Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

The group encountered no significant challenges or threats the following week, allowing them to concentrate on their training. Despite Terra's initial struggles in her new training regimen, Rain remained confident that she would eventually master it with time and dedication.

The final camp they visited appeared deceptively peaceful. Still, Rain couldn't help but notice that the camp's leaders were avoiding direct contact with him. It dawned on him that these leaders were likely members of the council and were intentionally concealing their identities, perhaps to maintain their secrecy and avoid revealing their affiliations.

"I guess this is it," Rain said. "We can rerun to the main post and then head home after that."

It was late afternoon, so it was better if the group let the horses rest for a bit. Actually, Rain was planning to return as soon as possible since the drivers looked like they wanted to run away from that area. Still, the soldiers in that camp asked him to stay with them for the night since they sent some scouts to the mountains, and there were no signs of them for the last three days.

"We are doing more than we are supposed to, aren't we?" Reca asked.

"This much is fine. We might also gain something in exchange by making the people here owe us a bit," Rain explained.

Rain demonstrated that when he went to talk with some of the magic people leading the camp, and he asked them for spiritual potions. He told them that they didn't have much mana thanks to the fight with the dragons, so he readily gave them those. Rain explained the situation to his friends with a grin on his face.

"People call you a hero, you know," Terra said. "You shouldn't try to scam others."

"It is not a scam. It is an equivalent exchange; they asked us for help, and we are receiving appropriate payment for it," Rain explained.

"Potions of this level cost one gold coin, and we are supposed to be gaining half of that per day of work," Asche said.

"These are just small details," Rain said. "If you don't want to use them to train, then I will happily do."

Ultimately, the group decided to heed Rain's rationale and make use of the potions to enhance their training and skills, acknowledging the potential benefits they could gain from these elixirs.

The group dedicated themselves to their training for a couple of hours. Still, soon after, Rain couldn't help but regret his earlier decision. The atmosphere in the surroundings began to change, growing increasingly oppressive, which set off alarm bells in his mind. It was an ominous sign, and he knew they might be in for trouble.

The magic people in the group also recognized the shift in the atmosphere. They were accustomed to these signs, as they often preceded a dragon attack. Rain couldn't help but wonder if the dragons had somehow predicted their actions, but he dismissed the idea as too far-fetched.

"I wonder how the hell they can change the atmosphere so much even before they can arrive in the area…" Rain thought. "This is truly mysterious."

Jori, Reca, Liss, and Terra felt shivers down their spines as the group sensed the tense atmosphere. They immediately readied themselves for battle, their instincts kicking in. The entire camp around them sprang into action, hastily preparing for the imminent threat.

As they waited, the magic users among them suddenly noticed a distant light on the ground, steadily approaching. It was an unusual sight amidst the growing tension. While Rain and Asche tried to check what was that red thing approaching, they suddenly heard a roar that made everyone feel shivers. They couldn't see anything, thanks to the darkness of the night, but it was clearly a dragon.

"It is an ally!" One of the magic people shouted. "A carriage with allies is being chased by a dragon!"

The red light came from a torch, and it was approaching in a carriage… Rain wondered why a dragon was chasing a carriage, but he didn't have time to think about it. They had to defeat the dragon and protect the carriage.

Rain and his friends readied themselves for the sight. Still, then they saw a flame falling from the sky that illuminated the dark blue sky of the night… a fire dragon just illuminated the area and revealed itself while it was trying to burn the carriage, but that wasn't all… the flames revealed two other dragons coming from behind the fire dragon.

"Oh boy…" Rain said. "Cover me from a distance and focus on defending the carriage. We are going."

Gulps resonated in the tense atmosphere as Jori, Reca, Liss, and Terra exchanged worried glances. They had witnessed Rain's incredible feats in the past, but facing multiple dragons simultaneously was a whole new level of challenge. Their collective fear hung in the air, unspoken yet palpable.

Memories of their recent narrow escape raced through their minds, reinforcing the gravity of their current predicament. They hadn't fully recovered from that harrowing experience, and now, they were thrust into another life-threatening encounter. With shared nods, they acknowledged that their only option was to follow Rain's lead.

Rain used Impulse and quickly approached the enemies and the carriage. As Rain approached the carriage, his brow furrowed in concern when he laid eyes on the driver. The man was drenched in blood, and his left arm was conspicuously missing. Despite the gruesome sight, Rain admirably managed to maintain his composure and unwavering focus on the task at hand.

As the fiery breath of the dragon drew dangerously close to the carriage, panic rippled through the onlookers, fearing the impending disaster.

However, Rain sprang into action at just the right moment. He made contact with the ground, summoning a colossal stone pillar that erupted from the ground. This pillar struck the dragon's chin forcefully, abruptly halting its fiery assault and leaving the colossal creature momentarily stunned and disoriented.