Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

Nigel's early life followed an uncommon trajectory. Born and raised in London until the age of ten, he had a hard time when his parents divorced. This divorce led Nigel to relocate to Miami with his mother, thrusting him into a new environment that he struggled to embrace. Adjusting to this sudden change proved challenging for him. Despite the hard times, Nigel showcased a talent for football, demonstrating considerable skill in the sport. However, his difficulty in acclimating to his new surroundings extended to his relationships with his teammates. Despite his skills on the field, Nigel found it challenging to forge strong connections with his fellow players. His knack for football allowed him to stand out, yet his struggle to bond with his teammates remained a constant part of his experience. Considering that, and his usual attitude that gets on the nerves of everyone, it goes without saying that he didn't have many friends. Still, he had a friend who was a researcher and Nigel began to work for him as a security guard, but when the dragons began to show up, they began to work together for a solution. Over the span of ten years, these aberrations, known as the first dragons, presented a myriad of unusual anomalies. One such example was the fact that the gigantic blue and green lizard emitted substantial radiation. Its presence was so overwhelming that within a radius of hundreds of kilometers, all electronic devices ceased to function. This caused a significant barrier to the spread of information about these creatures, as communication across vast areas became nearly impossible. Survivors who managed to endure these creatures' attacks faced further challenges. The spawn of these colossal beasts proved equally dangerous, either directly causing fatalities or inducing radiation poisoning in those who survived initial encounters. However, a peculiar aspect of these creatures was their radiation's selective power. The harmful effects only manifested when individuals were in close proximity to the complete creature. Remarkably, Larisa discovered a unique characteristic of these monsters. While the entirety of the creatures emitted lethal radiation, specific parts of these creatures didn't share the same detrimental effects after being cut off from the main body. Larisa managed to salvage some pieces from these monsters without succumbing to radiation poisoning, as these specific parts appeared to be distinct from the creatures themselves from that point onward. This discovery hinted at a potential vulnerability or differentiation within the creatures that could potentially be exploited for further investigation or defense strategies. Despite Nigel's power up, his capabilities only allowed him to confront the spawns of the monstrous entities. By the time he acquired sufficient strength to combat these offspring, he found himself alone. The city of Miami, once familiar to him, had transformed into an eerie landscape of desolation and death. Miami, now a haunting echo of its former self, lay in ruins. The streets were barren, filled with the remnants of a once-thriving metropolis. Frequent dust storms swept through the cityscape, obscuring what little remained and adding to the desolation. Inundations became a regular occurrence, inundating already devastated areas and compounding the city's misery. Portions of the city, as if succumbing to the upheaval, collapsed without warning, plunging into unknown depths. In this wasteland, Nigel stood amidst the remnants of a place he once called home, now reduced to a bleak testament to the monstrous forces that had ravaged the world. Despite his newfound strength, he was but a solitary figure in a desolate cityscape, surrounded by the ruins of a once-vibrant urban center… that was what the memories showed. "Weakling," The woman in the darkness said. "... Says the person who is always hiding in the darkness," Nigel said and then dashed to his room and closed the entrance. "Wow, I am whipped by my wives, but I would dare say that you dropped your balls a few tens of thousands of years ago," Rain furrowed his eyebrows. "The fights that Nigel fought weren't even, but I would dare say that he put up a good fight," Larisa said. "I once more can't help but think that the enemies just showed enough power to defeat all of the humans." "That only shows that we never had a chance to begin with… at least at that period in time," Rain said. "That actually shows that the first dragons had a lot more potential than we thought," Larisa said. "You didn't find any signs of them, did you? In the first layer? Not like I can imagine them lasting fifty thousand of years." "No, there were no signs of lives there…" Rain said. "Still, we can't rule out their not being there, we don't even know where they came from… it feels like an alien virus or something since you fought that human… we can't even call all of them first dragons." "Their presence was basically the same, so I can't see why we shouldn't call them exactly what they were," Larisa said. "Besides, you know that the dragons can evolve, maybe those creatures did the same as well." "Everyone can, it isn't just that easy and different like the dragons… but I can see your point," Rain rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I can see that you have had even more secrets than I had imagined…" Iori said while he was in the corner watching everything. "No wonder you managed to defeat my father and Joanis." "Are you enjoying it? Do you want some popcorn?" Rain asked. "Unfortunately, I didn't defeat them as I wanted, I just cornered them enough to make them give up like the pieces of shit that they were, and in the end, they decided to bet on you, but they failed for the last time. Congrats." "I can't see you gaining anything by making him hate you even more," Larisa said. "It is good for stress relief, like kicking Nigel," Rain shrugged. "Anyway, I don't have any other choice until I find better uses for him. Wait patiently and expectantly for it."