Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

The war machines began to shake, trying to move, but it looked like their parts were rusted or something… even the saw blades stopped spinning at some point. When the machine god realized what was happening, it was too late, Rain used Impulse left and right and passed through the war machines and completely destroyed them with a single punch.

It didn't take more than ten seconds for him to destroy the one hundred or so war machines.

"Next," Rain said. "I am in a hurry."

Rain didn't do anything special… he just used the blood of the monsters he had killed on the ground and then made it clog the articulations of the machines. Since they were made of metal and blood is rich in iron, and he separated the liquid part of the blood, he basically sped up the rusting speed of the machines.

"You are an interesting creature. Quite resourceful. I believe that you can be a good test subject for all kinds of weapons and creations. You learn fast and have plenty of experience despite the small existence of your DNA data."

"Why do you call it DNA as well? Is that because you learned this from humans that you destroyed a long time ago?" Rain asked. "It must be pretty sad not to be able to learn new things by yourselves, and you guys can only steal and destroy. Garbage shredders are more useful than you guys who want to use others to satisfy your endless curiosity without sharing any knowledge of your own."

For someone like Rain, who received many things in life, the way that the machine gods operated was despicable.

He received a second chance, and while he tried to focus on himself alone, thanks to how his previous life ended, he soon realized that he had to share as well… share his knowledge from the previous Earth, share the wisdom that he obtained on his second life, give a hand to those who needed… focusing solely on himself and improving day by day was fine, but there was no point to it if you end up alone.

Rain also thought that he didn't have many things to be thankful for, and everything that he obtained was of his own merit, but that was just his pride fooling him.

He had plenty of help along the way… his father had to shed his blood to protect his family and his country against the magic people, his mother had to work a lot while she was also raising several kids, his grandparents took a lot of risk in accepting them after the end of the war since their family could be hunted… his friends also welcomed him on their group despite him being someone who was also cold to them and his fame began to get on their way as well.

Rain had plenty of reasons not to be so self-centered.

After hearing that, the machine god was able to feel Rain's contentment with their existence, and that troubled him endlessly. It was a weird feeling, hard to understand given that he hadn't experienced that any time before… the machine gods had plenty of hard times experiencing most things when they were inside organic bodies, after all.

"I suppose I need to put you in your place or give you a chance to show me that you aren't all talk. This will be the final challenge before you have the chance to face me and show me you what you can do with all your might. I hope that this won't be a waste of my time."

The atmosphere in the area began to change… that sure was happening a lot recently. Regardless, Rain felt the surroundings distorting again, and soon, he arrived in another world. The world was a world blanketed in snow, and the landscape was a mesmerizing panorama of white. Towering mountains, their peaks obscured by swirling clouds of snow, encircle the vast expanse below.

Every surface, from the jagged cliffs to the serene valleys, was coated in a thick layer of pristine snow, muffling sound and creating an otherworldly silence.

A powerful snowstorm swept over the land, and the air was filled with a flurry of snowflakes, dancing and twirling in the howling winds. Visibility was limited, with only the closest outlines of the mountains visible through the thick veil of falling snow. The storm's icy grip tightens its hold on the land, leaving behind a sense of isolation and awe-inspiring beauty.

Amidst all that, another creature was teleported in front of Rain. This humanoid figure, made from snow and ice, stood tall and imposing, yet its form was not static. Instead, it shivered and convulsed with each step it took, as if struggling against some unseen force.

As the creature moved, the ground trembled beneath its weight, sending vibrations rippling through the snow-covered terrain. Despite its appearance of solidity, there's an ominous quality to its existence, as if it's a transient creation of the wintry elements themselves.

Its features are jagged and angular, reminiscent of ice sculptures carved by the wind and frost. Glacial shards protrude from its body, catching the faint light of the winter sun and casting eerie reflections in the surrounding snow.

Though its movements could seem erratic and uncontrolled, there was a sense of purpose in its movements… one that Rain couldn't tell yet, but he could feel that something was off.

Rain assumed his fighting stance… all of his instincts were warning him of that thing, even though he couldn't feel any malevolence coming from it. Still, weirdly enough, the creature kept moving toward him very slowly.

"What the hell is that…" Elisabetha said.

"Beats me…" Rain said and then involuntarily took a single step backward. "Shit, I don't have time for hesitation."

After making up his mind, Rain used Impulse and then punched the creature in the face with all his might… the creature didn't move a single millimeter and then took another step…