Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

The sudden darkening of the sky sent a shiver down everyone's spines as thick rain clouds gathered within a matter of seconds. Gazing up at the ominous, roiling sky, he realized that there was something unusual about these clouds. They held a vast reservoir of mana, unlike any regular storm clouds he had ever witnessed.

It was as if the very atmosphere was charged with latent power, foreboding a storm of unprecedented proportions.

"Another one…" Rain thought and then sighed.

Rain couldn't understand the enemy this time… water magic should be the specialty of him and his sisters, and the enemy should know that. Were they planning to make lightning bolts fall from the sky and kill everyone?

While Rain was thinking of that, it began to pour… the rain was so intense that it caught everyone off guard… it was so noisy that the shouts of Rain's friends were muffled on it.

"So, it is like that, huh?" Rain thought while squinting his eyes.

The beast people used the rain to counterattack… without the experience of fighting in the rain, the raging Phoenix warriors didn't know how to use their footing right and slipped… leaving them wide open for counterattacks. At the same time, the water cyclone absorbed too much water, and Rain's sisters were unable to keep control of it.

"Well, thank you for the treat," Rain said.

Finally, the heavy downpour suddenly stopped, at least on the battlefield. Everyone could see that it was still raining, but the water was no longer falling on them. Then, in the next moment, numerous water spears began to fall and hit the heads of the enemies, and the first few hundred of them died without knowing what killed them… that was Rain's rain.

The skill Aquatic Novice leveled up.

The Ice Mage's path received 320 experience points.

The skill Aquatic Novice leveled up.

The Ice Mage's path received 330 experience points.

…

Rain didn't want to interfere with the battlefield all that much, but he relaxed a bit since the enemy made their move, and he was able not only to counter it but also use it in his favor. Everyone blinked in disbelief as they watched a sea floating above the battlefield and since keeping it there consumed a lot of mana, he decided to use it as soon as possible.

Hence, hundreds of enemies were killed in a matter of seconds.

Thanks to that, the rain eventually stopped since the enemy knew that it would only help Rain end that battle faster… Rain felt like smirking, but the fact that he still couldn't find the enemy's eyes was annoying.

The second battle was over alongside the day, and the warriors raised their weapons and roared as they watched the walls of the town still standing, but there was some bad news incoming…

"Quick, we need to counter the casualties and treat the wounded," Rain said. "This is why I wanted to pace you three."

"Ehh, healing is so boring…" Kei said.

"Don't talk like I am the queen of boredom," Terra said and dropped a chop on Kei's head.

"Dad, can you talk with the guys inside and gather everyone that can fight to come with us?" Rain asked. "We will have to leave some of the heavily wounded warriors here. We will also need more supplies."

"Understood," Roan said.

"I am going to help make dinner. I got the Cook path now, and my food can help restore health as well," Gila said and then quickly left to help the backline.

The group didn't have many people who could help them support after a battle, but Roan quickly made some people come and help with the aftermath. Moving the bodies, cleaning the wounds of the wounded, helping distribute food… it was a lot of work since there were over twenty-five thousand soldiers involved.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Thanks to your intervention, we only lost one hundred soldiers this time… we got more than four hundred wounded, though," Jori reported as Rain was watching the prisoners. "We can close their wounds, but every step will make them feel a sting of pain, and that will slow them down."

"So… we have right now 1700 thousand warriors that aren't wounded and can fight at full power," Rain said.

"Seventeen hundred tired warriors," Reca said.

"Considering the pace of the enemies and the terrain and the time they landed on the coast, the capital will be attacked around midnight," Asche said. "The other two armies might end up surrounding the capital, and they don't have enough people or the experience to endure a siege."

"Things will be worse if they have flying monsters as well… they already have some of the beast people that can fly, and that will be bad enough," Liss added. "In the best case scenario, that army will try to ambush the sea folk that are guarding the borders and join forces for the siege."

The stakes were higher than ever, Rain understood, and his responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders. The fall of the human capital would not only mean the loss of countless lives but could also shatter the faith of all humans in the survival of their kingdom. That would be the worst-case scenario... The kingdom's future rested on the defense of the capital, and there was no room for failure.

Esmeralda's fate was equally significant. Although she didn't have the same influence as her father, her royal lineage was symbolic and held a powerful meaning. Her death would not only be a personal tragedy but a blow to the very core of the kingdom's identity. Every life counted, but some were linked to the destiny of a nation. She was such a person.

"Worry not. If something happens, I can head there, and we have some trump cards if things get dicey there," Rain explained. "Right now, the troops need to eat and then rest. I will be sure to give them the rest that they need."