Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

As Rain closed in on the first group of enemies, a sense of determination took over them. They knew the magma golems would explode, and yet they willingly summoned these creatures pretty close to them. The golems detonated in a fire burst, consuming both the enemies who summoned them and the golems themselves.

It was a sacrifice, as their actions created a brief distraction and allowed some of their comrades to flee the dangerous enemy that was Rain. The explosion was intense and engulfed the area in flames, but the enemies' bravery brought their allies a few precious moments to escape Rain's approach.

"Sons of a bitches… they don't want me to get even the experience of killing them," Rain thought.

Rain didn't have the chance to chase the others… he still could feel the explosions coming from behind. When Rain turned, he saw Jori and Reca and the soldiers there trying to withstand the attacks of the golems that were destroying themselves, but dozens… hundreds of warriors had fallen by those attacks.

Rain clicked his tongue and used his mana to freeze the remaining magma golems to avoid more losses and then he dashed toward the other side of the city.

While he was jumping over the buildings, Rain could see most of the slimes running away while some of them were trying to buy time.

"... Their strategist this time is a real menace," Rain thought. "They don't only have knowledge and power."

When Rain reached the other side, he saw dozens of craters and burned bodies around… even the equipment that used dragons hide and scales wasn't enough for that. Rain saw Terra near the wall trying to save those that could be saved… but hundreds there had been killed as well.

Terra was having a hard time healing when Rain was draining her mana to heal himself as well, but soon he stopped the seal when he froze the remaining monsters… pretty much all of the magic people there was able to escape since Rain had to focus on decreasing further casualties and that consumed all of his mana and Seara's.

"Second Seal, On. First Seal, on," Rain said.

Rain's heart sank as he surveyed the battlefield, his eyes falling upon the lifeless bodies of his fallen warriors. The once-proud soldiers, who had charged fearlessly into battle, now lay still, their faces forever frozen in expressions of valor and sacrifice. The sheer scale of the casualties was overwhelming, and the sight of countless unidentifiable corpses sent a shiver down his spine.

Some of his comrades, however, still clung to life, groaning in pain from their injuries. Rain couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of guilt. He had been outsmarted, and it had cost him dearly. This defeat was a harsh reminder of the realities of war, and the weight of the lives lost pressed heavily on his shoulders.

He knew he had to find a way to ensure that these sacrifices were not in vain, he could only think of that to avoid being overwhelmed by guilt.

Rain immediately went to help the wounded alongside Terra. Those who didn't suffer much damage were told to watch the surroundings, but soon they confirmed that the enemies retreated completely.

Before long, Seara and a bunch of people from the town came with potions and medicine and they began to help the wounded. Fortunately, further casualties were avoided, but it didn't take long for them to realize that they lost at least ten percent of their forces.

"Shit," Rain muttered when he confirmed the reports.

Rain's friends shared his shock and confusion, trying to make sense of the sudden turn of events. The drastic improvement in the magic people's combat capabilities had taken them all by surprise. Their strategic decisions were remarkably astute as if they had gained an uncanny insight into battle tactics.

It was as if someone had equipped them with the knowledge and strategies Rain himself had shared with his comrades.

Questions swirled through their minds. How had the magic people suddenly become so formidable? What had given them this newfound strength and wisdom? The unexpected turn of events left them all puzzled and searching for answers, their concern deepening as they grappled with the implications of the enemy's sudden and unexpected transformation.

The magic people shouldn't have a commander of that caliber, and it was weird to think that they would accept someone from outside to lead their troops, but it was shown now that their strategist was as good as Rain… if not better.

When night came, they confirmed that their losses had been 630 warriors… others fifteen hundred were too hurt to keep fighting and would need at least a month to recover. Just like that, they lost one third of their forces.

At some point, Rain stopped showing a perplexed expression and began to show one of focus… His friends knew that the losses were tragic and they would bother Rain for a while, but he knew that it was bound to happen. It was impossible for someone to win all the time.

"The enemy this time is quite something… do you know what you are going to do?" Seadir asked while Rain was thinking on the wall of the town.

"Yes… it is time to return to doing things like I did before," Rain said. "Trying to increase our strength as a group all the time doesn't work, and this result was the clear sign of it. Staying on the backline and only giving orders doesn't suit me."

"I can see where you are coming from, but…" Seadir said. "Things might get a worse turn if you end up dying or heavily wounded."

"I am aware of it, but I am willing to take those risks," Rain said.

Seadir recognized that Rain was unwavering in his commitment to his old strategy. He understood the heavy responsibility that came with it, as the lives of many warriors were at stake, after all…