Seeing Mark and Keith hit the ground after being sent flying by the Latrodec spider, Ned cursed.

Fear, anger, and a general sense of helplessness filled Ned’s mind.

He looked at Oliver and said.

“Oliver, take Carl and get out of here.”

He told Oliver to run, leaving everyone behind because, at least, Oliver would survive.

Before Oliver could respond, Ned rushed in and shouted at the Latrodec spider to make it focus on him instead of Oliver.

However, it did not amount to much because Ned was knocked away, just like Keith and Mark.

Seeing that the Latrodec spider was going to run over Ned as he was trying to get up, Oliver stood there without moving.

He thought to himself.

No, it's happening all over again, and this time everyone is going to die. I can’t be that weak anymore.

He remembers how he ran, even if it was to get help because he was the weakest of their party, someone he cared about would die.

Setting aside Carl, he was carrying on his shoulder to run to Ned as fast as he could.

Barely making it, Oliver tackled Ned, who was on the ground, out of the way of the Latrodec spider.

“I thought I told you to run!”

Ned shouted at Oliver, confused that he didn’t take Carl and leave.

“Sorry, I can’t.”

While helping him up, the Latrodec spider was about to charge at them again, so they jumped in different directions.

Getting up, Ned managed to smash another leg, but it got him the attention of the Latrodec spider.

Oliver slashed it with his sword, but it didn’t take its focus off Ned.

Ned ran toward the pillars to make him a hard target for the Latrodec spider to charge at.

As he was doing that, he told Oliver to check up on Keith and Mark.

Running up to them, Oliver was relieved they were not too hurt, just groaning in pain.

“Are you okay?”

Mark, getting up with much pain, had his left arm dislocated, he said.

“I think I can still fight.”

Then Oliver looked at Keith.

“Don’t worry, it looks worse than it is.”

Keith told him the hole in his leg was not a big deal, trying not to worry everyone.

Taking out a healing potion, Mark gave it to Oliver to use on Keith since he dislocated his arm.

Oliver pours it on Keith’s injured leg and moves him away where he couldn’t get hurt.

Going back to fight the Latrodec spider, Mark took out a vile of paint using his only useable arm.

Ned, the target of the Latrodec spider, was weaving around the pillars, barely jumping out of the way of the Latrodec spider charging at him.

Oliver swung his sword at the Latrodec spider just before it charged at Ned, then Mark threw the vile of paint at it.

Having its attention, it was blinded but turned and charged in the general direction of Oliver and Mark.

Oliver yelled as loud as he could to make some noise to get its attention as they moved in separate directions, so it didn’t go after Mark even though it was blinded.

Running toward Mark with relief, Ned asks if he can fight, to which Mark says he can.

“Okay, like we plan.”

As the Latrodec spider charged at Oliver and crashed into a pillar, Ned managed to take out another of its legs, leaving 2 legs on the left and 1 on the right, so one more to go before it was completely immobilized.

Having only 3 legs left, the Latrodec spider became more erratic, but due to losing another leg, its agility was severely reduced.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

It started to lunge and charge at the slightest noise it could hear, so Oliver led it to crash into another pillar, allowing Ned to smash its left leg, causing it not to be able to stand anymore.

Then Ned ran to its head and brought the war hammer into its head, dealing the finishing blow.

With that, the Latrodec spider was dead, and everyone who was standing fell to the ground in a combination of relief and exhaustion.

“That was too close.”

“Ya, Mark. How about you, Ned?”

Panting heavily.

“Ya.”

As the Latrodec spider’s corpse finishes disappearing, a medium magic shard and a ring drop, and the door to the 11th floor opens, revealing a forest.

“Hey Oliver, check up on Keith; I’ll check on Carl.”

Going to Keith, Oliver saw that the hole in Keith's leg had stopped bleeding and was somewhat closing up.

Ned walked to Carl, who was lying on the ground. He checked if he was breathing and sighed in relief because he was just unconscious.

After telling each other about Carl’s and Keith's conditions, Ned and Mark gave their healing potion to Keith. Then they all decided to take a long rest before going back up to the surface.

During that time, Keith was able to walk somewhat with a limp, and Carl had woken up.

“I can’t believe I got taken out like that.”

After hearing what had happened when he was unconscious, Carl was dejected that he was unable to do his role in the party.

“Don’t worry too much; we killed it in the end.”

Mark was trying to comfort Carl to make him not feel bad.

"Ya, I wish I was more careful.”

When they were going up the floors to leave the dungeon, Mark and Keith stayed in the back since they were injured, and Ned borrowed Keith's sword since he ran out of useable arrows.

They took their time going up, and once they were up, seeing the condition of Ned’s party, the guards told them to go to the infirmary in the adventurer guild.

At the adventurer guild, Ned told Mark, Keith, and Carl to go to the infirmary first while he and Oliver went to the counter to exchange the magical shards for money.

After waiting in line, they took out 23 small magic shards and a medium magic shard.

The receptionist was startled to see the medium magic shard when Ned gave the receptionist his guild card that had the ranking of his party because they had beaten the 10th-floor boss despite being a D-rank party, which was rare.

This caused an uproar among the adventurers waiting in line behind them, and a lot of eyes were on them, with a lot of muttering showing their surprise and amazement.

Ned and Oliver had a wry smile as they exchanged their magical shards for money and walked to the infirmary.

When they were walking to the infirmary, they heard a scream. Recognizing that it was Keith, they walked in and saw that he had his mouth gagged and was tied down to a chair with a nurse and doctor putting his arm back in place.

The doctor, who just popped Keith's arm back in place, walked up to Ned and Oliver and asked if they needed anything.

“Hi there, I’m Dr. Victor; how can I help you?”

“I’m here to check up on my teammates. How are they?”

“They are fine; Carl, fortunately, doesn’t have a concussion; we've bandaged Keith's leg, and he would need a couple of days to heal fully; and we just pop Mark’s arm into place.”

“I see, that is fortunate.”

Showing some curiosity, Dr. Victor asks.

“So, what exactly did you fight? Let me guess, the 10th-floor boss.”

Ned was surprised that Dr. Victor's guess was right.

"Yes, but how do you know?”

“I treat a lot of new adventurers who think they're strong enough to fight the 10th-floor boss.”

“Ya, we were barely enough to kill the Latrodec spider.”

“Well, that is a surprise; you’re one of the few parties I know who defeated it on their first try despite being a low-level adventuring party. I suggest you take a couple of days off.”

They thanked Dr. Victor and the nurses who helped them and went back to their inn.

When they were back, Nyx greeted them and asked how it went.

“I thought we would not make it.”

“Really how?”

Nyx asks in her expressionless self, and Ned guesses that Nyx is showing concern because it’s next to impossible to tell.

“Well, Carl got knocked out, Keith couldn’t get away from the Latrodec spider charging at him and got his leg stabbed by one of its legs, and Mark got his arm dislocated.”

Not being able to tell Nyx’s reaction, Nyx said.

“I see.”

“Well, I think we’ll be taking a couple of days off.”

Ned and everyone else went to their beds and slept the entire day.

Nyx’s perspective

As Ned and everyone else went to their rooms, I continued on with my reading.

The next day, I went to the tavern next door to get breakfast. Eventually, Ned’s party came in as well to get something to eat because they didn’t eat anything when they got back.

I asked about how their boss fought since they were really tired yesterday, and I thought it was best if they went to bed.

They all explained what happened and that they all nearly died.

I knew they could kill the Latrodec spider, but I guess I was cutting it close for them.

“So, do you want to explore the second stratum after resting for a few days?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why so?”

Well, that is an unexpected answer. I wonder why he doesn’t want to go to the second stratum.

“We nearly died fighting the 10th-floor boss; I don’t think we’re ready.”

I turn everyone in at the party and ask.

“Does everyone think the same way?”

All of them nod.

“So, what are you planning to do then?”

Ned thought for a while and then said.

“I think we should go back to training again with our teacher.”

Their teacher, I never really ask what their teacher's name is; I wonder who they are.

“You’re going back to train then. I’ve been wondering; you never told me who your teacher is.”

“Oh that, sorry, but our teacher asked us not to tell other people about him since he was a relatively famous adventurer back in the day and wants to live in relative peace.”

“I see.”

A few days later, I said goodbye to Ned’s party and saw them off as they went back to their village to train.