Luella moved to a slightly secluded edge of the forest, spread her cloak on the ground, and gracefully sat down to start ‘cooking.’

Why can’t this be automated? It’s so annoying and tiring to press each button by hand.

Well, compared to them picking grapes by reaching up to the trees, this was easier. But it wasn’t a free ride.

Battling sleepiness, Luella completed the grilled meat and opened her alchemy window to make potions. The quest window showed that everyone was almost done.

Just as she was happily watching the quest item count increase, the sky began to darken. Instinctively, Luella stood up and shouted.

“Come here! Come out!”

Mitchel, who had experienced Luella’s intuition yesterday, quickly ran out, and the others followed him.

Luella stepped back to check the location of the carriage. More than anything, she needed transportation. It was so exhausting worrying about the poor horses dying every time this happened.

But she couldn’t wish for a car here, so she made sure the carriage was within the range of her return skill and shouted.

“Kite, go up front. The rest of you, remember the large monster with two heads we fought before? Stand like that. Don’t stick too close to me, but gather around when I shout. We’ll be using the return skill.”

“Okay.”

“Got it.”

Even though nothing had appeared yet, they were all ready for battle.

“Oh, my staff.”

She hadn’t used it yet despite all the effort to get it. As if showing it off, Luella pulled out her gleaming gold staff and waved it.

“It’s here.”

“Where?”

Hazen looked around and asked.

“Can’t you hear it? The thumping sound.”

“What is that sound?”

“It’s the sound of a monster approaching. Named monsters always announce their presence with sound before appearing. Be alert and look ahead.”

As soon as Luella finished speaking, a quest window popped up in front of her eyes. Judging by the notification, it seemed like a hidden quest or a named monster alert.

Luella spoke as she saw a gray lion-like monster emerging from the black mist.

“Seems like a prerequisite quest to killing Count Curan. It might be as strong as yesterday, so let’s taste it first, and if it’s not going well, we’ll use the return skill.”
“We still can’t complete the quest? I find it odd because we picked over 500 grapes and yet the quest isn’t done.”

Tien frowned more and more as she grumbled.

“Then it should’ve appeared as soon as we picked 500. Picking 20 more feels so unfair. We can’t even eat them.”

“As unfair as it is, we’ll get lots of experience points. Should we try attacking to see how strong it is?”

As soon as Luella finished speaking, the lion swung its paw.

“What the heck, its claws are flying at us like arrows.”

Kite cast magic on his shield, and an aura radiated around it, causing the claws to ricochet around those who were hiding behind him.

“Isn’t this manageable?”

Kite looked over his shield at the monster and spoke.

“Don’t let your guard down. First, let’s see what its next attack is; if we can handle it, we attack.”

“Ah! Above, above!”

The monster inhaled deeply and then exhaled, unleashing a blizzard laden with cold air from above, along with hailstones. While the surprised group scattered to dodge, Kite hurriedly moved next to Luella.

“If you can dodge on your own, do so; if not, come this way. Tien, come this way!”

Huddling closely under the shield to dodge the hail and whirlwind, they judged that they could manage this fight.

“It’s different from yesterday. We can attack now.”

Upon avoiding the hail with a wind barrier, Raphael’s opinion was unanimously agreed upon, and everyone returned to their original positions.