""It seems that Shane has almost resolved the problem of having been weak due to a low Level in the past.
Even though he isn’t yet on the level of those true high-Level fighters, he is no longer the novice who had just joined Vivian’s Team.
At that time, his Level was only 10.
Now, his Level has surpassed both Lu Muya and Merica, and is almost equal to Vivian’s, barely trailing behind Tielle.
Tielle had once stagnated at this stage for a while, so she was almost intuitively aware of Shane’s current situation.
"He truly is a Hero."
Tielle made such a comment.
Shane chuckled and felt somewhat grateful in his heart.
Because he knew that Tielle must have had her doubts.
After all, how long had it been since Shane joined Vivian’s Team?
It had been barely three months, right?
In three months, his Level had increased astonishingly from 10 to nearly 60, a rate of growth that was remarkable even for a Hero.
Considering this, Tielle might have realized that there was something within Shane that allowed him to grow rapidly.
However, Tielle did not choose to investigate.
She probably considered that this secret was very crucial for Shane, thus she deliberately chose to ignore it.
Shane was well aware of what level of trust this represented.
"You’re still practicing here this late?" Shane suppressed the gratitude in his heart and said, "You have already grown fast enough, there’s no need to rush."
Upon hearing this, Tielle shook her head.
"This isn’t enough," Tielle said lightly. "With my current level, it’s impossible to even catch his eye, let alone surpass him."
The person Tielle referred to was naturally Aridia.
Surpassing Aridia was one of Tielle’s goals, or even a wish.
"You seem pretty concerned about him," Shane said, somewhat teasingly. "Should I beat him up for you first?"
"That would be pointless," Tielle responded indifferently. "It’s not that I don’t believe you can do it, I think you probably could, but even if you beat him up, he would probably not feel anything. It would be better not to bother."
Tielle’s words made Shane feel she was being somewhat obstinate.
"Actually, during this return, I did have a brief encounter with him," Shane reflected and then spoke. "I think he might not be as emotionless and unfeeling as you say."
This wasn’t Shane trying to speak up for Aridia.
In fact, after having interacted with Aridia, Shane truly noticed that the stern Knight, although very aloof and detached in his emotional expressions, was not completely devoid of them.
He was concerned about Shane’s strength, showing a desire to match up against Shane.
He cared about what Shane said, when Aridia heard Shane mention Tielle, he also said, "No matter what, she carries my Elbein blood, it was so in the past, it is now, and it will be in the future."
Shane didn’t know what Aridia was thinking when he said that.
But he was sure that Aridia indeed paid attention to Tielle, unlike what Tielle claimed, treating her as if she was nothing.
"Do you think I am wrong?"
Tielle seemed to frown.
Shane raised his hands to surrender.
There was no way around it—Tielle’s tone was filled with displeasure, informing Shane how bad her mood was.
This was unavoidable.
If someone else said this to Tielle, she would choose to ignore it.
But when Shane said it, Tielle couldn’t just pretend not to hear.
The reason was simple.
"You are the person I acknowledge, and the one who holds my complete trust," Tielle said, looking directly at Shane with utmost seriousness. "Others may accept what that man does, but you, above all, cannot."
Shane was momentarily at a loss for words.
He knew what Tielle meant.
Tielle meant to say that if even he, the person to whom she had entrusted everything, acknowledged Aridia, then her long-standing negation and denial of Aridia would become a mockery.
Of course, Shane hadn’t truly admitted anything about Aridia.
"I only said he isn’t as ruthless as you imagine," Shane remarked, "but what he did to you was wrong, and I’m not going to generalize everything."
That was the essence of it.
"That’s good." Tielle finally relaxed her expression and said, "Don’t worry, I will surpass him soon."
Tielle didn’t say this with full confidence, but with a determination that wouldn’t turn back even if it meant hitting a wall.
This wasn’t something Tielle wanted to do, it was something she had to do.
Shane wanted to say more but gave up.
Seeing Tielle rigorously training for such an elusive goal made Shane somewhat heartbroken.
(Even though she has qualities that deserve recognition, she continues to strive, sacrificing everything, and yet some are still scheming against her behind her back...)
Thinking of the Leferut Family, Shane couldn’t help but speak.
"Have you encountered anything strange lately?"
Shane’s words made Tielle furrow her brows slightly.
"Strange things..." Tielle murmured softly, then surprisingly said, "It’s not that there haven’t been any."
"What?" Shane immediately perked up and eagerly asked, "What strange things have you encountered?"
"It’s Vivian’s Team." Tielle said bluntly, "Lately, they’ve been giving me irregular tasks, as if they’re hiding something from me."
"Is that so?" Shane chuckled dryly.
Needless to say, this was something Vivian did to keep Tielle from encountering people from the Leferut Family.
Tielle, sharp as ever, noticed some signs but seemed not to expose them.
Although usually reserved, her mind was remarkably agile at times, and her intuition very keen. Often when others were still figuring something out, she would have already discerned the pattern, always one step ahead, just without mentioning it.
(After all, like Luoqi, blessed by the Goddess of Fate, it’s normal for her to have sharp intuition.)
Shane reflected on this.
And this thought was immediately confirmed.
"Also, I keep feeling like something is about to happen," Tielle murmured. "It seems like some evil presence is watching me, making me feel a bit uneasy."
These words made even Shane fall silent.
However, this very silence made Tielle sense something.
"Are you hiding something from me too?"
Tielle stared intently at Shane, making him feel somewhat guilty.
"...It seems I really need to get stronger soon," Tielle said, understanding something after a moment of silence. "Otherwise, constantly being under others’ protection doesn’t feel good."
In the past, Tielle was always protected by Vivian, Luoqi, and Riley.
Now, Tielle might have also sensed that Shane was protecting her.
This was definitely not what she wanted to see.
She wanted to entrust everything to Shane and let him guide her growth, not to be protected by Shane and live in a greenhouse.
Sensing Tielle’s feelings, Shane was trembling, trying to say something.
But before he could, Tielle had already stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and headed toward the mansion.
"What... What’s up?" Shane hastily asked.
To this, Tielle simply replied with a faint statement.
What used to thrill Shane now made him shudder.
He knew that Tielle was planning to use extreme measures to get information from him.
...Could he endure it?
For the first time, Shane had no confidence in his own ability.