Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix-Chapter 1276: Sidestep

"The enemy is being cautious. They are only increasing the difficulty by ten percent by adding those weird characteristics on the doppelgangers," Rain said. "They are just like me... someone obsessed with efficiency."

As Rain advanced through the dark forest, he gradually slowed his pace, a sense of unease settling over him. Despite the seemingly unchanged surroundings of the sinister woods, he could clearly notice that the atmosphere ahead had shifted. The usual dark trees and shadows held a different quality, signaling the presence of an adversary lurking in the vicinity.

Though his eyes didn’t catch anything unusual, Rain trusted his instincts and halted his movement. A tense silence enveloped the area as he prepared for an imminent encounter, fully aware that the true challenge lay just ahead in the concealed depths of the dark forest.

"No point in hiding, mate," Rain said while looking around. "I know that you are here, and I truly need the shadow clone technique, and I think that you will be very useful with that."

Rain wasn’t sure if he actually could use the Doppelgangers the way he wanted, but at least it was worth a try. In any case, no monster showed up, so Rain could tell that the enemy was trying to buy time...

Rain didn’t feel like playing into the enemy’s hands, so he soon expanded his aura with the power of ice and Wrath. As Rain stood there, the shadows and the dark trees in the vicinity seemed to succumb to an invisible force. The sudden frosty chill enveloped them, causing the darkness to freeze. The icy tendrils crawled along the trunks and branches, encasing them in a crystalline layer. Within moments, the frozen structures lost their integrity, breaking apart and shattering into countless pieces that scattered across the forest floor.

The air itself carried a biting cold as the remnants of the once ominous shadows now lay defeated in frozen fragments. The abrupt transformation left Rain surrounded by an eerie stillness, broken only by the distant sounds of the ongoing battle with the doppelgangers. The adversary, though unseen, had revealed a glimpse of their power through this mysterious manipulation of the shadows.

In the end, the enemy was forced to reveal themselves since the shadows were being destroyed. All the shadows in the area converged into a single spot and then eventually assumed the shape of a giant shadow spider.

"You will regret forcing me to reveal my true form..."

A voice filled with rage, dripping with resentment, resonated from the monstrous creature as it assumed its true form. The words seemed to carry a deep-seated anger, and soon, the shadows took shape to reveal a grotesque amalgamation. The creature’s face, partially concealed in shadows, emerged as a twisted combination of humanoid and arachnid features. A set of enraged, right eyes stared out from the shadowy appearance, and the unsettling sight made Rain involuntarily flinch.

The creature’s form was a bizarre blend of human and spider, with the upper half resembling a vengeful woman while the lower part manifested as a monstrous spider. The unsettling fusion exuded an aura of fury, and as the creature grunted before Rain, its presence alone seemed to demand attention and respect. The shadows continued to writhe and dance around its form, emphasizing the mysterious and intimidating nature of this formidable adversary.

In that split of a second, the giant dark spider fired a web toward Rain. While he used Impulse to move to the side, the web turned and followed him. At the moment he stepped on the ground once again, the web touched him.

You lost the skill Limit Breaker.

You lost the skill Magic Boost.

Rain cut off the web with the Sword, but he didn’t recover the skills... that was insane. In a single moment, the enemy stole the knowledge of the techniques that Rain had developed, and they were the highest level ones as well.

"It is impressive... she automatically targets your strongest skills," Elisabetha said.

Rain glared at the enemy while she assimilated the knowledge. When he prepared to charge to attack, the giant shadow spider aura activated both skills. Her body began to overflow with energy...

"This might be bad," Rain thought and then dissipated the flames on the Sword.

As Rain faced the mysterious adversary, he couldn’t ignore the alarming efficiency with which the creature stole his skills. The abrupt loss of Limit Breaker and Magic Boost, his highest-level techniques, sent a shiver down his spine. It was a realization that the enemy not only possessed the power to mimic and absorb his abilities but could do so with incredible speed and precision.

This raised troubling questions about the extent of the enemy’s capabilities. If it could swiftly assimilate Rain’s skills, it wasn’t far-fetched to imagine that the creature might be capable of absorbing mana or corrupt energy. The risk of experimentation to confirm or deny this possibility was too dangerous. Any attempt to understand the enemy’s true nature could inadvertently grant it access to even more potent abilities, making it an even more formidable adversary.

It was the perfect chance for the enemy to charge and split Rain into several pieces, even though the enemy didn’t have any blades or claws. Still, the creature took its sweet time slowly moving around and studying him with caution.

"Despite her big words, it seems that she still is very cautious of you," Elisabetha said. "Once again, you would have done better bringing Sakaki with you. Long-ranged skills are better against this kind of enemy."

Rain groaned... there was no point in thinking like that. Maybe she was tired of working with Rain or something. Regardless, the beast soon fired a dark web toward Rain, but it was split in two before it could touch Rain. However, soon, both ends approached him as well, and Rain jumped away while swinging the ominous Sword and cutting off the web a bunch of times, and that worked to keep the thing away.