Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix
Chapter 1206 - 1206: Solution

Rain had never been one to idle away his time. His days were filled with constant movement, whether it was engaging in physical activities, honing his skills, or immersing himself in the pursuit of knowledge.

However, in the aftermath of the battle, as he found himself healing and reflecting on the encounter, Rain realized that this was the first time he had truly confronted the weight and power of his inner demons.

The sinister influence of the sins had managed to dig deep into the recesses of his mind, stirring up thoughts and images that weren't entirely fabricated. While Rain had never had intentions of harming those he cared about, the power of the sins had woven a dark tapestry in his thoughts.

It blended his desire to protect with the malevolence of the sins, showing him disturbing visions of attacking not enemies but those he cherished the most.

It was a realization that sent a chill down Rain's spine. The evil force had successfully manipulated his perceptions, tainting his intentions with the shadows of sinister desires against his enemies. Rain understood now that the power of the sins wasn't just a physical threat; it had the insidious capability to distort his very thoughts and emotions.

"Are you fine, Dad?" Danny asked. "You looked a bit… troubled after that attack."

"I am fine now, don't worry," Rain said while scratching his forehead. "It was the kind of attack that messes with your head. That is why I was caught off guard."

"... We obtained some information, but it will be tough for everyone to reach the other zone like this," Sealyn said after she approached. "We will have to keep hidden our best cards until we go with other teams and if things get nasty."

"The best option would be to use the same strategy as us, focus on defending while the damage dealer focuses only on attacking," Seadrei said. "However, the king will get used to it and eventually will come up with a new bothersome strategy."

"The other option is to go alone; that would decrease his mana pool by a large margin, but even so, that won't be easy," Sealyn said. "We will have to think of many fail-proof strategies to win against that guy… for all of us."

Rain acknowledged that, beyond the time constraints they faced, their repertoire of strategies was also limited. The bitter taste of the fight still lingered, and it was evident that the king, despite not necessarily growing stronger, was becoming a more formidable adversary with each encounter.

The lessons from their battles provided him with insights into their tactics, strengths, and weaknesses, allowing him to adapt and become tougher over time.

The escalating difficulty of each confrontation made it clear that relying solely on their current methods would not suffice. The need for innovative and foolproof strategies became more pronounced as they contemplated the trials that lay ahead.

After another meeting where everyone told the others what had happened. Rain was mainly recovered and ready to kick the king's ass to relieve some stress… but as soon as he thought of that, his dark thoughts returned to his mind.

"You are basically the same as me now. Every time you lose your focus that will happen," Elisabetha said.

"Unless I come up with a solution," Rain said.

"As if it would be easy," Elisabetha said.

"The answer was already found," Rain said. "Rage overtook my head, greed for control and lust for dominance clouded my mind, but the other sins didn't affect my mind that much. Can you guess why?"

"You didn't suffer that much in the hands of sloth and gluttony… the others had moderated effects on you…" Elisabetha said while thinking thoughtfully. "Was it because of the Diligence path?"

"Diligence path countered the effects of sloth since it is above level one hundred now," Rain said. "I just have to obtain the others and balance them out."

That was easier said than done. Rain had already started the humility and patience path, but he hadn't developed them at all so far… because he never thought that they would be able to help him like that. Moreover, learning those counters will be difficult now that his mind was filled with sinful thoughts once he relaxed…

"What are you two talking about?" Terra asked after she approached with Seara.

"Danny and Sealyn just told us that the last attack of the enemy did a number on you. Is it because of that?" Seara asked.

"I already found a solution for that. At the same time, it was something that would benefit everyone, so I will focus on that from now on," Rain said. "Anyway, Danny seemed a bit strange before. Do you two know of something?"

"Are you trying to change the subject because you look suspicious?" Terra furrowed her eyebrows. "I am not aware of anything strange regarding him."

"Me neither," Seara added.

It seemed that Danny didn't talk with anyone about his problems… as a grown man, it would be hard to talk with his mothers about anything overly serious, after all. Even more so if it was about men's and women's stuff.

"I will have to look into it while I find a way to develop those paths… so many things to do," Rain thought and then sighed.

Level 10: Reflective Insight - Develop a keen sense of self-awareness, allowing you to assess your strengths and weaknesses more accurately. Gain one free status points when recognizing mistakes on your recent fights. The level of the skill allows you to recognize mistakes in the far past and gain points from it.

Level 15: Strategic Adaptation - Embrace the art of adapting your strategies to different situations. Gain a three percent bonus per level to all parameters when facing enemies with unpredictable behavior or unique abilities.

Level 20: Patient Mastery - Cultivate patience in skill acquisition, increasing the proficiency gained from training by five percent per level. This bonus is particularly effective for mastering complex techniques and skills.