Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Rain devised a strategy to turn the first sea dragon into an ally. That was one of their goals, after all. He knew that speed and precision were of the essence. With his plan in mind, he told the golem masters to transform their sturdy golems into spears.

These massive, towering constructs became the means through which they would subdue the sea dragon. The golems were strong and versatile, and they could strike with tremendous force.

Meanwhile, the other members of the group used their magical abilities to locate and move out the trapped sea dragon from the depths of the ocean. Using their powers, they brought up the colossal creature out of the water and into the air, suspending it there as if it were a captured prize.

The sea dragon hung in the air, helpless and vulnerable, ready for Artisia to work her magic. Rain's plan was unfolded with precision, and the team managed to bring this mighty beast under their control.

"I guess you guys did a good job," Rain said while he moved his body like a dog to get rid of the water on his clothes. "Time to bring them to the shore."

The mission was over… in theory, they had a sea dragon with them, but Artisia had to stay completely focused on keeping the creature under control and couldn't do anything else. They had to find a more efficient way to control it.

From what Rain had heard and had seen, it seemed that the magic of her tribe came from some sort of mutation in their eyes… thanks to it, they had few members… mainly because they actually had a lot of people in their tribe, but most of them were born blind, and when the mutation in their eyes tried to kick to forcefully awaken their powers, they would suffer headaches from an early age and most of them didn't even turn five years old… it wasn't a technique that could be learned.

Rain rubbed his chin thoughtfully… keeping the beast under control would be easier if Artisia had more wisdom, but she didn't get that much experience by helping kill only a single sea dragon. Rain had a skill that could help with that… it was Wisdom Blessing… it would increase the wisdom of all those he deemed his allies.

"This is annoying…" Rain thought.

As expected, Rain wanted to blame Artisia for that… to putting him in that situation, to be forced to consider a former enemy an ally… she actually was his nemesis in a sense since Rain didn't even hate when the king and Joanis tried to kill him by making his body explode with blood, but he hated them for trying to target his family.

"Anyway… she is an underling, and as her employer, I have to at least offer her the necessary conditions to do her job properly. I suppose I have to offer these morons the same conditions as well," Rain thought and then let out a sigh.

It took a while and some mental gymnastics, but Rain eventually managed to convince himself to truly see those guys as allies… they also got a bit stronger when Rain equipped other teacher's skills that increased their parameters.

"Don't say a thing, don't act differently, or you guys will creep me out," Rain said when they realized the buffs that Rain gave them.

It couldn't be helped… it was to make his skills level up and to finish the mission faster… while saying those words like a mantra, Rain waited until morning came before heading to Seadrei's castle. Fortunately, the guides that took them to the region returned and helped them bring the sea dragons' bodies.

At first, Rain thought that the guides were helping them to do a favor as a sign of thanks for making their territory more peaceful, but he soon understood that it wasn't the case. The vibrant and joyous scene that unfolded before Rain and his group was a far cry from their initial expectations.

When they returned to the underwater capital, the sea folk's cheers were filled with genuine gratitude and admiration for their efforts. The underwater capital, typically serene and calm, now resonated with the sounds of celebration, echoing through the aquatic streets.

The triumphant procession of the sea dragon's massive bodies showcased as a symbol of their accomplishment left no room for doubt. It was more than just assistance; it was a grand celebration, a heartfelt expression of thanks from the sea folk. It felt like they were finally accepting humans as allies.

The exuberance of the sea folk was evident in the smiles, claps, and chants that rang through the city, making Rain feel not only feel creeped out but a bit annoyed. He didn't like that kind of thing, and he imagined that Seadrei didn't like it either…

"... What was that?" Rain asked when he arrived at the throne room and saw Seadrei looking bored out of his mind again.

"... Politics, my friend. Politics," Seadrei said. "All of a sudden, when some of my advisors and generals heard that you dealt with the threat in two days, they decided to do this. I didn't want to, but they convinced me that it would be better for the sake of my first grandkid and the relationship between humans and my people."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"I can understand that, but…" Rain frowned.

"All in all, you win some, and you lose some," Seadrei said. "Their main goal is probably to feed your ego a bit to make you work for us as much as possible. People honestly believe that it is easy to control the so-called heroes by giving them what they like the most."

"Well, I feel creeped out when people praise me, so it didn't work," Rain said.

"I figured as much, and that is why I decided to agree with all this," Seadrei said. "The only problem is that you ended up becoming more infamous among the dragons, but that was bound to happen in one way or the other."