There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL)
Chapter 162 - 157. The Specter’s Core

Chapter 162: Chapter 157. The Specter’s Core

"Still as nasty as ever," Zein commented as he stared at the pulsing cores.

Even through the thick protective glass, the sinister dark smoke swirling inside the three tubes gave out a pressuring aura, which was the source of the heavy and gloomy vibe in the observer room. It consistently caused the researchers stress and fatigue, just like how it would be if civilians were to be exposed to miasma.

This danger was the reason why most of the researchers involved with the specter cores were espers. Even with that precaution, they still experienced fatigued and heaviness every few weeks, as if they were being corroded. So aside from watching the cores, Zein was also there to cleanse them.

Which was why, his visit was always welcomed enthusiastically.

"Sir Zein," the chief researcher here whom Zein already met last week, Fei, greeted him with a smile. "I’ve never seen you here on Saturday."

"I’m just bored," Zein shrugged, still staring at the specter cores.

Just like the shard, the cores were very much alive, although they wouldn’t be able to form a specter’s body without the correct environment; rich elemental mana and thick miasma, which obviously weren’t available here, especially with those tubes containing them.

So far, they only managed to record the core’s energy waves and used the data as a detector, just like Zein suggested. There was talk about having the shard and the core put in the same container, but it was scraped for the risk; they risked creating another specter, and they risked damaging the subjects, which they didn’t have much, to begin with.

The core was one thing, but the shard was unreplaceable.

For now, they had been trying to gauge the difference between the three cores, in the hope to find out more about these specters and devising a better plan to subjugate them in the future. After all, once they entered the Deathzone, they couldn’t only rely on the Serpent Lord’s power.

Ah... thinking about Bassena just made his heart sting. Zein shook his head slightly and chose to focus on his objective of coming here. "I’m thinking of touching the cores."

Immediately, Fei and the other researchers froze, staring at the guide with widened eyes. Their surprised face soon morphed into wariness, as frowns formed on their faces.

"That’s..." Fei bit his lips, hardened eyes staring at the floor.

Fei had explained to Zein before that some people volunteered to touch one of the cores--the earth specter one, which miasma wave was the weakest--at the beginning of the research. The first esper wasn’t affected much other than an increase in corrosion level, which prompted a civilian researcher to try touching it. There was even a healer and medical personnel ready in case of miasma poisoning.

But what happened after wasn’t a miasma poisoning. The civilian researcher did not collapse with blackened skin or any physical abnormalities found in miasma poisoning. In fact, aside from the initial seizure, the researcher did not look like he contracted anything.

Just that he wouldn’t wake up. Until now. Just sleeping in the hospital room.

So Zein understood Fei’s reluctance. He understood the others’ wariness.

But ever since the sudden outbreak, Zein had a strong feeling that he could get some kind of clue from the specter. It could also be nothing though, just his impatience to do something. Anything.

"I feel like I might find some kind of clue if I do," Zein said. "I promise it’s not just bravado. I can protect myself with mana, just like Esper."

"But..." Fei lifted his face, still with a deep frown on his forehead. But he could see firm stubbornness inside the brilliant blue eyes, and he did hear that the guide had some kind of special power.

In the end, he yielded to that firm and confident gaze. "I understand," he said, raising his palm to the other staff that seemed to want to object. "But we can’t do it now."

Zein just stared at the chief researcher, waiting for an explanation patiently. Fei continued while making notes in his commlink. "First, I have to put the request to the Chairman first, and then, if it gets approved, I’ll have to prepare for medical personnel on standby. You understand, right, Sir?"

The researcher looked up at Zein with a stern gaze. Of course, Zein understood the concept of protocol. He did want to do it today, but he also couldn’t jeopardize these people’s position, in case something bad happened by granting his selfish request.

"Yeah, okay, I got it," he nodded. "You prepare the procedure, and I’ll talk to Radia."

And so Zein rescheduled his attempt. He spent the rest of his visit guiding the espers there instead, and Han Shin took advantage of Bassena’s absence to take Zein to visit SavAsh the next day.

[I can’t go] was what Bassena told him on Monday morning. [The Temple is being...ugh, anyway, I can’t go back right now]

"Mm," Zein nodded, wondering what did Bassena do in the Temple. He wanted to find out, but he also didn’t want to ask. Ah, he felt himself getting weirder each day. "Be careful out there. Don’t...stay up too much."

There was a considerable pause before Zein heard the sound of a soft, husky laugh from the other side. Bassena didn’t say anything about sleeping though, and the call got disconnected.

Temple...why would Bassena need to go to the Temple? Was it to ask for guiding? Because he didn’t want to meet Zein for a while?

"Oh, it’s probably just a courtesy thing," Abel told him as they waited for the meeting to start. "We used to have a very good relationship with the Temple, and Sir Vaski was essentially a loyal...customer."

"Customer..." the blue eyes narrowed without Zein even realizing it.

"Client," the Chief Guide corrected. "Anyway, now that we have you, we kind of stop coming there, right? The guildmaster probably worried that our relationship with the Temple will go sour because of that, so he sent Sir Vaski there to talk things out. I did hear that we need to maintain a good relationship with the Temple and the Towers for...you-know-what."

Hmm...makes sense. Zein nodded at the explanation, although it still didn’t explain the ugly churning of his guts.

He didn’t have time to ponder about it though, since the meeting was starting after their conversation, and he had to focus on that.

Just as Radia had told him, the main agenda of the meeting was to announce the Reclamation Act drafted by the government, and the establishment of a committee to draw up the framework proposal to be submitted to the Higher Order next month. Zein, as an essential part of the project, was part of this committee.

Through this, the executive members finally found out the real objective behind the establishment of the Strike Guide division, and why Zein was drafted to the guild while abruptly being given a vital position. The matter was still for the executive’s ears only though, so Zein couldn’t tell his subordinates about that for now. Later, when they bagged the candidacy, they would tell the rest of the guild, along with the list of drafted espers and guides to be included in the project.

"Executive lounge number 7 and 8 would be converted to the committee office," Radia instructed at the end of the meeting. "Minho, secure cooperation with the borderland unit, Zein will help you establish communication," he raised his hand and his summoned secretary fished out some documents from who knows where, which he handed to the HR Director. "This is the list of mercenary groups and individuals that the member of [Anzus] had been watching. Connect with them and make sure we have their contract by the end of this month."

"Yes, Sir."

"We’ll try to recruit more in the association meeting, so draft some contracts that catered to the invitee," Radia looked at the list of attendees for the annual meeting, and shifting his gaze to Zein. "The Scarlet Moon would be there."

Zein raised his brow, thinking about how far the group had come. "I’ll mention it in my next letter."

"So reliable," Radia smiled and proceeded to walk out of the room, but not before addressing Zein for the last time. "Ah, good luck with the book."

Zein watched the smirk on Radia’s face with confusion. It took him a full minute, after Radia had gone, to remember that his book--the one listing and talking about how to survive miasmic beasts--would be launched sometimes this week.

Hmm...but did he really need good luck? Zein had no ambition for the book, though. It was the staff in the PR department that was excited; perhaps the ’good luck’ should be on them. It wasn’t like Zein would be at a disadvantage even if the book didn’t sell, but the people who cooked the plan might.

In the first place...can a book like that really sell?

Zein honestly had doubts, because there were already a lot of books talking about miasmic beasts out there. The only difference with his book was that it catered for survival, for those without power to fight the beasts; rookie espers, civilians, support-type. Rookie espers would just use the normal handbook for espers, as for civilians and support-type/non-active espers, they were the kind of people who wouldn’t get near miasmic beasts in the first place. Zein just agreed to the creation of the book because Radia told him they were going to give out the training curriculum for combat guides in the future anyway, and the published book would act as a teaching module.

At least, that was what he thought until Abel greeted him one day with "Good morning, best-seller," and a wide grin.

"What are you talking about?"

His question was answered with screenshots of numerous headlines talking about his book, and how it was almost sold out in just two days.

"...how?"

"Because of that instant outbreaks, dummy," Han Shin told him while Zein was guiding the healer. "People realized now that even in the green-zone, they are not completely out of danger. Even more so with people in the lower zone. They are afraid things like that will occur again in the future. I know it’s just a coincidence, but the timing of the publication is just perfect."

Zein was yet to completely absorb that fact when the staff in charge of his book came kneeling in front of him one busy afternoon.

"Please, please just this once!" the man was on his knees and begging as if he was a gambler asking for money. "Please, Sir, do the interview!"