The Impossible Task

{Sword Mastery} (Passive)

LV 100 (-99% EXP Gained)

EXP: 0/10,000 (Locked)

Requirements for Next Level: Learn a Sword Style

Passively increases DEX while holding a sword by 300%

Passively increases damage with a sword by 200%

Increases the skill in which you wield a sword.

"Oh fuck me..." I muttered as I looked at it in annoyance.

"Ah whatever!" I threw my hands up in surrender and then decided to get rid of my fire soldier grunt title.

[Are you sure you want to delete this title?]

[Y/N]

I pressed yes, and in an instant, I pulled out the Airbending Scroll.

[Do you wish to learn {Airbending}?]

[Y/N]

I pressed yes. Then, a quest complete pop-up appeared.

[You have completed the Quest, To Become A Bender!]

To Become a Bender!

Objective 1: Get a Bending Scroll of any Bending Style and learn it - Complete

Hidden Objective: Failure!

Reward: Airbender Class, 40,000 EXP

[New Quest!]

Before I could even completely check the rewards, a new pop-up appeared.

[An Airbender's Duty!]

Nearly all Airbenders are dead, you remain. It's up to you and The Avatar to stop the Fire Nation.

Objective 1: Stop the Fire Nation from conquering the Four Nations

Objective 2: Kill or Subdue Firelord Ozai

Hidden Objective 1: ?

Hidden Objective 2: ?

Rewards: ? ? ? ?

Time Limit: 1 Year

Failure: Death, Imprisonment, Slavery, or Hiding in Fear Until You Die,

"I was planning to any-"

[New Quest!]

[Achieve Harmony]

Achieve a Mastery in all Bending Styles.

Objective 1: Learn Airbending - Complete

Objective 2: Master Airbending

Objective 3: Learn Waterbending

Objective 4: Master Waterbending

Objective 5: Learn Earthbending

Objective 6: Master Earthbending

Objective 7: Learn Firebending

Objective 8: Master Firebending

Objective 9: Learn Energybending

Objective 10: Master Energybending

Hidden Objective 1: ?

Hidden Objective 2: ?

Hidden Objective 3: ?

Hidden Objective 4 ?

Rewards: ? ? ? ? ?

Time Limit: 100 Years

Failure: ?

"What...? I asked upon seeing this absurd quest.

'Whatever. Just ignore it Elliot,' I told myself with a shake of my head. It WAS an impossible task after all, because only the Avatar, half-human and half-spirit could master all four elements. With a inward, 'Status,' I checked my progress.

Name: Elliot (Kai)

Level: 32 (Next Level: 1,100/3,200)

Class: Airbender (+100% Experience towards all Airbending Skills, 10% decrease in all Airbending Skill costs, +50 DEX)

Title: Adept Swordsman, Novice Airbender (+25% Experience to all Airbending Skills, 5% decrease in all Airbending Skill costs)

HP: 4,370/4,370

CHI: 440/440

Age: 14

STR: 53

STA: 59

VIT: 20

DEX: 75

WIS: 19

PER: 18

INT: 18

LUK: 6

Attribute Points: 160

Perks: {Sword Genius}

Flaws: {Depersonalization} {Emotional Detachment} {Repressed Emotions}

"I need to work on Airbending now," I decided.

...

I took in deep breaths, in and out. I was taking in the state of my body.

'It's cold.' I noticed the little hairs all over my body standing up. My skin was becoming a pinkish red from the cold mountain top air. A gust of wind licked my body, nearly making me shiver. But I stopped myself, taking in another deep breath, and slowly began acclimating to the temperature.

Opening my eyes, I noticed that... absolutely nothing happened. I blinked. I was following the forms, and breathing correctly, wasn't I?

'How the hell do I use Chi and control air?' I thought to myself.

'Maybe... I should try meditating first?' I then put my shirt and jacket back on, and sat crosslegged.

'Ah... right, I'm an idiot. Chi is what Benders use to manipulate the environment, and, well, Bend.' I was just going through the forms, instead of actually using my Chi.

I sat meditating for who knows how long, ignoring the pop-ups that I heard every once in a while.

Then, I felt it. It didn't... feel like anything I've ever felt before. It was warm, but... cold too. I could feel a large amount gathered in my stomach, what I remembered Iroh calling it the sea of chi, or something like that.

I could feel it moving through my chi paths slowly, and steadily. My stomach protruded as air settled to the bottom of my lungs.

"Huu." Breathing out, I willed my chi to move, to extend, outside, and...

I opened my eyes. I saw my clothes fluttering despite being inside a building.

[Due to focusing on your senses, your PER has gone up by one!

[{Meditation} has leveled up!]

[{Airbending} has leveled up!]

[Through specific actions, the skill, {Chi Manipulation} has been created!]

"Huh, that felt... rather nice."

CHI: 433/440

'Only seven chi, huh? Well, I guess it's time to actually do some of the forms now that I know how to use chi,' I told myself.

...

I blew air from my mouth, unleashing a gale of wind, crashing into the snow. Snow flew up into the air for a bit, before crashing back down to the ground.

...

Getting back into stance after a short meal, I began slowly going through the forms. I moved sideways, slowly, in a circular fashion. I inhaled a deep breath, and started pushing out my left fist, slowly and steadily alongside my breath. Inhaling again, I took back my fist, and quickly struck out with my right fist, exhaling steadily all the while. A wave of air extended from my fist, and into the wall of the monastery.

Inhaling again, I then extended my right fist out as slowly as my breath. A long, deep breath in, and a slow, steady exhale tightened my abdominal muscles as I struck out with my left fist. I repeated this form, this breathing, and the entire time, I hadn't stopped moving my feet.

I needed absolutely no disturbance in my breath. No matter any situation, I needed to be in control of my breathing. No matter any physical exertion, breathing was the basis of everything, to me at least.

Evasive, quick, flexible, I needed to be everything.

...

It felt comfortable. I didn't quite know why. Airbending made me feel nice, better, calm. Maybe it was because it's something I'm familiar with? Not practicing martial arts, but it sort of reminded me of when I watched the show. It reminded me a bit of home.

...

"Ha!" Sweat dripped down my face as I continuously shot my fists out. My feet following my outstretched fists shadows, as if they were ghosts as they slid across the ground.

Right fist forward, right foot forward. Anchor my right foot's heel into the ground, then left foot and fist forward. Step to the side, bend, kick. Walk in a circle, turn, shove, grapple. It was hard, fighting some invisible enemy when I've never fought once in my life before. Aside from thieves of course.

But I would continue practicing, until the Gaang showed up. Then, even further.

...

'289... 290... 291... 292... 293... 294... 295... 296... 297... 298... 299... 300...!' I got up from my pushups, and then began some intensive stretching to loosen my exhausted muscles.

After a few minutes rest, I then began a set of squats. Stretch. Planks. Stretch. Pullups. Stretch.

My body urged me to rest after my exhaustive workout, but I barely noticed. As soon after, I got into form and started practicing my Bending.

My body never broke, it never hurt itself even after intense overworking. Instead, it adapted. The System made me keep my gains, and recovered it faster than normally possible, it seemed.

I even tested it. I fasted a few days, and I didn't lose muscle, or stats, but fat instead. Of course, neither did I gain anything as there wasn't anything there to increase it. I.E. Protein.

So that meant even if I rested for thirty years on my ass, I'd still be in peak form. It was nice to know.

...

I hopped from one pillar to another. Calculating the angle, I kicked the ball and it ricocheted off of a few pillars, and into the goal. I was using the airball arena to help increase my balance.

I didn't know the thirty-six tiers of Airbending, so I just had to improvise to make do. In fact, I even played airball reversed, meaning I was in a handstand.

It was... a lot harder than the original game. But a bit fun if I was being honest. Improving was always fun.

...

I swung my sword as I tried surrounding air around it. It didn't work, so I began taking steps forward, and air began to surround it. Moving helped Bending. The specifics of it, I forgot. But until I was good enough that I could psychic Bend, I'd have to move. For now, I was just focusing on trying to be able to Bend with the most minimal movements instead of getting rid of them yet.

Also, just like I thought, Airbending and my Swordsmanship made for a good combo. With air enhancing my movements the speed of my blade increased, and I could even increase the force that my sword stabbed and slash by slamming razor thin condensed air down into it as I swung.

I still have yet to fully combine and incorporate Bending into my combat. But I was getting there, time would only help me. Yet time seemed to be lacking. As it was getting colder and colder, fall was already here, or it was ending. Maybe winter was beginning.

...

I sat, lying down on the cool monastery floors. A rare break day, I had decided today was. But despite that, I was getting antsy and not doing anything. I couldn't tell if that was a good or bad habit.

'Let's go with good,' I decided. I already had enough bad ones, and bad or good was something decided on MY outlook.

'Outlook, huh?' I mused to myself. This lead to me thinking about the Air Nomads philosophies.

"Why, if Air is the element of freedom, did the Air Nomads shackle themselves with pacifism? If I'm an Airbender, shouldn't I be free to choose if I want to kill someone or not?" I asked nobody in particular. It's not like I was planning on killing someone, just a random question I had thought up.

"Plus, Gyatso didn't seem like a very good pacifist, surrounded by corpses," I chuckled to myself. Was that wrong? To chuckle at someone's death? It didn't feel very wrong, I didn't really feel anything at that honestly. Was this apart of being detached?

'Then again, it was fight only if it's the last option, right?' Maybe I had just answered my question right there. Maybe I hadn't.

Unfortunately, I wouldn't get to know the answer, for now. Because no one was there to answer me. I could only find the answer out for myself.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd become a pacifist too once I found it.

[For contemplating others philosophies and perspectives, your WIS has gone up by five!]

...

As I practiced my forms, I noticed something distinctly different from Aang's Airbending. It was more aggressive, quick, and more focused on evasiveness. Or at least, I think it was. I had never seen Aang Bend in person before.

It just... felt a bit aggressive to me, I guess.

[For noticing differences in your form compared to others, Your PER has gone up by one!]

'So I was right,' I thought, quite pleased. Getting a stat up just felt like a pat on the back, that I was right. Or at least, going in the right direction.

'Sometimes I wish someone was here to actually tell me that.' But for now, I'd have to make do with self encouragement.

...

I can't sleep at night sometimes. So I started grinding another three skills those nights, when insomnia gets the best of me.

...

I read through the scrolls for some Airbending techniques. Air Scooter... Air Funnel... Air Bomb...

It was basically just explaining how I needed to move and channel my chi. None of these could actually be made into skills, just helps towards increasing my Airbending skill level. So I had to learn them completely manually. It also made me wonder...

What did this System actually consider skills? I'd have to find out sometime. But for now, all I could do was work on my current skills. That was already a tough enough task, no need to add more to my plate.

...

The days were getting shorter, the night longer. I didn't really mind it, I liked night, it's peaceful, quiet, dark. I know that sounds a bit edgy, but...

It's comforting to me. The Moon casting it's pale blue light has always had me enamored. I've been thinking recently. About if I should even join the Gaang or not.

What would I even do? There's no reason for me too. They'd get on just fine without me. But I also think about what happened in the show, they were pretty lucky in that final fight. What if that doesn't happen? I'd fail my quest and be dead, probably.

But that's not what's been making me stay here. I didn't even think that far ahead until I noticed winter was starting. Why?

It's because it was familiar. The only thing that I have with me are memories of my past life, those include memories of the show...

My only attachment being in this world was the cartoon I grew up with. The memories of Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko's journey. That included Bending, and the primary reason I came here. After all, if I really WANTED to, there was no need to become a Bender. Non-Benders were the majority of the world. This isn't a world completely ruled by strength, ordinary people could survive, hell, thrive even!

[Due to realizing your subconscious decisions, your WIS has gone up by one!]

...

Air swirled around like tiny blades, I cut the air around me to giving me less air resistance as I moved, moving fast, and with wind pushing my from behind. I rushed towards the leafless tree, using all my momentum I sent a current of thin, cutting air, and...

The tree toppled over, cut in half. The drumming of my heart distracted me from the sound of the tree crashing to the ground. "Huu... haaa..." I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I evened my breathing.

I closed my eyes. I did it, I used gale slice. It took a little wind up, something I'd need to remove, but I still did it.

I collapsed onto my back. "Haa... fuck, that took a hundred chi," I muttered in annoyance. The feeling of having chi taken out of me in large quantities... was unpleasant to say the least. But I'd have to get used to it.

...

"Okay, it's time," I told myself. My Airbending was over seventy-five, it's been that way for a while. I used that level as an unofficial cap before I decided to try Flight.

I assuaged my worry, and began manipulating air. I levitating as I jumped, I was getting higher and higher as the wind carried me, and then...

I fell. "Ow, shit. I can't fly yet, huh?" I mumbled.

'Maybe I need to get above eighty-five or ninety?' I wondered, before beginning to stand up. I didn't believe in that Earthly desires, or was it tethers, bullshit.

'I'll fly if I want to fucking fly! That's my fucking freedom world!' I thought in frustration. One of the reasons I wanted to learn Airbending was to fly so I could reduce my travel time.

I began training once more.

...

Days passed by. The excitement at the thought of meeting Aang and the rest increasing. I did my best to squash it, yet a tiny bit of excitement remained.

How could I not? Characters I grew up with, read every comic book and novel, watched every season...

'It's a shame that Emotional Detachment doesn't work if I already have an attachment towards someone,' I thought.

'Represses Emotions is definitely stopping me from breaking down about my family, which is good, but... It's hindering my growth. That's deadly, because it'll add up over time. How do I deal with these Repressed Emotions?' I pondered, and decided to take some time to think.

...

"I feel sad. Feeling sad isn't a bad thing. In fact, it is quite normal to be sad if you're torn away from your family," I said to myself mechanically.

It wasn't difficult, just... different. I never really talked to anyone about my emotions, so it was hard to differentiate between what I was feeling. I was saying this all the while exercising, because exercising released stress, I think, and I needed to be efficient with my time.

After saying it a few more times, I sighed. "What the hell. I look like an idiot. Haa... This clearly isn't working," I mumbled to myself as I gave the stink-eye at {Repressed Emotions}.

...

As I was laying on my back, a sudden thought struck me. 'How about I go ask the statues?'

Walking into the temple, I went towards the airlock doors were. Bending air into them, the spiral locks began trembling violently. After a little while, two turned, and then, the third one.

The door automatically opened, protruding outward. Walking in, I saw countless status in a spiral, going upwards after reaching the edge of the room.

'The Avatars,' I walked up to Roku's statue, the latest in the cycle aside from Aang.

I looked up at the Avatar. "Uhm, any idea on how to deal with repressed emotions," I asked him.

"..."

'No response, of course. It's a statue,' I smacked my lips in annoyance at coming here for nothing.

"Well, thanks for trying anyways buddy." I tiptoed to pat the statue on the shoulder.

But just as I was about to turn away, I noticed a dust cloud rising from where I placed my hand. My hand which touched the statue's shoulder was darkened with dust.

"I guess it has nearly been a hundred years before you were last cleaned, if the Air Nomads ever even cleaned you guys," I said to nobody. Taking out a rag, a bucket, and quickly heading out of the monastery, I scooped a bit of snow into it.

Taking out a match, and some dry wood I pillaged from some trees I cut down, I lit a fire. I held the bucket over the fire until the snow melted. After a few repeats of that process, I got a bucket filled with slightly cold water.

Going back to the statue area, I began wiping down Avatar Roku's statue. Once clean, I smiled. Unexpectedly though, a pop-up appeared.

[A great person thanks you for cleaning his statue, your LUK has gone up by one!]

"..." The smile turned into a full blown grin. I then began cleaning with a relentless fervor.

...

Fifty-nine of the one hundred and eighty statues gave me luck. As I went towards the exit, I noticed something wrong. I blinked.

'The door closed...? I mean, yeah, it automatically opened so it has to close too, right?' Pursing my lips, I walked up to it and began pushing against it. It was locked.

"Haaaa..." I let out a weighty sigh as I massaged the bridge of my nose.

"Just my fucking luck," I cursed in frustration.

"You know what? Whatever. Out there, or in here, nothing changes. I can still train, I can still meet Aang and the rest, I'll just be trapped here until they open it," Having said my piece, I took out a sleeping bag and lied down. I was tired after twelve hours of continuously cleaning.

So I was going to sleep.

...

When I woke up, I couldn't tell if it was day or night. It didn't matter to me though. But I was in a slightly more depressed mood after waking up surrounded by statues of dead people. It made me sad knowing Aang would be up here one day, slightly less sad about Korra though. After all, nobody can beat the original for me. It was the starting point of a franchise I grew up together with.

I rolled onto my side, and stared at Avatar Roku as I rested my cheek on my palm. "Where do people go when they die?" I asked him.

"I know that the Avatar is the same soul, but... what happens to rest of us? Do we become spirits or something? Reincarnate? Iroh goes to the spirit world after he dies, but... if that was the case, wouldn't we see more dead people there? Legend of Korra proves the existence of souls but..." I flopped back onto my back.

"Whatever."

[For contemplating your's, and others mortality, your WIS has gone up by five!]

"Neat," I murmured.

"Alright, enough moping around." I jumped to my feet in one fluid motion, Airbending was real useful when you felt too lazy to stand up manually. After all, I have to put my hand on the ground to steady myself, put strength in my feet, and then straighten my knees.

But with Airbending it's just... Whoosh! And then I'm on my feet.

'Maybe that's why I picked Airbending, it's the most convenient?' I wondered.

'Well, no. Waterbending is more convenient, I can get rid of the water in my clothes. Though I can just dry them with Airbending...'

"Actually, isn't Earthbending the most convenient? I could just terraform the land and make a straight path. Would've been hella useful in climbing the mountain. Metalbending would also be very useful in construction too!"

"Alright, it's decided. Earthbending is the most convenient Bending Style. Air's a close second though." I nodded confident in my decision.

Was it strange that I felt hundreds of eyes looking at me strangely? I shrugged and muttered, whatever.

'Though it does make me wonder why Toph didn't become a builder, she could've made tons of money. I'll have to ask her later. Maybe she just didn't think of it at the time? And when I tell her, we can then become co-owners of a construction company?' I paused.

'My thoughts are heading in strange directions. That sounds like a bad fanfiction premise, being police chief suits her more.' Maybe I was going crazy due to the musty, dust filled, stuffy air?

...

My Airbending advanced a bit faster in here than it did outside. Probably because I had to be more careful, especially because of the statue's. Wouldn't want them taking my luck away.

...

I think days passed as I continued training. I trained in the darkness that my eyes acclimatized to. The statue's were just shadowy figures, but my vision was getting continually clearer as PER went up. For now though, it wasn't enough for perfect night vision.

...

"I hate you, I love you," I sung as I trained. It was something to spice up this silent space, my voice echoing throughout the room. I was practicing Airbending while trying to focus on the sound.

I was trying to sense the sounds as they passed through the air. It wasn't working so far, but it would work. I wanted it too.

...

Some more time passed. I stopped singing after figuring I needed Airbending nearly maxed to create a new Sub-Bending Style. It just made me more determined to train.

I went until I couldn't anymore. Until I was forced to sleep. When my chi was exhausted I sometimes meditated, or chose to just wait until it filled up on it's own while physical training.

After I was completely exhausted that day, 'Or is it night?' Whatever, it doesn't matter.' I went to sleep, hoping Aang and the rest would be here already.

Though a small part of me hoped that they would never arrive here. The very next day that hope would be squashed, and I'd be free from this dusty chamber.

[Proofread at 3:38 P.M. Tuesday April 18th 2023.]