Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Despite these early challenges in establishing rapport with the drivers, Rain, and their fellow team members remained committed to their mission\'s success.

Rain quickly picked up on something significant. Their initial attempts at friendly conversation with the drivers not only fell flat but also seemed to irk them. It was clear that the drivers found Rain and their team\'s relaxed approach somewhat irritating.

These reactions prompted Rain to ponder a series of questions. They began to wonder whether these drivers were in any way connected to a rival family or faction that opposed Brandon, their own family\'s leader. The thought crossed their mind that these drivers might have ties to a competing family or even harbored a personal grudge against the Lonard family.

"From what I heard, they don\'t have those political ties," Asche said when Rain asked her about it. "Still, a lot of lords wanted to make a profit out of this trip, so the drivers work for many families since His Majesty decided to give enough chances for everyone."

If that was the case, Rain found it hard to believe that they would be attacked, so the drivers didn\'t have any reasons to be afraid… unless they would be attacked, but not all of the drivers would be targeted. That seemed plausible.

"Politics and schemes… so boring," Rain thought while rolling his eyes.

The first few days of the mission were quite smooth. Rain and the others had plenty of chances to train their bodies and skills since they ran with the weights instead of using the vehicles. The girls also used magic to propel their movements. They needed to get used to that by practicing, after all.

Still, the drivers looked even more tense when they left Retia city… it was the last stop on their territory, after all. They will have to move for another day to cross the border, so the drivers truly look restless. Rain didn\'t confirm anything since the drivers also didn\'t talk with each other, not even during the meals.

The group stopped to camp near the border when night fell, and then Rain realized that some were more tense than usual. Jori, Reca, Liss, Asche, and Terra also realized that, so they silently nodded to each other to keep their guards up. There will be no training session during the night from now on.

Some of the drivers went to sleep as soon as they had their meals, but others stayed up until midnight. They were so afraid that when they needed to attend the call of nature, they did it very close to the camp, which made the girls camp.

Still, their fear wasn\'t unfounded. While Rain was checking the area around with Magic Eyes, he saw some shadows approaching through the darkness.

"Their auras aren\'t from the magic people… I guess some people in our country sure are insane," Rain thought.

The enemies\' aura didn\'t exude an overwhelming sense of threat, which put Rain at ease to some extent. However, the sheer number of foes approaching was significant, nearing fifty in total, and they were converging on Rain\'s position from various directions.

A quick glance exchanged between Rain and their comrades communicated a silent understanding. There was no need for words; they knew it was time for Rain to take action. With a nod of agreement from their friends, Rain prepared to make their move.

Without hesitation, Rain jumped from the wagon\'s roof, landing gracefully on the ground. He used Impulse and then immediately stopped in front of the enemies, and he was met with a surprising response from the enemies. The adversaries, as if expecting Rain\'s move, threw a series of peculiar spheres toward him.

These spheres weren\'t your typical projectiles; they carried a mysterious payload. Rain, sharp and quick-witted, recognized the danger and swiftly conjured a protective wind barrier. The spheres collided with the barrier, triggering a violent explosion that released an unusual gas. The gas dissipated Rain\'s protective shield almost instantly.

"Anti-magic bombs?" Rain furrowed his eyebrows. "Is this a thing in this world?"

Rain found himself taken aback by the sudden appearance of these anti-magic bombs. This was a weapon or tactic that he had never encountered or even heard of before. The very concept of such devices designed to nullify magical abilities was entirely new to him.

As Rain considered it, he couldn\'t help but recognize the strategic advantage these anti-magic bombs held, particularly against opponents who relied on magical powers. It was a formidable tool that, if widely employed, could turn the tide of battles involving magic people.

The revelation of these devices left Rain pondering the evolving dynamics of warfare and the ever-shifting tactics of his possible adversaries.

Rain attempted to use Impulse. However, he soon realized that something was terribly wrong. In this particular area, his mana, the source of his magical abilities, seemed inexplicably absent.

Rain\'s brows furrowed as he grappled with this unexpected situation. It was as though his magical energy had been completely drained, leaving him defenseless.

All of a sudden, the cloaked and concealed enemies seized the opportunity. They charged at Rain with wickedly curved knives, their intentions clear. Rain found himself in a perilous situation, not really, those guys were slow… it seemed that some people assumed that all of his strength came from mana…

When the enemies swung their blades at him, Rain blocked them with his forearm guards and then kicked them in their stomachs.