Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix
Chapter 1286 - 1286: Changes

While Rain rested his tired body, he observed his comrades engaging in the training sessions. The group embraced the challenges presented by Rain's guidance, experiencing shifts within themselves as they unlocked and developed the newfound paths.

The atmosphere during these training moments was focused and determined. Everyone observed silently, allowing Rain's leadership and experience to guide the group. The quiet unity within the team spoke volumes about their shared commitment to growth and preparedness.

"These two paths are taking longer to learn, mainly the Envious Arachnid path," Sealyn said after she approached and began to watch everyone. "It might be a better idea to focus on the paths that will be easier to learn since we will have to change between offense and defense from now on."

"I guess you are right… but learning some useful but hard skills like the doppelgangers will be beneficial in the short and long term," Rain said.

"No point in saying anything and then nullifying those words with but afterward, Dad," Sealyn said while furrowing her eyebrows. "Maybe we should just spread the knowledge and then let everyone decide for themselves since their lives will be on the line there."

The notion that focusing on paths that were easier to learn was practical and time-efficient resonated with the current needs of their mission. However, Rain couldn't ignore the complexity of the situation.

As one of the leaders, Rain was troubled with the balance between individual autonomy and collective survival. The reality of war dictated that a commander couldn't entertain every soldier's opinion, nor could they allow a divergence of individual paths without a clear strategy. The weight of their lives rested heavily on the decisions made, and the responsibility weighed on Rain's shoulders.

In those silent thoughts, Rain recognized that to maintain the cohesion of the group, sacrifices had to be made. The individuals within the team needed to surrender a degree of their personal choices for the sake of a shared goal. It was a difficult and delicate matter, acknowledging the necessity of sacrificing individuality to ensure the unity of the group.

Rain, though reluctant to shoulder the burden of dictating everyone's choices, understood the harsh reality of their predicament. The common goal of survival and success demanded a unified approach, even if it meant relinquishing personal preferences.

The weight of leadership, laden with the responsibility of their lives, was a burden Rain didn't desire, but he recognized it as the best option for the group.

"We can't do that…" Rain said and then shook his head. "I will carry the weight of their lives if they die thanks to my decisions, but I still believe that I am right, and this will increase their survivability while their fighting styles are varied. Focus on learning the paths, Sealyn and don't worry about anything else aside from your survival and of your kid."

"... Understood," Sealyn said after studying Rain for a while.

Sealyn left while showing a serious expression. Maybe Rain had gone too far with his own thoughts and strategies, but he was fine with that. Even if the people that he cared about ended up hating him, it would be fine as long as they have the chance to do so instead of just dying without living a full life of peace and happiness… he will give them that chance no matter what.

In any case, Rain decided to use the Doppelganger's Call to help everyone learn the paths faster. While that improved his work, it was quite tiresome since he was receiving the information of all the doppelgangers. At the same time, he was making each one of them work and talk for him separately, so he could only control three of them at a time. At least it was making the skill level up faster.

The skill Doppelganger's Call leveled up. Dexterity + 14.

The skill Doppelganger's Call leveled up. Dexterity + 14.

The skill Doppelganger's Call leveled up. Dexterity + 14.

…

As Rain continued to work with the group, a day passed, and the training sessions progressed. To Rain's surprise, Annie arrived on the scene. It was surprising that Annie and Danny didn't engage in their usual debates over who was the strongest. It seemed that the urgency of the situation had temporarily set aside their competition.

Rain took the opportunity to explain the current situation and the newly discovered paths to Annie. The atmosphere grew focused as he outlined the importance of unlocking these paths for the upcoming battles. The responsibility of teaching the intricacies of the Wrathful King Path and Envious Arachnid Path to a new group added to Rain's workload.

The challenges were evident as Rain divided his attention among the various members, ensuring they understood the nuances of the paths. The complexity of managing multiple individuals learning different skills simultaneously, coupled with the strain of utilizing Doppelganger's Call, made the process both mentally and physically taxing for Rain.

"Wow, now I really feel like I have fallen behind you…" Annie said while looking at Sealyn. "I never imagined that I would become an auntie at this point in our lives."

"... It is a natural part of a person's life," Sealyn said while showing a weird expression as she closed her eyes.

While Rain watched his daughters talking… he couldn't help but wonder how their bodies worked now, at least the bodies of humans. Sealyn was almost 120 years old, and while she was a demi-human, perhaps it made sense that she still could be pregnant. At the same time, everyone there had unlocked their high human paths. Rain and his wives didn't have white hair either, not even a bit.

So, perhaps they still could get pregnant… they avoided doing that since they arrived in the zone, but…

"I guess we need to be careful from now on," Rain thought. "Can't let them become pregnant until all of our enemies are dealt with. The number of worries will increase, and our manpower will decrease for a couple of years as well…"