Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix-Chapter 1087: Dangerous ideas

"This planet seems inhabited… but they can't risk destroying it," Rain said. "We wouldn't have the right to fight for ours if we do something like that."

"This is a bit annoying, but I guess we can't be hypocrites… we will take all the ores that they had mined already, though," Sealyn declared.

"I will pass the message for the others to return. Keep your guard up," Esmeralda said.

"Things were getting out of hand really fast…" Nigel said. "I just wanted to kill the dragons that destroyed our previous civilization, so why do things have to become so complicated?"

"Things aren't that simple in life…" Larisa said.

Regardless, Esmeralda didn't mention anything else, so things outside the planet should be fine. After those events, Rain was left with a single conclusion: their enemies were still underestimating them. The strategy employed by the enemy indicated a deliberate and calculated approach.

It seemed that they were allocating only the minimum resources necessary to eliminate Rain and the others, with the intention of avoiding unnecessary waste.

This suggested a measured use of force as if the enemy believed that a minimal effort would suffice to dispose of Rain and their companions. They were a civilization that just left the confines of their world, after all. This strategic choice hinted at a dismissive attitude as if the opponents considered Rain and their allies insignificant and unworthy of a more serious response.

While it remained uncertain whether these particular enemies were the ones responsible for sending the giant stump and the other dragons, this nuance didn't significantly alter the overall situation. The overarching threat persisted, and the enemy's dismissive tactics implied a deeper, more systemic challenge.

Rain and their allies were left to deal with the unsettling realization that they were facing a foe who, for reasons unknown, deemed them inconsequential and continued to wield only the minimum force required to eradicate them.

After waiting for ten hours, Isa's group finally returned. They were trembling all over. It seemed that instead of getting hotter, the nucleus of that world went colder… in any case, the group soon began to work to return to the base.

There were dozens of those containers left, but each one of them could only carry two of those three without passengers, so Rain and Isa had to work for three days nonstop.

"I am beat. I am going to rest for a while," Isa declared when the job was over. "You already have my report, so until later."

The group was supposed to have another meeting, and while only Rain and Isa didn't take breaks during that time, Rain still insisted on going to the next meeting in order to know what he should do next.

"So far, we have no idea where to head next," Esmeralda said. "Terra and Seara are working on improving the telescope with the help of Maxime, but we might end up only finding another warehouse when we find where the cargo is heading to."

"We have no other options aside from looking for other bases nearby," Regis said. "What do you think, Rain? What do the relics think as well?"

"I think that it will be difficult to find anything without any clues. The universe is immense, after all," Rain said. "Even if we don't take more than a couple of minutes to check all nearby celestial bodies, it still will be impossible to check all of them in one thousand years."

"To improve the search, we will have to be very clear about the things that we are looking for," Sakaki said. "An advanced civilization might harness the energy of its star by building megastructures, such as a Dyson Sphere, which could partially or completely surround the star to capture its energy.

Detecting irregular light patterns from a star, such as unusual fluctuations or dimming, could be a sign of artificial structures or objects passing in front of the star. Analyzing the atmosphere of a planet for unusual chemical compositions, such as industrial pollutants or synthetic compounds, could suggest the presence of technological activity.

Detecting irregularities in planetary systems, such as artificial construction or manipulation of orbits, could be indicative of a highly advanced civilization. Detection of inexplicable astronomical phenomena that defy current understanding, such as anomalies in gravitational waves or unexplained cosmic rays, might suggest the influence of advanced civilizations."

"... To put it into simple terms, we will have to find anomalies, anything that looks out of place," Rain said. "We don't have time that much free time, after all. Even if we are still out of the enemies' radar. Time is a finite resource as well."

"We will have to select some smart people to do that all the time," Esmeralda said while she was writing down something. "Absorbing the knowledge of the relics should be easier for those who aren't as old as us, and with the help of some people to monitor them, I guess younger people should take that job."

Esmeralda had a point: Younger people learn things with more ease because older people have the vision and experiences to slow down their learning process. Both sides had their merits and demerits. While younger people could learn faster, they tend to be more arrogant and sometimes condescending.

At the same time, older people don't let surprises bother them that much, but they tend to be stuck in their ways and stick to what is working and not taking risks.

"For now, those are the only things we need to address," Esmeralda said. "You need to rest, Rain. We want you to share the memories of that fight with everyone and also work with Seadrei to make everyone train harder."

Rain nodded after hearing that. He already had some ideas of how that could be done… but it was rather risky. They would have to work with their strengths and improve the minds and bodies of those involved in those dangerous missions… the issue was the fact that his ideas were rather drastic.