Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain was hit in the chest and then he felt his ribs cracking even before his back was smashed against the wall behind. The wall was so hot that Rain felt like he had jumped into a pool of hot oil…

Before Rain could even grunt in pain, he saw the beast queen raising her fist and swinging it down. Around the same time, Terra charged toward them ignoring the pain on her whole body. She was healing herself, but not as fast as she wanted… Still, it was too late.

When the fist of the beast queen was a few centimeters away from Rain's face, suddenly, a massive ice first appeared on her side and slapped her away. The beast queen was pushed away and Rain had enough time to get up and then spat some blood away.

Rain only summoned a single ice arm, so the technique lacked refinement and impact, but he used all of his mana to summon that, so it wasn't something that could be taken lightly…

Moreover, the ice fist actually could take shape. It was opened during the hit, but now it closed like a real hand. The beast queen saw that and squinted her eyes… as expected, she wasn't an ordinary mad monster.

Terra arrived in the area and stopped to glare at both of them… the beast queen recognizing the situation soon made up her mind. She jumped backward and then disappeared into a pool of lava.

"You make me look like an idiot by retreating just when I decided to show this," Rain thought.

Initially, Rain thought that the battle was over, but soon he felt Terra's bloodlust and realized that it wasn't… she wasn't just pretending… she truly wanted to kill him.

"You are truly mad, huh?" Rain asked. "I guess it is understandable."

Rain contemplated Terra's perspective and acknowledged the multitude of reasons she had to harbor feelings of anger and resentment towards him. His sudden disappearance for a century had undoubtedly left her in a precarious and challenging situation, creating numerous hardships that she had to face alone.

Firstly, his absence left everyone, including Terra, believing he was dead for a century. This undoubtedly caused immeasurable emotional distress and upheaval for his family. Moreover, Rain's departure left behind financial burdens. He didn't provide any financial support during his absence, leaving Terra to shoulder the responsibilities of raising their two children without his aid or contributions.

The lack of financial assistance or provisions for his family in his absence only added to Terra's struggles.

In the context of Earth's laws, Rain's actions might have constituted grounds for legal consequences, such as financial support (alimony) for his family or potential legal repercussions for abandonment. Terra could have pursued legal avenues for support or even filed lawsuits or charges against Rain if they were on the Earth they previously knew.

"Can we please solve our issues like civilized adults?" Rain asked. "The beast queen is still around, and she will use the chance to kill us if we fight here. You should know that the laws don't favor men in this kind of situation as well."

Terra ignored Rain's words and charged at him while using Limit Breaker and Magic Boost. Rain moved the giant ice fist to block her attack, and the impact made the whole dungeon tremble… lava pillars, as if they were responding to Terra's anger erupted around the area as Rain was being pushed backward.

"I don't want to be reported for domestic abuse… please, stop it," Rain said.

If he could, Rain would be treated like a laughing stock if he reported Terra for domestic abuse, but since he couldn't do that, he could only accept the pain and then be labeled as an M. There was no winning in that situation… such is the life of a modern man.

Terra punched the massive ice fist with a barrage of attacks that slowly but surely pushed Rain backward until his back was touching the searing wall again.

Rain's best option was to use the power of the seals, but he couldn't use it in that situation… he could only use it to protect others. Those limitations were really being a pain in the ass now.

Without any other choice, Rain transformed the fist into a palm and pushed Terra backward with a sudden push. When the palm stopped, she moved to the side and then used Impulse toward Rain again, only to see Rain with his open arms and completely wide open and showing an idiotic smile on his face as well.

"Come at me, my little kitten," Rain said.

Terra certainly came and was thankful when she punched Rain in his gut with all her might. Rain's back collided against the wall and felt the air in his lungs leaving his body… he was done, his wives had become overly jealous yanderes and domestic abusers…

Rain frowned since he didn't see Terra following her attack… she was still in her fighting stance and it looked like she was waiting for Rain to assume his again… she didn't want to kick his ass any other way, otherwise, it wouldn't have any meaning.

Rain observed Terra, recognizing her physical form but noting subtle changes that left him uncertain. While her body and features remained recognizable, he couldn't shake the feeling that something about her had shifted or altered during her time in the dungeon. Her appearance seemed familiar, yet there was an underlying sense of difference that he couldn't quite place.

Considering the extreme and hostile environment of the dungeon, Rain considered whether Terra's time spent in that place had somehow transformed her. He wondered if the harsh conditions and relentless dangers had impacted her psyche, potentially instigating changes akin to a wild animal's instincts to survive.

Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

However, beyond the possible effects of the dungeon, Rain sensed something else amiss about Terra. It wasn't just the potential for a more feral demeanor; there seemed to be an underlying anomaly or discrepancy that he couldn't pinpoint.