Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"Some people wanted to call this the new capital of the human realm, but Branden and Esmeralda were against that," Asche said. "Even though they were basically copying everything that they remembered. They figured out a sense of familiarity would make everyone feel better."

The city nestled within the confines of the island presented an uncanny resemblance to the former human kingdom's capital. Streets lined with sturdy brick houses exuded a sense of familiarity alongside the streets. They used the same material, while quaint wooden shops added character to the bustling scene.

Amidst the daily movement, people engaged in their activities, and the carefree laughter of children echoed through the streets, infusing the atmosphere with warmth and cheer.

Rain couldn't shake off the thought of why they hadn't considered returning to gather Meiro, Luana, and others who had chosen to remain behind. However, practical constraints were the cause of that. The island lacked the swiftness required for a fast return.

A direct voyage spanning months wouldn't suffice due to the island's massive size and the impediments of actual islands that obstructed their route. Additionally, the city's infrastructure itself couldn't accommodate more than twenty thousand inhabitants, posing a significant limitation to relocation.

Rain didn't see the castle in the distance, but he found an extra large house in the middle of the city… when Rain saw the gate, he also found Liss there with her arms crossed, and when he saw Rain, she raised her arms.

"Sorry," Asche said and then jumped away with Impulse.

In the blink of an eye, a bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky, dangerously close to striking Rain. Reacting swiftly, he summoned an earth wall, swiftly erecting a barrier just above him. Ordinarily, a single earth wall wouldn't have withstood such a formidable attack.

Yet, this particular lightning spell prioritized speed over raw power, and Rain's quick reflexes matched the spell's swiftness, enabling the wall to effectively divert the lightning's trajectory, sparing him from harm.

Liss maintained a familiar appearance, unchanged in many ways. Her blonde hair retained its length, and she continued to wear her dark robe as before. However, a closer observation revealed the roughness etched into her eyes and the lines on her face, a testament to the years of tireless training and battles fought.

Despite the external semblance, the marks of struggle and hard-won experience were evident in her gaze and countenance.

"I guess it isn't surprising since she can summon lightning this fast with a cloud of that size," Rain thought.

Before long, Asche appeared in front of Liss and tried to explain things to Liss, but she ignored that and just kept spamming lightning bolts on Rain's head. People around began to dash to their homes in order to avoid being caught in the crossfire, even though only one side was attacking.

Regardless, Rain summoned several wind walls above him, and they repelled the lightning bolts until he got closer to the mansion.

"I don't believe it," Liss said. "Only an idiot like you would believe this stupid tale."

"And you were the calmest of the group…" Rain said and then sighed. "Can't you guys do anything aside from denying my existence that much? Not like there are many other options…"

With his parents, Rain could joke around and assume a nonsensical posture, but he couldn't do the same with those two. They became completely no nonsense since they also became an important pillar for the current human society.

In any case, Rain looked beyond the gate and then saw a bunch of kids and adults checking things there… Rain blinked a few times since they looked a lot like Branden, Esmeralda, Orcis, and Lorene… they were old enough to have great great grandkids, so that wasn't surprising.

What was surprising was the fact that they had a rugged and thick aura and they also were wearing some weights in their arms and legs. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Well, that is weird…" Rain said. "Did they miss me that much that they wanted to train their kids to fight like me?"

"They wanted more people like you to guard the human realm… Making a normal person reach that level of strength isn't easy, but a bunch of them could become many times stronger than you," Asche said.

"I am normal. Only my good looks are supernatural," Rain shrugged. "... You guys have become quite jaded adults…"

The jokes left a weird silence in the air, and at that point in time, Rain felt that Liss might fire some beams of lightning from her eyes, considering her glare. Regardless, it was too tiresome to convince everyone one at a time that he was the real deal, so Rain wanted to use the third Seal to prove his identity.

He used it, and now that he thought about it… it didn't make sense that it was working since the seal could only work when he was fighting for the humans.

Asche and Liss raised their guard when they felt Rain's power increasing. His domain should have blocked their magic senses, so their instincts were working rather well…

"This was the third Seal. You guys remember it, right?" Rain asked. "Branden should have felt this, so he should come here soon."

It didn't take long for Rain to feel some eyes on him coming from the building, but the Windows were covered in curtains so that he couldn't see them well… only a bit of their eyes.

"It looks like they have gotten shy over the years," Rain said. "What now, captain? Those kids look ready to fight, and I think that even defending myself will put my position at risk here."

"... I am going to talk with them," Asche said after a long sigh. "Don't fight while I am away. Don't do anything if he doesn't do anything, you hear me?"

"Shut up, I don't follow orders from you," Liss said while still glaring at Rain. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Rain sex appeal Lonard," Rain said since he was getting tired of the serious atmosphere.