Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"It was a young dragon, and I used water magic to cover myself with it… I also tried to cool down the water, but it hadn't been enough," Rain said. "Anyway, it seems kind of fun to work on the sea."

"Only if you don't get seasick… that is horrible," Asche said. "You can't sleep on a bad that moves and some times knock you on the floor, that is if you are lucky enough to fall asleep."

"Anyway, Lord Branden said that we should take a break for a while since he wants us to go with you if you are called by the magic people," Jori suddenly said. "Fighting dragons seems a bit too much for us right now, so we want to train with you daily. No need to hold back."

Jori, Reca, Liss, Asche, and Terra all bore grave expressions on their faces. The prospect of embarking on an international mission with the potential of facing fearsome dragons didn't seem to deter them. Rain couldn't quite determine if they were extraordinarily brave or perhaps a touch reckless. Still, their collective seriousness made it evident that they took their role seriously.

"I see, I commend your bravery… not many people are brave enough to decide to live hard and die young," Rain said.

"Don't kill us off yet," Reca said. "We will train hard with you and get the same results."

Rain stopped to think for a moment. Maybe that could work. Their paths were more obvious, so they could show more results if they kept doing the same things. They were different from Rain. In any case, training with others and comparing their growth was also a good motivator.

Still… Rain wondered when those kids would settle down; they were almost twenty, and it didn't look like they were planning to stop working for the organization anytime soon. Even Jori and Reca, who had been going out for a while.

"All right, show up tomorrow at sunrise, then I will show you guys true hell," Rain said while smirking.

Jori, Reca, Liss, Asche, and Terra wore expressions of unease as they witnessed Rain's unusual excitement. It was a rare sight for them to see him so enthusiastic about something, which left them feeling somewhat apprehensive about the upcoming days.

The following morning, the group gathered in the serene garden of Rain's house. Alongside Rain, Dana, Gila, and Kei were present. However, they had already begun their training to master the art of meditation in any circumstance. Rain was still refining this technique, but he had progressed to a point where he could instruct others in what he had learned.

"For now, you two should run around the garden," Rain said and then put the weights on Jori and Reca's wrists. "While I am going to teach you something I learned from the second general that can boost your endurance, vitality, and strength, you guys still need to focus on the basics."

"Is this the same weight that you are with?" Jori asked while feeling a lot of pressure in his limbs.

"It is about half. We can increase the weights every single day, for now, just get used to it," Rain said. "As for you guys, you should know that meditating can be bothersome since you have to sit down and can't do anything else. I am trying to ignore that demerit."

Rain guided Liss, Asche, and Terra through a process that involved depleting all of their mana before embarking on the journey to enhance their meditation skills. It was a critical step since trying to refine their meditation abilities with full mana reserves would be ineffective.

Initially, Liss, Asche, and Terra were skeptical about improving such a fundamental and seemingly straightforward technique as meditation. However, as they delved deeper into this uncharted territory and gained experience, they came to realize that there was much more to meditation than meets the eye.

It became evident that meditation was not just a standalone practice but rather an integral part of a broader path to enhancing their magical abilities.

"I guess I am a really good teacher since you guys are already making progress," Rain said.

An unknown skill leveled up.

The Mage's path gained 50 experience points.

As Rain dedicated himself to teaching others and guiding them in their meditation journey, he didn't neglect his own magical training. It came as no surprise when he confirmed the existence of the teacher's path, a path that allowed him to grow and refine his own magical abilities while imparting knowledge to his companions.

Rain continued to hone his magical skills, and one of his training exercises involved creating a protective wind barrier around his garden. This shield not only ensured their privacy by muffling any sounds from within but also allowed them to carry on with their discussions without fear of eavesdroppers.

"When did you thought that it was possible to learn another version of meditation?" Liss asked. "Is it another thing you learned from the magic people?"

"No, I did this when I was bored during the meetings with their council," Rain replied.

"... You are something else," Liss said and then facepalmed.

"I guess we can multitask with this kind of technique. Shouldn't we train our bodies as well while we use it?" Terra asked.

"I tried that, and it didn't work. I actually felt like I was about to die," Rain replied. "To be able to draw the mana, your body needs to be relaxed to some extent. If you try to force your body too much while doing that, the mana that you will draw will make you feel like your magic nerves will explode."

"Magic nerves?" Terra asked.

Rain contemplated his own magical development and realized that while nobody had explicitly talked about something like "magic nerves," he consistently felt his mana flowing through particular pathways within his body.

To make sense of this phenomenon, he began to refer to these channels as "magic nerves." It was his way of understanding and conceptualizing the pathways that mana followed within him.