Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"Good job, Rain," Roan said while looking around and seeing more large Fireballs crossing the sky. "This is no bandit attack… this is a night raid prepared by the enemies. We need to leave the city with my… brothers… and parents."

As Roan stood there, his face filled with a mix of confusion and bit of curiosity. Something had clicked in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel perplexed by it, that had just dawned on him. His eyes widened, trying to make sense of the newfound understanding that escaped him for so long.

Rain realized what he was thinking, his father slowing down when he mentioned his brothers helped him with that. The fact that Leo talked with him like that a few weeks ago, the fact that he became captain of the guards of the city and that he gave some people the day off in the seventh day afternoons… it was all too suspiciously clear.

"This can wait. Let's go," Roan declared.

The group tried to escape through the dark alleys of the city, but the sound of horses and battles increased around them. They had barely crossed a few blocks when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by two riders in front and behind them.

Roan clicked his tongue in annoyance and tried to use Fireball on both of them, but the riders used some magic tool to block the attack with water balls. The riders dashed at the same time after that.

Time seemed to slow down as Roan's mind raced, trying to process the imminent danger. His thoughts became a chaotic whirlwind, desperately searching for a plan, a way to protect his family from the impending threat. Every instinct within him screamed to run, to flee from the approaching danger, but he knew deep down that escape was not an option.

The weight of responsibility pressed heavily upon Roan's shoulders as he realized that the safety of his loved ones now rested in his hands. His muscles tensed, ready to spring into action, but his mind struggled to find clarity amidst the panic. Fear gnawed at his confidence, threatening to paralyze him.

Amidst his hesitation, Roan suddenly saw the riders trembling, groaning, and slowing down before falling from the horses. He didn't even see Rain attacking them and making two supersonic darts hit their stomachs. Still, they soon got up.

"Their armor stopped the attack…" Rain muttered. "I have to think of an anti-shielding strategy."

Roan realized what had happened and charged toward the closest enemy. A single step made him cross twenty meters, and he targeted the neck of one of the assailants. The enemy raised his sword to block the attack. Still, Roan swiftly killed him by beheading the enemy and cutting the enemy's blade without making a single sound.

The other enemy tried to attack Rain and the others, but three earth orbs fired at his head and stopped the bastard. Their impacts made some scary noises echo around the area, and Roan soon confirmed that the second enemy was dead.

(An Unknown skill leveled up.)

(An unknown path received experience.)

(Until the path is unlocked, you will gain bonus experience in the Human Path of two hundred percent.)

(Human Path received 200 experience points.)

"Let's go; the more we wait, the more we will have to fight," Roan declared.

In the aftermath of the chaotic fight, Rain found himself grappling with an unsettling realization. He had taken a life to protect his own, to safeguard the lives of those he cared about. Yet, contrary to what he had expected, he felt an eerie absence of remorse or guilt. His mind raced, trying to make sense of this sensation that seemed to envelop him.

One possibility that whispered in his thoughts was the overwhelming instinct for self-preservation that had guided his actions. In the heat of the moment, his focus had shifted entirely to survival, to ensuring his family's safety. Perhaps it was this all-consuming concern that had clouded his emotions, leaving little room for introspection or remorse.

Another notion flickered in Rain's mind, one that was intertwined with the knowledge of his own mortality. He had already tasted the bitter embrace of death once before, and the memory lingered as a haunting reminder of the fragility of life. Perhaps, in some subconscious corner of his being, he harbored a fear of experiencing that same fate again, fueling a cold resolve within him.

Yet, amidst these thoughts and reflections, Rain couldn't shake a tinge of unease. He questioned the absence of a visceral reaction, wondering if it was a defense mechanism or a sign of something deeper within himself. Was it a symptom of desensitization to violence, a coping mechanism born out of the harsh realities he had witnessed and endured? Or was there a part of him that had hardened, shielding his emotions to prevent the weight of his actions from overwhelming him?

The group found some more enemies blocking their path, but Rain was able to snipe them with earth orbs and by hitting them in the head. They only fell on the ground, and the smoke prevented their allies from realizing what had happened, so they used the confusion to move ahead.

(An Unknown skill leveled up.)

(An unknown path received experience.)

(Until the path is unlocked, you will gain bonus experience in the Human Path of two hundred percent.)

(Human Path received 200 experience points.)

"It seems that killing is also a way to get experience… I shouldn't worry about this right now, but I should take note of it; this kind of thing reveals a lot about the nature of this world," Rain thought.