Luella sighed softly, unable to hide her disappointment.

“What’s the big deal? Don’t speak ambiguously. My heart would’ve pounded for no reason.”

Kite cocked his head.

“What do you mean, ambiguous?”

Such a carelessly affectionate man. These are the worst types.

Luella swiftly turned around.

“Forget it. Let’s go monster hunting. The sun’s already up.”

They had set out in the dim dawn, but it had brightened while they were away. Luella cheerfully gathered the herb pickers.

Even without sharing the herb locations on the map, they had harvested plenty of herbs similar to those they’d found yesterday.

Handing over her finds with a proud expression, Luella spoke as if granting a favor.

“Here, a reward for your hard work. This potion is made from the herbs you picked. Once my alchemy skill improves, I’ll be able to make potions that help with offense and defense. So please pick any herbs you find as you go.”

Expensive labor, but they had to be utilized.

In the update two months later, they needed not only to level up but also to be able to make the best potions if they were to claim the world’s first kill.

Since this world was linked to the game, that world’s updates would surely affect this one. Otherwise, her healing skills and potions wouldn’t have been effective here.

“Can you make such potions?”

At Hazen’s question, Luella shrugged as if it was nothing.

“Later. I need to level up to unlock that skill.”

“Ah, then we should work hard to help with that quest, right?”

“Exactly. We need to take turns helping with my quests. For today, shall we go monster hunting? We have to synchronize our teamwork for the future boss battles.”

“Boss battles?”

“The Duke of Curan.”

“Luella, do you think he’s a monster?”

Kite followed Luella as she headed towards the carriage.

“How else could you explain it? Controlling monsters is not something an ordinary person can do.”

“True, even Senhwi said so.”

Helping Luella into the carriage, Kite sighed.

“I don’t even know where to start.”

“Don’t worry too much. We’ll have a strategy.”

“Strategy?”

“I have a soul servant. They’ll collect information from other places and let us know. We’ll need that to defeat the bosses. We don’t need to hurry; we can synchronize our teamwork as we go along.”

“Why would we need to consult such things? We’re not the only ones with abilities in this world.”

Sitting across from him, Luella spoke firmly.

“The Duke of Curan is not an ability user. He’s a monster, their leader, in fact. This is not a game or a puppet show. In there, death is not final, but here it is. We must be cautious, gathering all the information we can to minimize risk.”

The passive skill ‘Revive,’ inherent to the Healer class, was also present on Luella’s screen. However, it was grayed out, indicating its inactivity.

“The disconnection from reality has turned Revive into an unimplemented ability.”

“I’ve mentioned Revive before. It can’t be used.”

“It’s the Healer’s most powerful ability. But as I said, it can’t be used here.”

“Right. It would be terrifying if it could be. Resurrecting the dead. Wouldn’t that make one more of a black mage than a healer?”

“Being revived doesn’t turn you into an undead. There’s a penalty of temporary reduced stamina and mana, but that will recover over time.”

“Still, it feels like we’re going against divine will. Don’t forget we’re of divine lineage.”
“Thinking it’s better not to resurrect is a relief, but I’m scared. Due to my mistake, someone might die.”

It was a fear too dreadful to even contemplate. It had been just three days since Kite and everyone else had been met, but now they all felt close enough to no longer be considered strangers.

“Luella, you don’t have to think that way. Death is something we’ve all been prepared for. This isn’t a fight we can avoid.”

Luella responded strongly to Kite’s comforting words.

“Anyway, I’ve joined, haven’t I? Now that it’s come to this, war shouldn’t break out until our team becomes very strong and I become a competent healer who can protect everyone.”

“But the number of monsters is gradually increasing.”

“If that’s the problem, then we can go for training purposes and clear them out. Then, our levels will rise quickly, and it’s good for the monsters to be cleared out as well.”

Kite, who was about to say something, eventually nodded his head.

“Yeah, I don’t want to lose any of my comrades either. No, I don’t want anyone I know to be sacrificed to the duke.”

“That’s why I’m suggesting this. We have to get stronger through leveling up.”

Kite seemed to be looking at his status window as he spoke.

“Leveling up… The very concept of having levels is foreign to me, so I can’t quite grasp getting stronger through leveling up.”

“Just think of it as getting stronger the more you train.”

“I suppose that’s fortunate. At least today I won’t be bossed around like a slave since I’m not alone.”

Hearing that, Luella, who had been watching her late-arriving comrades, kicked Kite’s leg.

“When have I ever bossed you around like a slave? I’ve just been rigorously training you.”