Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Roan, Jori, and Reca made clever use of the tunnel Rain had created. This allowed them to infiltrate the enemy's camp quietly and without notice. They strategically placed torches among the enemy's food supplies with precision and stealth, causing confusion and disruption. They then sealed the tunnel to cover their tracks, leaving no evidence of their presence.

Rain remained unaware of their actions, but it seemed that Jori had acquired some skills in earth magic since he wanted to employ Impulse just like Rain without leaving any traces behind. For someone who trained in secret, he was pretty good.

"It seems that they pulled it off quite early than expected, and the enemies were completely caught off guard," Branden said while forcing a smile thanks to the exhaustion. "Still, I didn't find your targets."

"I didn't find it either. They are probably scheming something…" Rain said. "Anyway, they are doing a full retreat. You can go and rest."

Rain also decided to relax a bit, but he just alternated between meditating and standing up to keep his body alert. When Roan, Jori, and Reca returned, they looked pretty satisfied, but soon, they resumed their focus. The nearest city was only half a day away. They could get food there as much as they wanted. They could get pretty much anything they wanted for a few months, actually.

The rest of the group went to rest as well until morning, and while that wasn't much, it was better than nothing. After that, Rain went to talk with his father to ask what he saw in the enemy's camp.

"I didn't find anything odd, but the atmosphere was a bit weird, but I can't say for sure since we attacked their supplies without wasting time," Roan explained. "They had some guards on the perimeter, but they weren't on high alert."

"If Jori used his magic, it didn't seem like there was a red crystal nearby… that is what I am worried about," Rain said. "Without a real general to guard, their focus should be on guarding their resources."

"Maybe they don't have that many red crystals that they can use, so they didn't bring one," Roan said and then went silent for a while. "...That doesn't sound like something Joanis would do, I guess… he had quite a while to prepare for all this. While we are probably an unexpected factor, he still must have had a margin of error for his plans."

Rain agreed with that, and that is why he was worried… the enemy should know that he was the best mage in the human kingdom… it wouldn't be impossible for Rain to be able to burn down their entire camp with enough mana.

In any case, things stayed quiet until noon of the next day, and then everyone saw the enemies moving again.

When that happened, everyone resumed their positions as fast as they could, but soon it looked like they would have to make some adjustments… The enemies began to split into battalions of our hundred soldiers, and they spread in all directions… they didn't want to let Rain and his sisters attack them with a large concentration of water… That was a problem.

At the same time, Rain couldn't see those five guys, he could only imagine that they were within those battalions in order to surprise him and his friends.

"They aren't half bad considering that they are brain-dead followers of Joanis… or maybe Karla is the one who made them do this," Rain thought.

The five special soldiers appeared to be executing a maneuver with a dual purpose. Firstly, they sought to fragment their forces and strategically position themselves across the battlefield. This strategy aimed to force Rain's group into splitting up in response to the multiple threats they posed. Secondly, the intention was to exploit this division to isolate and eliminate Rain's family and friends.

By dispersing both themselves and their troops, these special soldiers aimed to stretch Rain's attention thin, making it challenging for him to protect everyone simultaneously. This division would create chaos and confusion on the battlefield, leaving openings for the special soldiers to strike at vulnerable targets.

A crucial element of their plan was that these special soldiers could be concealing themselves within these separated enemy groups, making it difficult for Rain to pinpoint and directly confront them.

"I should blow them up all at once…" Rain muttered.

"Let's ask for help," Roan said. "Seadir and the others are here for that. They can even capture some of the soldiers for us."

"That is right… I know that you are cautious of them, but until now, they didn't do anything that made them look like they wanted to use us," Branden added. "Since the kingdom didn't submerge until now, we can say that the sea emperor is a reasonable man."

Branden and Roan had a valid point that couldn't be overlooked any longer. The safety of their loved ones was now at risk even more than before. Rain needed to put aside his pride and consider the bigger picture at this critical moment.

Seeking assistance from the sea folk might come with certain risks and potential complications. However, it appeared to be the most practical choice given the gravity of the threat they faced. Handling it alone was no longer feasible, and the consequences of inaction could be severe.

Recognizing that seeking help from the sea folk was the wise course of action, Rain needed to prioritize the safety and well-being of his family and friends above all else.

"All right…" Rain said, and then, before long, Seadir showed up. "We will be counting on you now."

"Finally, I was starting to think that you aren't that smart," Seadir said. "What are the goals?"

"Stop all of them and capture some," Rain said. "I won't be able to help you since I want to keep my eyes open against those five guys. I just recalled something that they can do to become a real nuisance."