LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 3: Chapter 3
A couple of days later, I stared at the experience bar of the Waterbending Skill to check how much progress I had made.
[Waterbending Level 4 (350/400)]
Earning experience had become noticeably slower.
Sweat trickled down my forehead. At my current level, waterbending was exhausting, but I could feel a significant improvement in my stamina. It was like I could bend 20% longer than before. Maybe it worked like a muscle—the more I trained, the longer I could sustain it.
'Though, if it's like building a muscle, do the rules of intensity and duration apply? Like, no matter how much you train sprinting, you can go fast, but you can't sustain it for long. I don't know.'
I waved my hand, levitating a small ball of water above my palm and slowly passing it toward Katara. She caught it between her hands, keeping it floating for a moment, then sent it back to me.
I caught it.
[Waterbending +10 EXP]
I passed it back to her.
[Waterbending +5 EXP]
It was rewarding, but the focus required was draining. I decided to endure it. Unlike most benders who had trained their powers—especially their stamina—I was new to this.
Katara, who seemed to be having fun, passed the ball back to me. I caught it between my arms and tried to slow its momentum before sending it back. Although my throw was faster than hers, she managed to hold it. At first, she couldn't handle fast throws, but after a dozen tries, she succeeded, proving her natural talent for waterbending. For a moment, I almost doubted whether she had a system of her own.
On the other hand, I could only handle slow throws and barely keep the ball's shape intact. If she threw it too quickly, I wouldn't be able to catch it, losing the little game we were playing.
She seemed to realize my limitations and gradually increased the speed, allowing me to adapt.
[Waterbending leveled up to Level 5 (0/800)]
[Chi Bending leveled up to Level 2]
Without fully realizing how much I had improved, I held the water ball in my hands, making it hover and move more fluidly. My control had improved significantly, and I could manipulate it with greater ease. When I passed it back to Katara, the movement felt far less draining than before.
"Wow, easy there!" she exclaimed as she caught the ball, which moved faster than usual.
As if to get back at me, she threw it even faster. Normally, it would have smacked me in the face and fallen to the ground. But this time, with a quick motion of my hand, I slowed its momentum, circled it around my body, and made it float again.
"Okay, that's some freaky improvement right there," she remarked. "Now that you're at this level, let's play a different game. We'll throw water balls at each other. If you block it, you get a point. If you get hit, you lose a point. Whoever has the highest score after ten minutes wins."
This method of training was good enough to help me level up further, though it wasn't exactly a method to learn how to bend like a master.
Still, with peaceful days like these, I didn't mind the slow pace of leveling up. At least this way, I could appreciate the calm.
-x-X-x-
The Next Day – Early Morning
I stood next to the ocean, my boat nearby. In one hand, I held a spear, and I wore tight, form-fitting clothes.
I didn't wear much today, believing that too many layers wouldn't keep me warm enough and would only weigh me down.
To me, the key to world peace lay with the Avatar—an overpowered savior capable of achieving it through sheer strength.
If he didn't appear before Sozin's Comet, we were all screwed.
Once the Fire Nation conquered the Earth Kingdom and the North Pole, I believed it would be our turn to become slaves.
Invading nations always claimed some moral high ground, but I'd seen enough in my past life to know better. In World War II, for example, Black people had been kidnapped from Africa and displayed in zoos.
If the Fire Nation won, at best, I might become a slave, and at worst, I might be treated like an animal. I had no intention of allowing that to happen.
I dived into the icy water. The cold didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.
Then, an idea struck me.
I waved my hand slowly, and the water above me began to spin, forming a rotating bubble that held air inside. Guiding it down to my level, I smiled as I realized it was full of oxygen.
'Keeping it beside me would be too difficult. It's better to summon air from above as I move,' I thought.
I began swimming, using waterbending to boost my speed. I was faster than a fish in the sea. Whenever I spotted an iceberg, I dove deeper to inspect it, hoping to find something unusual—like a bald kid or a massive flying bison.
Unfortunately, my search for the day turned up nothing. As my body temperature dropped dangerously low, I decided to swim back to my boat. On the way, I spotted some fish and used waterbending to lift them out of the water, freezing them on the ice.
When I finally emerged, I was shivering violently, nearly frozen to death.
I thrust my arms forward, bending the water out of my soaked clothes and leaving them dry. Then I grabbed a thick fur coat, threw it on, and hugged myself tightly. Adjusting my breathing helped me warm up a little.
'If I keep searching like this, I'll catch a cold,' I thought, shivering.
Suddenly, I heard someone approaching. Their footsteps were steady and deliberate, as if they weren't trying to hide their presence.
I turned to see Katara holding a steaming cup of something.
"Now I'm curious. For the past few days, you've been swimming in the freezing water. What are you up to?"
"Juice? When did you learn to make that?" I asked as I accepted the cup. Inside were some sea fruits you'd have to travel far to find.
"Boil it, smash it, and filter it. You know how dry the weather is. And we do have dried wood," she explained.
Her words made me think about dried wood. Did she bring it from the forest seen in The Legend of Korra? If so, that place was dangerous. Even without dark spirits, regular spirits weren't something humans should mess with.
"Anyway, enough with changing the subject. What are you doing? Ever since that fever, you've been acting weird," she said, her big blue eyes scanning my face for any sign of dishonesty.
"I'm just trying to improve my bending. Learning how to use my environment to my advantage is essential," I replied, sipping the hot juice. It warmed me up, but it cooled quickly in the icy air.
Man, I'd kill for some hot tea… maybe made by Iroh. It was unlikely to happen, but a man could dream.
"Oh, come on. You're not planning on fighting a naval battle by yourself, are you?" she deadpanned.
I forced a small smile. "Try not to jinx it."
Suddenly, a loud sound echoed across the ice. Someone was running toward us.
We turned to see Sokka, panting and out of breath, sprinting with all his might.
"Katara, Ryuk, bad news! Wait a minute—what are you two doing alone together?" Sokka asked, his gaze narrowing at me.
"Chatting," I replied. "No need to let your imagination run wild. What's wrong?"
"A Fire Nation ship is approaching! You two… don't show any bending," he urged. "Act normal."
He glanced at the pile of fish near my feet. "Oh, come on! Catching this much will make them think we've got benders here!"
Katara covered her mouth, looking worried.
Unlike the siblings, my concern was different. Was it Zuko? This didn't make sense. Zuko wasn't supposed to appear until Aang woke up. But who knew—this universe might be a parallel one.
"Let's see what's going on," I said, standing up and stretching as if nothing unusual was happening.