For the next few days, Dan Feng and Roxy Migurdia continued traveling without encountering any more bandits.
Whenever they got tired, they would find a relatively safe spot to use earth magic to build a Patastar-shaped house. If that wasn't possible, they would simply rest right where they were.
Dan Feng also noticed that his progress bar had reached 25%, but he remained puzzled by the fact that nothing was awarded.
"Could it be that from now on, new abilities will only be granted every time the progress bar increases by ten points?" Dan Feng wondered to himself.
"Dan Feng, the meat is almost done." Roxy Migurdia sat to the side, watching the barbecue rack that Dan Feng had made. On it were roasting a group of Murder Rabbits that Dan Feng had caught not long ago.
"Got it." Hearing this, Dan Feng stopped speculating and quickly walked over to the barbecue rack to handle the final step—brushing on the sauce!
Since this world didn't have a wide variety of sauces, Dan Feng had simply mixed up his own flavorful one that was edible.
It was basically soy sauce he had found earlier, combined with a large amount of non-toxic, flavorful wild herbs.
Once poured over the roasted rabbit meat, the aroma immediately burst forth.
"Mmm~ It smells so good. Is this the seasoning you mixed up, Dan Feng? It looks really nice!" Roxy Migurdia gazed at the rabbit meat on the barbecue rack, constantly dripping with oil, and her little gluttonous side was successfully tempted by it.
"Here, eat up." Dan Feng handed the roasted rabbit meat to Roxy Migurdia, then started eating his own.
It really was delicious. The wild rabbit meat was already fresh and tender, and with this sauce, it became even more delectable.
Soon, the two of them finished their lunch.
They then continued heading toward the western port.
Dan Feng looked at the map and estimated they would arrive at the western port by evening today.
Time passed minute by minute, and Dan Feng and Roxy Migurdia's footsteps never stopped.
When they got bored, they would admire the scenery and chat. If that wasn't enough, Dan Feng would take out a few books he hadn't finished reading yet and continue reading.
Soon, dusk arrived.
Dan Feng and Roxy Migurdia finally reached their first stop on the way to the Central Continent.
The western port.
"Ah, we're finally here!" Roxy Migurdia panted heavily while exclaiming, "This journey has been so tiring." She even had to lean on her staff for support—it had practically become a walking cane.
Seeing how exhausted Roxy Migurdia looked, Dan Feng suggested, "Let's grab something to eat first to regain our strength. Then we can find a place to stay for the night. Tomorrow we can take a ship to the Central Continent."
Roxy Migurdia quickly nodded in agreement.
The two walked along the streets of the western port, looking for a place that looked like a restaurant.
Before long, they found one. Hanging at the entrance was a sign written in human language—"Restaurant." A very simple name.
Dan Feng led Roxy Migurdia inside and noticed that the customers came from various races: humans, beastmen, and even demons.
Dan Feng and Roxy Migurdia found an empty table in the corner and sat down.
A waiter soon came over, smiling as he asked what they would like to order. He showed no unusual expression toward Roxy Migurdia being a demon.
This caused Roxy Migurdia's tense expression to gradually relax. She had been worried that this western port might have racial discrimination just like Millishion.
Dan Feng ordered some simple food: bread, grilled meat, and vegetable soup.
The waiter noted down the order and turned to head to the kitchen.
Not long after, the food was brought to the table.
Dan Feng and Roxy Migurdia, starving, immediately dug in heartily.
Though the meal was simple, it was more than enough to fill their stomachs.
After they finished eating, Dan Feng called the waiter over to settle the bill.
The waiter smiled as he handed over the bill and reminded them, "Lately there have been a lot of thieves appearing in the western port. Many people have lost their belongings, so please be careful and keep your valuables safe."
Dan Feng simply smiled politely upon hearing this and said, "Thank you for the reminder."
He didn't take the matter too seriously in his heart. After all, the western port was so large and crowded—how could he possibly be so unlucky as to become a target for thieves?
Afterward, Dan Feng and Roxy Migurdia left the restaurant together.
Since the western port was connected to the King Dragon Kingdom, there was no obvious racial discrimination here.
Even demons could smoothly check into an inn as long as they had enough money.
Thus, Dan Feng and Roxy Migurdia booked two separate rooms.
Before parting, Dan Feng smiled at Roxy Migurdia and said, "See you tomorrow."
Roxy Migurdia returned a sweet smile and softly replied, "Good night."
The two returned to their respective rooms.
Though the rooms weren't particularly large, they were fully equipped with all the necessary facilities.
After entering his room, Dan Feng did a quick cleanup and found that the inn was reasonably clean in terms of hygiene, though the walls were somewhat worn.
Then Dan Feng went into the bathroom and took a quick bath.
After bathing, he used the system's clothing change function to effortlessly produce a set of his usual everyday clothes.
Then he lay comfortably on the bed, took a book out of his backpack, and leisurely began reading.
The walking had consumed a great deal of his stamina, so drowsiness gradually crept in.
Dan Feng closed the book and fell asleep.
In the other room, after Roxy Migurdia finished her bath, much of her fatigue had disappeared, but it had all turned into sleepiness.
So Roxy Migurdia fell asleep as well and began to dream.
This was surely going to be a dream unlike any she had before!
...
In a quiet corner of the western port, under the cover of night, everything was pitch black.
Three figures furtively gathered together. They were all dressed in black clothes, with black masks covering their faces, leaving only pairs of vigilant eyes exposed.
"Same as usual today," one of them said in a low voice, a hint of helplessness in his tone.
"Yeah, but we have to be careful. The guards will be coming around soon," another replied. He stood at the entrance of the alley, nervously watching the activity outside.
"Hide first!" The lookout suddenly whispered. Though his voice was extremely low, in the silent night it stood out sharply.
The three quickly moved, slipping into the shadows.
Their black clothes blended perfectly with the darkness, as if they had completely merged into the night.
Time passed minute by minute until the patrolling guards finally walked slowly past the alley.
Once the footsteps faded into the distance, the three let out a sigh of relief and emerged from their hiding spots.
"Let's go—to the inn. Time to work!" One of them gave the order in a low, decisive voice.
They were the thieves the restaurant waiter had mentioned earlier. Having repeatedly failed as adventurers, the three had simply turned to stealing for a living.
And honestly, they were quite skilled at it.
A few days ago, a noble from the King Dragon Kingdom had come to the western port and been robbed while sleeping.
Afterward, the noble didn't pursue the matter—both because he couldn't recover the items and because it would be too humiliating for a noble's possessions to be stolen by commoners.
So the noble had left the western port with a face full of indignation.