Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Now, the prospect of defending their island against a sustained dragon attack, where the dragons were the aggressors, posed a much greater challenge. It was a scenario that Van knew was bound to be a daunting and formidable task. The dragons were relentless and cunning adversaries, and their attack would put their skills and resources to the test in ways they had not experienced before.

Before long, Isa returned with a pair of relics in her hands and Rain opened his eyes widely when he saw them. He didn't expect to see that kind of thing in that world...

The pair of magic devices that Rain and Van saw appeared reminiscent of old-fashioned radios from a bygone era. They had a quaint and vintage appearance that harked back to a time when technology was simpler. Despite their dated look, these devices held a certain mystique, as they were clearly imbued with magical properties.

The devices featured a rectangular box-like shape, with a front panel that housed a phone-like receiver. This receiver could capture and transmit audio, making it suitable for communication purposes. However, what caught Rain's attention was the absence of an antenna. It was a peculiar detail, as traditional radios of the past often had external antennas to improve signal reception.

In contrast, these devices had no such appendage. It made sense in that world.

"This is something an old friend of mine created to make people communicate over long distances," Isa explained. "The longer the distance, the more mana it will be consumed, but we should be able to use this effectively."

With that design, Rain was certain… Isa's friend was probably someone from Earth who was reincarnated. Rain imagined that he was dead and maybe because she sensed some similarities between them, Isa ended becoming friendly to Rain.

Rain wanted to ask a bunch of things about this guy, but in the end, he decided not to in order not to raise suspicions and because he didn't have time. It was better to avoid further complications.

"You should get going," Isa explained. "Keep this relic with you, because you will feel when I want to open contact."

"All right, I am indebted to you," Rain said.

"I am sure you will pay the debt someday," Isa said after she crossed her arms and then nodded.

Rain bid farewell and then left in a hurry using Impulse… before long, he disappeared in the dark of the ocean at night.

"Hey, granny. Why are you so nice to him?" Van asked. "There are people who have been trying to get close to you for decades, but you still are so cold toward them."

"He has an aura similar to an old friend of mine, and his surname also interests me," Isa explained.

Isa wasn't entirely certain, but she vaguely remembered hearing a family story from her mother a long time ago. According to the tale, Isa's mother had a younger brother who had ventured into the world and become a renowned spearman. He had achieved the High Human Path, marking him as one of the first humans to reach such a level.

Isa hadn't paid much attention to the story at the time, and it had faded into the background of her memories. However, as time passed, she began to hear whispers and stories of a famous family whose members were distinguished by their striking green eyes. These green-eyed individuals were known as the Lonard family and were hailed for that spearman's unique ancestry.

The realization began to dawn on Isa that Rain, her recent acquaintance, was essentially the descendant of an uncle she had never met. It was a surprising and unexpected connection, and it prompted Isa to reflect on her own family history and the far-reaching impact it had on the world.

The Lonard family's legacy and Rain's presence in her life were intertwined in ways that she hadn't initially recognized.

— — Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire

Although Rain left in a hurry and went home as fast as he could, he still only arrived there two hours before sunrise… Seara and Terra were waiting for him and sleeping on chairs in the kids room, so Rain felt a bit bad about that.

"Well… it couldn't have been helped," Rain said after a long sigh. "Besides, I gained a lot in a single day."

Rain thought that he hit the jackpot with the things he obtained in the duels, but the magic radio, or so how he recalled the relic was the one that stood above the others. In one way or the other, Rain will try to make copies of them. Still, that will be hard without breaking it.

"I guess I should start studying how it works," Rain thought. "When Isa decides to call, that is. I guess I will take a nap to relax a bit."

When morning came, Rain felt quite lazy… he was used to sleeping around five hours, but only sleeping two was rough even for him when the battle wasn't happening. Still, he forced himself to get up and then cook something for breakfast. He had to make up for Seara and Terra and eating something sweet probably will boost motivation a bit.

"... Something smells like a woman," Seara said when she woke up and saw Rain finishing breakfast. "It is coming from your waist."

"I didn't know the sea folk had good noses," Rain raised his eyebrow. "This is something Isa gave to me in order to talk over longer distances. The tunnel is essentially useless now, since it is better if I don't interact with them."

"Hmm… so, she gave you a relic to talk with you as often as possible," Seara said.

"Didn't I already tell you that she looks older than mom?" Rain asked and then sighed. "She is also over three thousand years old."

"So, do you think that she is ugly?" Terra asked when she joined the conversation.

"You guys don't listen to a word…" Rain said and then sighed.