Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 54: Zain Gets Paired Up

Zain and Savra stepped into the Hero Association lobby.

The glass doors slid shut behind them.

The space was already alive.

Heroes moving in and out, calls buzzing at the reception desks, reports being handed off.

A few heads turned as they entered.

One of the front-desk girls spotted Savra and leaned slightly over her station.

She asked in a low voice.

"So... how did he taste?"

Savra didn’t slow down. Her smirk spread instantly.

"Of course it felt good."

The girl raised her brows.

"Yeah? He looked like he might be rough."

Savra didn’t break stride.

"His was huge. Way bigger than anyone else I’ve taken."

The girl let out a breath and giggled, eyes drifting to Zain.

"Damn. Lucky you."

Savra glanced sideways at her and dropped her voice low.

"Don’t even think about trying."

The girl blinked. Her smile stiffened. "You usually share."

Savra turned to her fully now, the smirk still there, but sharper.

"Even if I did, you’d pass out in the first few minutes. Waste of a good night."

The girl’s face tightened. "I’ve handled bigger."

Savra stepped in close, resting a hand on the counter. "Not one like him."

The girl frowned deeper. "You’re serious about this one?"

Savra nodded once. "He’s mine. That’s not changing."

The girl glanced at Zain again, then back at her.

"You think he’ll stay loyal?"

Savra tilted her head. "He doesn’t get a choice."

The girl looked away, arms crossed, jaw clenched. "Whatever."

Savra walked off without another word.

Zain followed.

Behind them, the front-desk girl leaned forward again and called out.

"If you ever get bored of her... you can call me."

Zain stopped just long enough to glance over his shoulder.

He smirked.

"You wouldn’t last a few minutes. A small body like yours? You’d be crying before I even started."

Her smile dropped. She looked away, jaw clenched.

Zain turned back and kept walking.

Ahead, Savra had heard everything.

She didn’t slow, but her smile widened.

"Good," she said without looking back.

Zain caught up beside her. "Of course. I’m yours after all."

Savra smirked, eyes forward. "Damn right."

He didn’t say anything else.

But in his head, Zain frowned.

Of course I am. You’re way stronger than me. Damn it.

He didn’t show it on his face.

He just walked beside her.

---

They entered Savra’s private office.

The door clicked shut behind them.

Zain dropped onto the sofa without a word, arms stretched along the backrest.

Savra moved to her desk, pulling a few files from the drawer.

She didn’t sit. Just flipped through the documents with practiced ease.

"Zain," she said, eyes still on the papers.

"You pushed back Scavratt. That alone qualifies you for B-Rank."

Zain smirked. "So I pass the battle test."

Savra’s fingers stopped. She tapped the folder twice.

"I’ll make it official."

She finally sat, glancing at him over the edge of the file.

"But that’s only half of it."

Zain raised an eyebrow. "What’s next?"

"Hunting test like usual."

Zain leaned forward, elbows on knees.

"Who’s the target?"

Savra didn’t answer right away.

Instead, she flipped to another file. Her lips curved slightly.

"You won’t be hunting alone."

"Someone else applied for rank-up at the same time."

Zain tilted his head. "So what—you’re pairing us?"

"Exactly." She glanced up.

Zain shrugged. "Fine. Where is this other guy?"

Savra smiled and leaned back in her chair.

"Should be walking through that door any minute now."

The door creaked open.

A man stepped inside with steady, unhurried steps.

He wore a faded gray jacket zipped up to the collar.

His frame was general but his hands were large and scarred.

He gave a small nod toward Savra.

"Excuse me. I’m here for the B-Rank assessment."

Savra gestured at him with her pen.

"You’re Stoneclaw, right?"

"Yes, Miss." He spoke plainly, respectfully, hands at his sides.

Zain stayed on the couch, eyes moving over the man in silence.

The guy looked around thirty-five, maybe older.

No showboating. No tension.

He stood like someone used to heavy lifting and quiet work.

Savra tapped the folder on her desk, gesturing toward Zain.

"You’ll be paired with him."

"This mission’s a joint rank-up."

Stoneclaw looked over and gave a polite nod. "Understood."

Zain sat forward slightly. "You good with that?"

Stoneclaw smiled faintly.

"I work better with someone watching the angles I miss."

Zain raised his eyebrow. "Not planning to lean on me, are you?"

Stoneclaw only smiled.

"Not planning to slow you down."

"Just aiming to get the job done."

Savra opened the folder and slid it across the desk.

"Target’s a villain pair. Twin Impact—Blast and Blunt. B-Rank hit-and-run team."

Zain picked up the sheet, eyes scanning.

Stoneclaw leaned in slightly but didn’t crowd him.

"They’ve been active in CE-3, right? That’s near the abandoned power sector."

Savra nodded.

"Exactly. They hit fast and retreat faster. Blast lays down traps. Blunt punches holes through buildings."

"They’ve been avoiding real threats so we hit them first."

Savra smirked. "So both of you are ordered to take them down, and I’ll approve the rank-up."

Stoneclaw gave a firm nod. "We’ll handle it."

Zain stood and pocketed the folder. "Let’s move."

Stoneclaw followed without a word.

---

The two walked side by side.

They were heading toward the train station that would take them to CE-3.

Zain kept his hands in his pockets, eyes scanning ahead.

"You don’t look like a new hero."

Stoneclaw smiled faintly.

"I’m not. I’ve been licensed for over ten years. This is just my first time pushing for B-Rank."

Zain raised his eyebrow. "You waited that long?"

Stoneclaw shrugged.

"Didn’t feel the need to push before. I did patrols, responded to calls. Stayed local."

Zain glanced at him. "Family?"

"Yeah," Stoneclaw said softly.

"Wife passed four years ago. I’ve got two kids—nine and eleven."

"I keep the hours light so I can be around when they’re home."

Zain blinked once. "Huh."

Stoneclaw chuckled. "Not what you expected?"

Zain smirked.

"Didn’t expect a dad with super-strength tagging along to punch villains."

"Thought you’d be back home building fences."

Stoneclaw gave a relaxed nod.

"I do that too. Built my neighbor’s porch last week."

Zain grinned.

"Well, don’t break your wrist on this mission. I don’t want to deal with angry nine-year-olds."

Stoneclaw’s grin widened. "Then we’d better not screw it up."

Zain pulled out the folder and flipped it open again, just to check the photo one more time.

"Let’s finish this fast."

Stoneclaw nodded. "Yeah. Get back before dinner."

Zain looked at him, then looked forward again.

The train was coming into view.