However, everything was already too late. That person's body had long since lost all signs of life. No matter how desperately Roxy Migurdia cast healing magic, she could not bring him back from the dead.
At the same time, the group of bandits was left dumbfounded by Roxy Migurdia's actions.
They had originally thought she would be so frightened that she would flee in panic, yet they never expected her to be so stubbornly determined to save someone who was already dead.
However, these bandits would not miss this perfect opportunity to subdue Roxy Migurdia.
They exchanged glances, understanding each other perfectly, then raised their swords and charged fiercely toward Roxy Migurdia.
Seeing this, Dan Feng let out a soft sigh. His gaze turned resolute.
In an instant, powerful wind magic gathered in his hand. Azure gales continuously swirled within his palm.
With a light shout from Dan Feng, the azure gales instantly transformed into streaks of extremely fast wind blades that shot out like lightning.
The bandits had no time to react before they were struck by the sudden wind blades.
Dan Feng's strike was immensely powerful. Under the slicing of the wind blades, those bandits were instantly cut in half at the waist. Their bodies fell to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.
Dan Feng looked at the bloody scene before him with an expressionless face. Although there was some reluctance in his heart, he knew that in this cruel world, only the strong could survive.
Ever since he came to this world, he had already prepared himself mentally for the possibility of killing in a life-or-death moment.
He had simply hoped that such a thing could happen a little later—after all, killing was not a pleasant experience.
In this critical moment, he had no other choice but to protect Roxy Migurdia and his own life in such an extreme way.
The feeling of Dan Feng's first killing did not bring the usual panic or disbelief that an ordinary person might feel. At this moment, there was only complexity—the complex emotion of a human life vanishing by his own hand.
"Damn it!" Beta had not died as Dan Feng had imagined; instead, he stood back up.
Since Dan Feng had already killed, he now threw Cloud-Piercer without any hesitation or burden.
Cloud-Piercer pierced straight through Beta's heart, and this time Beta truly lost all signs of life.
After passing through Beta's body, Cloud-Piercer turned into azure particles and dissipated.
A weapon that could be recalled at will—this could also be considered never leaving his hand.
Not a single one of the surrounding bandits was still standing; they were either dead or gravely wounded.
Those who were gravely wounded were finished off by the magician the bandits had captured.
Afterward, Dan Feng turned his gaze toward the magician and his wife.
Noticing Dan Feng's cold gaze, the magician immediately waved his hands and said, "Big brother, they forced me to do it."
"I know."
After that, Dan Feng no longer paid attention to the magician and instead focused on Roxy Migurdia.
Roxy Migurdia was still continuously casting healing magic.
"Roxy." Dan Feng gently called out to Roxy Migurdia.
Hearing the call, Roxy Migurdia looked toward Dan Feng.
"Dan Feng... I don't think I can save him anymore." Roxy Migurdia said with a choked voice. In her eyes, aside from tears, there was also bewilderment toward death.
She had personally ended a human life.
"Roxy, I know. But this isn't your fault." Dan Feng lightly waved his hand, and a fierce wind blew all the surrounding corpses and blood far away. Then he sat down.
"You've been an adventurer for so long. You must have seen other people kill before, right?" Dan Feng asked Roxy Migurdia calmly, his tone very gentle.
Roxy Migurdia nodded.
"Is this your first time killing someone?"
Roxy Migurdia was just about to nod, but then she shook her head.
"I remember now. This isn't my first time killing someone."
Then Roxy Migurdia told Dan Feng about the incident she had kept buried deep in her heart.
While on the Demon Continent, she had joined an adventurer party. The party was very harmonious and willing to accept Roxy Migurdia, who was a newcomer to adventuring, so she cherished this connection greatly.
But one time, they bought information from another adventurer party. When they arrived at the location described in the information, they nearly never made it back.
Fortunately, they managed to escape successfully; otherwise, the entire adventurer party would have perished.
After returning, they tracked down the adventurer party that had sold them the information and questioned why they had sold fake information—and at such a high price.
But the other party simply said that since they had already sold it and taken the money, they would just have to deal with it.
Hearing this, Roxy Migurdia's entire party immediately flew into a rage.
Afterward, Roxy Migurdia and her party wiped out that entire adventurer party.
It was just that because they had killed in a fit of anger, Roxy Migurdia gradually forgot about the incident through one commission after another.
"I see. Indeed, some people deserve to be killed." After listening to Roxy Migurdia's story, Dan Feng gave his evaluation.
"But when my mind is clear and I kill someone, that feeling really isn't pleasant." By the time Roxy Migurdia finished venting to Dan Feng, she had successfully calmed down.
"Don't blame yourself. It really isn't your fault." Dan Feng took the initiative to hug Roxy Migurdia and gently patted her back.
This was something from his previous life as a child. Whenever he choked up, his mother would gently pat his back like this, and it would make him feel better.
Time gradually reached the moment when the first ray of morning sunlight appeared. The warm sunlight shone on the two of them at this moment. Some fated trajectory was quietly altered, and someone's cycle of reincarnation would come to an end in this life.
Afterward, the two of them burned all the corpses on the ground and continued their journey toward the western port.
"Dan Feng, have you killed anyone before?" Roxy Migurdia suddenly asked. Her large, moist water-blue eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Dan Feng.
Dan Feng was slightly stunned, then gently shook his head and answered calmly, "No. Today was my first time killing someone."
Hearing this, Roxy Migurdia seemed a little surprised by the answer. "Then... your first time killing someone—don't you feel any discomfort?"
Dan Feng was silent for a moment. Then he turned his head to look at the distant scenery in the early morning—a peaceful and beautiful sight that stood in stark contrast to the bloody scene he had just experienced.
He slowly said, "Actually, I don't have too many special feelings about it. Because before I acted, I had already mentally prepared myself. I knew it was necessary."
Roxy Migurdia listened quietly. Her gaze never left Dan Feng.
Dan Feng continued, "This world is just that cruel. Only those who are stronger have the right to speak. The law of the jungle is an unchangeable rule."
Roxy Migurdia nodded thoughtfully and said softly, "You're right. Only by becoming stronger can one have a place in this world."
Dan Feng smiled and continued, "Yes. If those Seven Great Powers wanted to kill us at will, we would probably have no choice but to submit. After all, they are legendary figures. The level they stand at is something we cannot reach right now."
Dan Feng shared all his thoughts with Roxy Migurdia without holding anything back. In summary, it boiled down to one simple yet cruel truth:
Survival of the fittest.
In this world, if someone stronger than you wants to kill you, you often have no way to resist.
What Dan Feng did not know was that after he killed those who deserved to die and expressed his ideals and thoughts, the template progress bar had reached 25%.
Reaching 25% this time did not grant any special reward—only a massive surge in physique and mana. And it happened precisely when Dan Feng had focused all his attention on the act of killing.