Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix-Chapter 1060: Negotiations
As Rain and the group prepared for their next journey, his telescope confirmed what he had suspected – the next destination was two months away. However, this time, they faced an additional challenge. The planet they were targeting was vastly different from the previous base; it wasn't an outpost but an entire frozen world.
A perpetual snowstorm shrouded the planet, providing a natural cloak that hid everything beneath it.
Rain observed the planet through the enhanced telescope, his eyes scanning through the layers of clouds and icy winds. The mana within the storm presented a unique opportunity – a naturally occurring disguise that didn't require a large use of mana like a conventional magical barrier.
Despite the cloak provided by the storm, Rain knew they couldn't approach the planet directly. Their presence needed to be concealed further, avoiding any potential detection by the hostile civilization. The group had to ponder over the predicament, discussing potential strategies and ways to navigate through the icy veil undetected.
As preparations continued, the challenge ahead became clear – not just reaching the distant planet, but doing so stealthily, avoiding the watchful eyes of their troublesome adversaries.
"I hate cold… I hate planets covered in ice," Vanessa said.
"You guys never said anything about actually feeling things like that or even pain," Rain said.
"We can't, we don't have an actual sense of touch," Sakaki said. "I am not sure of that, but once Nigel is purified and obtains a DNA sample, he probably will feel pain again. It is the price of surpassing his old limits."
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"No pain, no gain, huh," Nigel said.
"Rain, when are you going to talk with this guy?" Sakaki asked. "Larisa and I tried to talk with him, but he kept ignoring us while meditating. Time is of the essence. If you want to use him, you will have to teach him how to create a domain as well, and then he will have to mix it with his knowledge of magic circles. That is actually the easy part."
"I am working on it, don't try to make me hurry up," Rain said.
Rain knew that he would have to make Iori create a barrier that would hide the mana reading inside of it. That was already plenty hard. However, the real issue was to give him the means to maintain such a barrier. The easiest solution was to give him access to the mana of the vessel by making him a part of the core, but that was too much power for him.
If he wanted, he could kill everyone by making the vessel stop working like it should.
His goal was to kill Rain, and only that much wouldn't be enough, that also would cause the deaths of a lot of people, but it felt like Iori would be fine with that if there was a small chance of Rain's family dying thanks to it… even if he had to risk the death of the family of his sister.
"I am willing to cooperate with you, with some conditions," Iori suddenly said.
"I feel like this is a waste of time, but let's see what you have to say," Rain said while smiling. "Humor me."
"First of all…" Iori said.
"First of all… we are off to a great start," Rain said while laughing.
"... If you want to teach me what you want, you will have to teach me what you don't want," Iori said. "I also want the knowledge to keep growing stronger even without fighting."
"I guess you still didn't give up on trying to kill me," Rain shrugged.
"You are free to think like that, I understand that the barrier needs to stay up at all times, but I can't work for free all the time," Iori said. "I will do my job and find a way to do so, but I also want some free time."
"It seems that you guys sent a bad example," Sakaki said. "If Rain accepts them, he will have to keep accepting concessions pretty much forever."
"Ehh… but I never asked for anything," Nigel protested. "Can't you just fry his memories with your magic or something in order to make him become more reasonable and less demanding?"
"I still have some semblance of morality," Sakaki said. "Besides, what would his sister think if Rain allowed me to do that."
"So you can do that," Nigel said.
"Well, it shouldn't be impossible…" Sakaki said.
"Enough…" Rain said and then began to rub his chin thoughtfully.
Rain carefully weighed the pros and cons of Iori's offer, contemplating the various paths that were before him. The option of forcing Iori into submission lingered in his mind as a feasible course of action, but he acknowledged that such a strategy would demand a considerable investment of time and effort.
Reflecting on the situation, Rain couldn't help but entertain the notion that perhaps he should have taken this route earlier. However, a sense of consideration for Esmeralda had held him back.
Despite the potential challenges associated with accepting Iori's offer, Rain found himself contemplating the advantages. Iori possessed a sharp intellect and a wealth of knowledge that Rain recognized could be beneficial. The realization dawned on him that allowing Iori some degree of autonomy might actually work to Rain's advantage.
Iori's cunning and resourcefulness were qualities that could be harnessed for mutual benefit.
Acknowledging the risks involved, Rain contemplated the idea that if Iori harbored ill intentions, his methods might be unpredictable and unforeseen. This unpredictability, however, intrigued Rain, as it presented an opportunity for him to learn and adapt. The prospect of gaining new knowledge and insights, even if it meant navigating a dangerous alliance, held a certain appeal to Rain.
"All right, let's do that," Rain said. "In exchange for accepting your demands, you will write down all of your knowledge as well. Naturally, only the things that we want you to do don't have to be written down. That way, you can keep your value in the Star vessel."
