Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

As Rain rose to his feet, bolstered by a newfound sense of confidence gained from the skills he just got, he glanced around and noticed Seara patiently waiting nearby. The time had come for Rain to meet Sealyn, his daughter, who had grown into a position of leadership and responsibility, and this realization caused a bunch of nervousness to creep in.

Despite the regained confidence from learning about Sealyn's remarkable skills and achievements, the prospect of meeting his daughter after such a long absence still stirred a mix of emotions within Rain. The nerves began to flutter in his stomach as he contemplated the upcoming encounter with her, wondering how she would receive him and how much she had changed since he last saw her.

"You look a bit tired. You should sleep a little," Rain said when they walked into the middle of the camp. "Are you planning to fight tonight as well?"

"I will just on offering support from the backlines, so this much is fine," Seara explained.

Rain was troubled with conflicting emotions as he contemplated leaving Seara and Sealyn behind, even if it were for a brief period. His primary focus had shifted to protecting those closest to him instead of engaging in those large wars, yet the idea of departing and potentially leaving them behind weighed heavily on his mind.

Acknowledging their resilience and ability to survive in the harsh reality they inhabited thus far, Rain couldn't shake the sense of responsibility and guilt that came with the idea of temporarily parting ways when he just met them. Despite his commitment to finding the rest of his family, the thought of leaving Seara and Sealyn behind annoyed him, creating a moral dilemma within.

While Rain was thinking about that, they returned to that large tent where he had met Seadrei. The former sea emperor was no longer there.

This time, Rain found Van, who opened his eyes widely and gulped when he recognized Rain, a bunch of soldiers from the sea folk, and a tall and slender woman who had long blue hair braided that reached even her legs… she was so similar to Seara that Rain opened his eyes widely, at the same time, she was quite tall.

Seara was wearing a light coral armor, and she had the sea spear with her as well… even without those one could see easily that she had quite the presence and since she mastered all of the water-related skills that Rain developed using as a basis the techniques of the dragons, she looked full of life.

Rain showed a small happy smile when Sealyn looked at him… she was doing well despite the fact that he hadn't been there for the last one hundred years. She fought hard, trained hard, and now was trying to reclaim the freedom that she deserved… that was all that mattered to him.

"... You must be my father," Sealyn said.

"I am, right?" Rain asked while looking at Seara.

"That is the only kind of joke that I won't accept from you," Seara furrowed her eyebrows.

"Even though you accepted the others, you still broke my nose?" Rain frowned. "Well, sorry… it must be weird for you to see me like this. A stranger appearing out of nowhere and claiming this."

"Not at all," Sealyn approached and then crossed her arms. "For a long while and even now, occasionally, I have dreams where I see a red-haired man calming me down in his arms. Your face was always a bit blurry, but I can tell that you are exactly how I remember. You look a lot like Danny, but he is a bit more skinny."

"I guess he must have skilled his leg days," Rain said and then laughed. "Are you busy right now?"

"Yes, unfortunately…" Sealyn scratched the back of her head. "I want to talk with you as well, but right now, fighting the enemies is more important than that."

"Understandable. Best of luck," Rain smiled and then turned around to leave the area.

Sealyn returned to the table, joining the others to discuss the night's operation. Van let out a sigh of relief, clearly from the slight tension of Rain's arrival dissipating and because he thought that he would have punched him if he had the chance, he also heard a few things from Seara about how doting of a father Rain was after all.. Meanwhile, Seara was left pondering her next move.

She had arrived earlier, intending to offer them a moment to talk, but it appeared that her timing was off.

She hesitated, considering whether to interject in the discussion or step back to give Rain and Sealyn the space they needed. Her initial plan to provide them with a moment alone to reconnect seemed to have misfired, leaving her uncertain about her role in this reunion.

"Mom, do you want to sit this one out to spend some time with him?" Sealyn asked. "He doesn't intend to fight with us, right? When he is leaving to look for the others?"

"If you know that much, you should have tried to be a bit nicer," Seara frowned.
Read latest chapters on My Virtual Library Empire

"I am busy right now and too many people are counting on me," Sealyn said. "We are only here temporarily and we won't be able to find a base as good as this anywhere, so we have to make the most out of it while we can. Anything else can wait."

Seara, observing Sealyn's intensely focused and work-driven attitude, felt a sense of resignation. As she watched her daughter delve deeper into her responsibilities, it struck Seara that Sealyn had inherited certain less difficult traits from both herself and Rain.

While these were admirable qualities, Seara couldn't help but feel a bit exasperated. She wished her daughter would embrace a more balanced approach to life, allowing herself some respite from her relentless work ethic. However, at the same time, Seara empathized with Sealyn's commitment, knowing it stemmed from a sense of responsibility and the weight of their challenging reality…