Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"I guess I will have to ask for some favors from Gramps to help me find this guy before he becomes a further nuisance," Rain said. "The beast people and the magic people will get one-half of him once I am done with this guy. Maybe that will calm them down."

"Even if the sea emperor helps us with this, I don't think that an alliance with the magic people is possible at this point," Esmeralda said. "They suffered too much by human hands in a few years… they will be as much interested in peace as the soldiers five years ago who had lost many friends on the battlefield.

We pulled that off since we have a king that was still respected, but the magic people are different; they have dozens of tribe leaders, and their opinions weighted the same."

It seemed that Esmeralda didn't have confidence that she did a good job until now; it couldn't be helped, but it was a bit disheartening that most people didn't think that she accomplished much until now.

"Well, it is a pity, but it couldn't be helped," Rain shrugged. "We have a lot of enemies, it seems, and some of them will try to make us get even more enemies. We will just have to do the same as usual. Crush them all until they give up."

"I thought that you lost your confidence for some reason, but maybe that isn't the case," Branden said. "For now, go talk with Seadrei to decide the details and what they will need for the alliance. Asche and Liss should avoid the borders just in case and keep moving incognito. People like us will definitely be the main target of this person."

"Understood," Asche and Liss said at the same time.

"If things turn out right, gramps will send some reinforcements for that side of the country, and you won't have to keep your distance that much," Rain said.

"Let's just hope that the reinforcements won't become targets for this guy…" Liss said while showing a complicated expression.

Liss was the quiet type, and voicing such opinions usually would make things that she was being negative, but she had a point… they had to be careful to avoid further losses.

While Rain was heading to the port city, he began to consider what the enemy would do next. It was hard to say if that guy was using some relic or not, but even if he wasn't, his strength should be at least on Rain's level, and he will keep getting stronger if he keeps killing people at that pace… once he is certain of his power, he will probably challenge Rain and his friends.

"My strength isn't keeping up… maybe I need a new technique to make up for it," Rain thought. "With Limit Breaker and Magic Boost, I should be stronger than this guy, but only if they are at max level and max output."

Rain had already honed his techniques to a level that made him an exceptionally fearsome warrior, effectively utilizing his mana and stamina to their limits. The prospect of learning new techniques that would further deplete these vital energy sources seemed impractical, as he was already pushing the boundaries of his magical and physical endurance.

Considering alternative methods that might draw upon his health as an energy source was a dangerous possibility. Rain knew that his battles often concluded with him heavily wounded, and depleting his health through a new technique could very well be a death sentence. It was a delicate balance he had to maintain between pushing his limits and preserving his well-being.

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He was a father now, and he had to consider his well-being more thoroughly for his family as well, not only for himself. The stakes were high, and making the wrong choice could prove catastrophic in future conflicts.

"I have been thinking about that, but maybe I should ask him for details… it is hard to think if he knows it completely," Rain squinted his eyes.

When Rain arrived in the port town, he paid a visit to Orcis and Lorene. While he explained the situation to them as well, he watched the port town through the windows of Orcis' office. Things were pretty normal there, peaceful… Rain wondered if that peace would soon be stopped there as well.

On the other side of the room, Rain found another window that showed the port of the place. Close to fifty ships were anchored there, and ten of them belonged to Rain. Usually, they would be going and coming from the magic people's country, but it seemed that they would stay there for a while.

Speaking of which, they found those ships that Joanis had hidden on the back of his first base on the snow-covered Island.

"I see… it is good to know that the reinforcements are working hard," Orcis said while trying to ignore the main subject of the conversation.

"... I suppose we will have to use some ships to watch those borders, even if they are a dangerous place right now," Lorene sighed. "It should be safe enough if we work with sea folk. They are excellent at water magic, and with our support… Who am I kidding? This situation is a mess."

"I am working on a solution for that situation, so don't worry too much about it," Rain said. "Just be ready to move when I send the message."

"Can't you give details yet?" Lorene asked. "We might need to prepare in advance for whatever you are planning... I doubt that it will be low in scale."

"Not yet, the final test will happen when the beast people try to attack us again," Rain said. "If things work well, I won't have to move a single finger, and then the plan will be a success."

It was hard to imagine what Rain had in mind, but it seemed amazing… once again, Rain felt bothered by the fact that everyone had too much faith in him.