Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain tried, but it didn't work. His words only made those two feel more depressed. In any case, he didn't have time for that and called his sisters and friends outside to teach them how to use magic eyes. That was necessary since some enemies might be able to cross the waterway without being noticed.

"You will have to take turns and use this technique periodically," Rain said. "Still, it will be necessary to prevent ambushes and to analyze the power level of the enemies."

"Wow, Big Brother's aura is clear blue like the ocean but intense as a massive fire," Dana said.

"Wait, did you succeed already?" Rain asked and then frowned.

No one knew about that technique, but they learned it on the same day… Rain wondered why that was the cause, but at least he got some experience on the teacher's path that he had yet to unlock.

An unknown skill leveled up.

The wind mage's path received 500 experience points.

The wind mage's path leveled up. (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Dexterity  + 05 per level.)

"I see. That is why you were able to talk with your father without being scared, you didn't see his bloodlust," Seadir said when he tried the same technique.

"My lessons are expensive," Rain said. "While we have a nonaggression pact, you can't learn my techniques for free."

"No worries, Father will reward you for this and for freeing more of our brethren," Seadir explained. "He hates to feel indebted to others, after all."

Seadrei truly looked like that kind of guy. His attitude screamed that he was a grumpy old man who believed that he didn't need help from anyone. That made sense considering his appearance, though. Regardless, Rain liked to be rewarded, but he felt that the sea emperor was being too generous, considering that he already had the coral spear.

The next day, Rain and Branden prepared to leave again, and his friends felt a bit troubled for being left behind Again as well… after hearing what happened in the previous mission, they thought that he needed some back up, and while Branden was a good mage, the enemies and access to anti-magic bombs.

"We aren't planning to fight, so you can rest assured that everything will be fine," Rain said.

"You have a knack to get yourself into trouble and get beaten before winning, so how can you say that so confidently?" Terra asked.

"I always stand victorious at the end, so it is fine. You can complain once that doesn't happen," Rain said.

Terra feared that once it happened, they won't be able to say to Rain: I told you. Still, they couldn't be that insistent since the first mission was infiltration, and they couldn't take a lot of people with them.

"We will leave things with you guys, so stay sharp," Rain declared. "We should return in two or three days.

Everyone nodded, and then Rain and Branden left the area on an earth platform. While the others were learning magic eyes and he had pulled that off, Branden asked Rain if he could teach him how to use Impulse, and he practiced a bit, but Branden was a mage through and through… his physical strength was just above the average person, but his magic skills could make up for that.

Unfortunately, Impulse worked better with earth and wind magic, and those weren't the best elements for him. He was still trying anyway, and he was making progress despite the short notice.

"Why do you want to learn that? It is only useful to those who fight on the frontlines or to those who fight mainly alone," Rain said. "It will also take some time to make it usable since you don't have the physical strength necessary to do half of the actual process."

"I pretty much became useless once I was locked down and lost my position," Branden explained. "Still, I can tell that Jori and the others might try to put themselves at risk by protecting me if something happens. I want to avoid that by being able to protect myself."

"I see…" Rain said. "Do you still think that you can make the king change his mind?"

"Honestly… I am not sure," Branden said. "From what I saw, he seemed very determined, like he could see that they didn't have any chances of losing and that they would win without many losses either. I can only think that they have more tricks up their sleeve."

"Well, Joanis had over twenty years to think of numerous ways to use the anti-magic substance and how to corner every single one of his enemies," Rain said. "It seems fair that he is that much prepared. The big guy even shocked me."

"The thought that he could make even better weapons against us also scares me," Branden said.

The adversaries Rain and his group confronted were truly formidable, primarily due to the enigmatic nature of their power. Their abilities varied widely, and the true extent of their powers remained a mystery. What made them particularly unnerving was that only a select few among their foes possessed knowledge of their comrades' capabilities.

Regrettably, during their encounters, Rain had eliminated those individuals who held crucial insights into the enemy's abilities. This unfortunate turn of events left Rain and his allies grappling with the unsettling reality that they were now facing a formidable opponent whose strengths and weaknesses remained largely unknown.

Still, it couldn't be helped since he did that to rescue Branden and the others.

When they arrived in the capital, it was already dark and around midnight. It was really a suspicious time to look for Esmeralda, but it was probably their best option.

Rain and Branden watched from high above, meticulously scanning the castle grounds. In the subdued lighting, the familiar sight of the castle reassured them. Guard numbers remained relatively consistent, showing no significant increase. The entire stronghold lay shrouded in a foreboding darkness, though, intensifying the eerie ambiance.