Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix
Chapter 1170 - 1170: Conceptual weapons

While Rain had a good idea of how that system worked now, he decided to help the others first and also have some input from Sakaki. If compared to the paths system, the class system was rather messy, with few chances to get strong. One would have to get really lucky to be able to improve their classes so many times, and that was the trick of becoming overpowering with that system.

That being said if one could somehow monopolize all those treasure boxes and the chance to use the system like that… the power ceiling would reach new levels insanely fast.

"Maybe the enemy wants that… someone who can kill all of the forty beasts and become that strong…" Rain thought.

"Well, they sure are patient, considering that they had been waiting for that for over seven thousand years…" Elisabetha said.

That conversation was really interesting, but they didn't have time to dwell on that for long, Rain eventually arrived in the area of the next city and soon found another battle unfolded. Terra and Sealyn were fighting four giant beasts that were about to invade the city…

In the midst of the ongoing battle, Terra faced off against a weird adversary that defied conventional description. It resembled a red porcupine, standing upright on two legs, with a multitude of menacing spikes covering its entire body.

The creature's defensive mechanism proved to be quite formidable—whenever Terra launched an attack, the spikes would instinctively shield every vulnerable spot, rendering her strikes largely useless.

Ignoring the challenge, Terra showcased her ingenuity. As the spikes thwarted her attempts, she swiftly conjured a small domain for a fraction of a second, unleashing her true strength within that brief window. Despite the limited timeframe, she managed to land powerful blows during those moments, but the creature's resilient defense demanded a more sustained effort.

"Her hands are bleeding, and it doesn't seem like she can heal herself fast enough," Rain thought. "She is sweating and flinching as well… so it must be because of something on the wounds."

A target like that would be better fought by someone like Sealyn, and she was fighting something like a golem on the opposite side of the city… now and then, the golem would turn into dust and fall on the ground, but soon it would return back to life.

"I sense a lot of corrupt power coming from those things, much more than the others that you defeated," Elisabetha said. "The attacks of the porcupine must be decreasing her defenses thanks to that, even though Larisa is with her."

"A debuff, huh?" Rain furrowed his eyebrows.

Rain hadn't recovered enough mana to kill the four beasts there as well… some of the people there had died already, and that only meant that the battle was going to become harder, but he had to be patient… the beasts didn't find him yet, so he could even use the power of the Assassin trait to help him now.

While Rain waited, he decided to check some things regarding the system, and soon he found its issues… he kept all the items that he obtained with himself, but even when he tossed them away, he didn't lose his abilities… Still, when he tossed the last item on the battlefield, and someone else grabbed it…

(You can no longer use the spell Fire Blade!)

(Your class is determined by your skills and their levels. Thanks to your current set of skills and their levels, you have returned to becoming a Warbringer! You will gain three points in intelligence, five in strength, and two in dexterity when leveling up!)

"This is a pretty efficient way to make sure that people would never get along here and work together," Rain thought.

The revelation about the system's mechanics shed light on a critical aspect of the balance in the city. If defeating others wasn't necessary and simply stealing their items could strip them of their spells, techniques, and traits, it explained why every inhabitant walked armed. The constant need to keep one's gear close at hand or find a secure hiding spot became a very important concern.

However, finding a truly secure hiding place proved to be an arduous task, given that potential locations were limited and, more often than not, obvious.

This constant state of vigilance and paranoia created an atmosphere of distrust among the city's residents. The fear of losing hard-earned abilities and advantages fostered an environment where alliances were fragile and cooperation was scarce. The struggle for survival in such a competitive system had forced everyone to adopt a defensive stance, perpetuating a cycle of mistrust and isolation.

As Rain pondered the implications of these dynamics, he couldn't help but recognize the deliberate design behind the system, sowing discord among its inhabitants.

Despite that, everyone was fighting hard there… in their first chance in many years to show some decency, they decided to grab it with all their might. That could very well be the last chance for them to show some decency, after all.

"What do you think of this?" Rain asked.

"About the weapons, they seem a bit like us, but without our intelligence," Elisabetha said.

"Intelligence in quotes," Rain said.

"... Still, they are weird since they grant abilities that can evolve over time, but they reset when they change hands," Elisabetha said. "In the first place, items that can actually boost your parameters and make you learn things don't make sense, you know."

"That is game logic, but even so, relics can still affect one's affinities and make them use some abilities better, even though they can't change my parameters," Rain said. "In that sense, these items are completely nonsensical since they can grant skills and change the classes that will grant us parameters. Even the relics that I created aren't like that.

They consume energy to show their power and effects…"

Putting the most simple implications aside, that was troublesome because anyone could become insanely strong if they were given some items…