Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix - Chapter 21: Training

Yohan wakes up ten years in the past, back when he still lived with his uncle and hadn’t yet lost his parents’ massage parlour. With a strange book filled with wellness techniques in his hands, he decides to live differently this time—more aware, more purposeful, and maybe even more fulfilled.

Lin Luoran is a 27-year-old girl from a rural family. She doesn’t have a college degree, let alone any money.

Ten years ago, mana descended upon Earth in the form of Gates that opened into other worlds. These Gates contained Magical Beasts of unfathomable strength and power that preyed upon humans and sought the destruction of everything around them.But along with the Gates, humans gained the power of Gifts—super abilities that allowed them to fight back against the monsters and take back their world.Now, the Superhumans with Gifts are tasked with defending the people and ensuring that the Gates, which open all over the world, do not bring about the end of them all....Jason Marc was just your regular seventeen-year-old high school student whose father abandoned him ten years ago. He worked two part-time jobs while also helping his mom with her diner to aid with the finances, but he could have never guessed that his entire world would change on the eve of his eighteenth birthday.Now, with more power than any one man should possess and an army at his beck and call, Jason works toward protecting those close to him while finding out the truth behind the emergence of the Gates—and preventing the end of the world.

Ethan Blackwood wasn’t used to being defied. As the CEO of a global empire, he crushed obstacles with a single glance. But when Lily Anderson stood before him, her chin lifted in quiet defiance, and something in him snapped. “Sign the contract,” he said, his voice like ice. “30 days. You’ll obey every command. After that, you’re free.”She hesitated, her fingers trembling as she gripped the pen. “And if I refuse?”His smirk was cold, but his eyes burned. “Then you’ll spend the rest of your life paying off your father’s debts. Your choice.”Trapped, Lily signed. But she vowed one thing: she wouldn’t let him break her.From the first day, their clash was electric. He demanded perfection; she gave him rebellion. “You think you can control me?” she spat, after he criticized her for being late.Ethan stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “I don’t just control you. Lily, I own you.”But as the days passed, the lines between them blurred. Late nights in his penthouse turned into whispered conversations. His cold demeanor cracked, revealing glimpses of a man haunted by his past. One night, after a heated argument, he pinned her against the wall, his breath hot against her ear. “Why do you fight me so much?”Her voice trembled. “Because I’m afraid if I stop, I’ll lose myself to you.”Their connection deepened, but danger loomed. Secrets from Ethan’s past resurfaced, threatening to destroy everything. When Lily discovered the truth behind his obsession with her, she confronted him. “Was I just a pawn in your game? A way to settle an old score?”His eyes darkened with pain. “You were never just a game, Lily. You’re the only thing that’s ever felt real.”As the final days of their contract approached, their bond was tested like never before. Enemies closed in, and trust hung by a thread. Could they overcome the shadows of their pasts, or would their love crumble under the weight of secrets and pride?