The atmosphere froze. Even the father, protecting his daughter, became increasingly wary of his presence.
Yuto's blue eyes scanned his surroundings. The screams of the other bandits confirmed his suspicions.
The man beneath his feet was indeed their boss.
Yuto looked down and saw the bandit leader lying still, his eyes rolled back.
"Hey!"
A loud shout drew his attention from one of the bandits.
In front of him, a tall man with a medium build wielded a long, worn sword, staring intently at Yuto.
However, Yuto remained silent and looked at the bandit group.
Some of them still stared at him weirdly. It was evident from their behaviour of holding back snickers after seeing his appearance.
'These guys!'
From that alone, Yuto also realized that these bandits didn't possess strong loyalty, even after seeing their boss beaten unconscious.
Was it some faith in their boss? No.
Yuto saw their greed and their suppressed wild ambition flaring intently in their eyes.
In his mind, now, Yuto felt relieved.
Because with personalities like that, Yuto could unleash his full abilities without holding back.
'Let's see how much I've improved.'
The bandit leader's body flinched from the pressure of Yuto's foot stepping off him.
The other bandits responded by preparing their weapons.
Their silver swords and daggers were dull, proof of their users' lack of care.
Even from their appearance, it was clear these bandits lived in dark, damp caves, far from sunlight.
Worn clothes, with mould and grime covered them, making Yuto wrinkle his nose in disgust.
"Let's do this!"
Yuto exhaled softly and channelled his Qi from the lower abdomen throughout his body.
Warmth spread into his fingertips, giving him raw power and control over his heightened senses.
His blue eyes glowed, radiating an aura of true presence.
Yuto stepped forward, walking with a straight posture. His eyes were fixed on the bandits.
Despite facing six larger and more ferocious men.
Not even a hint of fear appeared in his heart.
He strode forward, unstoppable against a raging current.
The enemies' eyes twitched in caution, and one bandit who boasted about his speed accelerated.
With a lanky frame and a small weapon in hand. The man disappeared and reappeared right next to Yuto.
The sharp tip aimed for Yuto's neck, but before it could pierce him. Yuto stomped the ground hard and slightly shifted his head.
Yuto immediately grabbed the man's wrist and twisted him in mid-air before slamming his back to the ground.
Bam!
"Gahak!"
The air was knocked from his lungs, spreading a searing sensation like fire burning through his internal organs.
At that moment, Yuto took the knife from the enemy's hand, gripped it tightly, and plunged it into the enemy's chest.
Warm blood oozed out, staining his hands as the flame of life faded from the man's eyes.
"That's one!"
Two shadows moved, one from the front and behind.
Yuto rose. His eyes glanced sideways, instantly pinpointing the enemies' distances and their next attacks.
He slipped past their gaps and stabbed the man in front of him. Then threw the knife at the other bandit who was preparing an arrow.
The knife flew straight, cutting through the wind and struck the archer's throat, who accidentally released his fingers, letting the arrow shoot wildly.
"Two, three, and..."
Yuto tilted his head, dodging the arrow with minimal movement.
"Four!"
"Akh!"
The arrow accurately pierced the bandit behind him, leaving two others stunned with gaping mouths.
In a moment, the homeless boy who appeared out of nowhere had taken out four bandit members.
The remaining two were tense; they swallowed hard to moisten their dry throats.
Cold sweat poured down their backs, and a chill crawled down their spine when they looked at the boy's expression.
Their fingers trembled, and their minds screamed to leave the place immediately.
But their reason whispered a bitter and cruel truth.
'It's too late.'
In a blink, the boy disappeared from their sight.
His white hair shone like a light that guided them into death.
The world spun, and the man's consciousness finally caught sight of his body still standing, drenched in blood, with a headless neck, before everything went black.
"Five."
Yuto's voice was cold as winter, sharp and heart-wrenching to anyone who heard it, even to himself.
After seeing his enemy's body slowly collapsing with a dull thud.
Vicious blood still flowed from the severed head, soaking the ground beneath his feet.
With the bright sunlight, the thick blood reflected Yuto's own image.
'This is… me?'
He wasn't referring to his appearance, but to the fact that his mind had changed so much that he felt nothing, even after taking several lives.
If this were in his previous world, Yuto might harbour great resentment, but not once did it cross his mind that he wanted to take someone's life.
But in this world.
Whether it was because of Elias's common sense or the path of a cultivator, he accidentally entered.
Or perhaps because he had died once before.
He wasn't sure, but.
It changed him drastically as an individual.
Was he reluctant about this change?
Of course not.
He felt grateful.
Because in Elias's memories, the world teemed with monsters and dangers that lurked at every corner.
Strength was very much needed to survive.
"Aaaah, help!"
The last bandit regained consciousness in the eerie silence. The man started to flee, voluntarily showing his back.
"Hmph, Idiot."
Yuto scoffed before pulling his hand back and hurling the sword straight until it pierced the man's chest, killing him in place.
"Six!"
"Aaakh."
With a heart-wrenching howl, his body fell into the bushes, staining the natural greenery with filthy blood from his body.
Yuto sighed in relief and shifted his attention to the father and his daughter, who had awakened with a hint of wariness.
The father took a step forward, protecting his daughter behind him.
"Th-Thank you, adventurer."
Yuto's brow twitched. The man's words nearly cracked his calm expression.
He shook his head, and then his eyes widened after realizing one other presence he had overlooked.
His body tensed and turned towards the bandit leader, still unconscious.
Looking around the area, he found a longsword in the hand of the headless corpse beside him.
Yuto took it and slowly walked towards the still-breathing boss.
Each step echoed in the silent place filled with the tangy smell of iron.
Leaves rustled violently, and the wind carried a chilling omen of death as Yuto stood beside the bandit boss.
He gripped the longsword tightly, and a flash of silver gleamed as the leader's head rolled off.
"Seven."
Blood splattered, staining Yuto's pants red. He jumped back with a sigh, grumbling.
"You idiot, don't make my clothes dirtier than this."
Annoyed, Yuto tossed the sword, which embedded itself near the leader's stomach, dealing additional damage that put the enemy's HP in the negative.
The sound of galloping horses and a loud 'thud' through the empty road drew Yuto's attention.
"Oh noble savior, allow me to offer you a ride on your journey."
The father's voice was very different from before.
Full of respect and laced with a subtle hidden agenda that Yuto could faintly discern thanks to his experience from two lifetimes.
Still, despite the man's craftiness, he had no intention of harming him.
And that was enough for him.
"Where is this carriage going?"
At least Yuto wanted to know their destination. If they were only going to a city within the Kingdom he lived in.
Then from there, he would part ways and continue toward the Empire alone.
"Our destination is the Empire, we're going home as well."
'What a coincidence.'
Yuto nodded and leapt into the driver's seat beside the man.
"I'll be imposing myself."
"Of course, you are our esteemed savior, and, um..."
A bit hesitant, the father tried to utter his plea that was caught in his throat.
"I get it, I will protect you on the way, but I want compensation."
"Ohoho, of course, savior. That's a cheap price I'm happy to pay."
"Good then."
With a snap from the reins, the horses neighed and happily pulled the carriage forward, feeling excited as they could finally stretch their legs again.
Yuto glanced toward the horizon; the golden sunlight warmed his body, loosening the tension within.
He sighed softly and muttered to himself.
'Well, doing good once in a while is pretty rewarding...'
With that thought, Yuto closed his eyes and began to circulate the Qi energy in his dantian, cultivating calmly.
Awaiting the day he would set foot in a new land. A foreign land that would mark the beginning of a new chapter in his life.