The Spider Queen's Aftermath

[ You can exit the Dungeon by expressing your desire to do so.]

Even after hearing the notification, Layla kept slamming her weapons on the Spider Queen's body.

Salma moved closer to her sister.

Layla kept hitting and hitting.

Salma was behind Layla.

The little sister pulled her older sister's arm.

Only then did Layla stop hitting the monster.

She turned back with a red face and teary eyes.

Salma met her with a wide smile.

"We did it!" Salma said cheeringly.

Layla fell to her knees and hugged her little sister.

First, she silently hugged her.

But after a couple of seconds, the tears started to flow down her face and Layla started crying and shouting.

"I thought....I thought we wouldn't make it..." Layla was sobbing painfully.

"There, there. Of course we made it. It's thanks to you." Salma said as she stroke her sister's dark hair.

"Haha, I didn't do much really...compared to you too...." Layla said, halfway between crying and laughing.

"You kept us cool-headed and focused. Without you, we wouldn't have made it, you know?."

She had been acting tough, but the pressure on Layla was immeasurable. The lives of her sister and Adam depended on her many times. She had to fight scary monsters to defend herself and her little sister. She had to make sure the other two were always focused. She had to help them keep it together mentally. Even when Adam had a dream about his deceased family members, she had to be there to help him stand up and fight.

She cried for a long time while Salma consoled her.

Meanwhile, Adam was still lying on the ground.

[You are currently paralyzed.]

[ You are currently poisoned.]

He could now move his head, face and arms.

But all he did was close his eyes with all his might.

Still, despite his efforts, multiple tears dripped down his face.

The tears were endless as he heard Salma and Layla talking.

The tears were endless as he heard Layla's crying.

He hated the fact that while they had been fighting, he was lying on the ground, paralyzed and completely useless.

He hated the fact that Layla was bloody and got hurt everywhere, while he was looking at the bright sky.

But more than anything, he cried of happiness.

'They survived.'

Every time he thought that, tears would start going down his face.

'I should have done more.'

The sight of Salma consoling Layla reminded him too much of his deceased younger sister Mina.

He cried.

He thought about his family members.

About if his actions would have made them proud.

"I wonder...if I did enough.." Adam muttered without realizing. He hadn't even realized that he could move his mouth or his arms.

[A Certain Evil is looking at you.]

[A Certain Evil says that you did protect them.]

"How so? They were fighting while I was on the ground.." Adam added.

[A Certain Evil says that they wouldn't have come out without you.]

[A Certain Evil is looking at you.]

Adam's greatsword was still lying on his chest.

He held it with both arms and embraced it.

He cried much more than before.

Layla was sitting on the ground wiping her tears while Salma came to check up on Adam.

She found him embracing his greatsword with his eyes closed and a face full of tears.

Salma had been smiling the entire time, but seeing him like that, made her voice shaky and her eyes watery.

She sat next to him.

She extended her hand towards his.

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Thank you for following us here." Salma told him in a shaky voice.

Adam could only nod as more tears dripped down his face.

[ The Foxes That Blesses Men is happy to see a happy ending.]

[ The Everlasting Winter says that this isn't the ending yet.]

[ A Certain Evil remains silent.]

Layla slowly made her way towards them and sat on the opposite side of Salma.

Her voice was even shakier than Salma's.

"I...I..think you need this..." Layla took out three Medium Healing potions and slowly helped Adam drink them.

He still couldn't move, so the three stayed there in silence.

Once the three calmed down and no more sharp breaths or crying could be heard, Layla broke the silence.

"I hope..." Layla paused for a bit while looking at the ground. "I hope... you'll stay with us a bit more."

Just when the three had calmed down, they started crying anew.

....

Five minutes later, Adam could finally move his body.

The three moved towards a wall and rested their backs against it.

"That was tiring..." Layla said. Her eyes were puffy and her voice weak.

"The fighting or the crying?" Salma asked with a smile.

The three laughed for a bit while wiping the last bit of tears on their eyes.

They looked through the holes in the ceiling, as was now their habit.

"It's still day here. Do you think there's even a moon in Dungeons?" Layla asked.

"Maybe it depends on the Dungeon." Salma answered.

Adam remained silent. He only rarely let out a laugh.

"What do we do now?" Salma asked.

"Well. Let's rest for a bit I think." Layla answered.

Adam kept looking at the bright sky.

After about ten minutes, he felt a weight fall on his right shoulder.

It was Layla's head.

She had fallen asleep.

He could see Salma's head resting on Layla's right arm.

'It has been a while since I was this close to someone.' Adam thought with sad eyes.

Shortly after that, Adam fell asleep too.

....

He was the first one to wake up.

There was no change of scenery. The sky was still bright and the room illuminated.

He looked to his right.

Layla's head was resting on the ground. She was sleeping on her side.

Salma's head was lying on Layla's thighs.

Adam got up and raised his arms upwards to stretch his body.

He instinctively knew that his Endurance Points were mostly restored.

He was also sure that he couldn't have slept more than three hours.

Thanks to his Sleeping Beauty Skill, that was all he needed.

He took off his Dark Cloak and folded it many times.

Adam then gently raised Layla's head and put the folded Dark Cloak under her head like a pillow.

He lowered her head back down.

He felt a gentle breeze, and started walking away.

Salma's ears twitched. She noticed the sound of footsteps, but she was too tired and too sleepy to care.

The breeze guided Adam towards the other side of the room.

As he followed it, he thought about checking his stats.

"Stats." He whispered.

[ Stats: Strength: 53(+1)

Agility: 37(+1)

Sense: 52(+1)

Vigor & Endurance: 35(+1)

Magic Affinity: 28(+1)

Mana: 21 (+21)

Stealth: 51(+1)

Unused stat points: 3(+3)

]

"Did I level up? Even though I didn't give the final hit?"

[Boss Monsters are not normal monsters. Nor are Boss Battles the same as normal battles. In Boss Battles, the rewards are divided between the surviving participants. Not all roles in battle involve dealing Damage Points. Not only that, but a single person cannot be rewarded for the effort of a group. The rewards are divided based on achievement.]

'How much would one gain if he hunted the Spider Queen alone?' Adam thought.

"What was the Spider Queen's rank?"

[ The Spider Queen's rank is [D-]. ]

"Even though this is an [E] rank Dungeon?"

[ Correct. A choice was given between Volume and Intensity. The lower the Intensity, the higher the Volume. The lower the Volume, the higher the Intensity. You have chosen the second option.]

"Alright."

Adam followed the wind until it guided him towards the wall on the opposite side of the room.

There, he noticed a hole that was covered by spiderwebs.

He cut the spiderwebs with his hands and entered.

Adam could feel a very faint presence inside.

He concentrated on his right hand.

'I'll use half my Mana Points. I'll make a Mace that will last 5 minutes.'

A purple Mace appeared in his right hand.

[ You have used 105 Mana Points to conjure a weapon of the type Mace.]

[ Conjured Mace [E]. Attack Power: 65. Duration: 8 minutes.]

'8 minutes? Is it because my Magic Affinity is too low?'

Adam entered.

The faint presence was very easy to miss.

Once Adam felt it nearby, he used his Temporary Concealment Skill.

When he got close enough, he saw that the presence was a golden spider.

It looked scared and confused.

Adam paid it no mind and slammed his Mace with both arms and with all his strength.

It died instantly.

[1 Golden Spider has been defeated. Congratulations! You have gained 800 Gold, 200 Experience Points and one Title Parchment.]

"That much gold? Wait. Title Parchment?" Adam whispered.

[Title Parchments are Artefacts that confer a certain Title, or certain Titles. They cannot be given or sold.]

"Really? I guess I'll use it then." Adam talked normally as there was no other presence he could feel.

Three screens appeared in front of Adam, one next to the other.

On the first one, Adam read

[ Will you accept the Title "Novice Monster Summoner"?]

On the second one,

[Will you take the Title "Novice Monster Tamer"?]

And on the third one,

[Will you accept the Title "Novice Shapeshifter"?]

"What?" Adam asked.

The System answered vocally.

[No additional information can be given. Please make your choice.]