Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

After moving for a full day, the group could see the center of the enemy base slowly disappearing as one of the four planets came into view… the cannon attacked now and then, so it seemed that the Star vessel was still hanging on. Communications were still possible, but they were avoiding that since they relied on mana to send the messages.

"This is our chance. When the center of their base disappears, we will speed up and use their blind spot to approach," Rain declared.

"We assumed that they had another base, but we can't see it… still, why do I feel like things aren't as they look?" Terra asked.

Some others in the group shared those worries as well… in the end, just using the part connecting the four worlds seemed like it wasn't enough. At the same time, it could be that the defense system moved to always have the Star vessel on their line of fire.

"While I understand your worries, either way, we need to do this. If they have something else hidden, we have to force their hands to show it instead of surprising the Star vessel," Rain said.

Everyone nodded… they were using the Star as bait. Everyone there was taking some risks, so they had to do the same.

From their vantage point, the group observed the closest planet with newfound clarity as they approached. The planet's surface was adorned in vibrant hues of green and blue, reminiscent of Earth. The landscape seemed to be teeming with a rich variety of vegetation and animal life, painting a picture of a world brimming with vitality.

However, Rain's keen eyes detected something peculiar from the distance. As they drew nearer, he discerned an extraordinary phenomenon on the green side of the planet. The verdant side, while appearing static at first glance, seemed to possess an almost sentient quality. Subtle movements rippled through the landscape, creating an illusion that the green itself was alive and pulsating.

This unexpected sight raised questions among the group, prompting contemplation about the true nature of these worlds. The familiar Earth-like features and the enigmatic liveliness of the green expanse left the members of the group intrigued and slightly unsettled.

"Maybe I need glasses…" Rain thought while rubbing his eyes.

"It is almost time… do you think we should land on that planet and then invade their base through the tunnels that pierced it," Asche asked. "If they are made of machines that drain mana, Liss can destroy them, right? With her magic?"

"We should bet that we have some countermeasures against that," Rain said. "For now, let's focus on approaching and confirming the nature of their defenses before deciding on anything. It is about time."

Before long, the cannon and the base disappeared behind the closest planet, so the group used their magic to create as much as wind as possible as they pushed the massive rock that they were behind. At the same time, Rain just controlled the projectile to keep it stable while it was accelerating. Their speed increased exponentially, and soon, the planet itself began to get closer.

As Rain kept his eyes on the target, he considered changing the direction of the boulder to hit the massive corridor that pierced the planet, but before long, he changed his mind. It wasn't clear from a distance, but it became clear eventually… there was a magic barrier around the corridors. Rain thought that the aura he saw was just the mana being sucked, but that wasn't true.

Moreover, the barrier was red.

"Anti physical attacks barrier…" Rain muttered. "Even those guys have that."

"What are we going to do?" Terra asked.

"Their barrier can't cover the entire world, only their most important facilities," Rain said. "We will use the boulder to target the cannon while we land on the planet and approach the corridor. That should work well enough to make them not realize our landing."

Recognizing the practical limitations of trying to maintain stealth throughout the entire invasion, Rain and the group made the decision to reveal their presence intentionally. The reality was that the enemies would likely have detected their invasion by the time they reached the corridor anyway.

Crossing hundreds of kilometers without being discovered was just impractical, risky, and time-consuming.

Understanding this, Rain adjusted the trajectory of the massive boulder they were using for cover. The decision to reveal their invasion was a calculated move, acknowledging that the element of surprise had its merits.

By drawing attention to the boulder and the incoming threat it posed to the cannon, the group created a diversion that could potentially buy them the crucial moments needed for a successful descent to the planet's surface.

After a couple of hours, with the cannon once again in their sights, Rain fine-tuned the trajectory of the boulder. The massive rock was set on a collision course with the cannon, capturing the enemy's focus. Seizing this distraction, the group made a swift exit, jumping away from the trajectory of the boulder.

As the boulder continued on its path toward the cannon, the group started their descent into the planet's atmosphere at supersonic speeds. Everyone inside Rain's domain began to tremble because the atmosphere was once again bothering them… moreover, their bodies started to get quite heavy.

"The gravity here is quite intense… is it because four planets are close to each other?" Rain thought.

Before long, Rain was able to see the massive corridor that pierced that world… and it was humongous. Even thicker than the Star vessel. They approach the place at high speeds, but soon they collided against something invisible… the group almost smashed their faces against the limits of Rain's domain thanks to the sudden stop… the suits protected them, but they still got a bit dizzy.

"Shit… the barrier even reaches this far?" Rain thought.

They were thirty kilometers away, so that was quite something… Nevertheless, the group began to approach the forest below to find the entrance of the corridor, and soon they saw giant trees moving….