As soon as I came back to the dungeon I found myself in a pile of rubble, and before I could react or do something some rock or rubble fell on my head as I fell unconscious, the weight of the rubble overwhelming me.
The last thing I remembered was the faint glow of the Rizz system in my mind. Then, everything went black.
When I finally opened my eyes, I found myself lying in a hospital bed, the steady beeping of a heart monitor echoing in the room. My body ached, but the pain was dull, as if I had been patched up. I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy.
As I blinked to clear my vision, I saw her—my mother—sitting beside me, her face filled with worry. Dark circles lined her eyes, and her fingers twisted together holding my hand tightly. The concern etched into her expression made my chest tighten.
"Mom," I croaked, my voice hoarse. She snapped her gaze to me, relief flooding her face.
"Oh, thank god," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You're awake. I was so worried…" She reached out, grabbing my other hand as well and squeezing them tightly.
I managed a small smile, trying to reassure her. "I'm fine, Mom. Just a little banged up."
Before I could say more, I noticed a ward boy standing nearby, looking at my mom with an almost sleazy smile. He leaned in closer to her, his voice dripping with fake concern.
"You know, ma'am," he said, his eyes practically glued to her, "If you ever need anything, you can always call me. I'll be here to help, anytime you need.
You must be really stressed out worrying about your son?" he said as his eyes trailed around my mother's body, his eyes filled with lust as he kept staring at my mother's breasts.
My blood boiled as I watched him. Did this guy really think he could hit on my mother, MY MOTHER, and that too right in front of me? I used all of my energy and sat up in bed, glaring at him. "Excuse me?" I said, my voice sharp.
The ward boy jumped, clearly not expecting me to speak. "What…?"
I narrowed my eyes on him. "You know, I could use that help of yours, I feel like taking a dump, why don't you help me take a dumb?"
The ward boy was speechless by the request as he went back a few steps, my expression turned that of anger as I said, "You're trying to hit on my mother while I'm sitting right here? Seriously?"
The color drained from his face as he stammered, "N-no, I was just—"
I cut him off, my voice cold. "I don't care what you were 'just' doing'. You need to back off. That's my mother you're talking to, and if I catch you even 20 feets near my mother, your eyes on her let alone you even looking at her the wrong way again.
I'll make sure you're kicked out of this hospital, that is if I'm in a good mood, if I'm not, then you'll be a permanent resident of this hospital and lacking your manhood."
He blinked, his face turning pale. "W-what? You can't do that."
I smirked, leaning forward. "Oh, I can. I'm a hunter, and even the weakest hunter has more authority than you. If you don't control yourself and stay in line, I'll make sure you're fired and never work in a hospital again. Get lost and bring in some female nurse, or you're warned."
The ward boy's eyes widened in panic. He glanced at my mother who was a bit helpless as she felt uncomfortable being looked at, adjusting her clothes, the man gulped as he then looked back at me, before quickly muttering an apology. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean anything by it."
"Good," I said, my voice steady. "Now get out, and don't meet me ever again till I'm here."
Without another word, the ward boy scurried out of the room, practically running for the door. I watched him go, the anger still simmering in my chest.
My mother looked at me, her expression a mix of surprise and gratitude. "You didn't have to do that," she said softly.
I sighed, leaning back into the pillows. "Yeah, I did, Mom. No one is allowed to hit on you, especially not some low-level guy who doesn't know his place."
She smiled faintly, but I could still see the worry in her eyes. "How did you end up like this? I feel guilty, seeing you act so rude and disrespectful. Where did I go wrong?"
"Mom, don't say that," I said softly. "You didn't go wrong anywhere, you know why I'm like this. Ever since Dad passed away, it's my job as your son to protect you. He asked me to look after you as his last wish.
You're too kind, too innocent for this world Mom. You don't see how cruel it is. Do you really think that guy cared about you or me? No.
He just wanted to use you. I saw it in his eyes—full of lust. But you just felt uncomfortable and didn't do anything. If I don't protect you, who will?
People like him would just take advantage of you, use you, sleep with you, and then leave. I don't care if I come off as rude or if the whole world hates me. You're my everything, Mom. My world.
I'll protect you with everything I have, no matter what. That's the only thing that matters to me." I said as I lovingly looked at my mom.
My mother sighed and said, "What am I to do with you? I can't even be mad at you." she said, as she held my hand with her both hands as she leaned her head on the hand she was holding with her hand.
"Just don't worry, Mom. I'm okay," I reassured her.
She shook her head. "How did you get hurt? What happened in that dungeon? Jin-Woo is in the hospital too, and that too in critical condition.
When I saw the news about people dying in the dungeon you were in, I didn't know what to do, and immediately rushed to the site, where I found out that you were in the hospital.
Seeing your injured body broke my heart. Don't ever do that again. I would have a heart attack and might even die, if I had to see you like that again.
Promise me you'll stay out of danger from now on. You are the only person I have left, don't do anything recklessly ever again."
So Jin woo made it out of there alive, talk about tenacity, well it's good he's alive, as far as how I ended up in that place, and in that state I hesitated, unsure of how to explain everything.
The Rizz system, Gaia, the Monarchs—it was all too much, and I wasn't even sure how much I should tell her. For now, I just gave her a simple answer.
"I'll explain later," I said, squeezing her hand. "Right now, I just want to rest."
She nodded, still holding my hand. "Okay. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
I gave her a tired smile. "I promise, Mom. I'll be fine." I said as I planted a small kiss on her forehead as I laid on my bed.
As I closed my eyes to rest, the events of the last few hours weighed heavily on my mind. This was just the beginning, and I had no idea what was coming next.
But one thing was clear: I wasn't going to let anyone mess with my mother. Not the ward boy, not the Monarchs, and definitely not anyone else who dared try.
My mother sighed softly, adjusting her clothes and making sure the hospital blanket was properly covering me. She always had that habit, fussing over the little things, especially when she was worried.
Once she was satisfied that I was comfortable, she sat back down beside me, still holding my hand.
I felt her grip tighten, as my grip tightened as well and she rested her head gently on the edge of the bed, right on his chest, as if conveying I'm not allowed to go anywhere. Her touch was warm, and despite everything that had happened, it brought me a sense of comfort.
"You really scared me," she whispered, her voice quiet and full of emotion. "But I'm just glad you're okay. That's all that matters."
I squeezed her hand tighter, giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to make you worry."
She just shook her head, a soft sigh escaping her lips. "You don't have to apologize. I know you didn't want to get hurt. I just… I can't lose you too. I won't survive that."
I didn't know what to say to that, so I just stayed quiet as I gave her head a few caresses before bringing my hand back. She returned a few caresses, gave me a forehead kiss, keeping her one hand on my head.
Slowly, I felt her body relax beside me, her grip still firm but less tense. It wasn't long before I noticed her breathing slow down. She must've been exhausted from everything, and now that I was awake, she was finally letting herself rest.
I decided to let her sleep beside me, as she would have a sour body sleeping like that, so I stood up, placed her beside me, covered her with a blanket, as I caressed her head a few more times, seeing how she slept peacefully holding my left hand tightly.
I simply closed my eyes, letting her warmth and presence soothe me as well. The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, but for once, everything felt calm. No dungeons, no Rizz system, no threats—just me and my mother, safe for now.
I wasn't sure what was coming next, but as long as she was alright and by my side, I knew I'd be okay and ready. For now, though, it was time to rest, just like she was.
[A/N:- This is still a new fic, my priority still is MHA fic, which I wish to finish quickly, so I'm letting you know, the updates of this fic will be slow in comparison to mha fic, if you wish you can join my Patreon, where I'll be posting 6 chapters a week, 3 of MHA and 3 of this fic.
In the $8 tier, you'll get 12 advance chapters
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https://patreon.com/EmperorNumix ]