Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"This is quite pathetic… I get it that they don't want to risk their families and lose more, but what is the point if you are surviving only to live a dog's life?" Rain wondered.

Rain saw the magic people coming and going; when they passed near them, the humans made sure to lower their heads while the others made sure to keep their heads high, filled with pride. Rain couldn't see much difference from some magic people to humans, but others were pretty different. He could see the blood mages walking around; they were a force that would become dangerous in longer battles.

Aside from those, he saw two types of magic people in high numbers. They were the heat sorcerers and the quicksand executioners.

The heat sorcerers were people that had an almost red skin since their bodies let them absorb heat quite easily and use it as well. The quicksand executioners didn't look much different from humans. Still, it seemed that, for whatever reason, they tended to turn into sand and everything made of Earth that they touched. That is why they are always wearing gloves and covering their whole bodies.

Rain had heard of them a few times, thanks to the rumors of the war. Their combination was quite annoying since the quicksand executioners were good at earth magic and could repair the walls quite fast. The heat sorcerers become stronger during the day and stupidly powerful at noon since they can control heat almost freely.

"I guess it makes sense that I am in the southern side of the city since I was in that direction… I don't know this area well, but I should be fine if I remain in the alleys," Rain thought.

Everyone was busy, and most of the people were In their houses, so Rain was able to move without finding any problems. When there were no dark alleys around, Rain used his earth magic to jump from one building to the other and remained hidden there.

At the top of the buildings, Rain had the chance to check things around, and the number of soldiers in the walls was small, but he saw several camps near them… the enemies were just trying to bait the humans to attack.

"While their magic skills give them an edge, it doesn't mean that they can't be smart…" Rain thought. "Anyway, I need to look for all those camps for Dad."

Rain moved from rooftop to rooftop and checked the enemy's camps near the walls of the city. He saw them mainly relaxing or eating. At the same time, they weren't expecting an attack from behind. Rain wondered if the enemies didn't think that Rain's father and uncles had passed the knowledge of the existence of the tunnels to others.

It seemed stupid not to do that… then again, it was hard to imagine that an army would be able to enter the city like that and defeat all the enemies. Even if they had three or four of those tunnels.

An Unknown skill leveled up.

The Healer's Path received three hundred points of experience.

"... I guess stealth is a skill in one of the paths as well," Rain thought.

Rain watched the camps around and found no signs of humans there. He imagined that they would be used as cannon fodder during the battles. Still, it seemed that such a thing wasn't happening, or it had already happened, and that was why he didn't find humans there.

After three hours, Rain began to feel troubled since he checked half of the camps of the city already, and there were no signs of his Dad and uncles. His main goal was to rescue his father, but freeing his uncles as well would also increase their chances of escaping since their fighting skills were top-notch.

"Maybe I should return and try again tomorrow…" Rain thought and then sighed.

Rain should have known that the mission wouldn't be that easy. Still, when he was about to give up for the night, Rain saw some movements on the walls, and then he saw a large group of people leaving the area of the East gate. What caught Rain's attention was the fact that the group was fully armored, and that was weird even for the humans in the city that were working for the enemies.

Before long, Rain confirmed that the group was being led by a woman that walked with her eyes closed, and she was being escorted by five armored warriors that were hiding their bodies and faces thanks to their full plate armor. However, Rain recognized the sword that one of them was carrying. It was his father's.

"Is that him?" Rain thought.

Rain never saw his father using anything aside from a sword, he probably wore armor when he was on duty, but he preferred to fight without one since it would hinder his speed. Rain saw Roan fighting that night of the invasion, so he could tell that his speed and high offensive capability were his strengths. In any case, Rain followed the group until they entered a large mansion.

Rain was able to see her from up close this time and confirmed once again that she didn't look very different from humans, but she kept her eyes closed all the time. If she was the one who had brainwashed his father, then she used her eyes.

"At least it looks like Dad didn't leave his family to chase another woman," Rain thought.

Rain observed the arrival of the mysterious woman, her long black hair flowing like a shimmering waterfall. Her figure was captivating, with a slender waist and curves that caught the eye. Dressed in a sleek black gown that accentuated her allure, she exuded an air of elegance and confidence.

Rain couldn't help but be both intrigued and cautious. Her demeanor was composed, giving away no hints of emotion or intention. He found himself drawn to her beauty, even though he knew better than to be deceived by appearances.

In his mind, Rain playfully dubbed her "Lady Succubus," a name that was both a playful jest and a reminder of the caution he needed to exercise. He wondered if her powers, if she had any, could indeed control men like the mythical creature she was humorously named after.