Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Tai Lung 

It has been seven years since my reincarnation into this world. At first I thought it was a dream, a cruel dream but as time went on I didn't wake up.

Instead everything got more vivid and unreal. 

I was born with a normal family, everything went smooth sailing, everything was fine, maybe except for the fact that I had to go through infanthood again but nevertheless I was content.

However, everything changed when I was three years old.

*********

Tai Lung, age, 3.

I was walking with my mother, we were on the port of Yokoya browsing for fish to cook for dinner.

"Tai Lung, stay close with mommy okay, you might get lost," Kersha, my mother, said to me as she grabbed my hand.

I tried to avoid it but she was too fast.

"Not so fast mister," She said with a smile.

'Damn this weak and infantile body!' I cursed under my breath.

Helplessly, I was forced to follow her on her own discretion. I looked around, my eyes darting here and there in fascination.

'Yup, that checks it out. I must've been reincarnated into ancient China or something.'

Except for the small village that we live in, this was the first time in my three years of reincarnation that I have been out of the house. 

From the eastern architecture of the buildings and abode here and my chinese name it is safe to assume that I have been reincarnated in ancient china.

When exactly? That, I don't know. Maybe I'm in the Tang Period or even at the times of the Three Kingdoms, but I hope not.

"Get your fresh Frog Fish right here! Only Ten Yuan! Come! Come! Come buy it!" 

"Freshly arrived Lemon Fish!"

"Horse Shrimp! Horse Shrimp! Buy them now before they sell out!"

'Such strange names for a fish,' I said. It was a weird name for a fish but who am I to judge? Maybe it's just the classic Chinese over-exaggeration or their weird naming style.

However I was proved wrong when I looked at the fish.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed. It was really a frog and a fish!

It has the body of a fish and the face of a frog! Not only that but it also has amphibian limbs!

'There's nothing like that in my previous life! There was no record of that!' Don't tell me that it's an extinct species that has yet to be found by archeologists.

It was a plausible conclusion taking into the fact we haven't even explored 20% of the ocean, maybe it's just some very hidden fish species or something.

'Yeah, that's just probably it,' I reasoned to myself and became calm again.

I looked at the other fish they were selling and just said the same thing over and over again to myself. 

Eventually I became numb to them, it was a short moment of fascination and curiosity, and maybe as well as dread but my adult mind quickly rationalized and calmed down.

However something completely different changed my entire outlook of my reincarnation.

My eyes widened, as my heart palpitated, my hands grew sweaty looking at one of the people among the crowd.

He had his hand outstretched, a perfectly square boulder protruding from the ground with a tray of fish atop of it like a table.

But it was floating. It was floating and being moved by the man's gesture. He slowly tilted his hand and the square boulder poured the fish atop of it on one of the crates.

I felt the whole world stop. This is unbelievable! 

How can a man telekinetically control a boulder with mere hand gestures! This is insane!

My mind was blown.

"Oh my! You look so cute! This is your first time seeing Earth bending huh," My mother said to me looking at my stumped expression.

"…Earthbending?" I slowly repeated with my childish voice.

"Why of course my dear baby! That's earthbending, you know your grandfather was one but unfortunately I wasn't, your grandfather was a great warrior moving giant boulders with his fist, one time me and your grandad…"  my mother went on to ramble her tale but I wasn't listening anymore as my ears were blocked by the ringing noises of realization.

"…. The world of Avatar…" I muttered. 

I finally figured it out. The world I was reincarnated to was the world of Avatar. Not ancient China, but the World of Avatar.

"Actually your grandad saw Avatar Kuruk once when he was wandering around the Earth Kingdom," I heard a snippet of my mother's story and shouted.

"What!?"

"Avatar Kuruk!?" I exclaimed. 

"Yeah, isn't that awesome! Your grandad managed to see a living and breathing avatar! But unfortunately the avatar died three years ago, may his soul rest in peace,"  

So Avatar Kuruk, the avatar before Kyoshi was alive just three years ago, means I'm in Avatar Kyoshi's era!

Fuck!

If Avatar Kuruk died three years ago then the current avatar should be around my age.

The events of Avatar: The Last Airbender are set in the year 100 AG, which is when Aang defeats Fire Lord Ozai.

Given that Avatar Kyoshi was born in 312 BG and the show is set in 100 AG, the time span between Kyoshi's birth and the events of Avatar: The Last Airbender is 412 years old.

That means I am 412 years too early!!

FUCCCCKKK!!

I was starting to despair. My world was crumbling around me and my body started to shake when suddenly I was awoken by something strange.

DING!

[Congratulations for discovering the existence of bending!]

[Quest: Wake Up have been completed]

[Reward: Martial Unity System!]

[Activating System!]

[1%…5%…10%…50%….80%… 100%]

[System Activated!]

[Name: Tai Lung

Age: 3

Realm: None

Str: 2

End: 2

Agi: 2

Chi/Qi: 2

Martial Arts: None

Quest: None

MP: None (Martial Points)

——

[Martial Store]

]

This is the most crude system I have ever laid my eyes upon. It doesn't even have inventory!

But I'm not gonna mull over this. 

I should be grateful that I was given a second chance and this system. And personally between bending and martial arts, I find martial arts more appealing.

It's just more… romantic?… is that the right word? 

Back in my previous life, my favorite genre is martial arts, whether it be a movie, a manga, a manga, or a novel.

The idea of just duking it out with your fist or sword is just so beautiful.

In this world where bending is the epitome of strength, the bloom of martial arts will sprout and give birth to a new era.

"…thank you…" I muttered under my breath and looked at the sky.

*******

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