Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

The shock on Jori and Reca's faces was palpable as they witnessed the incredible speed and power they had just exhibited. Their eyes widened, mirroring their astonishment at the newfound abilities that seemed to have awakened within them. It was as if the boundaries of what they thought was possible had been shattered, replaced by a reality that surpassed their wildest dreams.

For so long, they had poured their efforts into developing their own movement techniques, seeking to harness the same level of agility and finesse that Rain displayed. Yet, despite their determination and hard work, their attempts had yielded little success. And now, here they were, effortlessly moving with an almost supernatural swiftness that defied explanation.

However, the surprise that registered on their faces was swiftly replaced by a renewed focus. They were warriors accustomed to adapting in the heat of battle, and this moment was no exception. As Jori swung his sword to the side, the blade blurred with such speed that it became nearly invisible to the naked eye.

The enemies before him were caught off guard, unable to react in time as his strike landed true.

At the same time, Reca wielded her spear with a newfound confidence. A powerful blast erupted from the weapon's tip as she thrust it forward. The force of the impact propelled the blast with astonishing speed and accuracy, piercing the bodies of enemies who had thought themselves safe at a distance.

As for Rain, he didn't do much aside from the usual. He tried something new for a change since he had to save his mana, and with that in mind, he punched the ground by using Iron Fists and Crushing Blow at the same time.

The impact made the area tremble and made several enemies fall on their butts. At the same time, Rain suffered some damage for punching the ground like that… but at least it stopped all of the enemies in the area and made them look at him.

"CHARGE!" Cor shouted while raising his sword. "Kill all of those fuckers and slice them to pieces!"

Cor used that chance to rally all the soldiers around. With his shout, hundreds of mercenaries followed him and finished off the remaining mercury warriors. They reached the windmages just in time when they were getting up. Some of them tried to use wind blades while getting up, but Rain, Jori, and Reca were causing havoc among their ranks and prevented most of them from doing what they wanted.

The first and second lines of enemies were getting rid of, but the third line was coming again, and they were the golem masters.

"They don't know when to give up, huh?" Rain asked.

"They shouldn't be able to control that many of them; mud golems aren't that specialty, after all," Jori said while swinging his sword and getting rid of the blood on it.

"We need to stop their charge… even if it might be a bit painful for us," Reca added. "The other sides are in a stalemate, so we have to change the tides of the battle by yourselves."

Rain nodded in agreement with Reca's assessment. Waiting for opportunities to come to them would only get them so far. They needed to be proactive, seize the initiative, and shape the battlefield to their advantage. The enemy's superior numbers and mysterious powers had put them on the defensive for too long. It was time to change that.

However, Rain also recognized the dangers of pushing too far into enemy territory without a clear plan. It could easily lead to a trap or an ambush, playing right into their adversary's hands. As he pondered the situation, an idea began to form in his mind: a strategy that could give them an edge without exposing them to unnecessary risks.

Drawing on his earth magic, Rain summoned several earthen spheres into existence. With a focused effort, he set them spinning at a blinding speed around Jori and Reca. The spheres whirled in a tight formation, creating a protective barrier that encircled the two warriors.

"This will help you all a bit; let's go," Rain said.

Jori and Reca felt that they would get in the way of their weapons, but as soon as they moved their arms, the earth spheres moved away from them a bit. That gave them some confidence.

Using Impulse again, Rain made him and those two charge toward the enemies. They arrived on the next line of enemies just in time to see the mud golems getting up. Without hesitation, Jori and Reca attacked them and made them explode. They quickly moved their weapons to protect them, but while they heard the sound of impacts, they didn't feel anything… the earth spheres protected them.

Rain left the mud golems to his friend, and then he reached the golem masters… At close range and without their mud dolls, they were at the same level as ordinary humans, so Rain didn't have a hard time punching their chests or heads and breaking most of their bones while sending them flying into the distance. Although Rain wasn't using any skill, he was surprised with the notifications…

An unknown skill level up.

The Fighter's Path received 300 experience points.

"... Is it because of the earth's spheres?" Rain thought while furrowing his eyebrows. "Anyway, I need to unlock the next path before the next general appears."

Rain used Impulse to collide against a bunch of golem masters, and when they died, their golems didn't explode. They only fell dead… and became piles of mud. That made him feel even more eager to collide against them like that since they weren't that tough.

Before long, Cor and the others joined the group and began to destroy the mud golems while their masters were trying to escape from Rain… still, when he was about to follow them, he saw the final like of enemies marching toward them and their aura was different from anything that Rain had seen until now.