Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Before the next meeting, Rain tried to work on the defensive system as much as possible, but something on that scale was pretty hard to show any results in a short window of time. Moreover, he wanted to work on a new path that used the aspects as a basis, but that had to be put aside for the time being.

Using the remaining dark metal to make the shield, Rain soon found a problem… even if he were to make it thinner… it wouldn't be big enough. Fortunately, he put some wars around it, and they could be used to weaken the enemies' attacks to some extent.

"Such a pain in the ass…" Rain thought. "I am getting tired of this."

"I also agree… attacking is much more fun than defending," Elisabetha said.

Although it probably wouldn't be as useful, Rain added some extra layers on the giant dark shield using the dark ice and another layer below it as dark earth… the first was used to weaken incoming attacks, and the others would be used to disperse the damage of the incoming attacks.

Rain worked on all of that inside his pocket dimension, so no one knew how they would defend against the enemies, and since such a shield would have to be teleported when the necessity arose, no one could help Rain with it. While Rain was working on that, he received a certain visitor.

"I can help with that," The overseer's voice echoed in the pocket dimension as Rain's surroundings came to a halt.

As if time froze, everyone and everything around Rain stood still… the area also got a bit darker thanks to it. That was certainly something akin to time manipulation since, even outside the pocket dimension, things looked frozen. When Rain turned around, he furrowed his eyebrows and then crossed his arms while looking at the cloaked overseer.

"... What do you want?" Rain asked.

"Why are you being so unwelcoming?" The overseer asked. "I said that I would only show up once again when you found the other relics, so I am being pretty generous coming to help you now."

"Wow, you sure are full of yourself when you are just watching from the sidelines and waiting to pick the winning side," Rain said. "Besides, it should be pretty obvious that you are being forced to do this. Let me guess, you can tell that the enemies will target Earth soon, and thanks to it, you decided to help."

"It is that obvious, huh?" The overseer asked.

"The other spirit is pretty much like you, a self-serving creature that only has the goal of making sure that it will survive," Rain said. "If humans weren't here, you probably wouldn't last forever, and that is why you decided to recreate them. Also, if the planet is destroyed, you won't have anything connecting you to the physical realm."

"You have gotten smarter. I am proud of it," The overseer said while nodding. "Although you learned a lot of new things that are truly hard to grasp, you didn't let them despair you. As such, I am here to help you solve this problem… since my survival also relies on it.

Whenever the planet is in danger of an attack by the machine gods, I will warn you of it and also tell you the exact location of the attack to teleport this shield. The rest will be up to you."

"So generous," Rain shrugged.

"I won't deny that I am acting out of self-interest, and that is why I can't choose between you and the dragon god yet," The overseer said. "However, I am someone who rewards those who help the planet. These will be literally one hundred times harder to level up, but I am sure that they will come in handy. Work hard for our survival."

In the next moment, Rain felt his body absorbing mana from the overseer; it was a large amount, incomparable to anything he had felt before, to the point that his body started to burn and his mind got foggy.

Temporal Path: The Temporal Path is a path through the manipulation of time itself, where practitioners delve into the secrets of chronomancy to alter the flow of temporal reality. This path offers practitioners the ability to manipulate time for various purposes. Wisdom + 200 per level.

Lvl 1: Time Sense - Initiates the ability to perceive subtle fluctuations in the fabric of time, granting awareness of temporal anomalies and disturbances.

The Void Path: The Void Path is a path into the depths of cosmic emptiness, where practitioners harness the power of the void to unravel the fabric of reality itself. This path delves into the mysteries of nothingness, offering practitioners the ability to manipulate emptiness for both creation and destruction. Wisdom + 200 per level.

Lvl 1: Void Perception - Initiates the ability to perceive the subtle energies of the void, granting awareness of the emptiness that pervades the cosmos. You can measure the distances and search for things with more ease as the level of the skill increases.

Energy Path: Energy Path focuses solely on the mastery of energy manipulation, encompassing the transformation and transference of various forms of energy. Practitioners of this path delve deep into the essence of energy itself, wielding its power with precision and finesse for a myriad of purposes. Wisdom + 200 per level.

Lvl 1: Energy Perception - Initiates the ability to perceive and analyze different forms of energy present in the environment, including kinetic, thermal, electrical, and potential energy.

Path of Information: The Path of Information Mastery is a path through the realms of data, where practitioners delve into the intricacies of information processing, analysis, and transfer. This path equips individuals with the tools to decipher, comprehend, and manipulate vast amounts of data, whether it pertains to objects, people, or abstract concepts. Wisdom + 200 per level.

Lvl 1: Information Perception - Initiates the ability to perceive and interpret data patterns, granting insight into the underlying structure of information.