The skeleton is too invincible; I leveled up with the school beauty!

"There's a skeleton behind you...behind you! Quick, hide behind Mommy!"

She screamed, her breath caught in her throat from the exertion, and she coughed violently and painfully, with blood and foam even spilling from the corner of her mouth.

But she spread her arms wide, like an incredibly thin yet incredibly resolute shield.

At that moment, all my own pain, fear, and suicidal thoughts were suppressed by my extreme fear for my daughter's safety!

Su Wanqing then remembered something and hurriedly turned around: "Mom, don't be afraid! I've awakened the legendary-level professional contract master, and he's my contracted beast!"

Xu Nuo immediately and tactfully took two steps back with a "click".

The huge, pale skeleton clung tightly to the cold wall, trying to "shrink" itself into the corner.

The blue will-o'-the-wisp in his eye sockets flickered violently a few times, quickly changing from a deep blue to a light blue that appeared as gentle and harmless as a winter stream.

He even waved his enormous bone hand in a very anthropomorphic and clumsy manner, trying to express friendliness.

Sigh, my current skeleton soldier appearance is a bit... shocking, look how scared the old man is...

Lin Yueru's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints.

Su Wanqing clearly saw her mother's fingers digging into her thigh flesh, the area around her nails turning bluish-white.

This is a reaction that only occurs when a mother is extremely frightened.

But the next second, Lin Yueru suddenly broke into an exaggerated smile.

"So, it was Wanqing's contracted beast..."

Her voice was shrill and unnatural, and the corners of her mouth seemed to be forcibly pulled up with hooks. "She's...so...cute...so...impressive..."

Su Wanqing could see with perfect clarity that her mother's fingers, covered only by a thin layer of skin, had dug deeply into the flesh of her thigh due to excessive force.

The skin around the nails turned a horribly bluish-white.

This is a reaction from a mother who is extremely frightened and trying to distract herself from the pain!

If it weren't for comforting her daughter, the mother would probably have fainted on the spot. But she chose to endure it, choosing to force herself to "accept" this terrifying presence before her.

There is only one reason: for her late-life happiness.

For the sake of the glimmer of hope and strength that my daughter had finally managed to grasp.

Even though she felt a chill seeping from her very bones, and even though fear gripped her heart and made it hard to breathe, she had to calm herself down and accept it.

Because compared to the deep-seated fear, she was even more afraid of seeing the slightest bit of disappointment and hurt on her daughter's face!

This is the paradox and the tragedy of maternal love.

Knowing full well that a terrifying abyss lies right beside her, a mother is willing to fabricate a peaceful facade and force herself to force a smile of praise towards the abyss for the sake of her children's slim hope and happiness.

Even if her smile looked more like a grimace. Xu Nuo: "..."

His empty eye sockets stared straight at Lin Yueru, his soul fire flickering violently.

You really don't have any more words to praise me, do you?

I'm all skin and bones, and you're saying I'm cute?

What's the difference between this and praising Ding Zhen for his vast knowledge and mastery of the Book of Songs?!

Praise without words!

Su Wanqing felt a lump in her throat.

"mom..."

She choked back tears as she knelt down, wiping the dirty water from her mother's face with her sleeve. "I'm sorry...it's all my fault..."

"Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about? As long as it can protect you... I can accept any kind of contracted beast..." Lin Yueru's voice was still trembling, but she reached out and touched her daughter's hair. "I just... I just didn't expect contracted beasts these days to be so... so creative..."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Xu Nuo, then quickly looked away as if she had been electrocuted.

Xu Nuo scratched his smooth skull in a very human-like manner...

Lin Yueru looked at the skeleton scratching its head and acting cute, and her tense nerves seemed to be pricked by this slightly comical action.

Amidst that intense fear, a sliver of instinctive, uncontrollable laughter was forced out—

"Pfft..."

This time, her smile was no longer a forced, distorted arc, but rather carried a genuine sense of relief after being touched.

"Heh...look at him...he can even...be embarrassed..."

Su Wanqing stared blankly at her mother.

That smile was like sunlight piercing through the dark clouds. Although the shadow of fear still lingered in her eyes, gentleness had already overcome all terror.

She suddenly realized that her mother was doing everything she could to accept everything she brought with her, even this horrifying skeleton.

"His name is Xu Nuo."

Su Wanqing said softly, her voice carrying a pride she herself didn't realize, "Although he's in skeleton form now... he'll evolve, he'll become stronger..."

She turned to look at Xu Nuo, her eyes softening: "He will protect us."

"Xu Nuo...Xu Nuo...what a good name..."

Lin Yueru repeated.

Xu Nuo stepped forward and awkwardly gave a bow.

The ghostly light in his eyes flickered slightly, and he felt a strange respect for this woman who, despite suffering from illness, still loved her daughter tenderly.

Mother's love is the greatest love in the world.

Lin Yueru, extremely weak and with a hint of trepidation, extended her hand, covered in needle marks and purplish-blue bruises: "Hello... Xu Nuo... our Wanqing... from now on... will... be in your care..."

Xu Nuo paused for a moment, then carefully touched Lin Yueru's fingertips with her bony hand.

He was afraid that his sharp knuckles would hurt this fragile woman.

"mom!"

Su Wanqing said, "The dean said that as long as I pass the Tianque Academy's exam, I can get a scholarship worth tens of millions! That will definitely cure your illness!"

Lin Yueru's eyes dimmed, and her fingertips trembled slightly. Not because of illness, but because of the guilt she felt as a mother.

On countless quiet nights, she looked at her daughter's medical records showing her working late into the night, and tears silently streamed down her face.

Those overdue payment notices that her daughter secretly hid under her pillow were like sharp knives, stabbing her heart deeply.

As a mother, she should be a warm haven for her daughter, but now she has become a heavy shackle that drags her daughter down for life.

She knew better than anyone how amazing her daughter's talent was!

Given a chance, she will surely become a top-tier powerhouse.

Instead of being dragged down by a dying mother, wasting his life in poverty and despair.

Moreover... she knows her condition better than anyone else.

Genetic breakdown syndrome is a disease that is almost incurable.

They either spend nearly ten thousand yuan a day on medical expenses, barely clinging to life in the hospital, waiting for death to come in agony.

Either buy an exorbitantly priced gene serum to have a chance at survival!

Scholarships worth tens of millions... what a huge amount!

That was a ladder to heaven that could change one's social class, and the only chance for my daughter to escape the slums!

This foolish child actually wants to throw this life-saving money into a bottomless pit of saving her? If this money could allow Wanqing to go to the best university, buy the best equipment, and make the best connections, it would be far more valuable than wasting it on a dying person like her.

Do not!

Absolutely not!

She would rather rot in the soil than not lift her daughter up to where the sun can shine!

"my daughter..."

Lin Yueru gently stroked her daughter's cheek. "You should spread your wings and fly high, instead of being bound to the ground by my illness. Mom doesn't need any gene therapy drugs... Mom just wants you to be well..."

"No!"

Su Wanqing suddenly became excited, "Mom, you will get better! I swear!"

She turned to Xu Nuo, her eyes filled with unprecedented determination: "Xu Nuo, we must pass that exam! We must get the scholarship!"

Xu Nuo was stunned.

He then tapped the skull heavily, the joints cracking.

"Clap clap clap!"

Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor, accompanied by the clanging of metal instruments.

"Quick! It's over by the restroom!" a shrill, bureaucratic female voice screamed. "A patient has reported that an evil undead creature has sneaked into the hospital!"

The ghostly flames in Xu Nuo's eyes suddenly flared up, and his skeletal hand instantly gripped the Cataclysm Greatsword on his back.

He darted forward and blocked Su Wanqing and Lin Yueru's path, his frame making a dangerous "crackling" sound.

Six men in dirty security guard uniforms rushed over right after them!

They carried specially equipped stun batons that flashed a dangerous blue light, with alloy explosion-proof forks at the ends used to capture large wild animals!

The leader was a tall, thin, middle-aged woman with gold-rimmed glasses and a harsh face. Her name tag read "Liu Yun - Head Nurse".

Liu Yun pointed at Xu Nuo and screamed, "That's it! How did this skeleton monster get in here?"

"Security! Quick! Get this undead monster out of here! It's polluting the environment! What if it scares the patients?!"

When the security guards saw Xu Nuo pull out the greatsword and the almost tangible killing intent, they instinctively took a half step back, their palms sweating as they gripped their weapons.

Oh shit!

A skeleton over two meters tall, with eyes blazing with demonic fire and jagged bone spurs... This oppressive force is something no ordinary security guard could handle!

"Nurse Liu!"

Su Wanqing gritted her teeth and stepped forward from behind Xu Nuo, angrily saying, "This is my contracted beast! According to Article 17 of the 'Dragon Kingdom Awakener Convention,' contract masters, as legendary-level professionals, have the legal right for their contracted beasts to accompany them in and out of all medical facilities! You have no right to expel it!"

Liu Yun adjusted her glasses, then suddenly chuckled, "Oh, who do we have here? Isn't this our esteemed... long-overdue VIP customer, Miss Su Wanqing?"

"So you awakened as a Contract Master? That's such a powerful legendary class!"

She exaggeratedly drew out her words, her gaze sweeping contemptuously over Xu Nuo: "It's just that the contracted item is a bit shabby, a trash skeleton soldier? Heh, it's not even as good as a dead rat in the sewer~"

A number of patients and their families had already gathered in the corridor to watch the commotion, and the sound of pointing and whispering could be heard everywhere.

Su Wanqing clenched her fists and said angrily, "Nurse Liu! Why was my mother moved to the corridor? Our payment isn't due until tomorrow!"

Liu Yun rolled her eyes: "Can't I make room for you in advance? You poor bastards only deserve to be with excrement!"

"I heard you sold all your houses? Are you going to sell yourself next?"

"With your looks and figure... earning three or four thousand yuan a night shouldn't be a problem~ How about Aunt Liu introduces you to a few well-connected 'bosses'? Not only will they guarantee you enough to cover your mother's hospital fees... but they'll also let you... 'enjoy' it to your heart'~ I guarantee you'll... um~~~ 'explode in heaven'!"

Su Wanqing was so angry that she trembled all over.

"Click click click..."

Xu Nuo's cervical vertebrae emitted a teeth-grinding grinding sound as his bony hand rested on the sword hilt.