Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Chapter 353: Paying the price

"It doesn't seem like she is running out of mana…" Rain thought. "Even though we are so far away from the ocean… that retarded probably was planning to use her against the sea folk."

Rain didn't have time to waste, so he decided to go all out again… before the woman could attack, she could sense Rain's aura changing and every single part of her body told her to run away, but she stood her ground.

In the next moment, Rain used Impulse, and then the woman used all of her control over magic to create several spinning swords around her. However, Rain moved to the side instead of attacking and then moved to the opposite side while slowly approaching… The woman realized that his speed was higher than before, and he was planning to increase it further.

Rain began to move from one side to the other like a lightning bolt, and the woman couldn't even see his shadow… Thanks to that, she knew that she wouldn't be able to hit him unless he was extremely close. On the other hand, she knew that while it was risky for her, that speed of his would be his downfall.

Before long, Rain began to approach more and more, and it was almost impossible to see him stop now. Still, he held her ground and waited until the last moment. When Rain went for the kill, she already knew that Rain would attack from the sides, so she fired her swords to both sides… it would have been better if she could know from which side Rain would attack first, but she didn't know.

Still, in the end, he managed to make five swords pierce Rain's body… three on his stomach, one on his right shoulder, and another on his right arm… that didn't stop him from attacking with that same arm and then piercing her left side with his hand.

The shock in her expression was the most emotion that she showed in the whole battle… Rain pierced several of her organs, but she only trembled a little before she lost control of her body and fell. Rain pulled his hand covered in blood and then sighed… his organs also had been pierced, so he didn't have time for that.

The skill Reinforced Wisdom received 20.000 experience points.

The Wind mage's path leveled up.

Rain's struggle continued as he swiftly removed the ice swords embedded in his body. The blades now bore the signs of his crimson blood. Each withdrawal sent waves of agony coursing through him, the pain intensifying as the icy weapons left his flesh. The wounds they left behind spewed forth a flow of blood, staining his clothes a deep, ominous red.

With a sense of urgency, Rain channeled his magical abilities to close the bleeding. He focused on mending the wounds to repair his damaged flesh. Despite his best efforts, the loss of blood persisted, and he felt his strength steadily dwindling with every passing moment.

"Ugh… even with Limit Breaker, she completely destroyed my defenses," Rain thought and then sighed. "My physical defense needs some work, or my build is just too focused on offense."

After managing to control his bleeding and wounds enough to avoid passing out from the pain, Rain proceeded to inspect the contents of the captured wagons. What he uncovered inside was a mix of both relief and concern. The wagons held several individuals, primarily consisting of golem masters and water snipers, all of whom displayed severe injuries.

Their diminished auras clearly indicated that the anti-magic bars had effectively suppressed their magical abilities.

Seeing the condition of these captives stirred a complex mix of emotions within Rain. Despite their past roles as adversaries, he couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy for their suffering. It served as a reminder of the brutal actions committed by the human army.

"I guess I can heal them in exchange for information…" Rain thought and then sighed.

Rain chose the prisoner that was the least wounded and then snapped the iron bars with his hands. He immediately felt that he couldn't use magic while touching them. So, he had to take out the prisoner, who slowly began to wake up once he healed him.

"You are…" The man muttered.

Now that Rain thought about it, the guy seemed familiar. After thinking for a short while, he recalled that he was the man who was training the new recruits of the water snipers village. Before doing anything, that guy looked around and saw the body of the woman who captured and was transporting them. Adding to the fact that he didn't see Rain during the attack, he connected the dots.

"What happened?" Rain asked. "If you give me enough Intel, I can free your friends."

The prisoner recounted a grim tale of his village's tragic end. At the stroke of midnight, an ominous force had surrounded their village, rendering their magic powers useless. Unable to defend themselves, they fell prey to a squad of special soldiers who arrived with deadly abilities.

As the night unfolded, those who resisted met a gruesome end, their hearts pierced by the merciless assailants. The prisoner had been spared due to his role as an instructor and his knowledge of the water snipers' techniques. Rain absorbed the chilling tale.

"It seems that he still wants more knowledge to make his soldiers stronger…" Rain thought.

Rain acted swiftly, liberating another captive who happened to be a golem master. As they both paused to regain their composure, the man recounted the dire events that had befallen his town. In contrast to the fate of the village, this community had received prior warnings thanks to Rain, affording them the opportunity to prepare for a defense.

However, their preparations proved futile in the face of the special soldiers. These adversaries possessed the ability to reduce the town's sturdy golems to mere piles of rubble with a single, devastating strike. The defenders barely managed to escape with their lives intact.