Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain acknowledges a change within himself. He noticed a return to the person he once was at full power. This revival was thanks to the interactions Rain had with Larisa and Nigel. They were to be blamed for everything in his head….

As for Isa's confusion, while she may not fully comprehend or understand Rain's current state or words, Rain used his domain on her. It didn't take long for her to feel her strength increasing insanely fast…

As Isa experienced the surge in power thanks to Rain's Parameter Boost, an unexpected transformation began to take hold. Initially, she felt the exhilarating rush of strength and energy coursing through her, but soon, subtle changes began manifesting within her body and aura.

The augmentation of her abilities triggered a profound reaction within Isa's draconic lineage. As her strength increased exponentially, the dormant draconic nature that was hidden within her surged to the surface, asserting itself with newfound vigor.

The first noticeable change was in Isa's aura—a shimmering, ethereal energy that enveloped her began to morph. It transformed into a radiant, iridescent glow, bearing hues of deep blues and greens, reminiscent of the scales of a dragon. This aura expanded around her for a few moments.

Simultaneously, physical alterations began to emerge. Isa's features underwent a subtle transformation—her eyes, previously disguised, now revealed their true nature. Her irises changed, adopting a distinct and mesmerizing shade akin to precious gemstones, reflecting the qualities of a dragon's eyes—intense, mesmerizing, and full of ancient wisdom and rage.

"Now you have done it…" Isa said after she took a deep breath. "I have been trying to keep this power dormant for thousands of years…"

"Well, you should have told me that sooner… like I said, time is of the essence," Rain said. "How do I reach your underground warehouse?"

In the next moment, Isa pointed her finger toward the ground below Rain felt a cylindric hole appear in it as if she had distorted the earth itself… Rain didn't know if earth magic was her strongest element, but it certainly looked like that. She distorted hundreds of meters of earth in a single moment.

Before long, Rain fell on the warehouse and saw a pretty large place filled with boxes and broken relics. Thanks to it, the mana levels there were insanely high… it was weird the fact that he couldn't see any torches, but the place was completely well-lit. In any case, Rain didn't have time to think about that as he equipped the gloves and grabbed the shield… he had to use them as fast as possible.

"Ew… this place smells…" Nigel said.

"... Why you can talk again?" Rain asked.

"You are holding us with the intention of using us. That is the reason," Nigel said.

"This place has the disturbing aura of a dragon… Nigel said that you had a friend that was a half-dragon, but I thought you would know better than that," Larisa said.

"Not even my parents say anything about my friends. What makes you think that you have the right to do so?" Rain asked.

"Your parents don't know the disasters that the dragons caused and the changes that their arrival brought to Earth," Larisa said. "If they knew, they wouldn't say very different things."

"Didn't you show me a human destroying your homeland?" Rain asked. "Don't get me wrong, I won't stop until I kill all my enemies, but I am not a maniac that I won't promote genocide of an entire species… unless their sole goal is to wipe me out first, self-defense at its finest."

As Rain continued to hold his convictions regarding the dragons, Larisa grappled with conflicting thoughts. She had a bunch of arguments and information to share, drawing upon the fragments of her memories and knowledge that she had regained. However, she sensed the futility of attempting to change Rain's perspective.

Despite her own reservations and the limited memories of her past, Larisa had an overwhelming suspicion. The lingering traces of her memories hinted at a grim truth: the conflict might never see resolution until all remnants of the dragons and their lineage were eradicated.

The gravity of this notion weighed heavily on Larisa's mind. She knew she lacked concrete evidence or a complete understanding of the events that led to their world's destruction. Yet, the faint recollections, coupled with the deep-seated instincts within her being, led her to believe that the dragons and their descendants were inexorably linked to the cataclysm that befell their homeland.

Larisa was troubled not only with her suspicions about the dragons but also with a conflict within herself. On one hand, she felt compelled to align herself with Rain's ideals, considering his pursuit of justice and his reluctance to engage in mass retribution. She contemplated following his path, curious about the outcome it might yield.

Adding that to her other thoughts made her worry, not just for herself but for Rain as well. The weight of the past atrocities and the uncertainty about the future fate of humanity loomed heavily on her mind. Larisa couldn't shake off the worry that history might repeat itself, leaving little room for the survival of their kind for a third chance…

While Larisa was thinking about that, Rain began to experiment with the relics… he knew that the effects of the shield were three times better for now than the gloves thanks to the amount of blood the shield received, so Rain used three times less mana when he tried to combine their powers.

Much to Rain's surprise, that had been enough for him to combine the elements to immediately create a true crystal… or maybe it was because he used those elements more than anything else for decades. In any case, the small pebble looked like a marble glass that emitted a faint glow of energy and power.

When it fell on Rain's hand, he felt its cold and hardness… he had to exert a fair amount of strength to crush it.