Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

The following day, the group gathered, as the vessel came within range and initiated a deceleration in its approach. Simultaneously, Rain harnessed his abilities to create deformed, massive blocks of earth. With precision, he directed these earth masses to collide with the rear section of the vessel.

Sealyn, controlling the vessel now, skillfully manipulated its movements to enhance the impact, causing the entire vessel to tremble under the force of the collision. The debris generated from Rain's earth manipulation began to scatter around the vessel.

In a coordinated effort, Rain utilized a water mirror technique and then made the group disappear. Leveraging this technique, Rain and the group movedthrough the vessel's protective barrier. The entire group moved swiftly, concealed by the debris resulting from the impact. As they crossed the space, they strategically positioned themselves behind the scattered debris, effectively hidden from view.

The entire sequence of events was meticulously orchestrated to serve as both a disguise and a surprise for any potential enemies on the vessel. By taking advantage of Rain's earth manipulation, Sealyn's control over the vessel, and Rain's water mirror technique, the group successfully executed a well-coordinated and unexpected maneuver to escape the targets.

"Starting communication with the vessel, the debris are approaching the enemies base as predicted," Rain said. "If necessary, I will adjust their movements if they move too far apart from our target."

"We started to change our directions as well, keep us informed if something happens," Esmeralda said. "Good luck."

Everyone inside Rain's domain nodded as they approached the enemy's base. At the speed of the debris, it was going to take a while for them to reach the enemy's base. At least one hundred hours, but they can change their movement speed as soon as they confirm that the enemies are busy watching the vessel.

"Oh man… when I heard about this operation, I thought that Esmeralda had lost her mind," Jori said. "Hehehe, but why does this still feel so exciting?"

"Probably because someone needs to study you," Rain said. "Anyway, we will have some time, but focus on heading in the directions that I will point to, okay? Also, only target those who have weapons."

"What are we expecting to find there for you to say that kind of thing?" Terra asked.

"It is hard to say, but you should know that killing civilians will only rile up even those who aren't warriors. We don't need to increase the number of enemies."

Terra nodded. Everyone acknowledged the historical truth that the aftermath of war often casts a long and enduring shadow over the affected societies. The survivors of the losing side, burdened by their defeat, frequently harbored deep-seated resentment and hatred toward the victors.

Rain emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that the consequences of their actions could reverberate for decades. He told them the importance of being mindful of the potential long-term effects and the creation of lasting enemies. In the complex landscape of war and its aftermath, he recognized the danger of increasing hatred among those who survived the conflicts.

Contrary to a more expedient approach of eliminating perceived threats swiftly, Rain said that their current intention wasn't simply to get rid of their adversaries. Instead, he conveyed the importance of understanding the intricate dynamics of war and societies across the universe before making irreversible decisions.

The group needed to navigate this perilous path with caution and wisdom, avoiding unnecessary hostilities until they comprehended the broader picture in a cosmic scale.

In any case, the group kept moving as they watched the star vessel disappearing in the distance… seing their new home disappearing like that was quite nervewracking. Everyone could feel the tension increasing as they began to sweat cold… even Rain. Not even when he was half dead, he had gotten so further away from his family, friends, and children.

In any case, the group soon confirmed that the plan was working… the enemy cannon was slowly turning as it followed the Star vessel. They didn't find any signs of the enemies noticing their approach either. Still, they couldn't drop their guard… they were a magic civilization that took notice of the vessel when it was hours away from them at the speed of light, and that was an impressive feat…

After a couple of hours, Rain began to see the enemies base with more clarity, he couldn't bring the telescope with him, so they all had to wait before they could use Magic Eyes… they kept doing that without noticing any alterations, but eventually… the cannon began to tremble and the levels of mana on it began to increase.

"Shit… is that it?" Rain asked.

"They would need mana too to fire meteors, you know?" Sakaki said.

Sakaki had a point and soon that was confirmed… the cannon fired multiple blasts of meteors toward the vessel… it was impressive that they could fire numerous bullets at them.

"The cannon was used, do you read me, Esmeralda?" Rain asked.

"We noticed it as well. We are already on the move," Esmeralda said.

Rain wanted to say to them to keep their guard up, but that would only distract them… besides, they couldn't even see the vessel in the distance anymore. So, there was no point in worrying about it.

"They are firing it again… even though the first shots shouldn't have hit them… they must be calculating their positions to hit them," Sakaki said.

Rain bit his lips when he heard that… Still, amidst that, he had an idea… whenever the cannon was used, he made the rock that they were using change directions and speed up toward their destination a bit more. Everyone helped Rain with even though the trip was already pretty unstable already. Still, it looked like the enemies didn't realize their approach yet.

"At that rate, we might actually reach the enemy base when they are exposing their backs to us…" Liss said. "When that happens, we will follow the plan or invade their real base?"