There's No Love In the Deathzone (BL) novel Chapter 344

Chapter 344: Chapter 336. The Great Disappearance

"It’s only lunch, but I feel exhausted already," Han Shin stretched his body after he was done with the instant noodle. Well, at least the stuff helped him feel more comfortable. "Alright, I’m heading to the lab now, bye."

And with that short farewell, he was gone, back to researching the materials Han Joon left behind.

"He said that, but still going to work anyway," Zein chuckled, watching the healer disappear behind the door.

"Getting busy is good," Radia muttered, almost to himself more than to anyone else.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Zein, who then tried to see the good things. "Well, he doesn’t seem to be so upset anymore."

"Nah," Bassena, however, had another thought. "The fact that he didn’t say anything about Radia’s birthday means he’s still angry."

Zein raised his brow and looked at Radia. "Your birthday? When?"

"Last day of this month," Radia shrugged.

"Of this year?"

"Yeah." _{freewёbnoνel.com}

"...that’s a ’wow’ for many reasons," Zein remarked in fascination. The last day of this month, after all, only appeared every four years.

"See why I said he’s still angry?" Bassena chuckled. "Four years ago, he planned the party from a week before."

Knowing Han Shin and his penchant for societal events, it was definitely weird that the healer hadn’t asked Zein to join in a sort of plan for Radia’s birthday when it was only four days left in the calendar. The man hadn’t even asked him to empty his schedule for that day.

"Well, he does have something else in his mind right now," Zein remarked, before putting the last slice of pear in his mouth.

"That’s true too," Bassena nodded.

Radia, pressing the golden needle into an ashtray, just said dismissively. "It’s just a birthday anyway."

"That’s something Zein would say," Bassena chuckled.

Radia smirked and stood up, taking the suit jacket that Nyx had held for him since the morning. "I’m going back to the office," he announced.

"Ah, I’m going to the lab too," Zein also stood up while wiping his hands together. "What about you, Bas?"

"Why are you asking me? I’m your bodyguard now," Bassena humphed. There hadn’t been a more crucial time for him to be around Zein than now, when House Horin might started to send their own people after Varion’s failure to capture Zein.

And bad things, as usual, always happened when he was away.

So now, Bassena appointed himself to be Zein’s personal guard until this whole fiasco with the House of Horin ended. Even if a dungeon appeared where he was needed, he would raid it with Zein. It wasn’t the time to argue about personal space and privacy when one’s safety was on the line.

Looking at the firm, blazing pair of ambers, Zein could only chuckle and patted the esper’s cheek fondly. Well...he didn’t truly mind being together with his esper all the time, at least now.

What an unthinkable thing for his old self.

"Ah, I’ll need you tomorrow to talk about funds, Zein," Radia told the guide before going out of the room, as well as reminding him to contact the Iron Shield.

"Alright," Zein nodded, and together with Bassena, moved to the shard’s laboratory through an underground tunnel connecting this building under the hill to the Mortix building.

That was how Zein found out that beneath Mortix Hill, there was a whole layout of a complex tunnel system connecting every critical infrastructure. The walls of the tunnel, he observed, were quite similar to what he had under his lakehouse; thick, strong, and resistant to miasma.

The whole complex, essentially, was one giant bunker for the whole city.

"This is amazing," he remarked, looking around the tunnel from the cart they used to move to the other building.

"Isn’t it? But not even the employee knew about this--well, at least, not until they needed to use it," Bassena smiled. "But it would also be problematic if an outsider managed to get into this place."

"Because they can go anywhere in Mortix Hill?"

"Yep--provided they don’t get lost first," Bassena chuckled, and Zein could see why. The tunnel was like a maze, and there was no clear sign pointing the way to each building. "So there’s people who only lived down here to patrol the place. Those people know the system like the back of their hand, and can draw the map of this place by heart."

"You seem to know the system too," Zein glanced at the esper, who grinned and pointed at the floating darkness in front of them.

What? Is Varion in one of his anger spats? Senia thought while walking closer.

"Harmon, what happened?"

The moment they heard Senia’s voice, those people flinched and became a little bit flustered--especially the guild employee. But she ignored them for now, because her curiosity was peaking. Harmon turned at her, a subtle smile on his thin lips as his eyes curled and narrowed like a fox.

"Sir Belthera is here," the man said.

"What, Varion’s Dad?"

"That’s ’former Guildmaster’ for you, Senia," a woman’s voice answered her, coming from the Head of Celestia’s Internal Security Department, Siyu.

Senia, pursing her lips, narrowed her eyes at the older woman. She knew Siyu was one of Darleon Belthera’s disciples, but for some reason, rather than supporting her master’s son, this woman oftentimes opposed Varion. Still, she was just a bit stronger than Senia right now, and more experienced, so Senia could only bite her lips in annoyance.

Just wait. She would be able to bring down this woman in a few years.

Swallowing her annoyance, she turned toward Harmon again. "Why is he here?"

Glancing at Siyu, who was nonchalantly pushing the office’s door and walking in, Harmon cocked his head toward her with a smirk. "Why don’t you come and see for yourself?"

Senia rolled her eyes, and again, stomped her way in. Why was everyone so useless today? She glared at Varion’s secretaries and assistants who were in the hallway, and they swiftly averted her eyes.

Tsk. Clicking her tongue, she glanced at the smiling Harmon and, in spite, slammed the office door shut so the man wouldn’t be able to peek inside or eavesdrop.

But even the loud slamming sound could not shift the attention of the people inside, as they gathered and looked at each other, frowning. Varion’s main secretary was standing to the side, slightly shaking; The Vice-Guildmaster Linze, hulking over the table, was massaging his temple, while Varion’s father, the former Guildmaster Darleon Belthera, was looking like he could explode in anger at any time.

Before Senia could ask what exactly happened, Siyu bowed slightly at her master and reported. "Forgive me, Sir. I have examined all possible traces, but I’ve failed to find his whereabouts."

Startled, Senia belatedly realized that the most important person was not there in the room, and immediately, she felt her nape grow cold. As if conforming to her dread, Siyu continued;

"Guildmaster Varion had disappeared without a trace."