Chapter 452 - 445. The Last Insurence
In contrast to the festive atmosphere the night before, the morning of the next was filled with a solemn mood.
The support team methodically made a hearty breakfast for the advanced troops who had already been wide awake since dawn. From the stiff expression on their face, it was clear that they couldn’t help but feel nervous. It was easy enough yesterday, when they departed from the bright green-zone. But sleeping in a place with a high level of miasma was not an easy thing, and waking up to a grey sky, gray hard soil, and grey everything just made everything even more depressing.
"Get used to it," Zein, who got woken up by his old biological alarm, patted his kids’ bed heads one by one inside the Operation’s mess hall. "It will be completely dark in the Deathzone, so you’ll have to get used to seeing things through goggles."
"Ugh--you mean...all the time, Captain?" Dheera whined as usual.
"Did you not listen during Captain’s lesson before?" Silva fixed her glasses--which she would need to substitute later. "We’ll be able to see normally for a bit once the purification device is placed. But the place outside of the purification range, including the sky, will still be dark."
"So what if I’m not good at theory..." Dheera pursed her lips and mumbled quietly.
Zein smirked. If they could exchange banter like this, they should be fine now. "Go and have some breakfast so your stomach can digest it before we go."
"Yessir!"
While his kids scurried toward the buffet, Zein came to the table where Hagalaz’s squad was having their breakfast while discussing the plan for later. While Anzus would move as the vanguard to open the way, Hagalaz would follow from behind while guarding the logistics needed to build their first relay base inside the Deathzone. So, essentially, they would move separately.
But that would also mean Zein couldn’t always be there to provide the squad leader with his guiding. Not until they met again during the first camp. So he had to cleanse Ashur before they departed.
"Oh, would you be okay for Commander later?" Ashur asked, although he couldn’t help but feel happy about it. Since Anzus would be the one to clear the path, however, he thought he wouldn’t have to use his power at this stage anyway.