Zain and the woman walked down the busy lane toward one of the more popular cafés in the district.
But as they strolled side by side, Zain began to notice something odd.
People weren't just glancing at them… They were staring.
And not exactly with friendly eyes.
He frowned slightly.
"Huh… strange. Even back at the Association, and now here too..."
The woman raised her eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
Zain's gaze swept around.
"Lot of people staring at us. And not exactly smiling either."
The woman chuckled lightly.
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
Zain glanced sideways at her, taking in her confident walk, her sharp figure, and the heat of presence she naturally carried.
"Not surprised. You've got a good physique. Red hair like fire. Eyes like you could kill someone and make it look cool."
The woman smirked. "Flatterer."
Zain looked ahead, then casually asked.
"By the way… I never got your name. Seems weird considering I'm already taking you out."
She gave a sideways grin.
"Oh yeah, right. Guess I forgot to introduce myself in all the fun."
She held out her hand with playful formality.
"Savra. Hunter test supervisor, C-Rank veteran… and now your date."
Zain took her hand briefly, smirking.
"Zain. New hero, rising fast. And... lucky, apparently."
Savra laughed softly.
"Yeah, I'd say you are. Not every newbie gets to drag in two villains and end up walking next to me."
Zain tilted his head. "You're pretty famous around here, huh?"
Savra shrugged with a smile. "Should be. Been around longer than most, and I've burned a lot of egos along the way."
Zain noticed again how the passersby kept looking at her.
Not just with awe, but with caution. Jealousy. Bitterness.
"Yeah, I can see it. They look at you like they either want you or hate you."
"That's usually the case but none of them are quite young... or nearly as handsome as you."
Zain smirked. "Thanks for the praise."
They turned the corner, and the café came into view.
It was a cozy building with a roof terrace and golden windows.
"Here we are. Best drinks in the district. And they know not to mess up my order."
Zain chuckled. "Sounds dangerous already. My kind of place."
---
Zain and Savra soon went to the counter.
Savra didn't hesitate and ordered immediately.
"One caramel latte. Extra hot. Light foam."
she said without even looking at the menu.
Zain scanned the board briefly. Coffee wasn't his thing.
Back in his old world, cultivators sipped tea between battles, strategies, and bloody wars.
Coffee was for city people.
He pointed to the bottom of the menu.
"Your best tea. I'll take that."
The barista nodded, tapping it into the system, and within minutes, both drinks were brought to their table.
They found a corner seat, away from the main window, and settled in.
Savra took a long sip of her latte before glancing at him over the rim.
"So… not a coffee guy, huh?"
Zain swirled the tea gently in his cup, the steam rising softly.
"Yeah. More of a tea person."
She raised her eyebrow, amused.
"Tea guy, huh? That's rare. Makes you sound like you've got ancient wisdom or something."
Zain smirked slightly.
"Maybe I do."
Savra chuckled.
"You definitely act older than you look. Calm. Confident. It's kind of suspicious, honestly."
Zain just sipped his tea in response, choosing not to comment further.
No need to bring up his past life.
Some things were better left as secrets.
She leaned back in her chair, eyeing him curiously.
"You've got secrets, I can tell. But I'm not gonna pry… yet."
Zain smiled faintly.
"As long as we're enjoying the drinks, no need to dig deep."
---
Zain set his cup of tea down gently before turning his attention toward Savra.
"Speaking of secrets... I want to ask you something."
Savra looked up, raising her eyebrow, curious.
"Oh? What's on your mind?"
Zain leaned in slightly."I want information on villain groups. Small or medium-sized—something I can take down myself."
He smirked.
"Know anyone who needs a wake-up call?"
Savra grinned and leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other.
"So that's what this is about. Trying to climb the ranks faster, huh?"
Zain nodded, his smirk growing.
"You could say that. It's more efficient than waiting around for hero gigs."
Savra hummed thoughtfully, tapping her nail against her cup.
"Let me think for a moment… You want a group that's nearby, right?"
"Preferably. I don't want to waste time traveling to the other side of the city."
She gave a slow nod.
"If that's the case… there's one gang that comes to mind. They operate in CB-2."
Zain's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Area B, Danger Level 2. That's… moderately dangerous, isn't it?"
Savra smiled.
"Not that dangerous. '2' just means it's unstable. Too many small gangs, some criminal activity, but nothing the big dogs care about."
Zain leaned back and crossed his arms.
"So, who's this gang?"
Savra sipped her latte before answering.
"They call themselves the Rust Rats."
Zain blinked, then laughed.
"Rust Rats? What kind of name is that? Sounds like a street punk cosplay group."
Savra grinned.
"Yeah, weird name—but they're not to be underestimated."
"They've got numbers, and a decent number of C-Rank villains under their banner."
"A bunch of small-time crooks who joined up to bully locals."
Zain tilted his head.
"And heroes just ignore them?"
"They're pests more than threats. They don't kill, they don't destroy buildings."
"They extort, harass, and occasionally fight smaller hero teams. Nothing serious enough for A or B-Ranks to care."
"But too dangerous for C-Ranks to care."
Zain's eyes gleamed.
"Which makes them perfect for me."
He leaned forward, a sharp grin spreading across his face.
"Rust Rats, huh? I'll be sure to step on them real soon."
Savra smirked before standing up from her seat and grabbed her coat off the back of the chair.
She threw it over her shoulders and looked down at him with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Thanks for the coffee, by the way."
She turned toward the door, waving lazily over her shoulder.
"Let's talk again when you've crushed them. I want details."
Zain tilted his head, watching her walk away with that same unbothered swagger.
He smirked and raised his cup for a final sip of tea.
"Sure. You'll be hearing about it real soon."