LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 9: Chapter 9
A full day had passed since Ryuk had made the Fire Soldiers taste despair.
Although he had no previous battle experience, he still gained an advantage by using his natural environment and stealing food and coal from the soldiers.
That may have been cruel, but he was human, and for that, he needed to finish them off. Those invaders had to know that they would only receive what they gave. If they wanted to live happily, they could stay out of other people's homes.
Sokka was on a boat, holding a boomerang, guarding the sea.
On the other hand, Katara was standing behind him.
His sister may not have been a trained bender, but she had been bending since she was 12 years old and could use some good tricks while in the water.
'But Ryuk seems to be more talented… And she seems to be into him. I should keep guard. I don't want to end up an uncle at this age… But he can protect her though. At the same time, he seems to want to leave and wants us to look for a bald monk.' Sokka had been doubtful about the existence of a monk. But the fact that Ryuk had gained bending and linked it to spirits gave him credibility.
He rubbed his head, feeling a headache. It was such a tough job being an older brother and fighting the Fire Nation soldiers at the same time. But as the oldest male here, he had the duty to protect the tribe.
'Anyway. What's Ryuk doing? He had left with no food and walked the other way…'
-x-X-x-
I was walking alone. The ice was everywhere. The land was completely white. It was almost impossible to see.
That's why, before coming here, I picked up an old white coat made from the fur of a white polar bear that one of the old ladies had. Her husband had it in the past, and she gave it to me when I asked everyone if they had white clothes.
'This should work,' I thought to myself. The only things I could spot around were the black penguins and some rare species that couldn't be compared to animals from Earth. On the other hand, one wouldn't be able to spot a bear here, if there even was one.
With a spear in my hand, I was gliding with my feet on the ice. I used my waterbending to push myself and give myself momentum, then relaxed and focused on my balance.
After a few hours, I was getting hungry and cold. So, I opened my small storage and grabbed a griller and set it up.
I then placed some coal, lit it up, and placed some meat on it.
I stretched my legs and thought about whether I was doing something inhuman. I'd stolen my enemies' food, destroyed their ship, and taken away their warmth source. But on the other hand, they were firebenders. Just breathing air wouldn't allow them to make fire out of thin air. So, I didn't do them harm.
Besides, in my previous life, I'd heard that fasting puts a person in a state of autophagy, where they turn harmful and diseased cells into protein, fixing the body and prolonging life. It also fixes dopamine levels and regrows the mind. They might be able to feel joy after being so numb for so long.
"Too bad they won't live to see the benefits of how kind I was to them," I said as I started chewing on the food. My stomach was happy with me. That's what mattered.
Anyway, my attempt to camp and eat didn't go unnoticed by the monsters.
A couple of bear-dogs came rushing toward me.
They were so big and large that they could chew my head off in one bite.
The first thing I did was circle around myself. The ice beneath me turned into water, pushing me up a few meters in height. I then froze the water below me, turning it into a small ice pillar that I sat above. The bears circled around me, then went to the meat.
"Okay. Minecraft Iron Golem killing strategy," I said, waving my hand slightly, and the ice turned into water that wrapped around my hand and reshaped itself into a spear-like ice weapon.
I knew these animals. Korra had one of them as a pet. But these dog-bears were feral animals, non-tamable, and loved to eat anything that had meat.
Using my hunting skill, I aimed at the first bear and threw the spear.
Spsh
The spear pierced the back of its neck, but it didn't kill it.
[Hunting up to level 3]
That was amazing, considering that I hadn't killed the monster yet.
The bear that had been chewing on the food lifted its head slightly. When it noticed the shape of its friend, it glared at me angrily. It came to the pillar and started pushing the ice.
Since one bear was busy with its injury, I could take care of the other without worrying about my back. I melted the ice pillar I was standing on when I jumped. A wave of water fell on the bear. And before it flattened on the ground, I froze the water, trapping the bear inside it.
[Polar Dog Bear was defeated]
[+750 accumulated experience]
Mercilessly, I bent the ice inside, breaking the body of the frozen bear and using the ice shards to throw them at the other injured bear. The shards were cold, but small and not strong enough to break its tough skin. Yet, they got inside its eyes and softer parts. Taking advantage of the momentum, I sent a waterfall to surround the bear. Then, I froze it. Bending the ice, I spun the ball until its head was off.
[+750 accumulated experience]
I looked at the broken bodies. One of them could surely be a nice meal for the tribe. But there were more important things to think about. The monsters I'd killed had provided me with 1,500 experience points that I could use.
Supporting my chin with my hand, I wondered where I could allocate those points.
In the coming battle, waterbending would be the key to victory.
But Chi-bending also made bending easier and increased my physical power, which I could use when I had to use a weapon. It might even give me cooler tricks when I leveled it up.
'Forget it. It's a bending battle against an exhausted enemy. If I get a few of them killed, I could use the points I want to level up whatever I want.' With that, I made up my mind.
[Waterbending up to level 6]
-x-X-x-
Captain Kao was feeling strange as he and his soldiers walked through the ice.
Unlike what he had expected, he didn't feel tired or hungry. Instead, he felt more energized and could walk faster.
Not only that, but when he turned his head, he saw his soldiers in the same state.
The cold didn't bother them anymore, nor did the hunger.
At this pace, they could arrive at the southern path in less than two days. Which meant only a few hours remained.
"This is strange. Guys, do you feel hungry?" asked one soldier.
Kao tried to hear what they were saying, trying to understand the state they were in.
"No. You?" he asked another.
"Actually, I feel better," said someone.
"I felt strange. Despite the second day of not eating, my bowel movements are perfect. I pooped a lot."
Kao rolled his eyes. There it was. That one person who always talked about shit and stuff.
"Anyway, we should save our energy," said Captain Kao. "Try not to talk unless it's necessary. There are enough dog-bears and polar bears here."
"Yes, Captain," they answered in unison.
-x-X-x-
"Tonight, we feast!" yelled Captain Kao, looking at a couple of defeated bears that his soldiers had struggled to take down.
They had found them on the way. Despite using firebending on them, the bears had high vigor and could push through the fire, biting the nearest soldier. Even the armor didn't do anything against the pressure applied by the bite.
Luckily, they ambushed the bears with spears and took them down.
Now, they cut them into parts, and they were about to cook the meat. There was no need for coal or wood. Although it made the food delicious, they still had their firebending, and they could make a barbecue.
The soldiers soon prepared cooked meat.
And they sat down to eat, eating to their heart's content.
Kao patted his stomach, feeling full all of a sudden. At the same time, he felt drowsy and the desire to fall asleep. When he looked around, he saw the soldiers in the same state.
It seemed that when they saw the food, they were unable to hold themselves back.
'So, if you take a long time without eating, it's better to eat bit by bit,' thought Kao. 'In the desert, if those who had been thirsty for a long time drank like they weren't thirsty, they'd die. Well, I guess some stomach aches aren't a problem.'
"Someone keep guard. We'll be taking a break," Kao closed his eyes slightly, trying to savor the moment of peace.
"Yes, Captain—" a soldier, despite being tired, tried to reply vigorously.
Suddenly, a ball of water covered his head before freezing into ice.
Kao opened his eyes wide. The adrenaline pumped through his system, and he stood up. He felt immense pain in his guts, but he unsheathed his weapon and looked left and right.
"The waterbender is here! Keep the formation!" he screamed.
His men groaned but kept trying to hold the formation.
"Shit. I just ate."
"My stomach… argh."
"I'll kill this waterbender."
"But where the fuck is he?" Kao asked, looking left and right.
He must be wearing some kind of white fur coat to hide himself.
Suddenly, a thin yet large amount of water rose, creating a thin wave.
The firebenders destroyed it easily, despite the water having an advantage over fire.
A huge amount of steam rose, covering their vision.
Kao raised his guard, expecting that the waterbender would sneak in at any time.
"Don't let your guard down," ordered Kao as he felt pain in his stomach, but his face showed nothing.
-x-X-x-
'Don't laugh. Don't laugh. Just as soon as I kill a couple of them, I'll run away, level up some skills, and then come back for another attack.'
I was wearing armor from the Fire Nation that I had taken the day I killed the guard.
At the same time, I was taking my stance, looking for the waterbender with them.