Chapter 274: 273 Why is everything like this? Chapter 274: 273 Why is everything like this? Tielle hadn’t been unconscious for long.

At least, when she woke up, everyone was still around, and she was still lying in Shane’s arms, greeted by everyone’s concern.

“Are you okay, Tielle?”

“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? If you are, you need to speak up!”

Lu Muya and Merica were the first to notice Tielle waking up, their eyes lit up, and they immediately rushed to her side, chattering away.

Tielle couldn’t grasp what had happened. She just looked at Lu Muya and Merica, who were concernedly gathered around her, then at Vivian, who was smiling with relief from the periphery, before she finally noticed Shane, who was looking down at her from above.

“Did you sleep well?” Shane asked, holding Tielle and chuckling teasingly, “No worries, you can keep using my arms as a pillow; you can go back to sleep if you want.”

Hearing this, Tielle finally started to wake up a bit more.

“I…”

Tielle tried to say something but found she couldn’t speak a word.

When she utilized the “horn’s” power and succumbed to fury, Tielle lost consciousness and naturally wouldn’t remember what she had done while under ghostification.

Yet, Tielle still remembered how Jiorrido had pushed her to the brink, and how, in the very end, she decided to risk everything to awaken the forbidden power within her.

Looking around at the ground that resembled a battlefield peppered with artillery and the crushed mountains and stone walls, how could Tielle not know what had happened?

“Was it you who stopped me?”

Tielle fell silent for a while before finally speaking to Shane in a complex tone.

“Just be grateful to me,” Shane didn’t deny it; he just shrugged and said, “By the way, it wasn’t just me. There was another person with you in the battle. You should be thankful that they went easy on you.”

At these words, Tielle involuntarily turned her head to look at the empty space beside her.

There, Ai Yi was holding a pillow, watching Tielle.

Tielle noticed the change in Ai Yi immediately.

To be precise, it was a change in Ai Yi’s attitude towards her.

Before, although Ai Yi interacted with them normally, Tielle had noticed that Ai Yi wasn’t really interested in her and others–sometimes, Ai Yi’s gaze didn’t even focus on them, as though she didn’t consider them worth her attention.

But this time, Ai Yi’s eyes genuinely acknowledged Tielle’s existence and intentionally kept her in sight.

With that, Ai Yi spoke indifferently to Tielle.

“Don’t look at me. I didn’t intervene to help you; I just wanted to test your strength. So you don’t need to thank me.”

Ai Yi said so.

But these words made many things clear to Tielle.

After all, Tielle was very aware of how terrifying she could become when succumbing to her fury.

Even though she lacked self-awareness during her fury, every time she awoke and saw the surroundings and others’ attitudes towards her, she clearly understood how monstrously powerful she had become.

The fact that she had gravely wounded her invincible grandfather when she was young, who died of his injuries a few years later, was enough to show how powerful she had become after ghostification had taken hold.

And while Shane was one thing, the fact that Ai Yi could withstand her and appear unscathed, without even a speck of dust on her clothes, demonstrated just how powerful Ai Yi was.

Shane’s claim that she had been merciful might really not have been a lie.

To that, Tielle didn’t say anything.

She wasn’t Vivian.

Since they said there was no need, Tielle wouldn’t do anything superfluous.

However, seeing the seemingly unhurt members of Vivian’s Team, and looking at Shane and Ai Yi, Tielle still felt a relief flowing through her.

Because, it meant that he hadn’t brought about serious consequences or made any severe mistakes.

Shane’s timely arrival not only saved everyone from Vivian’s Team from dire straits but also saved himself.

Thinking of this, Tielle looked back at Shane, still without saying or doing anything, her eyes alone spoke volumes, both bright and profound.

Initially teasing Tielle in hopes of easing her mood, Shane found himself unnaturally unsettled under her gaze.

(Why are they all acting this way?)
Shane was secretly distressed.

Merica’s eyes were intensely passionate and filled with longing.

And Tielle, though not as overtly expressive as Merica, somehow made Shane feel even more uneasy with eyes that seemed capable of speaking.

At that moment, Shane no longer continued in a teasing manner and hastily spoke up.

“Since everyone is alright, let’s head back, I’ll take you all to the Royal Capital first.”

Upon hearing Shane’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.

They naturally wanted to return quickly.

Only by returning to the Royal Capital would they be fully safe.

Moreover, everyone was indeed exhausted and felt they could not go on much longer.

Having fled for three whole days and nights, and although Shane had healed their physical wounds with magic, the mental fatigue and lack of magic power were still present.

Thus, the group was eager to return to the Royal Capital, back to the Lazahad family to properly rest.

Only Merica hesitated before voicing out.

“Is this alright?” she asked with a hint of worry and uncertainty, “Something seems to have happened here, it’s quite unsettling, is it okay to just leave?”

It seemed Merica was still concerned about the ritual within the canyon.

Even though she didn’t know exactly what had happened, feeling the unnatural magic within the canyon still worried her.

This made Ai Yi glance at Merica as well.

“She’s quite perceptive; it seems this girl has some latent talents with magic.”

This was what Ai Yi thought.

Adding to that, Vivian herself was quite unique; the adventurer team, despite not seeming very strong, surprisingly consisted of a group of talents not to be underestimated.

The only exception was…

Ai Yi subtly glanced at the nervously mumbling Lu Muya next to her, quickly losing interest afterward.

Of all the people present, only the Beastman girl was the most mediocre and ordinary, which Ai Yi had come to deeply realize.

Unfortunately, she seemed unaware of it, timidly standing aside.

Shane, however, was not keen on involving everyone from Vivian’s Team in this matter, thus he spoke up.

“We can deal with the matters here later; you all head back to the Royal Capital first.”

After all, Jiasinta had already traced the Demon Infant, the ritual was expected to be broken soon, and the rest were just minor nuisances that could be handled slowly.

It seemed Ai Yi thought the same and did not raise any objections.

The women exchanged glances, finally nodding in agreement.

And so, the group began moving towards the canyon’s outskirts, preparing to leave the area.

Unbeknownst to them, a massive dark shadow in the distance was flying towards their direction.