Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Upon learning that the emperor's spear possessed a form of consciousness or will, Rain's reaction was not one of surprise. It was not the first time he had encountered artifacts with such characteristics. The shield he had acquired, for instance, had exhibited a similar trait.

What did catch Rain off guard, however, was the ease with which the emperor's spear accepted a human wielder. It was uncommon for such powerful and ancient artifacts to readily bond with individuals outside their respective races or lineages. The fact that the spear had allowed a human to wield it without significant resistance was unexpected and intriguing.

Or maybe not… and the spear only wanted someone with some skills. The shield was another matter.

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"What happened to him?" Rain asked.

"Sometimes you are annoyingly perceptive," Seadrei said and then sighed. "The first sea emperor showed signs that he was losing his mind. People at the time thought that he was blaming himself for the loss of that war, but over the years, the royal family and the emperors realized the challenges that the spear showed. Some of us received the title, but were unable to use the spear.

Others had gone mad and disappeared to end their own lives before they could do anything insane."

"You want to risk my daughter suffering the same fate?" Rain frowned.

"You managed to use the spear alone, and well, Sealyn should be able to do that much," Seadrei said and then looked at the shield. "Although it seems that using the other relics might be a bit too much for anyone."

Within the room, they could see the large and imposing round coral shield displayed prominently, resting against the wall. Its surface was covered in intricately designed coral formations, creating a beautiful yet eerie aesthetic. The shield, unlike some cursed or malevolent items, did not radiate an aura of malevolence.

It remained an enigmatic and captivating piece, hinting at a hidden purpose, though.

Rain's curiosity was piqued by the shield, and he contemplated the idea of removing the coral to unveil its true form. However, he had some concerns about the implications of such an action. Revealing the shield's unadorned nature could potentially open a Pandora's box of complications, potentially raising more problems than it would solve.

It was a situation that left Rain in a state of thinking as he grappled with the decision of whether to delve deeper into this particular mystery.

"I need to return. My body is a bit sluggish, but the sea dragons probably will make their move soon, and I will have to fight," Seadrei said and then hesitated in grabbing his spear.

"You can pay me for it later," Rain said. "Keeping that thing with me would only bring more problems, after all. Try not to fall for easy traps next time."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Seadrei sighed and then nodded before leaving. With the immediate situation resolved and Seadrei on the path to recovery, there was still a lingering mystery surrounding the sea emperor's condition. Despite the progress made in treating his condition, the exact cause of Seadrei's poisoning remained unknown.

Based on the information Rain had obtained, he could only surmise that Seadrei had ingested something poisonous, likely during his time at home. The specifics of this toxic exposure were shrouded in uncertainty, leaving a puzzle that had yet to be unraveled.

The enigma of how Seadrei had come into contact with the poison and the source of his ailment remained a lingering question. While the immediate crisis had passed, the quest for answers was far from over… it could have been that someone from his family tried to poison him.

When Seara woke up, she looked around for her father, but Rain just shrugged. Seadrei's pride suffered too much damage since he had to be rescued and nursed by his daughter. He couldn't stay any longer without risking dying of embarrassment.

"He was fine. Do you want to go see him at his home?" Rain asked. "I think that seeing you there for a while will make sure that he won't forget this incident anytime soon."

"Don't bully my father, Rain," Seara said while showing an angry look on her face after she crossed her arms. "You are lucky that you returned in one piece, or I would have two big reasons to lecture you."

"The weather is great today, don't you think?" Rain asked while looking to the sky beyond the window.

A vein began to throb in Seara's forehead, but eventually, she sighed and gave up. She was still a bit tired, so they didn't have time for that.

"How was the fight? We could feel our mana being drained," Terra said.

"It was fine, but it needs some improvements," Rain said. "I will spare you of the details, but in the end, the method of using weapons to gather power is more efficient. When I am the vessel of that power, I end up receiving some damage."

"But my seal countered the effects, right?" Terra asked. "You look fine… but I guess if I keep improving my skills, that will be fine. By the way, we also gained experience… a lot of it."

That didn't surprise Rain at all, and that was a good thing since Rain couldn't reap all of the benefits. Besides, the more their skills improve, the more powerful the seals will become.

Rain's desire to increase the number of magic seals, allowing for greater coordination and synergy between members, was quite the goal. However, achieving this feat was no simple task, as the technique of creating such seals required a profound level of trust and harmony between the individuals involved. It demanded an unshakable bond and absolute faith in one another's intentions.

With this in mind, Rain had also extended the use of these seals to Terra and Seara, providing them with the opportunity to draw upon his mana to enhance their physical capabilities. In order to utilize these seals, a particular condition had been set, one that had initially elicited laughter from Rain and a fair amount of embarrassment from his wives…