Chapter 1: Ignite into Being
Dying in your sleep like a candle dimming out... in stories, there was no kinder death than that. But reality was rarely so kind.
I lived my life on the straight and narrow, kept to my lane, gave a bit more than I took, forgave and forgot, embraced everyone with open arms, and I had even made it my life's motto to 'Treat others as you wish to be treated yourself'... I did everything they told me to do and say to be a good person. But in the end, what did it avail me? The prize of an early death due to someone else's greed and incompetence, and a lifetime's worth of regrets for being too meek, too passive, and too much of a damned coward my entire life... An obedient little doormat right to the end.
You have died!
"Yes, I did. What more do you want from me?" I bitterly snapped at the glowing words in a text box floating in a black void. The anger at such an ignoble death still hot in my blood, "Just let me go on my way, wherever that may be. Grant me the dignity to be able to face death braver than I had faced anything in life."
After this life cycle, you have accumulated enough Karma for Reincarnation to other worlds. Would you like to avail?
"Isekai." I said aloud as realisation filled me. "Do I... get choices in the details of my reincarnation?"
Correct. Would you like to avail?
Wait... this wasn't just any isekai! This is the Gamer System! A promethean framework of power that morphed life into a video game complete with stats, exp, level ups, skills and perks. I had thought this would just be a regular isekai, but now things just became much, much more favourable for me. I knew how hard the Gamer System could go: World Domination to say the least, outright Godhood in some. All I needed was to be able to not die again before I reached that point.
A burst of vengeful excitement came to me as I thought about the possibilities. But I saved them for later, because the textbox was still waiting for my answer.
"Yes." I all but growled as anger and anticipation boiled together in me. A second chance at life, a second chance for change. And as the text box winked out for a few second, I silently swore to myself that this time around- I won't be so meek, so passive, or so... pathetic. No, I was going to be better than that weak nerd who died for nothing and for no one. I was going to be the opposite- I was going to take what I wanted.
Please select a destination World!
Worm
Magic: The Gathering
Warhammer 40,000
RWBY
Game of Thrones
Avatar: The Last Airbender
The Elder Scrolls
Nasuverse
Mass Effect
DC
+ R +
...I must have eaten babies in my past lives if these are the choices. The majority of these are grimdark Deathworlds where I had a 90% chance of being killed, possessed by demons, or tormented for all eternity the first day I stepped in there, and a 10% chance to survive long enough to die to the mass extinction events in the following years.
I was going to be brave, not stupid.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender." I told the floating text box, and I couldn't fully repress the anxiousness that it might be a trick question when it looked like the sanest choice out of the rest of them. I need to move forward despite it.
World Selected!
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER
Please select which of the Four Nations you wish to be born into!
This also includes the Bending Art which you begin with.
Northern Water Tribe : Finding strength in their traditions. The Northern Water Tribe holds the north pole territories with surprising tenacity.
Southern Water Tribe: Scattered, but not broken. The Southern Water Tribe consists of dozens of small villages across the South Pole.
Earth Kingdom: Calm and uncompromising. The Earth Kingdom is the vast collection of cities, villages and hamlets of varied cultures that span across the entire continent and its many islands.
Fire Nation: Fierce and militaristic. The Fire Nation has waged a war of aggression against the rest of the world for the last hundred years, and slowly but surely winning it.
+ R +
"[Fire Nation]." I answered almost immediately. It was the natural choice. Good tech level, good economy, good military strength. All that on top of the advantage of being a nation at war which will undoubtedly provide plenty of opportunities to earn exp. Especially since I'll be taking a more... aggressive stance towards gaining exp. And with a bit of luck, war crimes will be an extra large source of exp. It'll certainly be a new experience for me as I had never committed a crime before, but I'll try my best.
[Fire Nation] selected!
Before reincarnation may begin, you may put points into customising your reincarnation experience. These customisations range from your socio-economic conditions to personal characteristics of your body and mind. Please choose wisely for there is no second chance on your second chance!
Your current Karma translates to 1,000 Reincarnation Points!
"Reincarnation Points?" I parroted with a raised brow.
That was something to keep in mind later, I suppose. But I won't let it drag me down and allow other people to have free reign dictating how I lived my life. I already tried that the previous lifetime, and I wasn't about to go through that. Never again. If the world will spit on me for practising the compassion, obedience and tolerance that they imparted to everyone since birth, then I'll just grow the backbone to spit back. This time, I wasn't going to let anyone or anything stop me. I'll reforge myself into something stronger, someone better, someone greater.
= PERK SELECTION =
Stat Gain Perks
Careful, you can only choose Stat Gain Perks perks now!
Powerful Build (400 rp): You are gifted with a naturally powerful body. Start with 15 Strength, and gain Strength twice as fast.
Agile Frame (400 rp): Quick reflexes with quicker eyes, a markedly swift combination. Start with 15 Dexterity, and gain Dexterity twice as fast.
Robust Body (400 rp): Pain and poison are no great obstacles to your tireless vigour. Start with 15 Constitution, and gain Constitution twice as fast.
Genius Mind (400 rp): You were always born for greatness, now you can list the reasons why. Start with 15 Intelligence, and gain Intelligence twice as fast.
Bending Prodigy (400 rp): Your grasp on the spiritual is stronger than most. Start with 15 Spirit, and gain Spirit twice as fast.
Stat Malus Perks
Stat Malus Perks are exclusive from their corresponding Stat Gain Perks, but Special Quests may remove them.
Limp Noodle (+200 rp): Your body simply doesn't build muscles that fast. Gain Strength half as fast.
Oafish Frame (+200 rp): It is not that you're slow per se- you're just slow to develop coordination. Gain Dexterity half as fast.
Sickly Body (+200 rp): Your health is fragile, and illnesses haunt you. Gain Constitution half as fast.
Dull Mind (+200 rp): You were dropped on your head as a child. Gain Intelligence half as fast.
Spiritual Imbalance (+200 rp): Your connection to your bending is stunted. Gain Spirit half as fast.
Miscellaneous Perks
Rare Special Quests may reward these perks, or... you can buy them now.
Lucky! (50 rp): Lady Luck has your back. Whenever you gamble, have the odds slightly skewed to your favour.
Siren's Voice (50 rp): Your voice is like molten chocolate in people's ears. +50% to Reputation and Affection gains from conversations.
Compass (50 rp): The power to un-lost yourself. You possess an innate, but imprecise compass towards your Quest's next objective.
Friendly Scent (50 rp): Mother Nature's Seal of Approval. Animals and Spirits will be much friendlier towards you... to an extent.
Pretty Privilege (100 rp): Oh no, he's hot! Sometimes a great body and a roguish smile are all one needs in life.
Weapon Familiarity (50 rp): Instant HEMA and Wushu. Whenever you wield a new weapon, automatically gain basic foundational proficiency on it equal to one week of continuous study and training.
Magic Fingers (50 rp): Your GF will thank you for taking this perk. All your massages are supernaturally good.
Expanded Inventory (100 rp): More space to hold your useless junk. Increase your inventory capacity from just a closet space to a pair of shipping containers
+ R +
"A lot of these Perks are really good, but I'm short on points." I pointed out to the Gamer System, "Can I take anything to give me more points?"
Make your reincarnation experience interesting with Challenge Perks!
Pick as many as you like, or none at all.
Conscripted! (+300 rp): Goo~ood morning, Earth Kingdom! Start your new life as a fresh recruit on the hellish frontlines.
Ripe (+200 rp): Showering won't help. Start with the [Smelly] perk.
Bad First Impressions (+200 rp): Something about you just strikes people off the first time around. Everyone starts at -10 Reputation.
Malfunction (+200 rp): A major malfunction to a critical tool. Start with the [Impotent] perk.
Marked for Death (+300 rp): A noble somewhere will keep hiring professional assassins to kill you until you find and confront the noble.
Blind (+600 rp): Like a bat, or a Toph! Start with the [Blind] perk.
Bendless (+600 rp): Powers over the Elements are for chumps. Start with the [Non-Bender] perk.
Schneider (+600 rp): Well, this *is* a Nickelodeon world... Gain more feet-related Quests.
+ R +
"... No. Just no." I firmly refused, "It doesn't matter how high that rp bonus is. I'm not taking that Challenge perk. But I will happily take some of these..."
My Gamer System has a foot fetish... Shaking my head, I turned my attention back to making a build that see me dominating this world. It took a few minutes of mulling it over, but...
I knew my build now- what I wanted to be in this life.
An unstoppable fire-breathing warrior stomping onto the battlefield with [Powerful Build], [Agile Frame], [Robust Body], [Bending Prodigy]. That's what I was going to become: Stronger, faster, and tougher than anyone else there... Right before I murdered everyone for exp with my bare hands. Confident in my current intelligence, I felt like I can afford to take [Dull Mind] and allow my Intelligence stat to lag behind the others. After all, I can just do the Special Quest to remove it. My only need for the Intelligence stat right was knowing the best way to leverage all of my other stats towards gaining more exp.
What I could not ignore in my build, however, was the distinct lack of Charisma stat and the dangers that could bring. That's why [Pretty Privilege] and the [Siren's Voice] were hopefully going to supply me with enough persuasive power to prevent some silver-tongued snakes from playing the social game and turn people against me.
But the biggest question remained: Was there really any rush? There was no need to take any Stat Perks, wasn't there?
I could ignore the stat gain perks, just take all the miscellaneous perks, and train until I reach godhood- ignoring any of the 2x stat gain. Except... there was the possibility that stat growth would end being geometric. As exp payouts increase, my stat growth would possibly accelerate; and eventually, the difference between taking and not taking a stat gain perk will become as stark of a contrast as night and day. It could possibly save me decades of training... I did not know how powerful this Gamer System can go- if there is even an upper ceiling of power that it could grant. But power beyond Avatar-level was a fair bet.
All I needed to do now was balancing the early game risk so that I can reach the eventual late game payoff in raw power.
"Risk and reward..." I muttered to myself just for a moment before making my choices.
Selection made. Please confirm...
Origin Story
Fire Nation: You were born unto the Fire Nation and its colonial territories. Fierce and militaristic. The Fire Nation has waged a war of aggression against the rest of the world for the last hundred years, and slowly but surely winning it.
Stat Gain Perks
Careful, you can only choose Stat Gain Perks perks now!
Powerful Build (400 rp): You are gifted with a naturally powerful body. Start with 15 Strength, and gain Strength twice as fast.
Agile Frame (400 rp): Quick reflexes with quicker eyes, a markedly swift combination. Start with 15 Dexterity, and gain Dexterity twice as fast.
Robust Body (400 rp): Pain and poison are no great obstacles to your tireless vigour. Start with 15 Constitution, and gain Constitution twice as fast.
Bending Prodigy (400 rp): Your grasp on the spiritual is stronger than most. Start with 15 Spirit, and gain Spirit twice as fast.
Stat Malus Perks
Dull Mind (+200 rp): You were dropped on your head as a child. Gain Intelligence half as fast.
Miscellaneous Perks
Compass (50 rp): The power to un-lost yourself. You possess an innate, but imprecise compass towards your Quest's next objective.
Expanded Inventory (100 rp): More space to hold your useless junk. Increase your inventory capacity from just a closet space to a pair of shipping containers
Weapon Familiarity (50 rp): Instant HEMA and Wushu. Whenever you wield a new weapon, automatically gain basic foundational proficiency on it equal to one week of continuous study and training.
Pretty Privilege (100 rp): Oh no, he's hot! Sometimes a great body and a roguish smile are all one needs in life.
Magic Fingers (50 rp): Your GF will thank you for taking this perk. All your massages are supernaturally good.
Siren's Voice (50 rp): Your voice is like molten chocolate in people's ears. +50% to Reputation and Affection gains from conversations.
Challenge Perks
Conscripted! (+300 rp): Goo~ood morning, Earth Kingdom! Start your new life as a fresh recruit on the hellish frontlines.
Bad First Impressions (+200 rp): Something about you just strikes people off the first time around. Everyone starts at -10 Reputation.
Marked for Death (+300 rp): A noble somewhere will keep hiring professional assassins to kill you until you find and confront the noble.
+ R +
"Confirmed..." I replied to the text box as I steadied myself. "Is that all? Do I drop in now?"
Customise your appearance and give yourself a name.
I grinned with relish. Time to sculpt an appearance to match my capabilities.
(A few hours later) [Earth Kingdom wilderness, South of Omashu]
"Onwards, you deer-dogs! For the Glory of the Fire Nation!"
In these dusty badlands of arid valleys, a battle was being fought over this nameless little hamlet. The noon sun was blistering high in the sky as the black and red uniforms of the charging Fire Nation soldiers contrasted with the green and yellow uniforms of the Earth Kingdom militia. The metallic clash of blades, the constant rumble of rocks being shifted and the roar of flames being launched. A Fire Nation offensive crashing against defending Earth Kingdom forces- a tale that has been repeated over and over again for the last 98 years. Killing each other over a stockpile of grain and water that had more value than the entire hamlet's collection of orange clay houses... or the civilians cowering inside.
The Fire Nation was- without a doubt- waging war of aggression, and I had joined on the side of aggression...
"Khan!" A Fire Nation soldier called out to me- a messenger hawk on his forearm, "The Captain says we wheel towards the northern side of the village!"
... And I loved it.
"I'm on it!" I barked out an acknowledgement before waded through the battlefield like a grown man would a kiddie pool. Standing at 7 feet tall (2.13 m), I towered over everyone else in my faceless red and black armour- even the tallest among the crowd barely reached my chest, and it only made that analogy seem more accurate. I was an armoured giant that struck an intimidating figure on the battlefield, everyone else may as well been children playing at war. Every move I made turned heads, both ally and enemy; and the fear in Earth Kingdom milita's eyes was palpable as I approached.
But to be frank, this had been a mild miscalculation on my part.
Name: Khan "The Giant"
Level: 1
Level exp: 128/250
Rank: Private First Class. 41st Division, Fire Nation Army.
HP: 296/400
Strength: 15 (+3)
Dexterity: 15 (+1)
Constitution: 15 (+2)
Intelligence: 0
Spirit: 15 (+1)
* Finish Combat to acquire Stat Points *
I wasn't as strong as I looked, not yet at least. Right now, my size was mostly cosmetic thanks to my unique Gamer physiology: In reality, I was only a few short steps stronger than a nameless Fire Nation soldier mook, more of a trained athlete than anything superhuman. That fact only highlighted that some caution was in order, because I'm certain that my meagre strength wasn't anywhere near sufficient to best a named character in the Avatar series and their metres-thick plot armour. But eventually...
One day soon, I'll grow into my new body, fill it up with enough strength to tear down the heavens and impose my own order on the world.
Until then however, all my great height did was put me at a disadvantage- rocks got launched at me and struck at the very large target that my body posed. My height also seemed to give Fire Nation officers a vast overestimation of my current prowess, going so far as to give me the moniker 'Khan the Giant' despite being fresh off the boat just two hours ago. Worse still, this battle had us outnumbered 3-to-1, and despite Fire Nation soldiers having more rigorous training, that was still some odds when the Captain's only orders were 'charge' while he just stayed back in his command tent on the hill.
Real life military officers can't be that much of a crayon-eating moron, can they?
I've never been even fit enough for the army, but even I knew that level of incompetence must be impossible. This must be the work of the [Conscripted!] perk no doubt- dropping me into the action at the very start. And I had a feeling that if I hadn't built for combat, I would very much be in trouble right about now. But I had built for combat, and now, such an exciting start in life only proved to be an advantage.
My red-armoured fist gripped my chosen weapon tight, and readied to deal violence.
(Common) [Iron Meteor Hammer]
A melee weapon consisting of a solid metal ball suspended at the end of a 6-metres-long chain. The ball is swung around at great speeds to build deadly momentum before sending hurtling towards the enemy. Its reach is unmatched by any other melee weapon, and its chained nature means that it cannot be blocked or parried like a normal blade- essentially forming a massive threat zone that demands respect from its foes. However, the meteor hammer is hampered by its slow attack speed due to the wind up required to gather force for each strike; and requires both high Strength and Dexterity to wield properly.
Weapon Proficiency: Lvl 4 - Novice
At high proficiency levels, the meteor hammer becomes an extremely versatile and unpredictable weapon. The long chain becomes a fearsome weapon in its own right as it is used to bind limbs, trip feet, trap weapons or constrict around necks with ease. Meanwhile, the metal ball can crush straight through rock and armour alike while also permitting powerful strikes at oblique angles of attack that would be nigh impossible with conventional weapons.
+ R +
Those spear-wielding Earth Kingdom clowns didn't see it coming. Literally.
When faced with a large opponent, one's eyes usually lock straight at him, so it was easy to get blindsided by something else. A melon-sized, 12 kg metal ball was surprisingly hard to spot when it approached so fast from angles you don't normally look at. Factor in my meagre Dexterity, and I was just accurate enough to guide my weapon to the more vulnerable points of the human body. Knees were shattered, jaws were broken, and ribs were cracked at my passing through.
[Rock Throw], -13 hp!
[Rock Throw], -8 hp!
HP: 296 - 275
Some fought back with their weapons and earthbending, of course. Attempting to counterattack in between the relatively slow revolutions that my [Iron Meteor Hammer] took, but that was where my [Firebending] came in as a... deterrent. Nothing quite gives people pause than a blast of flame- stopping them in their tracks at just the right distance for them to take a meteor hammer to the cheek. It was a fighting style that served me well today.
Defeated {Earth Nation Militia Recruit}, +4 exp!
Defeated {Earth Nation Militia Earthbender}, +8 exp!
Defeated {Earth Nation Militia Recruit}, +5 exp!
...
+5 exp... +7 exp... +6 exp... +5 exp... +8 exp... +6 exp... +5 exp... +4 exp...
The nice steady stream of exp arrived as the enemy's untrained peasants were distracted by their broken bones long enough for the Fire Nation soldiers following in the wake of my violence to deal a killing blow. Did I feel bad about killing enemies who were essentially hungry peasants press-ganged into military service? Well, if they didn't want to be killed, then perhaps they shouldn't be such a convenient and easy source of exp.
Meteor Hammer Weapon Proficiency is now Level 5 - Apprentice! New skill unlocked!
[Meteor Hammer: Wind Up] - Take time to focus on building up momentum and empower your meteor hammer's next strike to hit with greater force. As your weapon proficiency increases, Wind Up can be upgraded to either build up momentum quicker or attain a higher maximum power bonus.
A fairly useful skill. It was a nice time all around until I found myself standing in the shadow... that was apparently cast by the half dozen boulders arcing high above the air towards me- each one the size of a washing machine. It would seem that some Earthbender was given time to set up, how unfortunate. I exploded into movement- weaving from underneath each boulder as they smashed into the ground with the force to kill even me. Possibly.
Dodge save successful! (15/7 Dexterity Required)
"Giant! I will be your opponent!" A voice angrily shouted at me as the dust settled and I was revealed to still be alive.
Name: ?
Level: 5~
Rank: Earth Kingdom Lieutenant
HP: ?/?
Strength: ?
Dexterity: ?
Constitution: ?
Intelligence: ?
Spirit: ?
It would seem that an actual enemy of note found me. He certainly had better armour than all the rabble I've encountered. A green lamellar plate, a plumed-helmet and sneer of superiority on his goateed face as he calmly walked towards me. The remaining troops, both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, stopped fighting as they saw their 'leaders' agreeing to settle this with a duel. Both sides of soldiers just looking at the two of us while warily glancing at each other every so often in a sort of soldier's truce.
They were leaving it up to me then? Very well.
"What is your name, o' worthy opponent?" I shouted to the Earth Kingdom Lieutenant as I quietly did my [Wind Up] skill, which consisted of swinging my meteor hammer in a wide circle over my head. With each revolution the metal ball made, I could feel its power grow- straining against my grip and almost creaking the metal chain like a rabid dog rebelling against its owner.
Meanwhile... My opponent just stood and talked.
"Worthy?" the well-armoured Earthbender lieutenant spat, "You- the invader who has come to our lands to prey upon the innocent like locusts- think yourself a noble warrior in search of a worthy opponent? You are nothing more than an arrogant insect who has learned the tongue of man! Well, carve the name of your exterminator to your heart, pest; I am Lieutenant-"
* Critical Hit! *
His head burst like a ripe melon as my meteor hammer impacted against the side of his head- so fast that even I could barely keep track of it too. His shattered and bloody helmet clattered in the distance as the surrounding troops were showered by the explosion of blood and gore.
"You speak too much for someone on a battlefield." I muttered out loud as his headless body limply crumpled to the ground.
Defeated {Earth Kingdom Lieutenant}, +22 exp!
Overkill! (+60%) , Cool One-Liner! (+5%) , Monologue Interruption (-60%): +1 exp!
I get exp for style points too? Very nice. But apparently, interrupting monologues was not stylish. I can respect that. Besides, I can make up the difference easily enough anyway... I turned my attention to the horrified Earth nation troops who were looking like pretty easy exp. "Now it's your turn."
"Wait, I surrender!" The closest man cried out, his eyes wide in fear as he threw down his spear as if it burned him. The sound of his weapon clattering to the ground seemed to trigger the avalanche too as more shouts of surrender rang out in a wave.
"I surrender!" "I surrender!" "I surrender!" "I surrender!"
Seeing their opponents surrendering and on their knees, the Fire Nation soldiers turned to look at me with victorious smiles and added their own shouts of adulation to the battlefield as they raised their weapons high.
"Giant!" "The Firelord's Giant!" "Giant!" "Giant!"
For almost single-handedly bringing about a Fire Nation victory on the battlefield...
{41st Division} Reputation : -10 - 5
{41st Division} Obedience : 0 - 10
{Fire Nation} Reputation : -10 - -8
{Earth Kingdom} Reputation : -10 - -25
{Earth Kingdom} Infamy: 0 - 5
This must be how Aang and the gang feel after they've saved the day.
It certainly felt good to be recognised for my accomplishments, and what felt even better was the rewards. Those twin prizes of [Reputation] and [Obedience] will be vital in paving the way for my eventual coming into power and running the world. People can make a lot of valid criticisms about Fire Lord Ozai, but he did have the right mind when it came to style: 'Phoenix King' did sound like a nice title... or not. I'll have to think about it when I eventually take over.
Combat concluded... updating stats.
Name: Khan "The Giant"
Level: 1
Level exp: 467/500
Rank: Private First Class. 41st Division, Fire Nation Army.
HP: 277/400
Strength: 15 - 20
Dexterity: 15 - 18
Constitution: 15 - 18
Intelligence: 0
Spirit: 15 - 17
+ R +
So very close to a level up... Looks like I was blue-balled in more ways than one.
"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, Fire Nation scum!" One of the newest prisoners of war taunted me while he was still kneeling on the dirt- some grey-bearded old sod who looked vaguely familiar too. "You may have defeated us in battle, but you will never defeat Earth Kingdom's spirit! The Avatar will come and wipe you from our land! He has done so once, he will do so again!"
I think this old man just volunteered to help me level up. How kind of him.
"That's cute of you to think that you're living through this." I grinned at him as I swung my meteor hammer around- building up momentum. "I think I recall who you are now... You're Haru's father, aren't you? The one that Katara and the Avatar freed from the prison rig."
At the mention of both his identity and his previous history, he immediately changed tune.
"Wait, I surrendered!" he cried out.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have run your rebellious mouth." I nodded, "Keep the underworld warm, would you kindly? I'm sure your son will follow in your footsteps soon enough."
The look of horror on the man's face was the last expression he ever made. The metal ball impacted against his chest- collapsing his ribcage and pulping his heart. Give me the exp!
Defeated {Earth Kingdom POW}, +0 exp!
Zero exp?! Game, what the hell?!
Base exp rewards are calculated through estimated combat difficulty. Prisoners of War pose no challenge combat-wise. The exp rewards correspond to such.
"Have mercy, please!" "Spare us!" "Please, we won't rebel anymore!"
"No! Pick up your weapons and fight me!" I roared at the now surrendered prisoners, but alas, no one was feeling brave enough. Their hands in the air, the surrendered Earth Kingdom militia refused to meet my eyes. And that only made me more frustrated, there must be at least 30 of them here- that was at least 150 exp that I could have gotten instead if they just kept fighting. I just needed a measly 33 exp!
For appearing to be a bloodthirsty battle-maniac...
{41st Division} Obedience : 10 - 15
{Earth Kingdom} Obedience : 1 - 2
"Private Khan, uh... sir?" The Fire Nation soldier with the messenger hawk hesitantly called my attention, "The Captain has ordered you to report to his command tent."
I just pushed the frustration and my meteor hammer down for now, and everyone around me breathed a sigh of relief.
"Very well." I replied as I marched towards the command tent sitting on that hill. "But that cowardly pig had better have something worthwhile to say..."
(A few minutes later) [Captain's Command Tent]
"That's it?" I snapped angrily- the boom of my voice filling the small, but luxuriously decorated tent interior, "You made me come all the way here to get me to write a glowing testimony about your 'heroics' in this battle?"
Imagine for a moment a stereotypical fat, greedy tax collector from a fantasy world... Now squeeze him in the red and black Fire Nation uniform that's a size too small for him, and you have {Captain Tuan}. Certainly not a name I recognise from canon, and for that reason, I couldn't care less for his existence beyond how this pathetic waste of space wasn't exactly in my good books right now. I knew his type- he was the type of boss to overwork the people below him so that he could coast on their hard work and claim the credit. I wasn't about to allow that to happen to me this time around, especially so when he was being an obstacle on my path to power.
Name: Tuan
Level: 3
Rank: Fire Nation Captain, 41st Division
HP: ?/?
Strength: ?
Dexterity: ?
Constitution: ?
Intelligence: ?
Spirit: ?
"Careful with your tone, Private." Captain Tuan tutted- aiming a warning stare at me for a second or two before going back to eating his roast turtle-duck. "We wouldn't want you punished for insubordination so soon after being deployed."
The two {Firebender Bodyguards} shifted a bit as they stood beside the Captain. A clear threat to me.
"And yes, I do expect you to write that testimony." he continued, "No better witness to how I duelled the Earth Kingdom officer and made the rest of the forces surrender than the up-and-coming Corporal who was there to witness it first hand, hmm?"
"Corporal?" I parroted, and Captain Tuan gave a duck fat-stained smile.
"Corporal Khan... it does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" He hummed- wiping his mouth, "You seem like a strapping young lad with healthy career ambitions, so allow me to give you free advice: What I'm offering you now is practically a gift from the spirits seeing as you're just a fresh recruit! You should be on your hands and knees thanking me for my generosity."
...In the Avatar The Last Airbender show, they had made some of the Fire Nation officers almost cartoonishly evil. It would seem that was still true now that I'm here. Rage bubbling at the thought of being forced to bow and scrape to morons in power once again, rising hatred for his stupid grease-stained face and just 33 exp shy of finally levelling up. Considering all those factors, I only had one thing to say.
"Captain Tuan, for your conspiracy to forge military documents and general incompetence, I'm arresting you in the name of the Fire Nation."
The Captain just blinked once before snorting out a cruel laugh.
"Ha! I don't think so. Arrest this insubordinate green horn."
I was a firm believer that this was where unarmed combat shone best: spontaneous violence. Even with the Bending Arts, some set up was required: proper stance, precise breathing, and maybe a good mindset. A punch with an armoured fist flying at 30 kilometres per hour didn't need any of those considerations, and it bought me half a second over my opponent since it was not something you usually expect standing almost metre away from someone. Backed up by my considerable Strength and Dexterity to it, the punch knocked the {Firebender Bodyguard} straight on his ass with a concussion before he even knew what was happening.
Subdued {Firebender Bodyguard}, +6 exp!
[Fire-Jab], -49 hp!
HP: 268 - 219
But still, it was two versus one, and the Captain the {Firebender Bodyguard} to land a hit with his bending before I rounded on him with an armoured backhand hard enough to dent his iron helmet and send him tumbling to the ground.
Subdued {Firebender Bodyguard}, +7 exp!
I reached out at the slow-to-react Captain and slammed his face onto the edge of his dining table- loose, bloody teeth clattering to the fine carpets before I began dragging him out of his tent by his topknot.
"No! Stop this!" He groaned out through a bloodied mouth, trying to struggle against my grip, "I'm a Fire Nation Army Captain! You can't kill me! The entire camp will turn against you! You'll be executed for treason!"
And as if to prove his words, the entire encampment watched- muttering and whispering- as I dragged the Captain into the centre of the camp like some prize hog I caught.
"What's he doing to the Captain?" "Should we stop this?" "Is the Giant a traitor?"
However, I already had a rather simple plan.
"Captain Tuan!" I loudly proclaimed for the rest of the camp to hear, "For the conspiracy to forge military documents, the embezzlement of funds from the unit's pay and general incompetence, I challenge you to an Agni Kai!"
"He's embezzling funds from OUR WHAT?!" "Bury him alive!" "Feed him to the pig-deers!"
The cry of outrage was soon echoed by the rest of the Fire Nation soldiers. And as the enraged soldiers loudly bayed for Captain Tuan's blood, he paled in fear and looked at me.
"H-how did you know?!"
"Oh, you really did embezzle funds?" I grinning widely- all teeth underneath my helmet, "I was going to lie about it to have a reason, but thank you for confirming. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't doing this for the Fire Nation. I was doing it because I really wanted you dead. So, I hope your Ozai Style is really good, because I'm pretty confident with mine."
"M-mercy..." Captain Tuan seemed to pale even further at that. We both knew that this was as good as an execution, just with a few extra steps.
Now, it was just a question of how much Reputation and exp I can squeeze out of his corpulent body before he expires.
(Two hours later) [Two hundred kilometres south]
"There she is..." The hunchbacked old fisherman told them, "The mainland."
Suki took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to drink in the sensations that she's feeling right now; because who knows how long it'll be before an islander girl like her will ever get to see the ocean again?
The sea breeze running through her auburn hair, the salty spray of ocean on her white painted face and the gentle rocking of the boat beneath her armoured feet. Something told her that it was going to be a while before she experienced these things again. Opening her blue eyes, Suki looked to the horizon and saw nothing but green leafy foliage on a yellow sanded beach that stretched from East to West without end. If she was being honest, it was more than slightly intimidating for someone like her who had only lived on a small island her entire life.
...But at least, she wasn't alone.
"Well, here we officially are, sisters." She said as she turned around to smile to her squad- to her family, "Kyoshi Warriors on the Earth Kingdom mainland... who would have thought this day would come."
Looking at her sisters-in-arms, all clad in the same ceremonial green armour as she was... it gave her strength and hope. Because although they had broken the sacred tradition of peaceful isolationism as taught to them by Avatar Kyoshi, they did it for the right reasons and they did it together, and that's what mattered.
"Maybe the Avatar?" one of them chirped, her red painted lips stretched in a wide smile, and Suki laughed softly at the thought.
"Aang? Having that much foresight and wisdom?!" She smiled mirthfully, "I don't think so, I'm sure we'll be a big surprise if we ever run into him again. But I think he'll be happy to see us shake off tradition to help fight the war."
"I bet Sokka would be happy to see you too, Suki~"
"H-hey!" Suki squawked in embarrassment, It was good that her cheeks were painted a pure white or else her blush could be seen. But her sisters-in-arms just giggled at her reaction.
"Oh Suki, you're so easy to tease!"
"Ahem, can we just focus on our mission instead of teasing me?" She just pouted and her sisters giggled one last time before calming down.
"Sure, Suki. Sure." they chorused- all smiles, and Suki just shook her head with a fond smile herself before turning her attention to the old fisherman.
"Uncle, can you tell us the route again?" Suki prompted him. He nodded and turned to face the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors.
"Like I said to the little missy." the bald, but bearded fisherman yapped, "If you want to reach Ba Sing Se, you only got one option that doesn't see you dying of thirst in the Great Desert or getting your boat looted by pirates, and that's Omashu. Once you get there, there's a road heading northeast. You take that all the way to Full Moon Bay and take a ferry across the East Lake straight to Ba Sing Se."
That should have been the end of it, but the old man sighed- stroking his grey beard before continuing.
"I won't sugarcoat it... even though you got lots of little Earth Kingdom villages lining the road north, it's still a miserable, months-long trek to the city of Omashu. I'd sail you directly to the city, but the Fire Nation has gotten really jumpy ever since the Avatar came back and this boat is all I have left, and..."
"It's alright, uncle. We understand, thank you for getting us this far." Suki reassured him with a gentle smile. "We can handle ourselves. Isn't that right, sisters?!"
"Yeah!" The five others cheered.
"Kyoshi Warriors!" Suki barked in command, and her sisters-in-arms crisply snapped to attention in unison. "Elder Oyaji may have disagreed about Kyoshi Island's participation in this war; but long ago, Avatar Kyoshi was the one to bring balance to the world. And today, we- her humble followers- will walk in her footsteps! Proud inheritors of the great legacy of Avatar Kyoshi! Focus together as one, and there is nothing that the Fire Nation can throw at us that we can't handle! We will complete our journey across the mainland, lend our martial skill to the Earth King at Ba Sing Se and beat. the. Fire Nation. BACK!"
With a flourish, her battle fan extended out to point at the mainland.
"So I say: 'Send them all, Fire Lord Ozai!' Send your greatest warriors, your most elite troops and they will not best the Kyoshi Warriors! Focus together as one!"
"As one!"
Suki looked at her sisters' eager faces and saw that despite the fighting spirit overflowing in their eyes, they still kept their discipline. It was at that moment that Suki knew that they were unstoppable. They were going to make this journey unscathed. They were going to be alright.
(Meanwhile)
"It does smell like pork!" My booming voice declared to the rest of the 41st Division.
Around a great collection of fires, we feasted; and it was at the largest one where I sat in front of that the former {Captain Tuan} was currently being roasted on a great spit- a thick log piercing him from anus to mouth as I rotated over an open fire. My personal handiwork- when I said that I'll squeeze every drop of exp from our former CO, I really meant it. It was all thanks to him that I had gained the last exp needed to level up, other useful skills, and the supplies to feed our ostrich-horse mounts!
Skill Level up: [Cooking]! Lvl 2 - Lvl 3
Skill Level up: [Animal Taming]! Lvl 1 - Lvl 2
"Well, if any of our ostrich-horses didn't already have a taste for traitors, they certainly will tonight!" I laughed, and the men laughed along- likely just the alcohol. I had distributed his rather large collection of wines to the men as celebration, and his hoard of gold as their bonuses. Such distribution of wealth gave me a lot of Reputation and Obedience with them.
For casually displaying indescribable cruelty in front of your men and servants...
{41st Division} Reputation : 30 - 27
{41st Division} Obedience : 20 - 50
{Servants} Obedience : 0 - 40
{Earth Kingdom} Infamy: 5 - 15
Now, Captain Tuan gave me even more. I take it back, he was such a swell guy! It makes me almost wish that I didn't impale him while he was still alive.
"41st Division!" I proclaimed as I stood up and everyone's eyes went to me. "Eat, drink and celebrate. Because from tomorrow onwards, we're not just going to complete our mission, we're also going to make the entire Earth Kingdom live in terror of us!"
The troops- wholeheartedly agreeing- raised their tankards and filled the night air with shouts and roars of praise, while our new POW-servants just bowed their heads subserviently. I looked up at the starry night sky and made a vow: This world was going to be mine, everything and everyone in it.
...
"... Do you really think everything will be okay, Suki?"
"Yeah, it will. We have each other, don't we? Sisters forever."
"Sisters forever."