Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix-Chapter 1145: Failures

The realization hit him hard. They had only recently started exploring the capabilities of gravity magic, a power they barely understood. Now, they were up against adversaries who could wield it with far greater mastery. The enemy not only knew where they were but also possessed the ability to manipulate gravity over long distances.

Rain considered the limitations of his newfound skills. Could they even attempt to counteract such force? The stark truth was that they were facing an enemy with abilities that far surpassed their own. The relics, powerful as they were, couldn't provide a clear solution to this predicament.

"You should try to calm down before anything," Sakaki said. "This kind of thing happens in wars. You should know that both sides are always trying to get the other side by surprise in order to have the upper hand."

"I know, I have done myself something like that plenty of times, but I didn't think that the enemies would do something like destroying a planet just to localize us," Rain said, and then he crossed his arms and began to think what they could do to avoid panic. "We need to develop some massive weapons with the metal that we found… maybe they are capturing us because they want that back."

"This is something that you will have to decide with the others, and you can't decide by yourself," Sakaki said. "Right now, you need to stay calm and let everyone realize that they can count on you. At the same time, you should take Elisabetha back and keep her with you. Even if the enemies might not be dragons, she will come in handy."

Despite the looming threat and the weight of responsibility on his shoulders, Rain focused on maintaining a calm demeanor. It was easier said than done, but he recognized the importance of projecting a sense of stability for the well-being of those around him. He couldn't afford to succumb to panic or anxiety.

Rain took a deep breath, allowing the tension to subside. He understood that dwelling on the unknown wouldn't yield any solutions. Instead, he focused on the immediate tasks at hand and tried to instill a sense of assurance in those who looked up to him. Calming his nerves was a conscious effort, and gradually, he found his tranquility.

The situation demanded strong leadership, and Rain aimed to fulfill that role to the best of his abilities. His family and comrades relied on him for guidance, and maintaining composure was absolutely necessary. As he centered himself, he prepared to face the challenges ahead with determination and strategic thinking.

In the end, Rain focused on keeping a close eye on the location where they were heading, but he didn't find anything. The planets around and even those that got in their line of movement kept moving like there was nothing wrong. At some point, Rain realized that the enemies probably had a disguise barrier as well.

In that area, there were three celestial bodies that moved around each other, and the others always kept a distance… that was weird.

"How do you explain this, Sakaki?" Rain asked.

"Planets in our solar system move through space in two primary ways: translation and rotation. These movements are influenced by the gravitational forces acting on them, primarily from the Sun," Sakaki explained. "When a planet is not close to the sun, it may still exhibit these movements, but the intensity of their effects could be different depending on the specifics of the planet's environment.

Even in the absence of a nearby star, a planet could still experience translation and rotation due to gravitational interactions with other celestial bodies, like moons or nearby planets. These interactions can affect a planet's orbit and rotation over long periods of time."

"Maybe they affect each other like this… that also could be a fake image, so I can't say it for sure…" Rain rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Just like we can reflect the surroundings, they should be able to do something similar."

In the end, several hours passed, and Rain didn't find anything new. The people in the meeting came to talk with him, and soon, they heard of the lack of news. Still, they came up with some things that they will have to do.

"The rest of us will focus on preparing for the unavoidable battle," Esmeralda declared. "They can't see us yet, so we can surprise them a fair bit when the time comes since they aren't planning to attack us immediately."

"You will focus solely on watching that planet with the relics while we will focus on preparing further," Sealyn added. "If anything new is found, we need to hear about it immediately."

"All right," Rain said.

The tedious wait for developments weighed heavily on Rain's shoulders. While the others focused on preparations for the battle, Rain found himself caught in a mental struggle.

Despite being the one to maintain a calm exterior for the benefit of the group, Rain battled his own inner demons. The uncertainty of their situation, coupled with the feeling of inadequacy against such advanced foes, started to eat away at his confidence even more. The burden of leadership felt heavier than ever.

As he monitored the planet with the relics, Rain contemplated the idea of returning to the leading others, leading the charge against their mysterious adversaries. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps facing the threat head-on would alleviate the sense of helplessness.

However, he acknowledged that dealing with his own lack of confidence was a hurdle he needed to overcome before taking such a step.

Over the course of the next few days, Rain worked with the relics to develop all kinds of things to help them find anything new in that area. Infrared sensors, heat sensor lenses… all kinds of stuff, but none worked. The enemies had developed a defense mechanism for who knows how long. It was only obvious that they wouldn't bypass it in mere days.