Chapter 76: The Victory With A Devastating Cost

The Hell Dungeon mission finally came to an end after the remaining Anomalies were eliminated, with an S-Rank Sentinel arriving as reinforcement just in time after completing his mission at another dungeon.

However, the victory came at a devastating cost, leaving the entire Empire shrouded in gloom.

All three of the Empire’s SSS-Rank Sentinels, Evan Caesar, Raphael Valen, and Leon Caesar, had been taken out of action. While Raphael and Leon remained in critical condition, Evan was still unconscious in the intensive care unit, his life hanging by a thread.

The moment Evan had been pierced by the Anomaly’s claw, Lumi had frozen in horror. Yet, when she saw him collapse after protecting her, she forced herself to move, refusing to let panic overwhelm her when he needed help the most.

With the other Sentinels fighting to contain the remaining Anomalies, Lumi had done everything she could to help stabilize Evan until the medical team arrived. Her hands had trembled as she tried to stop the bleeding, but she hadn’t dared to pull away, even when the sight of his blood made her feel sick.

She had already watched him take the attack meant for her. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him without even trying to help.

Fortunately, the doctors managed to save him, although his condition remained critical. According to their assessment, the Anomaly’s claw had pierced his left chest, missing his heart by mere inches. Had the attack landed slightly differently, there might not have been a chance to save him at all.

For an entire week, Lumi had remained outside the intensive care unit, refusing to leave for long even when the medical staff urged her to rest.

Evan still hadn’t woken up.

Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the moment he appeared in front of her, taking the attack without hesitation. She remembered the blood, the way his body had jerked from the impact, and how his arms had still tried to shield her even after the claw pierced his chest.

She had helped keep him alive until the doctors arrived, but she couldn’t do anything to make him open his eyes.

And that helplessness was slowly eating away at her.

That afternoon, Sloane arrived at the hospital to visit Evan, only to find Lumi sitting outside the ICU. The moment Lumi noticed her approaching, she immediately stood and bowed slightly, showing her respect.

However, the instant she straightened her back, a sharp slap landed across her cheek.

Lumi staggered half a step, her hand instinctively rising to cover the stinging side of her face. She stared at Sloane in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"The rumours aren’t rumours at all!" Sloane shouted, her voice echoing throughout the hospital hallway. "You really are bad luck! A curse! How many times does Evan have to end up in the hospital before you’re satisfied? Are you going to kill him before you finally leave him alone?!"

Lumi lowered her gaze, her cheek burning.

"Go to hell with your Fated Guide nonsense! I don’t care about any of that!" Sloane continued, stepping closer. "Get lost! What’s the point of having a Guide if all you do is lead him to his death?!"

Lumi’s fingers curled against her skirt.

She wanted to tell Sloane that she had tried to save him, that she had stayed beside him and done everything she could while waiting for the doctors. She wanted to explain that she hadn’t simply stood there helplessly while Evan bled in front of her.

But what could she say?

Evan had still ended up in the ICU, and he still hadn’t woken up.

"I’m telling you right now, I will make sure Evan’s Fated Guide is changed after this!" Sloane declared. "I don’t care what the system says or what kind of bond you supposedly share with him. If you can’t protect the person you’re bound to, then you have no right to stand beside him!"

She looked Lumi up and down, her expression full of contempt.

"There are countless talented Guides in this Empire who would be more suitable for Evan than you. Guides who could actually help him instead of bringing him one disaster after another! Yet the person chosen to stand beside him is someone who can’t even measure up to an ordinary Guide!"

Lumi remained silent, her head lowered as she fought to keep her emotions under control.

"Madam Caesar..."

A firm voice interrupted them.

The ICU door opened, and a doctor stepped into the hallway, his expression darkening when he noticed the commotion.

"This is a hospital. Please keep your voice down and stop disturbing the patients," he reprimanded. "If you wish to discuss personal matters, do so somewhere else. Your shouting isn’t going to help anyone recover."

Sloane pressed her lips together, still visibly furious, but finally fell silent.

The doctor adjusted his glasses before turning toward Lumi, who was still standing with her head lowered. His gaze briefly settled on her reddened cheek before returning to her face.

"Miss Pei, may I ask for your help?"

"Help? You’re asking the most useless person in this Empire for help?" Sloane frowned deeply, letting out a disbelieving scoff. "Doctor, are you certain you haven’t mistaken her for someone else? She doesn’t even possess measurable Guiding energy!"

The doctor remained unfazed by her remarks.

"I’m well aware of Miss Pei’s medical records, but there’s something unusual about Evan Caesar’s condition that I would like her to examine."

At the mention of Evan’s name, Lumi finally raised her head. "Evan...? Is something wrong with him?"

The doctor hesitated before answering. "His condition has stabilized, but his body’s recovery isn’t progressing as we expected. We’ve conducted several examinations, yet there’s an unusual fluctuation in his energy circulation that we haven’t been able to explain."

Lumi’s heart tightened. "Can I see him?"

"That’s why I’m asking for your help, Miss Pei. During the initial emergency treatment, you assisted in keeping him alive until our medical team arrived. One of the attending physicians also noticed something peculiar when you were treating him."

Lumi blinked in confusion. "Peculiar?"

"His energy circulation briefly responded to your touch. At the time, we assumed it was an irregular reaction caused by the injury, but we’ve since observed similar fluctuations whenever you come near him."

Sloane’s expression changed. "That’s ridiculous! She doesn’t even have Guiding energy. How could she possibly affect an SSS-Rank Sentinel’s energy circulation?"

"That’s precisely what we’d like to understand," the doctor replied calmly.

Lumi stared at her hands, remembering the unfamiliar sensation she had felt during the battle, when she was desperately trying to help Leon. Back then, she had managed to sense something deep inside herself and move it toward her palm, but she hadn’t understood what it was or what she had actually done.

Could that strange sensation be connected to Evan’s condition?

"Miss Pei," the doctor continued, "I’m not asking you to perform a miracle. I simply want to know whether you can sense anything unusual when you’re near him. If there’s even a small chance that you can help us understand what’s happening, I’d like to investigate it."

Lumi hesitated, her fingers curling nervously.

She had spent nineteen years believing there was nothing special about her, that the medical examinations had already given her a definitive answer about her abilities. Yet, ever since the Hell Dungeon incident, she had begun to feel something she couldn’t explain.

"I... I’ll try."

The doctor nodded and opened the ICU door.

As Lumi stepped forward, Sloane caught her wrist.

"NO! Don’t you dare use Evan as an excuse to pretend you’re suddenly useful!" she snapped. "If anything happens to him because of you, I’ll never forgive you!"