Chapter 225 Second Monster
Walking around the area affected by the destruction, the group noticed there were no other monsters or animals nearby. They decided to leave the area, concluding that the noise and possible tremors had likely frightened away any prey animals or monsters they were supposed to hunt. The only quest Aleshia felt she had completed was the herb-collecting task. Aleshia hoped the Kobolds could be offered as a substitute if they couldn't find any goblins or horned rabbits.
As they walked past the disastrous scene and into a more verdant area of the forest, Em and Sam occasionally picked fruits and nuts from the plants and munched on them as they walked. Aleshia felt worried at first, but Ren reassured her that everything they were picking was safe to eat. She explained that they were knowledgeable about these things and even offered her some of their spoils. Aleshia sometimes accepted and took small bites of whatever she was given from time to time.
Eventually, Ren stopped them in their tracks and whispered to the group, "There's a monster nearby." Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent and drew their knives for protection. Ren pulled Aleshia to her side and asked, "Since you have magic, do you know any offensive spells?"
Aleshia nodded to Ren's question and silently showed her a sample. After seeing it, Ren quietly said, "Perfect," and drew a sword she had concealed on her belt, which she hadn't used for her harvest.
On Ren's count, Aleshia prepared a spell while Ren started stealthily approaching the monster from behind. When she got close, she attempted to slice its neck, but it seemed to be protected by something, or perhaps the neck was too thick; her strike made a noise and bounced off. By the time the creature realized what was happening, Ren had already vanished, and a spell was hurtling toward its body from behind.
The fire instantly engulfed the monster, and its cries and wails of pain became muffled by the thick undergrowth and trees. The shriek made the two who stayed behind instinctively cover their ears, but after a while, the cries faded away.
Ren had been cautiously watching the monster with her sword drawn. When its cries had stopped, she carefully approached the now lifeless creature and slashed at it a few times to confirm it was dead.
"As I thought," Ren said, swiftly slicing off an ear and digging into the creature's chest to retrieve a crystal.