Zain strolled toward the AA-Rank Hero Lounge, hands tucked in his coat pockets, his expression calm but inwardly amused.
Hack points filled his balance to the brim.
He had emptied out BO-4 like a plague—villains, mutated beasts, rogue units, all turned into points.
He looked up at the sleek lounge building with its reinforced glass doors.
"Hope no hero decides to scan that place anyti soon," he muttered.
As he neared the entrance, a familiar voice called out.
"Oi, Heavenly Demon!"
Zain paused and looked left.
Blazren stood near the lounge gates, arms crossed, a wide grin on his face.
Zain gave a lazy wave. "Old man. What are you doing here?"
Blazren laughed and clapped a hand on Zain’s shoulder. "Guess what? I awakened my Class."
Zain tilted his head. "Really?"
"Yeah. Blazefang Sentinel." Blazren slamd his fist into his palm.
"Because of that, I just got promoted to AA-Rank officially. And they made the new AA-Rank Lounge Director."
Zain gave a small smile. "Congrats. That’s impressive."
Blazren leaned in. "Thanks. But I didn’t stop you just to chat."
Zain raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"I need to talk. Sothing important. Follow to the private room."
Zain nodded. "Sure. Let’s go."
The two walked side by side through the main hall of the lounge.
A few AA-Rank heroes glanced their way, whispering about the Heavenly Demon and the newly promoted fire lion.
They moved past the open lounge area and turned into a hallway leading to a sealed side chamber.
Inside the private room, Blazren shut the door and pulled down the soundproof shield. He gestured for Zain to sit.
Zain dropped into the leather chair. "So, what’s this about?"
Blazren leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed.
"I want to ask you about soone."
"Do you know anything about a villain who looks like a ratman?"
Zain tilted his head, thinking. He tapped his finger lightly against the chair.
"A ratman? Yeah. I rember soone like that. It’s been a while though."
"He ran a gang in C-Zone. Called themselves the Rust Rats."
Blazren raised an eyebrow. "Rust Rats?"
Zain nodded. "Yeah. I destroyed them personally. They kidnapped my sister. Big mistake."
Blazren’s voice lowered. "Do you rember the leader’s na?"
Zain rubbed his chin. "Scavratt. Filthy guy. Used a power mix of rat shifting and rust control."
"He could corrode weapons and armor with a touch."
"Annoying to deal with, but I wiped them all out... or so I thought."
Blazren opened his tablet and turned it to show a picture. "Is this the guy you’re talking about?"
Zain leaned forward and looked at it closely.
"Yeah. That’s him. Sa scars, sa broken teeth. Where did you get this?"
Blazren sighed. "He showed up again. Caused a ss in BB-2. Fought directly."
Zain straightened slightly. "He’s alive? Where is he now?"
"He’s dead," Blazren said.
"I handled it. Burned him down after awakening my Class."
Zain sat back and nodded slowly.
"Good. That bastard slipped away before I could finish him."
"Soone saved him right before I struck the final blow."
Blazren’s eyes narrowed. "Saved?"
Zain looked at him.
"Yeah. A black-furred wolfman. Wore a hood. I couldn’t see his face."
Blazren pulled out another tablet and opened a list of villain profiles.
Dozens of images showed various wolf-thed individuals, most of them known escapees or rogue shifters.
He turned the screen toward Zain. "Is he here?"
Zain studied it for a few seconds. Then he pointed without hesitation. "That’s him."
Blazren frowned. "Are you sure?"
Zain nodded. "No doubt."
Blazren stared at the image longer, his face tense.
"We’ve had trouble with this one before. He’s been gathering people with beast abilities."
Zain leaned back in the chair. "You don’t say. Well, whoever he is, he’s smart."
"Took Scavratt and disappeared without a trace."
Blazren locked the tablet and put it away. "Thanks for the info."
Zain waved it off. "No worry. I owed you anyway after you took care of that rat."
Blazren stepped away from the table. "For now, just keep a low profile."
"You’re being watched. The Heavenly Demon Sect has put a target on your back."
Zain smirked. "? Again? That’s nothing new."
Blazren shrugged. "Still, don’t get reckless. There’s another villain group out there."
"One more dangerous than the sect. We can’t fight both at once."
Zain stood up and cracked his neck. "Got it."
"Anyway, I just got promoted to AA-Rank not too long ago. Might as well enjoy the benefits a little."
Blazren chuckled. "Go. Rest. But stay alert."
Zain walked toward the door. "You too, old man."
He gave a quick two-finger salute and walked out, his smirk never leaving his face.
Blazren stood there for a mont after Zain left, his eyes still on the door.
He slowly dropped his arms to his sides and let out a quiet breath.
His fingers tapped the table once. Then he clenched them into a fist.
"I never thought it gonna be that guy..."
He pulled out his comm tab, opened the contact list, and pressed Neuro’s na.
The signal beeped once before Neuro’s voice ca through.
"What now, Blazren? I’m still reviewing the files you dumped on ten minutes ago."
Blazren didn’t waste ti. "I know which group is behind it."
There was a pause on Neuro’s end.
"You’re kidding. Already?"
"You couldn’t have gone through everything that fast. Which one is it?"
Blazren looked toward the wall, jaw tight.
"This one’s too important for a call. We talk in person."
Neuro went quiet for a mont before replying.
"Alright. Where do you want to et?"
Blazren turned toward the door. "Private room. Sa one as before."
"I’ll be there."
Blazren ended the call and put the comm tab down.
He stepped over to the soundproof control on the wall, double-checked the settings, and reard the locks.
Then he sat down in the chair across from Zain’s old seat and leaned forward.
"This will be really troubleso."
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