Chapter 879

EP.879 [Light Novel Side Story] The Death Dinass of the Creator’s Sky 1-026

In the end, Xian had to leave the hospital without receiving any hospitality from anyone.

Kim Nori ended up staying at the association’s lodgings due to mediation by the Guild and the Round Table—the world’s premier Hero Guild—and Nori’s parents remained hospitalized in a coma.

The doctor said their mental state had been severely damaged by the monster’s brainwashing, showing no signs of waking up anytime soon. Without finding the main culprit, they could only wait and see how things progressed, the doctor concluded.

Nuri’s near abduction and her parents’ vegetative state ignited nationwide outrage, spreading into backlash against foreign guilds like <May>.

For all intents and purposes, foreigner-founded guilds were now blocked.

Xian’s efforts were effectively erased, with only her own companions as witnesses. No matter how much Nuri and Raon recounted Xian’s deeds, there was no one willing to publicize them, and Gaon had to urgently return to Russia where his guild was based.

Still, Xian refused to give up.

If Yuna wouldn’t give up, then neither would she.

With this resolve, Xian woke up and came out for breakfast with Yuna who had finally awakened from her slumber.

* * *

<February 10th, 8:00 AM, Noodle Shop Near the Hospital>

“Yuna, let’s go all the way together. I’ll take full responsibility.”

“Alright, please do.”

“Huh?”

Yuna replied calmly, as if discussing the weather, leaving Xian bewildered that her heartfelt confession had seemingly gone unnoticed.

“Yuna… Do you understand what I just said?”

“Of course. Do you think I’m shy or something?”

Xian struggled desperately to calm the rising heat in her face. As she flailed her hands trying to compose herself, Yuna burst into laughter.

“Hehe… Didn’t I already tell you? No matter what happens, I’ll always be on your side, Master.”

“Eh? Yeah, you did.”

“Even now, it’s the same. Eventually, time will pass, and either I’ll abandon the hero path or just become an ordinary college student.”

Yuna lifted her cup with both hands and smiled brightly.

“So, whatever the case, I will respect Master’s opinion. If you insist on continuing the guild, I’ll follow you, and if you choose another path, I’ll follow that too. Even if—”

Yuna met Xian’s gaze as she spoke.

“—it means giving up the Hero Academy.”

“Yuna, that’s—”

“Becoming a hero doesn’t necessarily mean graduating from an academy and getting certified, right?”

Yuna shrugged nonchalantly. Knowing full well the effort Yuna had put in over the past year, Xian instantly understood the meaning behind her words.

“You really…”

“So, let me say this clearly. Guild Master, or rather, Mr. Xian—if you choose any path…”

Yuna placed her hand on her chest.

“I will always be by your side, unless you abandon me first.”

“That’ll never happen.”

Xian scratched her head in response to Yuna’s resolute declaration.

“You’re my first team member and partner. I’ll take you all the way, even if you turn out to be E-Rank instead of the SSS-Rank I thought you were.”

“……What?”

Xian’s statement left Yuna quite confused. It was hard to comprehend what this guy had just said.

“What did you just say?”

“You’re SSS-Rank. Probably. So let’s confirm it now.”

“Confirm? Where—”

“Our nest.”

* * *

<10:00 AM, Xian's Office>

“Sounds like home, alright.”

“Right?”

Xian retrieved a suitcase from a corner of the guild office. Yuna, having never seen this suitcase before, was curious, but Xian quickly revealed its contents.

“My friend Oracle said he’d bring it. And sure enough, once I got hurt, Oracle flew all the way from America to Korea with a private jet.”

The media took considerable interest in the visit of a former Round Table member, but he brushed them off under the guise of tourism and rushed straight to the hospital. Yuna pointed at some unusual furnishings in the corner of the office.

“Are these all from him?”

“They’re my stuff that he had.”

Yuna marveled at the various devices resembling those found in the academy’s magical engineering lab. In particular, something Xian pulled out of the suitcase looked strikingly similar to a magic power detector.

“Correct. This is a magic power detector. My custom design.”

“……”

“I’m going to retest you with this. To see if you’re truly E-Rank or actually SSS-Rank.”

Yuna swallowed hard, her face tense as she spoke.

“Don’t lie to me, Guild Master.”

“Nope. You’re SSS. All the evidence supports my theory. The detector malfunctioned, causing errors.”

“That’s ridiculous! Are you saying I endured all that hardship for a whole year because of a simple equipment issue?!”

Yuna screamed, her voice filled with frustration and resentment. Memories of her struggles welled up inside her. Xian nodded vigorously as she pulled out Yuna’s profile.

“Yuinah. Forget everything else for now; let’s just look at your growth cap. According to what you know.”

Seven attributes, each barely registering ’10,’ made Yuna shiver.

Ever since her special ability awakened after finishing her college entrance exams until winter break at the academy, enduring the humiliation of having all her attributes capped at 10 had been incredibly difficult.

“Do you know what people call me? ‘Seventy-Two.'”

“Yeah, I get why they say that, but calm down. If my theory is correct, you could be ‘One-Sixty-Two,’ or worst case scenario, ‘Seven-Hundred-Two.'”

“……Why is that the worst?”

“Because even I’d struggle to handle it. They’d probably kidnap you to dissect you, thinking you’re an alien or something.”

Yuna snorted and slammed her fists on the table, making Xian jump in surprise.

“Fine. I’ll trust you this one last time. But if your theory turns out wrong…”

Yuna brought up a video from her magical gear. When the screen showed the problematic footage of Xian poking her collar during the first slime dungeon run, Xian turned red and started panicking.

“Ah, no! That was because you had bullets there and I was in a hurry!!”

“Hmph. I’ll report you for sexual harassment and illegal weapon possession…”

Yuna clenched her fists with determination.

“And then I’ll hold a press conference and cry in front of everyone.”

“……I’m really sorry about that.”

Xian bowed deeply in apology, and Yuna maintained stoic silence, suppressing her rising smile as best she could while tapping her foot on the floor.

“Hmph. I was just joking. I’ll assume you’re bluffing, Guild Master, trying to boost my morale.”

“……Hey, didn’t you hear my hypothesis? There’s only one case where clearing a dungeon solo doesn’t increase the growth cap.”

Xian threw her arms wide, delivering a passionate speech.

“No effect from elixirs, no attribute growth despite a year of effort, and no stat boosts guaranteed by <System>? In that case, there’s only one explanation.”

“You’re talking nonsense. Am I supposed to believe all my caps are 100? Might as well say you’re SS-Rank. Then I’d believe you.”

“……No, you know I’m practically useless, so why would you say that?”

Xian mocked herself with a wounded expression. Her shoulders slumped, and she fidgeted nervously, signaling her deflated mood, but Yuna kept pushing her point with an unyielding face.

“It doesn’t make sense. Even Sir Gawein, the strongest of the Round Table, has a growth cap of 99 per attribute. All attributes at 100? What kind of joke is that? Are you divine?”

“A goddess. A goddess who blessed me.”

Xian grinned, and Yuna crumpled the paper cup she was holding. Watching the cup roll across the floor, Xian froze momentarily before pointing at the detector on the table to change the subject.

“So, that’s why I contacted someone in America to bring a new detector. Come on, humor me and try it once.”

“Hmph. I’d rather not embarrass myself again in front of the Guild Master.”

“Come on, trust me just once. Don’t you?”

“There’s no way I can trust that. Your claims are… just…”

Yuna lowered her head, looking like she might cry.

“You’re saying everyone, including myself, misunderstood my abilities due to a mere equipment error…”

“Finding diamonds in mud is harder, right? I’m just checking if the pebble I picked from the mud is a gem or not. And…”

Xian continued seriously.

“Even if you turn out to be just a pebble, I’ll nurture you until you become the greatest. So humor me and trust me this once.”

“……Mom said if someone talks like that, you should kick them between the legs.”

Muttering under her breath, Yuna pulled a needle from the kit attached to the detector. Just like last time, a drop of blood formed on her fingertip and fell onto the detector. Both Xian and Yuna anxiously watched the screen.

The results displayed nothing but 1s and 0s. However, unlike previous tests where the total was ’70,’ this time it read ‘701.’

Light attribute, growth cap 101.

Xian involuntarily exclaimed in amazement at the unexpected result.

“Damn. Insane.”

Xian hadn’t realized what she had just blurted out. Yuna was also dazed, her cognitive circuits temporarily frozen. The machine alone functioned normally, outputting the results.

[Detection Complete. No abnormalities.]

“……Ms. Yuinah?”

“One more time, please.”

“Uh, excuse me?”

“One. More. Time.”

Eventually, after pricking every finger, Yuna insisted on repeated testing.

100. 100. 100. 100.

101. 100. 100.

After nine retests, the results remained unchanged, and Yuna collapsed laughing.

Xian couldn’t even think about helping Yuna up, letting out a hollow laugh. Though relieved that her predictions were correct, she hadn’t expected such a result.

“Wow, I’m losing my mind…”

Xian updated Yuna’s stats in a database visible only to her.

Earth 100 Water 100 Fire 100 Wind 100.

Light 101 Dark 100 Illusion 100.

The supposed SSS-Rank growth cap of 100 had been surpassed thanks to the <Solo Dungeon Clear> achievement.

“Not E-Rank, but EX-Rank.”

Looking at the unconscious Yuna, Xian’s expression became complex.

A little later.

Regaining consciousness, Yuna checked the test results repeatedly in a dazed state.

“Guild Master, you’re not pulling my leg, right?”

“No way.”

Xian denied Yuna’s suspicion, too shocked to fix her messy hair. The overwhelming results inevitably changed how Xian viewed Yuna.

“Could you be an avatar of a goddess? Or maybe the legendary rebirth cheat?”

“It’s none of those things, so answer me. This still feels weird.”

Yuna compared her old test results with Xian’s new ones on the desk.

“If my growth cap was originally 100, why is my current magic power only 10?”

“……Magic power is ultimately a manifestation of mental strength.”

Xian massaged her temples as if dealing with a headache.

“To compare it to something: when you were young, remember learning to ride a bike? Even though I physically have the capability to ride, my mind fears it, preventing my body from functioning properly.”

“So, because I believed my limit was 10, my current magic power stayed at 10? Does that even make sense?”

“Magic power is a two-dimensional concept that no one fully understands yet. This is just a hypothesis. But we can prove it soon.”

Xian pointed to Yuna’s heart with her hand.

“If you truly believe in yourself, you’ll definitely soar. Beyond SS, even further.”

“Can I really become that amazing person?”

At Yuna’s unexpected question, Xian paused briefly before answering.

“No. No, you’re mistaken.”

Xian corrected Yuna’s statement.

“You already are that person. Even if everyone else says otherwise, I’ll vouch for it. Otherwise, I’ll make you into that person.”

“Ah.”

Yuna felt tears welling up at the sight of Xian’s confident gaze. Xian scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.

“In light of that, there’s one favor I want to ask—”

“Anything, please say it.”

“Huh? Anything…?”

Yuna nodded vigorously. Her determined expression, biting her lower lip tightly, suggested she was ready for anything.

“If, uh… if Guild Master wishes, I—”

“Ah. Right. Guild Master.”

Xian handed Yuna the guild registration form prepared at the hospital.

“Would you consider taking over as Guild Master for me?”

“……”

Yuna clenched her teeth tightly.