough for the recipient to live decently for the rest of their lives, provided they did not squander it.

Still, it would be rather different for someone with several assets and a clan like Zein. He had been pushing off making one because things kept happening; his wealth kept increasing, and so did the responsibility that came with it.

But now, he could no longer do that.

"Would it be selfish if I left everything in a trust fund?" Zein asked, looking at the ceiling while stroking the platinum hair absentmindedly.

"You mean, for the foundation rather than your clan?" Bassena muttered a reply drowsily. "Why would it be selfish? The foundation is no longer your personal project anyway--didn’t you tie it to the clan? It was named Ishtera and all..."

"Hmm...you’re right."

"Besides," Basena lifted his head to look at the guide’s face. "You should know your clan members enough by now; you know they won’t mind one bit," he shrugged. "They had been living with Iron Shield’s profit anyway, and nothing more."

Zein chuckled. Hearing Bassena talking like this, it was almost as if the esper had become a part of Ishtera House already.

Well...he would be anyway.

Zein looked at the warm pair of ambers and stroked the black scales underneath. Just like the rest of Bassena, the scales that seemed like a disfigurement had become something that Zein couldn’t live without. The scales had also become the symbol of the Serpent Lord, just like the name Bassena Vaski.

"Hey," Zein rubbed one of the scales, the one which color had faded into a dull dark grey rather than black.

"Hmm?" Bassena nuzzled into the guide’s palm, closing his eyes to indulge in Zein’s rare display of clinginess.

"About your name--"

*slam!*

"Hey--ugh, what the hell?"

Zein’s words were cut off by the sound of the door opening, as well as a girl’s voice. Bassena grumbled and mumbled sharply under his breath. freewebnσvel.cøm

"I was glad that Shin had disturbed us less these days, but now there’s another one?" he hissed while glancing at the door.

"Uhh...are you usually do this kind of thing in the lounge?" Senia looked at them with a grimace.

"No," Zein pulled the surprised Bassena closer and gently pushed the esper’s head back to his shoulder. "We usually did it in his office."

Bassena blinked at the lie that came out so naturally. Well, they probably cuddled once? The rest was more of Bassena asking for a lap pillow during guiding--because he was ’special’. He couldn’t see Zein’s face and had no idea why the guide was saying that, but he liked this. He had to suppress a giggle that wanted to come out, so he just pressed his face against the crook of Zein’s neck.

"Ugh--office romance."

Zein stared unamusedly at the girl who was rolling her eyes. "Why are you still here, anyway?"

"...uhh, I’m waiting for you?"

Bassena stiffened and growled quietly, but Zein patted his shoulder in assurance. "What for? You don’t need a guiding, and I already use my morning to talk to you," Zein replied dryly. "It’s my boyfriend’s time now."

Senia looked at the couple who didn’t even bother to get up and stopped flirting when someone else entered the room. Their tangled body and the way that scary Serpent Lord snuggled up with arms wrapped around tightly seemed to tell her that there was no room for anyone else.

She clicked her tongue and let out a sigh. "...I’ll see you tomorrow then."

Zein did not reply, only watching wordlessly as the girl left and closed the door. Bassena raised his upper body, hovering over the guide so he could look at Zein’s face clearly.

"You sound like someone marking their territory," he said curiously.

"I am marking my territory," Zein raised his leg and perched it on the side of the esper’s hip.

After all, building a fence is a part of territory marking.

"Wow..."

Chuckling at the soft exclamation, Zein pulled the dazed face closer and whispered. "Now be a good boy and lock the door."

"...wow."

* * *

"Oof--"

Naoto flinched as he felt a tingle on his back. It messed with his aim a little bit, and the arrow he released went past Bassena’s ear. Although, even if it didn’t, the dark barrier would knock it away anyway.

"Sorry," Zein raised his hand in apology, but did not stop his guiding.

The same reaction could be heard from the other members; most of them perceived it as a tingle or shiver. In a highly concentrated state, it could easily break focus and mess with the timing. On the other hand, Zein found out he could guide anyone as long as they were within his vision.

"How is it?" he asked the esper during the break.

"Yeah...like Commander said, it felt weird," Zhan--the worst in skill management, commented. "Even if we were warned beforehand, it was still surprising."

Most of them seemed to share the same sentiment, but it didn’t mean they hated it. "It’s still great, though, not having to go back or stop a skill because the corrosion suddenly spiked," Naoya said. "I think once we’re used to that sensation, it’ll be fine."

"That’s right," Kei nodded in agreement. "If I have to compare it to something...it’s like receiving healing from healers."

"Oh--that’s it!" Zhan clapped his hand loudly, snapping his fingers as he recalled what that sensation was. "It’s like the first time I received a healing--it feels itchy and made me self-conscious of my body."

Han Shin, their only healer, tilted his head. "Huh...is that so?"

"Mostly, it feels like that at first, especially if the wound is big," Bassena nodded. "The process of cells and tissue regenerating can be quite weird. Of course, after receiving it so many times, we get used to the sensation."

The others echoed the statement, and Gus clapped his hands to deliver the conclusion. "That’s easy then. We just need to get used to the long-distance guiding," he said. "As for the others, perhaps only do it when they aren’t in the middle of using a skill."

Zein nodded. Seemed like it was the only solution. He had tried fine-tuning the guiding countless times since he received the ability, but everyone felt the same sensation. If it was like a healing, then it seemed like an inevitable effect.

"We have to change some of our formations," Kai rubbed her lips, looking at their tactical guide. They had to, since the absence of pulling back and the ease in skill usage would change their attacking dynamic.

"Still, this is nuts!" Zhan laughed so loudly that it echoed around the cave. "Not having to step back from the formation is truly great!"

His thrill was apparent and understandable, since the spearman was the one who usually had to step back the most from his rampaging habit. Without the need to move back, they saved a lot of wasted time, and the efficiency of the raid was further boosted by the relentless onslaught. Aside from prolonging their raiding endurance, they were finally able to land a strike on Bassena, dirtying his new dragon leather coat for once.

"Ah, truly...Zein is our treasure," Zhan intertwined his fingers and raised them toward Zein in worship; a gesture that was followed by the other mischievous members like Gus and Han Shin.

Of course, such gestures and words did not sit well with the Raid Boss, who was standing menacingly behind the guide. "That’s someone’s boyfriend you’re talking about."

But did those naughty subordinates care? Of course, not! They kept teasing their Commander by praising Zein and calling him their guide. The more Bassena scowled, the happier they were, knowing that the Saint class wouldn’t do anything in front of his beloved guide.

"Tsk--he only got to be your boyfriend because you met him first," Seina clicked her tongue.

"That’s true, that’s true!"

With a throbbing temple, Bassena tilted his head with an eerie smile on his lips. "What--do you think you have any say with the kind of stunt you pull during your first meeting?"

"Urk--I...I was under bad influence that time!"

"Heh; you loser can cry in the corner."

"Boo--you startline stealer!"

Zein rolled his eyes. "None of you have a good first impression on me," he said, eliciting a gasp from both bickering esper and a chuckle from the onlooker. "But you’re cute and you have a dick, so you win."

Bassena gasped louder, clutching his chest dramatically. Should he feel happy? Should he feel insulted?!

"Now stop bickering and go train again."

With a groan, a burst of laughter, and a clap, the team went back to the center of the cave. Bassena twisted his lips and grasped Zein’s face to kiss him hard before leaving to fulfill his role as a raid boss.

"When the tree is so high, you feel invisible in its shade," Nadine commented after the espers left their place.

"I know, right?" Dheera giggled as she could finally scoot closer to sit beside Zein and watch the mock-raid. "Oh--he’s flying!"

Just as she said, Bassena was raising his body, the black dragon leather coat flapped behind him, creating an illusion of wings. "It’s not fun fighting on the ground all the time," he smiled deeply. "Let’s see how well you do against an airborne enemy."

"Do you know that you look like a Demon King, Commander?" Gus laughed from below.

Bassena tilted his head, lips snarling sinisterly as a wave of thick mana spread around the cave, and a gigantic Serpent made of vibrating dark stakes coiled behind him. "I’ll make sure to hit you as hard as a Demon King, then."

"...fuck, this is because you guys keep teasing him!"

"Shut up and get into formation!"

"You’re dead if you don’t heal me on time, Shin!"

"Who told you to receive it head-on?! Dodge, you loser!"

Inside the safe confine of the guide chamber, Zein only chuckled and muttered nonchalantly. "Ah, how peaceful."