Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Despite Rain's agreement, a lingering sense of trouble bothered him. This mission, centered around investigation rather than the familiar search-and-destroy operations he favored, felt very unusual. The shift in focus left him with a sense of weirdness that he couldn't quite shake.

Gathering with the group near the large tent, Rain proceeded to conjure a sturdy chamber from the very earth beneath them. Thanks to their lack of physical strength, even Lorene and Orcis hesitated to enter this earthen refuge. Seadir and his companions shared similar reservations, openly expressing their doubts. They were not comfortable entrusting their safety to Rain's magical abilities.

The atmosphere grew tense with uncertainty, casting a shadow over their journey that didn't even start.

"What is wrong? Branden can vouch for my method of transportation," Rain said. "He is even giving me a bunch more potions for that. One has to spend money to travel fast. Besides, I don't need underhanded tricks to kill you if I wanted. I don't fight with my fists to be a coward in a situation like this."

"It is fast, I can say that at least," Branden said. "I am spending a lot of money on this since I want to solve the issues between our people. We can't cross the whole country and check all places in any other way.

In the end, everyone jumped in once Branden jumped into the chamber. Rain felt like a prankster when he planned to suddenly speed up the chamber, but he decided against that… they didn't have time for that kind of humor. Slowly but surely, they began to gain speed. To the point that even Seadir, Sirenus, and Coraline couldn't move that fast underwater.

"You improved again, the speed," Branden said.

As Rain and the group soared in the earthen chamber through the sky, they noticed they were going faster. It wasn't just Rain's magic; he made some changes to help them move better.

Rain knew it was important to cut through the air smoothly to go faster. So, he used the ideas from how things move in the air to make the chamber better. He made the front point like an airplane and lowered the top.

By doing this, Rain made sure the chamber moved through the air more easily, like a streamlined shape. This way, they faced less air pushing against them, and it was like they were gliding through the sky.

Lowering the top of the chamber also helped because it stopped too much air from getting trapped inside. This made sure they didn't slow down because of too much wind pushing against them.

With these changes, the earthen chamber moved more smoothly through the air, and Rain and the group could travel faster. They went through the sky comfortably and quickly, thanks to Rain's clever ideas about how things move through the air.

"Never mind that. How are we going to proceed once we find the targets?" Rain asked. "We can't just find them and ask them nicely, right?"

"We don't have much time, and while we have some attack power here, the chances of the investigation ending in a fight are low," Branden said. "We will have to work fast in gathering information. Fortunately, I know some people in most cities that will help us with that."

While Branden's words seemed clear that some people in the cities would betray the rich people there to help him, it was very unlikely that was the case. Most likely, he used some people from the organization to investigate most cities and lords to keep on check on those that could become a problem. The organization was big enough for him to do that without dealing with issues.

He was also influential enough to not be considered a suspicious act coming from him.

Rain also thought that he could do something about that with his earth magic. He could check the places that belong to the suspicious individuals and then use a lot of mana to sense and check the terrain of those people. He would be able to find suspicious places underneath their houses, like prisons, cellars, or even dungeons.

Still, it would be better to confirm if the people in those places were acting suspiciously or received anything out of the norm since Rain has to be careful with the potions and his own mana.

"That is fine and all, but you guys stand out too much, all of you," Rain said. "If someone is doing something behind the curtains, they will act fast once they hear about you all. It seems that our best bet is to move at night."

"We should rest since we won't have time to do so at night," Branden said. Enjoy reading at m-vle-.

Although Branden said that, the group didn't relax enough to actually sleep. Rain also thought that the week would be a long one since he couldn't control the chamber and take a nap at the same time.

Fortunately, the Healer's path was leveling up like crazy… he decided to focus on that one instead of the wizard's path because he had been using that a lot recently, and he also felt that his healing skills needed some upgrade.

As night fell, Rain and the group arrived at their first destination—a city known for mining near the magic people's territory. The city was shrouded in darkness, with only lanterns and torches providing dim light. This mining town at night was remarkably different from its bustling daytime activity. It was now quiet, a far cry from the daytime noise of miners and carts.

The city's buildings were sturdy stone structures, tall and imposing. Their windows were mostly shut, giving the impression that the city was asleep. The streets were narrow and made of cobblestones, with patches of soft earth where miners and carts had left their mark.

What struck the group the most was the unusual silence. It wasn't just the absence of people; it was a deep stillness in the air. Even the usual nighttime sounds, like insects and owls, were strangely muted. The reason for this eerie quiet remained a mystery.