Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Chapter 706 Voice

The soldiers and warriors breathed a collective sigh of relief when they spotted Rain passing by, offering greetings to them. His sudden disappearance had left them feeling uneasy, and his return brought a sense of reassurance. Making his way through the bustling activity on the walls, Rain eventually found Branden and Esmeralda, who were deeply engrossed in organizing the aftermath of the battle.

The distinct scent of hide and scales lingered in the air as people worked diligently to reinforce the walls with the remnants of the defeated dragons. The scene spoke of both the resilience and resourcefulness of those determined to defend their home.

"The capital will look quite savage after this," Rain said.

"Oh, you are up," Branden said.

"We were worried that only another battle would wake you up," Esmeralda added.

"... You are in the sixth month of your pregnancy. You shouldn't be in a place like this," Rain said after he raised his eyebrows.

"You are right; I should sit on the throne and worry endlessly about how things are while giving orders that I can't see being obeyed," Esmeralda said.

"When did you become such a smartass?" Rain frowned. "Regardless… sorry for worrying you all. The shield took a lot from me, in terms of physical strength."

Branden and Esmeralda exchanged troubled looks upon hearing Rain's account. While they were aware of the curse attached to the shield, the gravity of the situation made them reconsider their reservations. They wanted to caution Rain against relying too heavily on the cursed item.

Yet, the dire circumstances forced them to acknowledge that, without its intervention, the capital could have suffered devastating consequences at the hands of the dragons.

The weight of their unspoken concerns lingered in the air as they grappled with the harsh realities of the ongoing conflict. They had to worry about their friend, but they had to worry about the lives of tens of thousands of other lives as well.

"... According to Roan, Asche, and Liss, the enemies have one hundred dragons on each side. They are mainly fire and earth dragons, but they have some evolved ones as well," Branden said while rubbing his eyes. "How will your condition be tomorrow?"

"I am not sure… I don't feel any pain, but my body is weird," Rain replied. "I will try to get rid of the fire dragons, but I am not sure I will be able to handle them all with only magic and without the shield."

Rain got a great deal of power during the fight, but would that be enough? It was hard to say… at least the skills had some crazy potential.

Level 30: Mana Manipulation- it is a versatile skill that enables individuals to control and channel magical energy, also known as mana, with precision and finesse. This skill involves the adept handling of mana for various purposes, ranging from casting spells to enhancing one's physical abilities.

Level 35: Supreme Rest - Your ability to rest and rejuvenate has reached its zenith, ensuring that your sleep is deeply restorative, free from fatigue, and allows you to awaken fully revitalized.

Level 40: Herculean Strength - Your physical strength and endurance are unparalleled, allowing you to perform even the most demanding manual labor tasks with ease. + 10 strength per level.

Level 45: Peak Endurance - Your physical fitness is at its peak, endowing you with boundless stamina, robust health, and an innate ability to adapt to extreme physical demands. + ten endurance per level.

The high human path granted Rain some useful skills, but half of them were basically passive skills that increased his parameters by a large margin. It was helpful since those skills would gain experience automatically without any cost in battle and during training.

With that in mind, Rain decided to keep most of them equipped to see if he could become durable enough to withstand his power-ups in battle. There wasn't much sense in winning just by looking less dead than the enemies.

In any case, around midnight, Rain finished the preparations and returned to the castle… he had planned to spend some time with his kids since they saw him unconscious for a while, but they were already sleeping.

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Rain felt like sighing since he felt like he was failing them… after eating something, Rain confirmed that Seara and Terra went to rest as well since it was hard to say for how long the next battle would last… they counted that it would stay for quite a while unless Rain punishes his body a lot.

"I guess I can do that…" Rain thought. "I am not that tired, after all."

Rain looked in the corner of the room and then saw his shield. His family and friends clearly wanted him to stay away from it, but in the end, that was naive thinking… he needed that strength… at least for now. Rain's pride could go and eat shit for all that he could care for. The most important thing right now is to keep everyone safe.

In the end, Rain sat cross-legged on the ground and put the shield in his lap before he began to meditate. After his focus reached the max, Rain enveloped it with mana, and soon, he began to feel a presence inside it.

"Who the hell are you?" Rain thought. "There is no point in pretending that you aren't there."

"Heh… even Amidst all that, you realized that my voice wasn't yours?"

"Answer me unless you want to end up in space and fly toward the sun," Rain said.

"Would you do that? When can you obtain so much power from me?"

"It seems that you don't know me well enough to know when I am saying something real," Rain said. "What is the worst option for you? Become the lid of a pot or turn you into a metal sphere to be kicked?"

"... You wouldn't go that far,"

Rain smirked after hearing that… the shield truly didn't know him enough. It was time to show the person he was...