Chapter 223: Bombshell

"What... what did you do?" she asked, her voice slightly slurred.Zafron's grin widened. "Just adapting and surviving, like you said. Isn't that what the Undercity is all about?"

As Sakura stared at him, a mix of frustration and grudging respect in her eyes, Zafron couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph.

He might not be the best hand-to-hand fighter, but he had other skills up his sleeve. And in the Undercity, sometimes that was all you needed to stay alive.

Sakura pushed herself up, shoving Zafron away with a frustrated grunt. Her pride stung, and confusion swirled in her mind. Every point of contact with Zafron had felt... strange. Like a tickle, or ice on her skin, or something she couldn't quite explain. It bothered her that her body had seemingly yielded to his touch for reasons she couldn't fathom.

As Sakura struggled with her inner turmoil, a system prompt suddenly appeared in Zafron's vision, visible only to him:

[Target Scan complete]

[Name: Sakura Hiroshima]

[Marital status: Single]

[Compatibility with Zafron: 67%]

Zafron blinked, mulling over this new information. A smirk played on his lips as he contemplated the implications.

Sakura caught his expression, her eyes narrowing. "What are you smirking at?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Zafron quickly composed himself. "Nothing, just... thinking about our match."

[My lord, I do believe you're developing a soft spot for our pink-haired dynamo,] Calista chimed in. S~eaʀᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

'Quiet, you,' Zafron thought back, focusing on Sakura.

Realizing he needed to press his advantage, Zafron decided to change tactics. His slime powers might be acting up in the Undercity, but he had other assets – like his charm.

"Hey," he said, his tone softening, "why don't we take five? Maybe grab a drink of whatever passes for beer down here?" He flashed her a disarming smile. "We could discuss this whole partner thing properly. You know, without the whole 'being each other's bitch' dynamic."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, skepticism clear on her face. "Oh? And why the sudden change of heart?"

Zafron shrugged, maintaining his easy smile. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot. But you're clearly skilled, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. I think we could make a good team if we actually, you know, talked instead of just trying to beat each other up."

He could see the conflict in her eyes – suspicion warring with curiosity.

"Come on," he pressed gently. "One drink. If you still think I'm insufferable after that, we can go back to the whole 'me being your bitch' thing."

A reluctant smile tugged at Sakura's lips. "Fine. One drink. But don't think this means I've forgotten about... whatever it was you did during our fight."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Zafron grinned, gesturing towards the door. "Shall we?"

As they left the training room, Zafron couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement. Sakura was... interesting, to say the least. Strong, skilled, and with a fire that intrigued him. He found himself genuinely looking forward to getting to know her better.

[Do be careful, my lord,] Calista warned. [Mixing business with pleasure can be a dangerous game in the Undercity.]

'Who said anything about pleasure?' Zafron thought back, though he couldn't quite suppress a smile. 'I'm just getting to know my partner.' he knew he was lying and if anything, he assumed Calista was aware as well.

As they walked, Zafron snuck glances at Sakura, noting the way she still seemed slightly off-balance. He felt a twinge of guilt for his earlier tactics, but pushed it aside. In the Undercity, you did what you had to do to survive. And right now, survival meant getting closer to Sakura.

As they walked through the dimly lit corridors of the Undercity, Zafron tried to engage Sakura in conversation. "So, what's your story? How'd you end up in this lovely vacation spot?"

Sakura's response was brief, her tone nonchalant. "Same as everyone else, I guess. Made some bad choices, pissed off the wrong people." She shrugged, her pink braid swaying with the motion. "You know how it goes."

Zafron nodded, noting her reluctance to elaborate. He'd seen the rough exterior most Undercity dwellers wore like armor, but Sakura seemed different. There was a softness to her that didn't quite fit with the hardened criminals he'd encountered so far.

When Sakura remained quiet, Zafron decided not to push. Instead, she turned the tables on him. "What about you? Shadow mentioned you and that pretty older woman – Matilda, right? – crashed on the landing platform above. How was that?"

Zafron chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh, you know. Thrilling. Nothing like a crash landing to really get the blood pumping."

Sakura raised an eyebrow, clearly expecting more. Zafron sighed, trying to fit in with the Undercity narrative. "Did some bad things, ended up here. The usual story, I guess."

She studied him for a moment, her pink eyes searching. "Bad things, huh?" There was a hint of skepticism in her voice, but she didn't press further.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Sakura spoke again. "So... that pretty blonde woman that left with Shadow and Whisper. Is she your wife or something?"

Zafron started to smile, but then stopped abruptly. The question caught him off guard. He hadn't really thought about it before. Sure, he and Matilda weren't just friends – they were romantically involved, but without a defined label.

Noticing his hesitation, Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "Never mind, you don't have to answer that. It's not my business anyway."

She paused for a moment, then added, "It's not the first time couples have landed here, you know. But couples... they never last here." There was a sadness in her voice that seemed to come from personal experience.

Zafron wanted to ask more, to understand the story behind that sadness, but he held back. They were still getting to know each other, and he didn't want to push too hard too fast.

Instead, he gestured towards a dimly lit establishment ahead. "I think that's the place. Ready to try whatever passes for beer down here?"

Sakura nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "Sure. Maybe if we're lucky, it'll be so bad it'll knock us out before the poison sets in."

Zafron laughed, surprised by her dark humor. "Now that's the spirit. Nothing like a near-death experience to bond over, right?"

As they entered the bar, the din of conversations and clinking glasses enveloped them. Zafron couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and wariness. He was genuinely curious about Sakura, but he also knew he had to tread carefully. In the Undercity, every relationship was a potential alliance or a potential threat.

They found a quiet corner and settled in, ordering two of whatever passed for beer in this place. As they waited for their drinks, Zafron studied Sakura's face in the dim light. There was more to her story, he was sure of it. And somehow, he found himself looking forward to unraveling that mystery, one conversation at a time and perhaps, see what came from it.