Luke was breathing heavily.

He sat behind a tree, his back pressed against the rough bark.

He was no longer inside the dungeon.

He died.

Not because of the bear. He had killed it, no, slaughtered it.

But the force behind the final attack had been too overwhelming. The entire cave collapsed on top of him.

And he died.

The experience had been anything but pleasant.

"Haah..." A long breath escaped his lips.

Once he returned outside, there wasn’t a single scratch left on his body, yet he still drank a healing potion just to be safe. Now he only had three remaining since one had been wasted inside that cave.

But his mind wasn’t on the wasted potion.

’What the hell was even that? System? Didn’t you say the monsters were controlled in a way where I would only face enemies I could handle?’ he asked before wiping the sweat forming between his brows.

His breathing was still slightly uneven which he tried to control but to no avail.

[Host, that was a blunder caused by an unusual circumstance. However, there is a significant reason behind it.]

Luke frowned before another system message popped up,

[The dungeon responds to the host’s magical prowess. After fighting that magical creature two days ago, the dungeon determined that you were prepared to face a Level Three threat.]

"..."

What kind of absurd logic was that?

Was the dungeon some living, breathing entity capable of deciding his opponents on its own?

And just having the Gamma doesn’t mean has the experience of fighting something so ferocious. Wasn’t it absurd?

The creature he fought might not be as large as the one which attacked the village but it surely was far deadlier.

"Fuck...what kind of absurd explanation is that?"

[The System assures you, Host, that incidents like this will not occur often.]

’You said often...so that means there’s still a chance something like this could happen again, huh?’ he growled under his breath.

This time, the System gave no response.

Luke sighed.

This was messed up.

Not only he utilised his points in determining its weak point, he also lost two hundred gamma points because of death.

Not to talk about the psychological damage...

He pulled his legs closer and stared into the distance.

The feeling of being crushed beneath those boulders...it was horrifying.

His first death had been quick. The moment his body hit the ground from that height, his mind simply went blank.

But this...

Because his body was much sturdier now, death hadn’t come immediately. He was tortured slowly instead.

His bones shattered.

His head was smashed apart.

Darkness swallowed him little by little while he screamed until life finally slipped from his throat.

People say they go through experience worse than death in their lives...but no, death itself was quite traumatizing. He has experienced it twice and he was scared of it.

[Host, please get some rest.]

Luke was already thinking about doing exactly that.

Slowly, he pushed himself off the ground and started walking toward his house.

He needed comfort.

....

Back at the house, the three women were chatting after finishing the baskets they had been weaving.

"I don’t really feel like selling them," Monica said while looking at the four baskets she had made. They were small, neat, and perfect for storing vegetables or meat.

In the past, she would have sold them without hesitation.

But now things were different. She wasn’t on am urge need to money.

"I mean, there’s a man taking care of you now," Ginna teased casually.

Monica’s cheeks immediately turned faintly red as she looked toward the woman.

Did she...know?

She had definitely seen her and Luke kissing, but that sort of gesture was uncommon among people here.

But then again, that kiss should have appeared quite intimate and something not to be shared between a mother and a son.

While she knew she wouldn’t hide things if it comes to light, Monica still needs some time to prepare herself for it.

Just then, the front door opened, revealing someone who had only left a few minutes earlier.

"Huh? Luke?" Laila was the first to react as she noticed his slumped figure walking inside.

Without saying a word or even glancing at her, Luke walked straight toward Monica and grabbed her wrist.

"Come with me, please."

"Luke? Are you okay?" Monica asked softly, though she was already following behind him.

Laila and Ginna could only stare in confusion, but Luke had no intention of stopping to explain anything.

He led Monica into his room before quietly shutting the door behind them.

Monica grew increasingly tense.

It was rare for Luke to act this silent and distant.

"Luke...what happened—"

"Monica," he interrupted gently as his hands cupped her cheeks, "can you...without asking any questions, just let me hold you while I sleep? Please?"

His voice lowered slightly.

"I really need you right now."

There was no doubt that Monica was deeply worried now since Luke had never behaved like this before.

No matter the situation, he always smiled and reassured her that everything was fine.

But right now, when she looked into his eyes, all she saw was a tired and defeated man.

The sight made her heart restless.

Even so, she didn’t question him.

She simply nodded before gently guiding him toward the bed.

As they lay down, she pulled the boy close beside her and cradled his head against her chest, her hand slowly caressing the back of his head.

Luke rested one hand on her waist and released a long breath of relief.

In her arms like this, with her warmth surrounding him, Luke truly felt alive.

Back in the cave, when he attacked the monster, he had been desperate.

His plans failed.

His trap didn’t work the way he intended.

And when he was cornered, he once again relied on that ability he still couldn’t control properly.

The result of that chain of actions was the most horrifying experience of his life.

Death.

When he opened his eyes again in this world, his entire body had been trembling. His shoulders felt heavy, his chest tight, and his vision unfocused.

Yet now, all that mental exhaustion and terror slowly melted away within this embrace.

He felt safe.

He felt at home.

And at this moment, he couldn’t have asked for anything more.

This was far better than any healing potion.

The embrace of his beloved.

Monica remained silent throughout the afternoon, simply caressing his head and gently rocking him until he finally fell asleep. Though the same question kept repeating in her head.

’Just...what could have happened...’

She didn’t move away even once and turned away anyone who came to disturb them.

For someone who hadn’t even flinched after fighting the magical creature that attacked their village to look this defeated...

She knew something massive must have happened for her mate to be so shaken.

Even so, she decided she wouldn’t ask him anything.

She was his mate.

Someone who was meant to understand him rather than becoming emotionally weak when he needed her support the most.

And Monica intended to do exactly that.

•••••••

A/N:- A short Chapter to calm things down. I hope you enjoyed reading the Chapter.