My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System-Chapter 84 Mistakes and Lessons

Shelby and Zane walked back to their hotel in silence.

Neither of them spoke. The tension between them wasn’t from anger—it came from everything that had just transpired.

Shelby was quietly enduring the fatigue from excessive mana loss. The aftermath of activating a high-grade skill—one well above his qualification—was weighing on both his body and mind.

Zane, meanwhile, was stuck inside his own thoughts.

He kept replaying the moment—the punch from the masked lady. That terrifying pressure. The way his body locked up before the blow could even land. That helplessness.

Then came the duel. Shelby versus the masked woman.

Zane had already come to admire Shelby—as a role model, a mentor, and perhaps even a friend. But tonight, watching Shelby push himself to the brink just to protect him... it left a bitter taste in Zane’s mouth.

He used such a dangerous skill... because of me.

Back inside Zane’s suite, Shelby walked in and dropped onto the couch.

"Ah... This feels nice," he groaned, resting his head back.

Then he turned to Zane.

"We need to talk."

Zane nodded. "Okay."

"No," Shelby added, more firmly this time. "I mean a real talk."

They locked eyes. A serious silence settled in the room.

After a pause, Shelby spoke.

"Why did you go there alone?"

"I was waiting for you to ask that," Zane replied.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded letter, tossing it to Shelby.

Shelby caught it mid-air. As he read the contents, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

"This letter... I’m keeping it," he said flatly, slipping it into his coat pocket.

"No," Zane protested. "I need it."

Shelby shot him a sharp glare.

"That was clearly a bait," he muttered. "And you walked right into it."

Zane leaned back, arms crossed. "The Bastard Union... Have you heard of them?"

Shelby ignored the question at first. "Boy, look at yourself. You’re acting all obvious. Falling into traps like this one... What if it wasn’t me who came to save you?"

"My entire reason for awakening, for joining the Academy, is to find Zorro and make him pay," Zane said, his voice firm. "So yeah. Maybe I am obvious."

Shelby sighed. His expression softened slightly. "I get it. I really do. I know how it feels whenever his name comes up... But let’s be realistic."

He leaned forward.

"You’re weak. I’m weak too—at least, compared to Zorro. Even if you found him now, what could you possibly do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing." freёnovelkiss.com

Zane clenched his fists but didn’t respond.

"If you truly want to walk this path, you’ve got to be smarter," Shelby continued. "Don’t believe what people tell you. Don’t overreact. Don’t let anger cloud your judgment. In every situation, Zane, you need to keep your mind calm."

There was a long pause.

"I’m sorry," Zane said at last, voice low. "Because of my recklessness... you suffered tonight."

"You should be sorry," Shelby said without a hint of hesitation. "Consider tonight your first real life lesson."

Zane nodded, silent.

After a few moments, he asked again, "But... about the Bastard Union. Do you really know anything about them?"

Shelby exhaled through his nose and leaned back.

"So you still want to chase after his whereabouts..."

He stared at the ceiling. "I’ve only heard rumors—on the web, in some deep channels. But nothing reliable. From what I gathered, they’re a group formed by illegitimate children from Super Families and Noble Houses. People with powerful bloodlines, but no names. Bastards, cast out and forgotten."

He shrugged. "Up to this point, they haven’t done anything outright wrong. Not officially, anyway."

Then, in a half-hearted attempt to change the mood, Shelby grinned and added, "Hey, why don’t you consider joining them? That masked lady didn’t kill you, after all. Maybe she sees potential in you."

Zane shot him a glare.

"I’m not a bastard," he said flatly. "Why should I join them?"

Shelby couldn’t help himself—he burst into a long, hearty laugh. It was so loud and sudden that he ended up coughing mid-way, clutching his side.

"Are you okay, man?" Zane asked seriously, taking a step toward the couch.

Shelby waved him off. "It’s nothing. I’ll be fine after a good rest."

"Then go back to your room," Zane joked, trying to lighten the mood again.

"Nah, this couch is more comfy," Shelby said, sinking into the cushions. "Besides, you’re emotionally unstable right now. I’m guarding you tonight."

Hearing that, Zane understood the real reason behind Shelby’s insistence.

His expression turned solemn. "I’m sorry... for putting us in that situation."

"You’re damn right you should be sorry," Shelby said, narrowing his eyes. "Saying it twice doesn’t fix anything."

He leaned up slightly and continued, "Why didn’t you come to me first when you got that letter? We could’ve flipped the trap on her—with our seniors at the ready. You might’ve even gotten some answers. Though frankly, I doubt she really knows where Zorro is."

Zane mulled over the words and finally nodded. "Agreed. She mentioned something about Zorro betraying her. She attacked me out of personal spite. If she did know where he was, she’d have gone after him already. I think... I fell for her bait."

Shelby cracked a faint smile. "Good. We learn from our mistakes."

He raised his fist. "Remember this—we’re a team. I’ve got your back, and you’ve got mine. Since you’re so determined to find Zorro, I’ll help you. But we strike when we’re ready. No more reckless stunts."

Zane bumped his fist with Shelby’s, grateful beyond words.

The moment of camaraderie was soon interrupted by a thought that flashed into Zane’s mind—the masked lady’s punch.

"How strong was she, really?" Zane asked suddenly.

Shelby’s brows furrowed. "Very strong," he said without hesitation. "I was way out of my league. If I had to guess, based on experience fighting alongside seniors... she’s definitely at the level of a Dean."

If Dean Kora Veyne had been hiding somewhere nearby and heard that, she would’ve shivered. Shelby’s perceptiveness was sharper than most gave him credit for. He had a knack for sensing power—even when it was masked.

Zane didn’t stop there. "Then... how strong are Deans?"

Shelby groaned and hurled a pillow at him. "Deans are Deans-strong! Now let me rest, damn it!"

Zane chuckled softly, catching the pillow. He knew Shelby had pushed himself to the edge. He let him rest.

But Zane himself had no plans of sleeping that night.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, closing his eyes. His mind refused to settle. The memory of the punch haunted him—the feeling of being paralyzed, vulnerable, useless.

He could’ve died if not for Shelby.

He tried to meditate to calm himself. But instead of suppressing the memory, he did something different this time. He embraced it. He allowed the moment to replay again and again.

That fist...

That terrifying pressure...

Why couldn’t I move? I had movement skills. I could’ve dodged... but my body wouldn’t respond.

He clenched his fists, frustrated.

"I know I should’ve moved," he muttered under his breath. "But why couldn’t I? Why did I freeze?"

Just as the question echoed through his mind, the familiar chime of the System rang in his ears.

Ding!

A prompt appeared before his eyes:

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