Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Since they would need all the strength they could get, Rain altered his domain with the help of Sakaki and made skills like Magic Sacrifice and Endurance Sacrifice to those who entered it. Those techniques made everyone frown and confused since it bypassed how the system was supposed to work under normal means. Still, they made good use of it.

The estimations proved wrong once more, and instead of six weeks, the vessel approached the target after just four weeks… while the group didn't have as much time as they had imagined that they would have, they still finished their preparations.

Esmeralda took charge of briefing the group on the details of the upcoming mission, drawing together a team that included Seadrei, Isa, Sealyn, and Regis. Despite the lack of concrete information about the enemy's territory, they collaborated to devise a very decent plan.

One critical aspect they considered was the nature of light speed attacks. Armed with this knowledge, they strategized to position themselves three million kilometers away from the enemy's base. In the event of a worst-case scenario, this distance would afford them a mere ten seconds to evade any incoming attacks.

The group, however, wasn't faced, with confidence in their ability to execute precise maneuvers under pressure.

Their plan included utilizing the entire vessel as bait. The vessel would execute a strategic spin around the enemy's base, diverting attention away from Rain's group. Simultaneously, Rain's team would navigate through space debris, using it as cover to approach the enemy's base discreetly.

This synchronized approach aimed to exploit the enemy's vulnerabilities while minimizing the risks associated with their lack of visual information about the enemy's territory. The group's coordinated efforts and strategic thinking set the stage for a daring and calculated mission

"With my domain, we should be able to escape their eyes for a while, but once we land or cross their obvious barriers, things will start," Rain declared. "The mission will start tomorrow, and in twelve hours. Rest as much as possible."

Everyone nodded, and then they left the room, leaving only Rain, Regis, Seadrei, Sealyn, and Esmeralda behind. They looked like they still had some things to say to Rain, so he decided to wait until everyone left.

"What are the chances of success?" Sealyn asked.

"It is impossible to tell, most likely, that the enemy deployed a field that hides everything in their territory. They only can't hide their cannon because it is that massive and because it is intimidating as well."

The very notion of success seemed alien, given the enemy's deployment of a field that concealed everything within their territory. He explained the challenge to his companions, acknowledging the near-impossibility of predicting success under these circumstances.

The enemy's ability to shield their entire territory, save for the colossal and imposing cannon, spoke volumes about their technological and crafting prowess.

Rain couldn't help but find the sheer scale of the cannon staggering—it stretched a colossal five hundred kilometers in length. The sheer size hinted at the immense power and sophistication infused into this weapon. Its capability to impart force and rotation to ordinary projectiles was both impressive and, in a way, disconcerting.

It underscored the technological prowess and craftsmanship of the enigmatic civilization they were up against.

Yet, despite the awe-inspiring nature of their adversaries' weaponry, the group remained in the dark about the fundamental aspects of their culture and history. The sheer militarization of their technology hinted at a society that hadn't lived in peace for an extended period.

This realization added an extra layer of complexity and uncertainty to the impending mission, fueling a sense of urgency and caution within Rain and his team.

"They will be fine with you leading them and no one else will question our decision," Seadrei said. "Still, I have to tell you to do something about your attitude. I can understand that you don't want to overreach for nor feeling qualified for protecting anyone else but your family, but things will only get worse if you keep holding back. You holding back will holdback the other five as well."

Rain was aware of that… soldiers on the battlefield worked the best when they had absolute faith in their leaders… Rain had to be that kind of commander because he also knew that his friends would do it better knowing that he had their backs no matter what.

"That won't be a problem. They will be able to perform their very best," Rain said. "You guys are the ones who need to understand when you should come to join the battle. Even if you see the cannon falling, you can't approach the vessel. To be safe, you can only join when the connection to the other planets is completely severed."

"That will depend on how fast you will be," Seadrei said.

Rain didn't like that… here was him trying to prevent losses and that musclehead was trying to give him a time limit, as if any covert missions had a real time limit. It would be insane to work like that…

"If you are afraid the cannon might fire a magic blast toward us, wouldn't be enough to destroy just the connection of one of the planets?" Sealyn asked. "Besides, how else would they be able to use all that energy without the cannon? I can't imagine that in any other way."

"In wars, you have to work considering several things, what you want and what the enemies want," Rain said. "Their civilization survived to be able to build things like that, so I wouldn't expect anything less. Even if they have confidence on their main weapon, they should have a plan B or C, if not more. We are against an entire civilization and our numbers are of thirty thousand.

Even if we kill all of them we will lost if our forces suffer too much damage."

"We understand that… so you want to prioritize the safety of the vessel, even at the risk of your lives?" Esmeralda asked.