Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix
Chapter 1279 - 1279: Perfect counter

After seeing the monster recovering from the wound that he had caused, Rain realized that just chopping off the limbs of the beast wouldn't be enough. He will have to destroy them as well, either with dark flames or dark ice. As long as the severed part isn't connected to the main body, he won't lose his skills… or so at least the theory goes.

Unfazed by the previous failure, the monster charged at Rain again and soon disappeared like an afterimage after Rain got close enough to attack, but he didn't since he didn't feel any bloodlust coming from the beast, and the giant shadow spider could only grunt in annoyance thanks to it. Rain wouldn't fall for any obvious faints.

The giant shadow spider, now employing the same technique Rain and Sealyn used, became a blur of afterimages as it multiplied in a circular pattern around him. The darkened silhouettes of the monster seemed to dance and weave through the air, leaving a ghostly trail in their wake. The swift movements of the beast made it difficult for Rain to pinpoint its true location.

As the afterimages multiplied and circled around him, Rain focused on the subtle vibrations beneath his feet. Each nimble step of the spider sent faint tremors through the ground, allowing Rain to track its position despite the visual confusion caused by the afterimages.

His heightened senses, a result of his ice and earth affinity, became invaluable in deciphering the elusive movements of the giant shadow spider… but only for a short while.

As the afterimages continued their mesmerizing dance, Rain remained rooted in his spot, trying to calculate the trajectory of the monster's next move. Before long, Rain was hit from behind, and then he felt something piercing his back a bit. Before he could swing the ominous Sword, the giant spider jumped away, leaving the wound in his back to bleed profoundly…

You lost the skill Endurance Sacrifice.

Rain was slowly losing the best cards that he came up with to surpass the system… not like that actually worked until now. The overseer was always one step ahead of him. That being said, that was a problem for another time. Even though his Wrath improved his parameters, it wasn't working any longer, and he was getting weaker with every passing moment… Rain couldn't let that continue for longer.

"I guess I can only do that…" Rain thought and then put his plans into action. "This should show me something interesting and change the flow of the battle a fair bit..."

The giant shadow spider saw the shadow slowly retreat from Rain's body, and the sense of danger she felt, thanks to it, decreased as well. He should have become considerably weaker… the monster began to lick her lips as she realized that a tasty meal that would enhance her power tremendously was put for free right in front of her.

Without hesitation, she charged forward and then tried to impale Rain's back… but in the next moment, she hit nothing, and then her arms began to fall on the ground while gushing that dark liquid.

The monster, now caught in a moment of shock, attempted to make sense of the situation. What was supposed to be an easy victory turned into a sudden and unexpected reversal. Rain had executed a strategic maneuver that not only allowed him to evade the attack but also counterattack effectively.

The creature's initial excitement and anticipation gave way to a growing sense of unease as it grappled with the unforeseen turn of events. The predator now found itself in an unfamiliar position of vulnerability, its confidence shaken by Rain's unforeseen tactics.

The arms reattached themselves to the beast once again while she was turning around and saw Rain reassuming his guard stance with the Sword in front of him. For a moment, she felt really annoyed since Rain knew that this would happen, but he ignored it… like he gave her a chance to recover her arms.

"This aura makes me feel itchy," Elisabetha said. "It is very different from the Diligence path."

Rain used the gratitude path, and its effects countered the effects of the envy path. This synergy between the two paths granted him an uncanny ability to discern the giant shadow spider's intentions and movements.

The gratitude path, focusing on positive emotions and awareness, allowed Rain to sense the subtle shifts in the monster's emotions. As envy fueled the creature's actions, Rain almost seemed to read the intentions before they manifested physically. It was as if the path provided him with an empathetic understanding of the monster's emotional state.

With this heightened awareness, Rain found himself capable of predicting not only when the giant shadow spider would attack but also from which direction. The gratitude path acted as a counterbalance, giving him an advantage in reading the envious intentions of his adversary.

"Hmm… let's see what will happen if I do this," Rain thought when he had a certain idea and then equipped the skills of that path and unequipped all of the others.

Level 5: Thankful Heart - As you progress, they develop a truly thankful heart, enabling them to express gratitude more genuinely. Passively and temporarily increases all of your parameters by one point per level, and the effect can stack by the same amount of level of this skill.

Level 10: Joyful Acknowledgment - Fostering joyful acknowledgment, practitioners gain resilience against negative emotions. This level contributes to mental fortitude and emotional resilience, promoting a more positive and balanced state of mind. Decreases the pain when suffering damage by one hundred points per level.

Level 15: Grateful Aura - Radiating a grateful aura, practitioners positively influence their surroundings. Allies experience increased resistance to environmental debuffs by one percent per level.

Rain's aura changed once more, and that made the giant shadow spider feel her skin crawl… she didn't know what Rain was planning, but that only made her feel even more wary of his suspicious tactics.