Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

As expected, the group was tasked with distributing the cargo among several camps upon their arrival. However, Josar surprised them by readily providing a map pinpointing the precise locations of these camps.

This act of sharing the map had multiple advantages. Firstly, it streamlined the cargo distribution process, making their mission more efficient. Secondly, and perhaps even more intriguingly, it offered the humans a clear view of the geography and terrain of the magic people's country.

This openness could hold significance for the future, as it allowed the humans to gain valuable geographical insights about the region. The map now served as a point of reference, providing valuable information about the landscape that might prove beneficial in future interactions or endeavors. Even wars…

"There are eight more camps aside from this one. You don't have to deliver the cargo to the ones in the extreme north and extreme south. We will do that," Josar said.

"And why would you go to such lengths?" Rain asked.

"Some people that you might not want to see are there. We also want to avoid problems by making you interact with them," Josar said. "Still, if you think that you can hold back against them, we won't stop you."

"No, I will skip on that, and I will be thankful for the chance of saving time," Rain said. "Anything we should be wary of along the way? It will be better if you don't try to hide anything that could trouble us later."

"No, all the commanders of the camps are already aware of your arrival, so you don't have to worry about that," Josar replied.

It would have been amazing if the group could split up to make the job end faster, but the drivers wouldn't feel that confident. It also would be dangerous for the group as a whole since they wouldn't be able to communicate if something happened. Their mission was to protect the cargo and the drivers, so Rain wouldn't have the chance to move freely, and he would worry a lot about his friends.

"The left side needs more supplies, so I will ask you to head in that direction first," Josar added.

"Roger," Rain said. "Let's get going. The horses rested for a bit, and it seems that we can reach the next camp a few hours after nightfall."

Now that the group thought about it, it usually would be pretty scary to worry about dragons at night, even more so on a cloudy night. There was no telling when the enemies might come.

Regardless, the group began to move while looking toward the West, and they still could see some dragons flying over the mountains. They seemed pretty unfazed, considering that they had lost a bunch of them to the magic people already… Rain wondered what was the score In that war.

"Should we talk about what we should do if something happens?" Jori asked.

"I guess we can… Branden imagined that the magic people would find a way to make us join the fight if something happened. Still, maybe their timing was bad, and the dragons aren't that active for one reason or the other," Rain replied.

"I see… anyway, in case they attack us while we are between camps, should we delay them while the drivers run away?' Jori asked. "They won't follow us that far, right?"

"It is hard to say, I don't know how tasty humans look from their perspective," Rain replied. "Still, a good attack to stun them should do the trick. Then we will just have to buy time until we reach the next camp."

"What about if one of the camps is attacked while we are there? In one of the camps?" Reca asked.

"We are supposed to be working on the transportation of the goods, but it might give us a bad image if we ignore them, and they get better anyway," Terra said.

"You have a point…" Rain said. "We just focus on attacking from a distance and it will be fine."

The group was caught off guard by Rain's unexpected behavior. They had invested significant time and effort into their training, eagerly awaiting the moment when Rain would face a formidable adversary like the dragon. Their anticipation showed on their faces, ranging from surprise to excitement.

Rain's transformation was evident, as he exuded a newfound seriousness and focus that contrasted with his usual carefree demeanor. This change piqued the group's curiosity and heightened their eagerness to witness Rain's true capabilities.

Although the group was a bit tense while we were moving, nothing major happened, and even though they kept moving at night, they eventually got used to the atmosphere.

Around three hours after sunset, the group could see the next camp in the distance, and while Rain felt some guys hidden around, they didn't do anything suspicious. Their auras were similar to the water snipers, and it seemed that they were allocated there because there was a river passing nearby.

On the first camp, they left six wagons worth of food, but on that one, they left four. At that point in time, they could send ten drivers away, but they wouldn't feel confident returning home by themselves and while that could lead them to finding some dragons later, they decided to remain with the group.

After the group set their camp behind the water snipers, they began to cook their meal. Since Rain was bored out of his mind and he had a lot of mana to spare, he decided to try some experiments.

Rain crafted intricate figurines from the earth, pouring his craftsmanship into their creation. These small sculptures depicted human forms with remarkable detail etched into their earthen bodies. Each rough surface bore witness to Rain's meticulous work.

He endeavored to animate these figures with unwavering focus, infusing them with his magical energy. Initially, his efforts yielded stationary results, leaving the earth dolls unresponsive to his commands. While frustration knitted his brows, it couldn't deter his determination.