Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix-Chapter 1252: The worst of the ideas

Level 5: Serene Reflection - Cultivates a state of serene reflection, allowing the practitioner to maintain composure in challenging situations. Improves health, mana, and stamina regeneration by 5% per level while remaining calm.

Level 10: Disciplined Mind - Develops a disciplined mindset that promotes mental clarity and focus. Increases the practitioner’s resistance to mental disturbances and mind-altering effects by 5% per level.

Level 15: Balanced Prowess - Achieves balanced prowess, gaining a 5% per level bonus to all parameters when avoiding extremes in actions or emotions. Encourages measured and controlled behavior in various situations.

Instead of countering gluttony, it felt like Temperance was countering Wrath. Regardless, in a way, both of them were similar, the desire to do things beyond reason and logic...

"Now then, let’s return," Rain said. "The others have defeated the Orc general as well, and they are doing the clean up job. So, we don’t have to worry about them."

Everyone nodded... Sealyn was supposed to be the one to give those orders, but she didn’t feel like issuing them since she was in the wrong for hiding that until now. Most likely, aside from her and Van, only Rain and Seadrei knew what was going on. She was just waiting for Rain to scold her very harshly for the first time in her life, even if he had to do so using Telepathy, but Rain didn’t do that. They returned quietly to the base.

"Dad, aren’t you going to say anything?" Sealyn asked when the group split up to guard the walls.

"Is there anything that I would say that would make you understand how reckless you have been?" Rain asked. "The enemy didn’t use physical attacks, and you thought that you would be fine if you didn’t get hit, but the sound could have affected your child, too. Did that finally make you understand the situation?"

"Yeah..." Sealyn said and then rolled her eyes.

Sealyn, despite her seemingly indifferent response, had never really experienced the typical rebellious phase. Rain’s scolding and admonishment, it was plain nagging for Sealyn, but it held a weight of concern and wisdom. However, Sealyn, having already faced the consequences of her actions, felt a sense of resignation. She knew she had messed up, but dwelling on it seemed pointless to her. What was done had been done, and she preferred to focus on moving forward and learning from the experience rather than engaging in self-reflection.

"... What are you going to do now?" Rain asked after he realized what Sealyn was thinking.

"It is only a matter of time before the others realize it, so I will reveal soon enough," Sealyn said. "I am going to keep helping, but focusing on our safety first."

"That is the wrong way of thinking, but at least your goal is the correct one," Rain said.

Rain, as he contemplated Sealyn’s situation, couldn’t help but realize the gravity of the circumstances they were in. The dangerous zone they were navigating, filled with powerful monsters and constant threats, was no place for a woman to go through pregnancy and certainly not suitable for a newborn child to be raised. The risks were immense, and Rain began to empathize even more with Seadrei’s decision to keep her pregnancy hidden.

The harsh reality of their environment emphasized the importance of safety and stability, especially for those who were vulnerable, like pregnant women and infants. Rain’s understanding of Seadrei’s actions deepened, acknowledging the challenging choices people had to make in order to survive and protect their loved ones in such a world. The responsibility of ensuring a safe environment for Sealyn and her child became even more necessary, and Rain couldn’t ignore the pressing need for a more secure and stable living situation.

"Perhaps you should use this now and control the enemies from a distance," Rain said. "It is quite fun to make the enemies dance to your will. Just don’t develop a weird hobby."

Rain was the only person who couldn’t say that kind of thing, but Sealyn didn’t say that. It was a clear fact that Rain had countless weird traits, after all, and that was without counting how much nonsense he tended to say.

Before long, the other group arrived, and they looked exhausted. The fight against the orcs took a lot of them. Some of the people had broken arms and legs... after Rain heard the report, he could imagine what had happened.

The orcs had been focused on developing their society, tirelessly increasing their numbers, and undergoing rigorous training to enhance their combat skills in all possible conditions. Their dedication and discipline had paid off, resulting in a formidable force that numbered over one hundred thousand. This commitment to growth and military prowess made them a significant threat, and the toll of the recent battle against them was evident in the injuries sustained by the other group.

As Rain listened to the reports of broken limbs and exhaustion from the fight against the orcs, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the formidable nature of their adversaries. The orcs’ emphasis on societal and military development had clearly elevated them to a level where they posed a substantial challenge to Rain and his allies. They were defeated already, though.

"Four of the enemies had been defeated, but it is just a small drop of sand in this massive hellish landscape, right?" Jori asked. "Are we going to keep splitting our forces until we can defeat a bunch of them daily?"

"Maybe that doesn’t seem like the worst of the ideas," Rain said.

"I think it is... so far, we have been pretty lucky," Jori said. "Reca will come next, and her group will strengthen ours, but we need more than just that."

Everyone got a lot stronger in the previous battle, but they could all tell that it wasn’t enough... they needed something else... Rain thought that the answer was on the cores, but Elisabetha and Sakaki didn’t make any progress with them. Thanks to that, Rain was planning to split the cores among the groups instead and use those powers passively...