Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

They were disappointed before since he took so long to return, so feeling excited now felt cheap and opportunistic. Besides, they also felt that they were only going to put more weight on his shoulders once more.

"Why the long faces?" Rain asked while putting his arms around his father and Jori's necks. "Do you think that a handsome face can't hide a big brain?"

"Your antics never get old," Roan said while showing a difficult smile.

"Come on, Dad…" Rain said and then sighed. "We are all working hard here. No point in thinking too much about stupid things. Our goal is to reclaim our home. It doesn't matter who does what as long as everyone contributes."

Roan experienced a bittersweet blend of emotions as he observed his son navigating the complexities of their current situation. Amidst the admiration and pride for Rain's newfound strength and skills, there lurked a familiar sensation – a sense of defeat that Roan had encountered numerous times before in his own life.

This feeling, a fusion of resignation and acknowledgment, was not new to Roan. Over the years, he had faced his own setbacks, challenges, and moments of struggle. As a result, he became intimately acquainted with the taste of defeat against his son, learning to embrace it as a part of life's journey rather than an actual issue

Seeing Rain, his son, deal with uncertainties, secrets, and responsibilities echoed Roan's own experiences. Yet, rather than distressing him, this familiarity brought forth a sense of understanding and empathy. Roan recognized that these moments of apparent defeat often acted as catalysts for growth gave him resilience and fortitude.

"I guess you have a point," Roan said while showing a small smile.

"Of course, I am always right. I am not right just when I am wrong," Rain said. "Mere mortals can't question me, muaahaha."

Danny and Annie shared a mutual expression of confusion tinged with some embarrassment as they observed Rain's demeanor. Despite being accustomed to Rain's occasional nonsensical and playful nature after hearing it from their mothery, they couldn't help but feel a hint of discomfort and perplexity at his current behavior.

There was an air of expectation from both of them, perhaps influenced by their upbringing and the inherent perception of Rain as an elder figure with a sense of authority or dignified presence.

Both Danny and Annie found themselves caught between understanding and feeling awkward due to Rain's unexpected display of humor and nonsense. This contrasted with the gravity of the situation at hand, prompting a sense of unease within them… they didn't know that breaks like that were important. One had to relax as much as they could.

An underlying sense of embarrassment stemmed from the incongruity between their expectations of a more composed, serious figure and Rain's current playful demeanor. It left Danny and Annie somewhat flustered, trying to reconcile their old image of Rain's character with the reality of his behavior. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

"Ah… didn't I just increase the distance between myself and you guys?" Rain stopped and blinked several times.

"If we have access to more skills and paths, you certainly did it… you didn't realize that until now?" Terra frowned.

Rain, feeling a mix of emotions, shook his head in a moment of realization, followed by a deep sigh that conveyed a sense of both acceptance and defeat. He had devoted considerable effort to aiding and guiding his friends and family, supporting their growth and development with the system.

Parameter Boost, the function he had employed to assist everyone, seemed to exhibit a more obvious effect on individuals who were already stronger or more advanced in their paths. As a consequence, those who received Rain's assistance seemed to surpass his own level of strength even more than before.

This realization caused a bit of concern within Rain. The disparity in the efficacy of Parameter Boost, favoring those who were initially stronger, led to an unforeseen outcome that left him feeling somewhat unsettled.

Despite his altruistic intentions in helping his friends and family, the unintended consequence of them surpassing his own strength level even more brought about a sense of defeat… he didn't want to be the weakest of the group forever.

"It is all right, I let you guys feel stronger than me for a while longer," Rain said and then shrugged. "Who laughs last, laughs better. I also have some ideas, but I will share with you all now. Sucks to be you, ha-ha."

It seemed that Rain didn't care at all about showing a dignified presence to his kids, but at least he made some of the others laugh. That was a great first step… when people refuse to do some things, the first step is always the most important to make things change.

"My healing skills now should be enough to defeat the beast queen…" Terra said while looking at her hands. "Maybe I don't even need them now."

"You can think about that later, let's relax," Rain said. "I guess I will have to teach you all the benefits of deep work."

Rain's approach to improving Branden's work through deep work, yielded noticeable advancements in Branden's skills and productivity. By employing this method, Rain guided Branden through a process that maximized his learning and development, leading to significant improvements in a relatively short span of time.

However, to those who were more acquainted with Rain's diligent work ethic and his dedication to constant self-improvement, Rain's immersive commitment to his tasks might have given the impression that perpetually working was the primary and most effective path toward progress.

This assumption came from their observation of Rain's consistent focus and dedication, leading them to believe that continuous and relentless effort was the key to achieving significant growth and success, much like Rain himself, without taking a single day off.

Although Rain said that, he knew that the only way he could make everyone around him relax a little was by teaching them new things… so he did exactly that.