Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

The next six months passed in the blink of an eye since nothing major happened in the kingdom. Thanks to that, Rain had an easy time doing what he wanted without being interrupted.

"Peace is really a good thing; it always gives you tons of time to train," Rain thought.

Rain was already nine years old, and he was growing quite fast. He heard that too much exercise prevents the growth of kids, but even while keeping the weights with him all the time, he was already 145cm tall or 4.8 feet tall. He was planning to become as tall as his father, who was 180 cm tall, so it seemed that he could reach it.

In his past life, Rain was a bit short, around 170 cm tall, so he fought in the lightweight categories. Boxing at a quick pace was fun, but he always wondered how it would be to have a heavyweight punch.

In any case, while Rain didn't join Jori's group, he was always working with them at least once a week. They also were copying him by using weights to train, even the girls who only used magic. It was improving their physical skills, but it sure was rough for them.

Speaking of progress, Rain managed to trick the system a bit when it came to making progress with his magic. While it was a bit troublesome, he didn't have to only use his mana to fuel spells. For example, he could use other materials to boost the power of spells.

Anything that worked as fuel could be used, wood, oil, even oxygen… on windy days, Rain could leave the city and use his magic to control the wind and Create a mini tornado that would make him save half of his mana while gaining the same amount of experience.

Thanks to that kind of thing, Rain was able to make a lot of progress. The magic path was almost reaching level forty, and even the battle master path was about to reach level fifty.

Level 15: Aqua Whip - Form a water whip to lash enemies from a distance or disarm them.

Level 20: Flame Ward - Create a protective shield of fire that reduces incoming damage.

Level 25: Icy Veil - Surround yourself with ice armor for temporary defense and resistance.

Level 30: Cyclone Burst - Summon a gust of wind that knocks back enemies in an area.

Level 35: Earth Spikes - Cause spikes to erupt from the ground, hindering enemy movement.

Level 40: Static Charge - Release an electrical spark, causing minor damage and stunning foes.

Level 40: Shield Wall: Form a defensive barrier with fellow allies, increasing overall defense and protecting against enemy assaults.

Level 45: Crippling Strike: Land a debilitating blow that weakens the enemy, reducing their physical capabilities and impairing their combat effectiveness.

"Hehehe, almost there, and a new physical path will be unlocked… The battle master path doesn't have many useful skills, so I don't have to keep using it," Rain thought when he woke up and then was preparing himself for another day of work.

As usual, Rain followed his morning routine and trained until the organization opened. He got used to life there, but Rain was starting to think that he should move… the organization Increased in size in the last few months as well. They lost one hundred mercenaries recovering Tristan, but now they had seven hundred.

The veterans were mostly in Tristan, and the newcomers were living in the organization.

"I have some money saved up; I guess I can buy a house… but it is more trouble to keep and maintain it," Rain thought. "I guess an inn that offers meals is a better option, it is a bit more expensive, but it will save time."

After his morning routine, Rain went to look for work downstairs. Some people along the way greeted him since he had gotten a bit famous. Most of them were the newbies of the organization, while the veterans greeted him as well; most of them didn't like Rain since he looked like a kid who was raised by nobles; ordinary kids don't learn magic at such a young age.

"Hey, Rain, did you pick a job today already?" The white mustache guy said. "We need a mage that can use healing skills for our next mission."

"Eh, I just returned from a job where I stayed three days away; I want to recover for one week at least," Rain said.

The old man was called Cor, and while he looked like a serious guy, he was pretty laid back. Rain worked with him a few times. His group was quite large, so they didn't need help often. Still, they saw Rain's skills at close range, and he knew that he wasn't someone troublesome, so they invited him often to join them.

"The pay will be good, you know," Cor said. "The magic people using monsters again, and the guys ruling those areas aren't joking with payment."

"I see, in that case…" Rain said while he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Sorry, but I already have a job for you, Rain," Karla suddenly said. "It is urgent Business, Cor. Please, look for someone else."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped…" Cor said and then shrugged.

"A job especially for me?" Rain asked.

"That is right," Karla said. "You know that we recently recovered some villages from the enemies, right?"

"Yes," Rain replied.

Aside from Tristan and the city he was born in, the magic people also took over some villages along the way. It was convenient that such an area didn't have towns; otherwise, recovering them would require large operations as well.

"We will need you to move a river to cross over a large area; it will work as a natural barrier against the monsters," Karla explained. "This is a job for a single mage, but you can find some assistance with the soldiers and guards in the villages that will pass nearby."