21 Chapter 20. The Black Pearl

Zein didn't like being photographed. Perhaps because he used to be a rogue, he avoided exposure like a plague. But there was nothing he could do if Han Shin said it was for the one who made these clothes.

It was that good.

So, he decided to just ignore the healer and looked at another piece of equipment inside his case.

It was a curious piece of equipment that had a cylindrical shape with a little engraving of an X on the surface instead of SA. So it seemed like the equipment was a product of Mortix. When Zein took it out to scrutinize it, the equipment looked like a collar instead. Or a choker? A neck protector? What was this?

Zein looked at it with narrowed eyes, examining it here and there. The color was also black, but rather than fabric or leather, it felt like it was made of metal instead. There was a section that looked like it could be refracted so that it could be worn on his neck, but Zein wasn't sure how to use it.

"Here, let me," Bassena reached out his hand, already standing in front of the guide.

With a frown, Zein gave the equipment to the esper. "What is this?"

"It's a mask," Bassena replied with a smile, enjoying the look of surprise on Zein's icy face.

"Wha—how?"

Instead of answering, the esper put his thumb on a rectangle pad at the side of the choker-like equipment, and about a third of it retracted. Zein stiffened for a bit as Bassena put the equipment on his neck, like a necklace—or collar—purely on reflex.

The blue eyes glanced up, peering at the subtle smile on the esper's face, and the twinkles in the amber eyes. His eyes were right in front of Bassena's neck, and Zein could see the sturdy muscle, the glistening bronze skin, smelling the scent of soap and musk, and his mind wandered back to their intertwined hands.

For Zein, who only did hand-to-hand guiding, even such gesture was already overly intimate. Bassena wasn't the first one who tried something like that, but he was certainly the first one Zein had ever indulged.

And now he started to wonder why.

Was it because he was strong? No...Zein never cared about that. As long as he utilized his reserve raw magic energy to the limit, he could at least punch a 5-star esper once, and use the remaining energy to bolt.

Was it because of that strange feeling of deja vu? Or the way the esper's mana sea felt like a comfortable blanket? Or was it because of the firm voice that was full of confidence telling him that one day, Zein's hidden wish would be answered?

Before Zein could find the answer, however, he heard a clicking sound and Bassena stepped back.

"Is it comfortable enough?" the esper asked, tilting his head to check on the choker. Zein moved and cracked his neck to test it, and nodded when he didn't feel any discomfort. "Touch the side under your left ear, you'll feel a pad there. Press on it firmly,"

With that instruction, Zein brought his fingers up and felt the mentioned rectangular pad, and pressed.

And almost stumbled back.

With a soft clicking sound, the choker unraveled into sheets of soft metal that crept all over his jaw and formed an almost skin-tight mask covering his lower face. No—since it felt metallic, perhaps he could call it a half-helmet?

Zein got startled by the movement for a second and would hit the table behind him if not for Bassena holding his back firmly.

"Careful there,"

But Zein was too fascinated with the new mask to make any replies. He didn't even move away from Bassena's hand, and was busy touching his lower face.

Since he always dwelled in the end-zone, the equipment that Zein could get his hands on was poor in quality. His mask was just a bulky filtering mask that civilians also used; it was big and suffocating and the filtering quality was honestly trash.

But this one had none of that negative aspect. It was thin, hard like metal on the outside, but felt soft on his cheek. It looked like the material pressed tightly on his mouth, but there was actually a considerable space that allowed him to move his lips easily if he wanted to talk.

And Zein had never inhaled such nice air before.

He took a deep breath, and the air that filled his lungs felt like how people described bright sun and blue skies in those books his brothers liked to read. Just from that, he felt warm and nice and...good.

Haa...Zein covered his face and chuckled, not even realizing how the hand on his back stiffened at the sound.

'Is this why people from the safer zone seemed so positive?' he thought, lips stretched into a bitter smile.

Just a little...just for a little bit, he got curious about how would it feel to live in such a good environment.

"Is it nice?" the question took Zein out of his momentary indulgence.

"Mm, it's light and—" Zein stopped talking, and touched the area in front of his mouth, brow raised in another surprise.

"It's nice, right? It was designed to project your voice as it is to the outside, so even if you're wearing a mask, you won't sound muffled," Han Shin explained with a proud look on his face.

Zein looked down at the clothes and the mask that he wore, and suddenly fell into thought. This was just equipment they gave as a bonus for the mission, so there was a possibility that these were just something like a 'spare' for these people. Then...how advanced was their 'main' equipment?

Zein always knew that the gap between the end-zone and the high-zone was big, but this felt like a chasm that he sighed unconsciously.

"Why? Is it lacking? Do you have any specifications or preferences? There might be something else in the van..." Bassena lowered his head and looked at Zein keenly, scaring Han Shin with how accommodating the esper was.

Zein gave the esper a side glance. Lacking? Zein never even thought that he would get to try something like this, much less own it. He didn't even know a retractable mask was possible.

"No," he replied quickly, pressing on the choker again and marveled at the way the mask retreated. He looked at Ron to see what else the scout got and stood still. "Unless you have another one of that dagger..." his voice trailed, eyes following the sharp metal and sleek sheath.

Ron, who was suddenly receiving a piercing gaze, clutched the dagger like a child protecting their new toy. "Even if it's you, I won't give you this,"

"Tsk," it was rare to see Zein making a jealous expression, so much so that Ron's firm and obsessive gaze even turned troubled.

"Why would a guide need a weapon?" Han Shin tilted his head. "Guide is even more protected than a healer, isn't it?"

"Does your guild never bring a guide inside a dungeon?" Zein frowned.

"Of course we do,"

"But they never bring weapons?" Zein was taken aback. He knew guides didn't necessarily carry weapons, but all of the guides in the borderland, especially those that had a mission to go to the frontline or the Deathzone, would at least bring a knife or light shield.

He thought it was common sense for a guide that entered the battlefield to at least had a means of self-defense.

"No? Why would they? We allocated espers to guard them," Han Shin replied as if it was a standard procedure.

Zein was silent for a few seconds, before scoffing. "Ha!" Ron did the same, because even though he knew how things operated in the safer zone, he was already a borderland dweller.

"Must be nice," Zein gave out a sardonic chuckle.

To be fair, Han Shin didn't accurately portray the reality outside. He was growing up in a safe environment with a very indulging older brother. His first and only guild was Trinity, who treated their guide particularly well; be it in payment or safety. Other guilds, although would very much put the guide in the safest position, wouldn't go so far as to assign dedicated espers as guards.

But the oblivious Han Shin even used the opportunity to brag about his guild. "It's nice, right? Why don't you come to Trinity while at it? We can give you as many nice shining daggers as you want~" the healer rubbed his hands together like a salesman—or a suspicious uncle offering children candy.

Bassena was about to tell the healer to stop talking, but close his mouth again when it turned into a recruitment pitch, staring at his friend with an approving nod.

"Hey, I told you to not seduce our guide, Sir Han..." Ron protested exasperatedly.

"Ah, but what to do..." ignoring Ron's remark, the healer sighed dejectedly. "We had no plan to contract any esper so we don't bring any new weapon..."

Zein looked at Ron's dagger again, gaze lingering for a bit, but soon turn his head and shrugged. All people who put their life on the line daily would want a nice piece of weapon—even the meek-looking Yath had a poisonous dart hidden somewhere in his person all the time. But Zein already felt terribly lucky to receive this avant-garde battlesuit and mask, so he wasn't going to act petty over a dagger.

But as soon as he turned his head, Zein felt his hand being pulled softly toward the bedroom he used to sleep in last night. "Come, I'll give you a dagger," Bassena spoke with a smirk.

As dubious as it sounded, Zein only narrowed his eyes for a bit before willingly following the esper inside the room. It wasn't that he trusted the esper, it was just that common sense telling him that there was no way Bassena would do something scandalous now—when he had every opportunity to do it last night.

And indeed, it seemed like there was nothing to worry about as Bassena sauntered into the corner table that hold another suitcase. It was deep red and black in color, with an engraving on top of it; a red flower coiled by a snake that opened its maw to swallow a star beneath the flower stalk. The engraving was framed by an upside-down golden triangle, and Zein instinctively knew it was the insignia of Trinity guild.

The case was filled with things that Zein couldn't help but gawk at, because even a dolt like him recognized artifacts when he saw one.

Man-made equipment wasn't the only kind that espers used. The reason why esper willingly went into the tower's trial wasn't the recognition or ranking, but for the skills and, of course, the artifacts. It was the phrase used to call the equipment that came from the trial's reward, be it armor, weapons, or even accessories.

But the kind of reward that came in the form of an artifact was terribly rare, especially from the fourth-floor trial and above. And like a sick joke, sometimes the artifacts that came to an esper weren't compatible with the espers that got them, like a tank-type esper receiving a bow, or a healer receiving a spear. So they ended up in auctions, and the espers used the money to buy man-made equipment instead.

In short, having a suitcase full of artifacts was considered a feat and an indication of wealth.

Zein took a peek and could see that most of Bassena's artifacts were accessories—necklace, earrings, rings. He couldn't see much more because the man's tall and broad back filled his view instead. When Bassena turned back, the suitcase was already closed and there was a dagger in the esper's hand.

"Your hand," Bassena turned the dagger so the handle faced Zein, and like a bewitched man, Zein put his hands forward, palm up like he was begging for it.

Perhaps his mind was begging for it.

The dagger came into Zein's hands with a chuckle from the esper, but Zein couldn't care less, blue eyes staring down keenly.

The dagger itself looked plain, even if the handle was carved beautifully. But the handle and the blade were pitch black, with no shine like other blades in general. Actually, it was almost as if the dagger absorbed the light around them.

Zein gripped the handle and it was as if the dagger was made for him; it didn't feel too light or too heavy, just right.

"It has adjustment ability, like most artifacts, so it will distribute its own weight based on its wielder," Bassena explained as Zein tried to move the dagger with his hand. "It's a drop from a fourth-floor boss."

Zein clutched the dagger and looked at Bassena, as if probing for the esper to continue with his explanation. "It's the first artifact I got in the middle of a trial, not as a reward. Actually, rather than a drop, it's more accurate to say I took it from the boss's treasury," he grinned, a flash of reminiscence could be seen within the amber eyes. "I was so excited that time."

"Really?" honestly, Zein couldn't see Bassena as someone who would get excited about an artifact drop that was only B-class.

"Well, I was nineteen," the esper shrugged.

"Understandable," Zein nodded, hiding his astonishment inside. Esper debuted at eighteen, so to go through a fourth-floor trial during his nineteens meant it only took Bassena approximately one year to reach 4-star.

"I never sold it even though I don't use daggers," Bassena continued. "I just carry it around as a charm, so you can use it instead."

Zein's clutch on the dagger became tighter, and he pressed his lips as Bassena explained the dagger's property. "It's nice since it had no shine and had no reflection. It also dimmed your surrounding, so it kinda fits for an assassin. The only reason why it existed in my trial was probably because of my darkness attribute."

Tower's artifacts were all fickle like that, even though Bassena was clearly a magician-type. "I found it inside a giant shell that the boss was protecting."

"A giant shell...?"

"Yeah, so I called it Black Pearl," Bassena chuckled. Officially, the dagger would have a different name if appraised by a tower's attendant, but Bassena already called it that, so he couldn't care less.

Unlike Bassena's light chuckling face, however, Zein was staring toward the dagger with a troubled face. "I can't take something like this," he said.

Disregarding the fact that it was a B-class artifact, the dagger had a sentimental value attached to it, as Bassena said he carried it as a charm. Taking something like this...

It would just feel burdensome.

The equipment from Mortix was one thing, since it was stated in the contract. In another word, it was a down payment and incentive.

But this dagger was Bassena's personal property, and an artifact to boot, not something that could be mass-produced like the clothes and the mask that Zein wore right now.

Taking something like this would just make Zen feel owing the man.

But Bassena cut Zein's troubling thought with a casual tone. "Who said I'll give it to you?"

"...huh?" Zein looked at the esper blankly.

"I just said you can use it, not that you can take it," Bassena smirked at the slight blush on Zein's fair cheeks. When the guide just blinked wordlessly, he added. "You'll have to return it to me."

Zein was snapped out of his dumbfounded state then, and replied in slight embarrassment. "Ah...oh, yeah..." he sighed inwardly, chiding himself for getting ahead with his thought. "I'll return it after the expedition—"

"No, you can use it longer if you want," Bassena cut him. "No, in fact, just use it longer,"

Zein looked at the gleaming amber orbs, and frowned in confusion. The esper just leaned back on the table and crossed his arms, a deep smile adorning his face.

"Rather than right after the expedition, you have to return it to my office," he leaned forward slightly, looking straight into the blue eyes, "to Trinity,"