Leaving the Royal Palace
With most of the timeline more or less figured out, Genji wondered what his next plan of action would be.
'Where should I go, Earth Nation or the Northern Water Tribe,' thought Genji as he headed over to the library to get more experience to level up his skills.
However, he soon figured that he should head on over to the Northern Water Tribe since he already has waterbending. It would be a good way to mix in with the people there and create some trouble there.
Genji smirked and pulled out a book on medicine and began reading it like he did with all the other History books.
[+5]
[+5 <Physician>]
[+5]
…
Snapping his eyes to the side, Genji was surprised by the sudden change in XP gain and quickly turned to look at the blue screen. It didn't take him long to realize why the XP gain was different as he looked at the cover of the book.
With the book he was reading being related to medical practices, Genji instantly figured out another effect of his reading skill.
A smirk spread across his face and he quickly threw this book back into the shelf before pulling out a couple of different books on martial arts, polemen, and firebending.
With a smirk, Genji began reading the firebending books and began reading them.
[+5]
[+5 <Firebending>]
…
Once Genji finished reading one book, he had noticed his XP gain was double compared to the History books. 100 XP went into Firebending and the other 100 XP went into his experience storage.
With a smile, Genji continued on reading the remaining four firebending books.
Genji had tried finding bending books on other elements but he had no luck. He especially wished to find any waterbending books to level up his skill but with no luck, Genji just had to finish leveling his firebending skill to the next rank.
As long as one combat skill is up there, Genji feels like he could live much more calmly in the Avatar world.
Wondering about it, Genji looked at his Firebending skill that was on the verge of breaking through to level 38.
With a bit of XP, Genji made Firebending level 38.
Reading through the rest of the books of Polemen and martial arts, which was only 2 and 5 respectively.
It was such a small amount, but this was the Fire Nation Royal Palace's library and they must have only gathered the most prestigious items that highlight the greatness of the Fire Nation. Everything about their past was erased and Genji never found anything that came from Roku's era or before that.
With around 1,200 XP in hand, Genji kept them in the experience storage and decided to leave them alone for the future.
'I guess I have more of a reason to look for Wan Shi Tong's Library,' thought Genji as he continued to read some medical books. Since there was no longer any Firebending, Martial Arts, or Poleman books, Genji decided to focus on the next thing he might need to focus on more, his Physician skill.
There weren't many books on this either and there were only three, but just this much was enough to gather more XP since he would have to head to sleep soon and leave the next day.
…
Night approached and Genji headed straight to his room whilst Azula looked at Genji from afar with a serious look on her face.
"Hm."
A look of disappointment flashed through Azula's face as she gazed at Genji.
'Two whole weeks here and he did nothing at all. He's clearly very boring,' thought Azula as Genji disappeared into his room.
Azula had been keeping watch on Genji these past two weeks, hoping to see-through Genji and see what secrets he was hiding.
After she had conversations with him many times, she had hoped that Genji would do something with the firebenders she had purposefully placed near him. Hoping that he would be tempted to bribe or question the guards for information on her.
Yet even now, she was a bit disappointed at how he did nothing like that. Like if her reading on him had no effect whatsoever.
'Was I wrong? Did I fail to properly notice his intellect and ambition?'
Ktch!
The glass cup in Azula's hand cracked and she looked angrily over to Genji's room with a sharp gaze.
"Should I just torture him?" she murmured to herself in amusement as she thought of Genji's wretched screams. "Or should I enslave him?"
Azula tossed the glass cup to the side, letting it fall to the ground and break. A nearby attendant quickly cleaned it up without saying a word.
'I'll give him one last chance of redemption…' she thought as she remembered how she was going to let Genji leave. 'I'll see what he manages to accomplish in just two weeks after letting him read in the royal library.'
…
[Ding! Skill level up!]
[Ding! Skill level up!]
[<Hyper Sense> (Lvl. 21)]
[<Heightened Senses> (Lvl. 13)]
'Damn… looks like I was right,' thought Genji as he leaned against the door to his room with cold sweat drenching his back. 'Azula has been watching me for a while now.'
Ever since Genji's skill had entered level 20, Genji could instantly feel someone looking at him from afar. It was odd, but he couldn't tell who it was solely using his Hyper Sense since all he saw were humanoid blobs of energy.
Unless his Hyper Sense becomes of a higher level, Genji has now way of accurately knowing who is looking at him.
However, after exiting the library, the feeling got stronger and Genji could feel a powerful blue fiery energy. It was at that moment that Genji knew that it was Azula who was looking at him.
It also helped him confirm that the color of the energies depended on the element and their intensity and quality. Could also be strength, but Genji hasn't seen any difference lately besides Azula and the firebenders, not enough evidence to support such a thought.
Now that Genji figured out who was looking at him, Genji knew that Azula was waiting for him to do something today. He wasn't sure what, but he knew that Azula expected something.
'Could it be that she had been looking at me ever since she brought me here?' thought Genji as he furrowed his eyebrows and felt like he was correct. 'Then she might be making me leave because of the same thought…'
Feeling a little disappointed, Genji began to wonder whether Azula would give him another chance should he ask for it. However, if he did such a thing, wouldn't that be degrading of himself? Azula would also be expecting it and would most likely feel disappointed then.
'Which means… when I leave, she might still keep an eye on me?' thought Genji. He wasn't too sure of Azula's character.
But he knew that she would do anything for power and acceptance. Ways to grant her father more power and ways to attain his 'love' and acceptance.
Which meant that Azula wouldn't simply let someone like Genji leave. She had seen potential in him, and Genji was betting that Azula believed he had talent which would help her father attain power.
'But, I will have to disappoint you Azula, but I won't help such a crazed man attain world domination,' thought Genji as he thought of Ozai and how he was planning on burning down the Earth Nation during Sozin's comet.
It was then that Genji also thought of Aang and his two friends, Katara and Sokka.
He shook his head at the thought of them.
'I also won't leave the fate of this world in their hands,' thought Genji.
His feelings towards the three weren't the greatest, but it also wasn't so bad to the point of hating them. Genji only thought that the group of three children were the worst choice to lead the world to peace.
Even if they eventually have the help of the White Lotus and of people like Sokka's father or Zuko who became the Fire Lord in the end. Genji didn't feel comfortable leaving them to handle things.
Although things turned out well for the most part, like it was shown in the Legend of Korra, Genji wasn't too happy of his current era.
'A time where someone immature like Aang who doesn't think things through in the heat of the moment was a bad time. Or when Katara is too controlling at times with her motherly side turned on or when she's too quick to judge people,' thought Genji.
They weren't the best examples of why he disliked Aang, but Genji didn't wish to be saved by someone like Aang. He'd rather end up saving himself if someone like Aang is an avatar.
If Genji had to choose who he would hate, Genji would definitely say Sokka.
At times his humor would be annoying and he would be stubborn sometimes. Like the time Zuko wanted to join the Avatar's team. Instead of thinking it logically, he decided to be sentimental about it.
He was too quick to react at that time instead of thinking things through properly.
Rather than let such a group save him and the balance of the world, Genji believed that he couldn't let his fate and life rest in Aang's young hands.
'He's just too young and immature,' thought Genji as he sat down and began to meditate as he cleared his mind of any thoughts.
…
Morning approached and Genji awoke from his meditation practice.
[Ding! Skill level up!]
[<Adept Martial Artist> (Lvl. 29)]
He opened his eyes and swiped away the blue screen that told him of his Martial Arts skill going up one level.
Stretching, Genji fixed his clothes and grabbed his spirit staff that hadn't been touched in days before heading out of his room and running into Azula.
"Princess, what brings you here?" asked Genji as he gave Azula a smile.
Azula ignored Genji's smile and said, "I'm here to escort you out of the Royal Palace. I need to make sure you don't get lost on your way out."
'Lost on my way out? You think I would dare to snoop around in this palace where a sadistic woman and a killer of a father roam about? Yeah~ no thanks.'
Genji chuckled inwardly and said, "Hm, really? I feel like I might get lost in your room with you."
Not understanding Genji completely, Azula tilted her head and mildly glared at Genji, "Is that… supposed to be a threat of some kind? Very cute. It was incredibly weak if I do say so myself."
Chuckling for real this time, Genji shook his head, "I think you need to go read some romantic novels Princess. Who knows, you might finally understand what most people think. Read erotic novels and you'll know what most men think."
Azula stopped glaring and smirked as she led Genji out of the Royal Palace, making note of reading romance novels just to understand what Genji was talking about.
"Well then… I will hope to see you in the future," said Azula as she turned around and walked back into the Royal Palace.
'I'll like to see what you do in these two weeks… let me see your ambition and cunningness!'
…
With Genji disappearing into a sea of people, a man with long hair and a long beard looked at Genji with a look of displeasure on his face.
'Hmph… looks like someone has been 'corrupting' my daughter's mind in hopes of attaining power,' thought Ozai as he marked Genji.
"Kill him."
Two masked firebenders bowed and walked out of the room quietly, leaving Ozai behind with a cold smile on his face.
He had been working on this plan for years.
Have a child who would help him gain power, kill his brother's son to make his brother give up the throne so that HE, Ozai, may become heir to the throne, and then have his own wife kill Fire Lord Azulon, his own father.
After that, it would just be a breeze as he mobilizes the Fire Nation to colonize the Earth Nation and take it over slowly until Sozin's comet finally appears before he devastates the entire Earth Nation.
'I can't have such plans of mine be ruined by a brat who knows nothing,' thought Ozai as he remembered Genji and how Azula separated from him with a smile on her face filled with expectations.
Ozai kept close watch over Genji over the past two weeks as well through the various guards that Azula had deployed.
With the false sense of control he had given Azula, making her believe she actually ever had control over the Firebenders, Ozai was able to easily control his daughter Azula.
The woman everyone feared and followed.
Ozai was proud of his very own method of discipline he had imparted into Azula. Whenever she did something perfect, he would praise her with 'affection' and whenever she did something imperfectly, he would give her a harsh punishment, like beating her.