Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix
Chapter 1307 - 1307: Fear of the future

In the end, the others returned after not so long and with a new core as well. While they looked tired, they also looked pretty satisfied with the result. Rain wondered if he was thinking too much about it by assuming that they felt that way because he wasn't there, and that made their conquest more impressive to their ego. Regardless, it was fine since that improved the morale of the group.

"Sakaki wants to talk with you," Seara said, and then she passed her javelin and the core to Rain. "I am going to take a nap until later."

"What is it?" Rain asked.

"Considering the intel that we have, I think that postponing a possible confrontation with Esmeralda's group," Sakaki explained. "I inquired Arel about the number of enemies that Esmeralda's group has defeated, and it seems that they are almost at the one-hundredth mark. And all of those enemies became their minions after being defeated."

Upon hearing Sakaki's words about Esmeralda's group and their impressive conquests, Rain's thoughts immediately delve into the past. Esmeralda and Iori's father, the previous king of the human race, had the power to control others with blood. As such, those two inherited that particular trait as well.

The passing down of this formidable trait to Esmeralda and Iori served as a logical explanation for their remarkable achievements in subduing enemies. Rain's understanding of the situation deepened as he comprehended the mechanics behind Esmeralda's group's dominance.

"So, you are saying that at this rate, they might obtain a power that we can't surpass because they would decrease our potential while they increase theirs?" Rain asked.

"That is right, we are in a race, and we started twenty years later if compared to them," Sakaki said.

What Sakaki was implying was the possibility that this whole situation had been set up for both groups to fight against each other for power. That would be quite amusing for the enemies since they once had been allies. Assholes loved to see that kind of shit, after all.

Ultimately, it was very likely that both sides would be forced to fight agaisnt each other. Even if they gained a lot of power along the way, most of it would be lost during the battle between them… unless they use their tricks up their sleeve, in Rain's case, would be to turn the controlled lords into cores and on the other side would be to by controlling Rain and the others with blood.

"I don't think that Esmeralda would do this… she hated what happened in the past thanks to her father's decisions, but if she didn't see any other option and she wanted to protect her family, no matter what…" Rain thought while rubbing his chin. "As expected, this is truly a mess of a situation."

On a few occasions, Rain was forced to fight his friends, and in all of them, he was left with a bitter taste in his mouth… he needed to think of a way to solve it before a disaster happened.

While Rain was analyzing the lord of the zombies' core, he began to think deeply about the current situation and what led them there… he considered many possibilities, but the first hypothesis that he had thought since he arrived in that zone still seemed the most believable, even though it was also the most troublesome and annoying.

"I guess I will have to play it by the ear until they start to get anxious by our strength," Rain thought. "When that happens, we will have to strike together with all our might…"

Lustful Zombie Path: The Lustful Zombies Path is a twisted and malevolent combat path that harnesses the power of lust and decay to infect and manipulate enemies. Dexterity and Luck + 50.

• Level 1: Ephemeral Poison - Infuses attacks with a toxic lust, poisoning enemies and reducing their Endurance by five points per level. It lasts for a day.

• Level 5: Corrupting Aura - Conjures an aura of decadence, decreasing the combat prowess of enemies while instilling confusion and hesitation in them. -05 Strength multiplied by the level of the skill. It lasts for a day.

• Level 10: Virulent Infection - Infects enemies with a lustful debuff, progressively decreasing their Intelligence by five points per level. It lasts for a day.

"As expected, this is another nasty path… while it is useful for combat, it is already messing with my mind," Rain thought.

"Tell me about it," Elisabetha said. "Seeing dirty thoughts from the perspective of a guy is quite troublesome, so do something about that."

"Easier said than done," Rain shrugged.

"I will tell your wives what you are imagining then," Elisabetha said.

"Sure, go ahead," Rain shrugged once again. "My reputation can't fall any more than this."

Elisabetha could only groan in annoyance since he was right. In any case, the next group arrived as soon as Rain finished that path, and they were the eldest son of Jori and Reca, who was supposed to come in the place of Isa. The next group arrived eight hours later, so it showed how hard everyone was working… they came heavily wounded, though.

"I guess they are trying too hard, and the king in the shadows is getting stressed thanks to the consecutive losses," Rain thought. "I guess I will focus on helping the newcomers unlock the necessary paths for a while."

With the newcomers, Rain didn't have to guard the base alone, while the others went daily to deal with the enemies. Thanks to that, he started to get pretty busy, and made him recall the past when he was training the raging phoenix.

Slothful Undead Path Lv 100 - Wisdom and Intelligence + 50 per level.

Insectoid Gluttonous Path Lv 100 - Intelligence and Wisdom +50 per level.

Envious Arachnid Path Lv 100 - Intelligence and Wisdom are boosted by 50 points per level.

Wrathful King Path: Lv 100 - Strength and Vitality +50 per level.

Prideful Lizard Path Lv 100 - Strength and Intelligence + 50 points per level.

Lustful Battle Path Lv 100 - Wisdom and Intelligence + 50 per level.