Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

After thinking for a while, Rain decided to return to the real world and he was able to know that the shield stopped talking… his conscience was still there, but a lot of mana was being used to keep him in there.

"Well, this will serve as a good lesson for that retard," Rain thought. "This will be good."

Although Rain said that, he wasn't sure what he should do… gaining more information from another relic would be useful, the power that would come with it was just a minor bonus, but he also had to consider that the person inside would be a massive pain in the ass like the shield. That guy was so annoying that Rain didn't even want to ask his name.

While Rain was thinking about that, his recollection of the memory depicting the ruined Miami left him with a troublesome revelation. He had always presumed that the city would eventually succumb to the massive number of hoes there. Yet, the sight of the devastated metropolis caused by colossal grotesque monsters seemed eerily close to his assumptions.

Moreover, as Rain thought of the state of Miami in the memory, he couldn't help but notice that the city's technological advancements didn't seem significantly ahead of his own memories of his previous life. Having visited Miami previously for a boxing match, he could conclude that the city he witnessed in the memory was likely only a decade or two more advanced than the time he died.

This realization further complicated Rain's understanding of the world's timeline. It clear that despite the catastrophic events and the passage of time, the city's technological progress hadn't advanced dramatically beyond what he remembered. This change between his expectations and the reality he observed added another layer of mystery to the complexities of the world's evolution.

"Maybe I shouldn't think too much about this since the past can't change, but maybe learning that could help me deal with the issues right now…" Rain thought. "Maybe the dragons are weak against science or something… at the same time, learning the basics of magic from that time could improve my skills as well."

Rain didn't want to follow what the shield said, but Rain learned a long time ago that knowledge is power. The knowledge from the past added with the power of the relics might be what he wanted… at least to complement the strength that he was trying to obtain.

"I at least need to observe this place for a while," Rain thought when he had a certain idea. "If things go the way I want, I will be able to check things there and the get the relic. I don't have much faith on humanity of that time, but perhaps the guy inside this relic won't be a massive pain in the ass."

In the end, Rain returned to the top of the hills that surrounded that place and watched the ancient city from afar. Although it was unlikely that the ice dragons came from there, Rain knew that the one he saw earlier passed above the place… that was why he found the city so fast in the first place, because he followed the same trajectory.

As Rain observed the ancient city of the golem dragons, time passed very slowly for several hours since nothing happened. The eerie silence enveloped the surroundings, leaving Rain immersed in contemplation while watching the abandoned cityscape. However, this peaceful solitude was disrupted by a subtle vibration that resonated within his domain.

The faint disturbance stirred within Rain's senses, prompting him to recognize the interference. His instincts sharpened, and he confirmed that the source of this disruption originated from the guy residing within the shield. Though Rain could have chosen to ignore this nuisance, he opted instead to address it promptly.

"What do you want?" Rain asked when he returned to his mental landscape. "A quick death? A slow death? Being bathed by boiling oil?"

"Why are you so bloodthirsty? Since you already summon me to this place, I thought that you might want to learn how to control this place better. My own has a bunch of stuff. Do you want to see?"

"I would rather die, that being invited to where you annoying mind lives," Rain said. "Stop annoying me if you don't want to be stored this time in a box full of manure."

"I wonder why you are so short fused. Regardless, we can do this here too. You should know how to change the appearances of your mental landscape a fair bit already, but there are other useful things that you can do it too. For example, you can turn this place into a beach, a blazing volcano, or a freezing snowfield."

"I think I will turn it into a beach a bury you up to your nose on it," Rain said.

"Also, the more you use this place, the more your body will get used to it, so it will consume less focus and mana overtime as well. As you are right now, you can also turn it into a library with the knowledge of the things that you know. Finding things like the secrets of techniques and even all of our life experiences should be convenient, right?"

"Not if you are here, and I am planning to turn this place into your prison," Rain said.

Rain found interacting with the shield guy an utterly draining experience. Despite feeling mentally fatigued and annoyed by the constant exchange, Rain acknowledged that amidst the annoyance, the shield guy did provide some valuable information.

This led Rain to ponder the extent to which he can manipulate or alter the environment within his mental landscape, considering the potential for more significant changes or transformations in that space.

Despite the weariness and frustration, Rain recognized the value in the information shared, making him consider further contemplation about potential alterations and adjustments he could make within his mental realm… he would rather die than thank that guy, though.