Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Chapter 390: Age of strife

"It is fine, it is fine," Leiah said. "You don't have to be so bashful. Rain got my good looks, and he is reliable, too, so it is understandable."

"He got his reliability from me, right?" Roan asked. "There is no other explanation aside from the fact that I showed him how to be reliable."

"I wouldn't know," Leiah shrugged.

"Hey," Roan protested.

"You guys are thinking too much about this, and I am not a criminal to be interested in fourteen-year-old boys," Terra said.

"... It would have been pretty embarrassing if Rain could hear all of this," Asche facepalmed.

"It is fine. He is already sleeping," Dana said. "He taught me how to find the locations of others with earth magic. He also taught me to even feel their heartbeats with the same… it is a bit tiresome since it requires a lot of focus."

"...It feels like Rain is turning his little sisters into super soldiers," Jori said while showing a complicated expression.

Jori didn't feel that much embarrassed for being weaker than Rain, who was seven years his junior. Still, he would feel embarrassed if he let a little girl nine years younger than him surpass him… Jori made a mental note to train even harder from that day onward.

Rain woke up along the sunrise the next day and then immediately used Impulse toward the waterway while everyone was still sleeping. He promised Terra that he wouldn't use his body that much, but time was of the essence."

"Wait… if I halve the cost of the mana used by Impulse…" Rain thought.

Rain just confirmed that by using half of the mana he usually would spend, he was able to use just enough mana that he recovered… Still, he was able to cross three hundred meters per second with the mana that he recovered… Rain couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

"The fruits of one's training," Rain thought.

Once Rain reached the waterway, he soon met with one merman who silently greeted him before vanishing… it seemed that they respected Rain a lot, even though their first impression of him was as bad as it could have been. Regardless, Rain used a bit of his earth magic to expand the waterway.

While using water magic would be a better option, that path was at level forty-four, and Rain wanted to unlock the next one, probably the fire mage's path.

The Earth Mage's path leveled up.

Level 45: Earthbound Allies (05) - Forge a pact with earthbound creatures, summoning them to fight by your side. The higher the level of the skill, the more powerful creatures you can summon. Each level increases the limit mana up to one hundred points.

"Oh… is that…" Rain thought when he checked the new skill he learned.

In the next moment, Rain equipped that skill and tried to use it. In the next moment, he created a one meter tall golem… it was the same technique that the golem masters used. They weren't golem summoners or anything like… they were earth mage's through and through.

Rain quickly realized that his ability to summon golems had an unexpected advantage: these magical creatures gained experience gradually over time without depleting his mana reserves.

Seeing the potential in this, Rain decided to employ his golems for an interesting purpose. He summoned a multitude of them and directed them to return to his home. Their primary task was to assist with various agricultural activities, such as planting, harvesting, and maintaining the fields.

Rain's intention was twofold: to contribute to the prosperity of his village and to earn valuable experience points for his Farmer's path and that skill as well.

By deploying his golems in this manner, Rain aimed to make the most of his unique abilities while simultaneously benefiting both his community and himself. If anything, while it wasn't that useful for combat, it would help him in more ways than one.

After that, Rain used his spear to expand the waterway, and soon Seadir showed up. At that point in time, Rain couldn't help but think that the sea emperor was using his son as some kind of diplomat… he also knew Rain relatively well, after all.

"I heard that you defeated the beast king while you were sleeping," Seadir suddenly said after he jumped out of the water. "It seems that their strength has been increasing over the years. Father said that in the last five centuries, their king had been mainly weaklings."

"Is that a good thing for you all?" Rain asked.

"It doesn't matter that much, but it can serve as a warning for all of us," Seadir explained. "Humans probably don't know the current power of the beast king, and he probably can get stronger… if they knew that, they wouldn't be so eager to attack the magic people and take over their territory."

The strength of the Beast King had a profound impact on the entire Beastmen community. It essentially set a new standard for their collective potential, giving them a higher goal to strive for. As the Beast King grew stronger, it inspired and pushed the rest of the Beast People to reach new heights in their abilities.

Recognizing the significance of this, Seadir promptly reported the outcome of the intense duel between Rain and the Beast King. This information was relayed to the Sea Emperor, offering valuable insights into the changing power dynamics among the Beastmen. The Sea Emperor understood the importance of this event and how it could reshape the Beastmen society and, eventually the world.

Furthermore, Rain and his friends not only displayed their formidable abilities but also revealed the powers of the broader Beastmen community. This bold move indicated their willingness to no longer conceal their strengths, even in the face of defeat by Rain's group.

Consequently, the Beastmen society was on the brink of experiencing increased turmoil and change as individuals sought to reach greater heights of power, with consequences yet to fully unfold. The world was truly entering an age of strife…