Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"Yeah, keep wasting time admiring my good looks," Rain thought.

Despite his curiosity and the unresolved truce negotiations, Rain knew that confronting two fire dragons at once was an exceedingly perilous proposition. While he might have entertained the idea of testing his abilities against a single dragon, facing two of these formidable creatures was simply too great a risk.

The priorities now shifted towards ensuring the safety of himself and his companions, Branden and Esmeralda, in the face of such a daunting threat. The truce talks would have to be revisited at a more opportune and less dangerous moment.

The thunderous explosions echoing from the distant part of the city continued unabated. Rain couldn't help but wonder if the city guards were locked in a fierce battle with the second-fire dragon. The idea briefly crossed his mind: With one dragon potentially occupied elsewhere, was there a chance, with careful planning and determination, to confront the remaining dragon?

But he knew all too well that this was a risky and perilous gambit. Before making any hasty decisions, he needed to carefully assess the odds and potential outcomes. Or maybe not.

"Hehehe, maybe it is time for my first international match," Rain thought while smiling.

Rain touched the ground and then used a bunch of magic to reinforce his arms with extra hardened earth. He hardened and compressed a lot of earth thanks to his relics, and his arms were a bit heavy. Even more than when he used the weights.

The dragon looked even more confused. The creature had never seen someone using magic like that. His arms were bigger and heavier, but that made him slower, too. Still, the dragon was left astonished when Rain jumped by using Impulse and crossed two hundred Meters of height in a single moment and pinched the face of the monster.

The blast of the impact echoed in the whole city, and the people who were running away turned around only to see the head of the dragon moving to the side and then a mouthful of blood falling from its mouth.

"This is my Earth Magic Straight. It is a pity that I can't name my own skills," Rain thought when he landed.

"HYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH." The fire dragon roared in anger, and the atmosphere trembled as if it was responding to it.

The enormous fire dragon exuded a scorching heat that rippled through the air, causing its crimson scales to radiate with a fiery, red glow. Every inch of its body pulsed with an intense, searing energy as it readied itself for the next devastating assault.

The surrounding atmosphere quivered and distorted from the dragon's extreme heat, making it seem like the very embodiment of a raging inferno. Its appearance was nothing short of terrifying as if it had become a living avatar of destruction, poised to unleash its devastating power upon anything unfortunate enough to cross its path.

Rain couldn't help but wonder if the fire dragon was utilizing something akin to what he'd encountered in certain video games – a phenomenon often dubbed "dragon rage." However, what truly caught his attention was that this wasn't merely a skill or a move.

It felt more like an intrinsic part of the dragon's essence, a manifestation of its unbridled fury and might that transcended the boundaries of any gaming system.

It was as if the dragon had tapped into a primal force, something that exceeded the limitations of conventional game mechanics. This revelation sent a shiver down Rain's spine, making him realize that this world harbored profound mysteries and abilities that stretched far beyond the boundaries of his familiar gaming experiences.

"Well, I guess they can learn that through the dragon's path… what a cheating bastard," Rain thought.

Rain wondered if he should complain when he kind of cheated as well by being reincarnated with his memories… in any case, he didn't have time to think about that since the monster landed again and began to melt the ground around. The air around the monster was vibrating thanks to the heat, and even looking at it made Rain flinch.

"Even with that technique… my endurance and Vitality can't endure this…" Rain thought while clicking his tongue.

The fire dragon's approach was nothing short of terrifying. Each heavy step it took drew it closer to Rain, causing the ground to tremble beneath its colossal frame. Its eyes blazed with unquenchable fury, and its scales emitted an intense crimson glow, radiating an almost blinding heat.

As it closed in on Rain, the dragon's wrathful gaze remained fixated solely on him. The intensity of its rage was palpable as if the very air around it had ignited in response.

Approaching the stairs leading to Rain's position, the dragon unleashed a deafening roar, sending forth a torrent of scorching flames from its gaping maw. These flames engulfed the stone steps, reducing them to a molten mess as if they were made of wax. The searing heat emanating from the blaze made Rain's skin prickle with discomfort, even from a distance.

With methodical and terrifying precision, the dragon continued its relentless advance. Each fiery breath turned the once-sturdy staircase into molten ruins, leaving escape or pursuit impossible. Gathering momentum, the colossal creature moved with increasing speed.

Rain used Impulse to stop the charge of the beast, but then the dragon used Fire Breath. Rain felt his skin melting when he was engulfed by the flames, but then he eventually punched the chin of the monster and then closed its mouth. That slowed down the beast a bit, but not for long.

Rain kicked the monster's face and propelled himself backward. After spinning in the air several times, he landed one hundred Meters away from the beast. His clothes were on fire, but he extinguished the flames by summoning some water on them. At the same time, he grabbed the potions behind his back and drank them before the monster could reach him.

"I guess blunt Damage can only cause so much damage against a thing of that size," Rain thought.