Mark hid in a bunker he'd dug, observing the group of restless spies shuffle and peer out into the bustling streets of lower Omashu.
It was the second week since he'd started training with Ren, and it would be his first mission alone.
Mark had been beaten black and blue as Ren drilled the basics of the dual baton. They were violent, quick, and complemented a variation of the feather fist martial art that chained together light blows instead of open palms.
Since returning from the spirit world, he'd unlocked a healing potion recipe, fragments of a mace that inflicted bleed status and fragments of an elemental-attuned weapon -- which he looked forward to the most.
Looking at his recent status update, Mark was confident he was finally ready for the secrets the air benders had been hoarding.
Chi bending.
Player: Mark
Level: 20/50
Class: Earthbender (150% increase in learning speed and effectiveness of all Earth bending skills and sub-skills)
Subclass: Locked (Available in the next world.)
Stats:
Body: 25 (4) (0.9)
Mind: 28 (0.9)
Health: 250 ((Body x 10)
Chi: 530 ((Body x 10) + (Mind x 10 ))
Undistributed Stat points (0)
Stat points earned via training: 20(2/2)
Skills
Feather fist (Beginner XX): Martial Form of the New Air Nation. It relies heavily on circular movements ending with sudden devastating strikes and quick evasive movements. 7% increase in damage.
Chi Breathing (incomplete LV 0) A forbidden bending technique that channels life energy itself. It draws in energy from all that is living to fuel its techniques, multiplying the user's physical and bending prowess beyond its natural limits.
Earth bending (Intermediate) LV XXX) You've mastered the basics of earth bending and begun exploring its many secrets. (Can accurately manipulate Earth 1-10 meters around you and crudely manipulate earth up to 15 meters away.) 30% increase in durability.
Earth bender constitution (passive) LV XX: Grants 0.2 flat increase to body per level until lv 50, 1 stat point from lv 50-80, and 2 from lv 80-100.
One with the Earth IX(Intermediate) Sense vibrations by rooting yourself to the earth and listening. The skill drastically improves earth bending accuracy and speed by 100%. Grants 0.1 to Mind and Body per level until level 40. 1 stat point from lv 50-80, and 2 from lv 80-100.
Baton Mastery XIII (Beginner) Master the potent and often underestimated art of the dual baton. Unleash untold suffering, counter, and devastate your foes with your stick. (Damage = Body x Skill Level)
Boons (Unlocked at Lv 50)
…
Ren was a lot like Aaron, except more prickly. Training with him felt like talking to Old Man Kratos. The man was impossible to please. On his best days, he could get a grunt from him.
And when he was genuinely surprised, he offered a single nod.
So, when he'd told Ren that he wanted to learn Chi-bending and the man had responded with a solo mission, he jumped at the opportunity.
Sure, he had to think of a way to take down an entire compound, but that was the price of power. He wasn't complaining.
For a while, he was sure that Ren was pulling his leg, but the look on Aaron's face removed all doubt.
He'd scowled and looked away.
The sight stayed with him all morning.
He couldn't still be upset about Igi, could he?
Ive apologized. How was I supposed to know the kid would've been wiped out?
Somebody stepped out of the building and drew Mark back to his mission.
Surveillance, Right.
Ah shit. He's running.
He pulled a crossbow one of the Bumi's blacksmiths had fashioned upon his instruction. An ironwood beauty with a steel spine, lever-action reload mechanism and a modest clip of 15 rounds.
He could've used Earthbending, but he was hoping to preserve his Chi for the fight. Plus, he really wanted an archery skill. Who knew, the next world might require it.
According to the intel Aaron and Airbending Ren could scrounge up, they were the last of Samir's forces entrenched in the city. He was hoping for a stealthier wipe, but he was no Ninja, Mark supposed.
With a slow breath, he aimed at the fidgety man. He was making his way for the gate. It was almost dusk, which meant the guards were about to be rotated. He was probably hoping he could slip out in the madness.
Mark chuckled.
Cute.
The crowd made him before he got anywhere close to the gate. People walking began to give him a wide berth, probably paranoid that he'd try to hold one of them hostage to buy himself a way out of the city.
Mark let an arrow fly when the man swung into an alley. It clipped him the rib, sending him hard into the wall, drawing the attention of a few patrolling guardsmen. And they immediately gave chase.
Earlier that day, he'd tipped the guards anonymously that a few spies would be trying to sneak out of the city.
Mark smiled, focus turned to the house. He was looking forward to what came next.
He put his crossbow away and dug deep into his chi reserve as he ducked around the empty building opposite the spies' Den.
He pulled up a meaty chunk of earth and slammed into it with a punch, splintering it into a thousand smaller chunks.
He ducked around, checking for walkers, and he let out a scream to warn them.
"Fire Nation Attack!"
A rabid fear ripped through the crowd, and dozens cleared the road and the surrounding buildings.
He didn't fire the first shot until the first spy stuck his head out the window to check what was happening. Heaps upon heaps of stone ripped through the building, sending bits of stone and wood spraying everywhere.
Mark didn't stop his bombardment until all the stone he'd carried was gone. Then he used his favourite new earth bending technique, Earth armour, and charged the building.
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The walls came down when he crashed in, and he was met with an intense spray of fire that threatened to cook him before he got in a punch.
His health dropped by 50 points.
200/250
"Fuck you!" Two large chunks of earth shot out and crushed the bender's arm, and the man howled. Mark took the opening and bowled him into the far wall, squishing him.
He stomped the man's head just because he was that pissed off.
That was the closest he'd ever come to burning alive, and he was sure this wouldn't be the last time some fire bender tried to char him.
What does a guy have to do to get a fire resistance skill?
With a sudden Jerk, Mark felt the ground from under him give way, but before he fell to the ground, he pulled on his Chi and body stat and jerked his stone-covered body up from the pit mid-fall and collapsed to the floor in an abrupt tumble. His muscles screamed from the pain.
"How?" Someone muttered while another yelled.
"Never mind that fucking get him."
With a grunt, Mark spun his bulky form until he came upright in front of the first Earthbender, narrowly dodging an earth spike that would've impaled him. He threw a telegraphed jab that the portly man miraculously danced away from, only to drift into the solid hook that dug into his side.
Mark heard bone crunch, and he grinned.
A swift kick destabilized the man's footing and ensured Mark's uppercut connected.
The punch lifted the portly man into the air, and the entire room shook when he came down.
A 'ding' from Mark's system confirmed he was dead.
3/7.
Panic flooded Mark's mind as his earthen limbs suddenly went inert. His eyes quickly searched the room, and he found a mustachoed man whose limbs vibrated from the strain.
Earth shifted around him, and his poorly ventilated armour felt even tighter.
"Why did I think this was such a good idea," he cursed as he fought against the man's earth bending grip.
A roar ripped from his throat as he slowly wrestled back his control from the man, but by then, it was too late. A stone slab came spinning, slamming into him, throwing him off his feet into the pit he'd managed to pull himself out of.
Mark groaned as his health ticked down 80 points.
"Fuck me. I wish Aaron was here." As much as he was growing to hate the stiff bastard, this would've never happened if he was watching his back. He'd have split the fucker into two before he could blink.
'But he wasn't here, was he,' Mark thought, and with a grunt, he shook off his earth armour and checked on his Chi.
429.
Lots left in the tank.
Mark slammed into the pit wall and rode an earth wave up before he exploded into a spray of debris and pain.
A man was dead at his feet when the dust cleared. Two benders came charging down the stairs, screaming at the top of their lungs.
With a swipe, Mark sent a rock at one who juked away in time, and he returned a spike of rock riding down the stairs. Mark rolled away in time and pulled on a random rock.
He crushed it and let it rip like a Gatling gun.
The second man's eyes widened, and he raised a wall that exploded through the wooden stairs and covered them. The stone chunks wore it down until it cracked and splintered.
Mark pulled the wall of earth to their left down, bathing them in a cascade of rocks, and bent the wave into the pit he'd nearly died in.
Surprisingly he got 'no ding' from the system until he compressed the earth with his strength.
6/7
One to go.
Mark panted as he squared up, waiting on the last man. He had the Chi and health to finish him, and he was itching for a classic one-on-one, but the attack never came.
Mark stood there dazed for the longest moment before he suddenly dashed out of the building.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
"He's a runner!"
He bolted down the open road, listening and searching until he spotted one man trying to duck behind a stall pushed back by a particularly grumpy woman.
She swatted him with her cane when he tried to push past her.
"In my day, young men had respect for their elders, hmph."
Mark would've laughed if he wasn't desperate to complete his mission. He pulled his batons and charged the man, who finally shoved the old woman aside.
Mark sailed over her sprawled body, bolting down the narrow alleyway.
Only months of obsessive training allowed him to sense the man's attack before it came, and he hopped up, did a short wall run just as a fireball sailed over, and came down with his batons on the fire bender's shoulder.
He yelped, and Mark brought the pain. He leapt forward, two batons dragging behind, and crashed on the floor shy of the fire bender's knees.
The man leapt back and squared up before he charged him, firing two thin crescents of flame that threatened to drain the remainder of his health bar.
Walls came up with a stamp of his feet, and with a flurry of kicks, chunks went flying at high speeds.
The fire bender wove through the attacks with the ease of an eel and was halfway up the building before Mark could blink.
"Slippery fucker," he grumbled. It reminded him of fighting Aaron.
With a stomp, he sailed over the building edge, clipping his shoulder as he rocketed past. Biting the tears, Mark crashed with an unsteady gait as he chased down his opponent. The man spared him a frustrated look when he heard the crash but continued unimpeded.
"Give up, sparky. I can promise you a quick death if you stop running," Mark huffed mid-stride.
"It's you who should give up, midget.
The fire bender answered with a twist and a firebolt. Mark raised a stone tile in time to block most of the attack.
"I'm still growing, you asshole," he yelled, but the fire bender was gone again.
"How the fuck…does he keep doing that." Mark sprinted towards the edge of the building he last saw the fire bender and hopped down, looking up and down the deserted street.
Mark sighed. He was gone. This would've been the perfect time to bust out that One-with-the-world technique Aaron was always running.
A crash came from somewhere ahead, and Mark came running.
"Ah, didn't need it after all." Mark laughed, hardly believing his luck.
His excitement evaporated when he rounded the corner. Aaron stood, blades sheathed, staring at him as if he'd been waiting.
The fire bender laid in the sand, head separated from body.
"You took your sweet time," Aaron said.
"He was really good and slippery."
"Slippery, huh?" Aaron raised a brow, then looked at the body. "He reminds me of someone."
Mark shifted on his feet despite himself.
"You scared half of the lower city with your display," he said. "What was the point of cramming your head full with assassination techniques if you're not going to use them."
"You know how these things go," Mark said nervously. "You plan for one thing, another happens. I had to prioritize completing the mission. Things kinda got out of hand."
Aaron shook his head. "You didn't even try."
His words stung. "There were 7 of them. There was no handling it quietly. I went with my gut, and it paid off."
"Did it? If I was not here—" Aaron began.
"But you were," Mark said, raising his hand in mock surrender. "And I couldn't hope for a better partner and ally. I tried my best here, and with the experience from the new level up that I feel around the corner, I'll be ready next time."
Aaron looked back to the dead man, and Mark set his jaw.
"If you have something to say, say it."
"He thinks you're not ready," A voice said behind him, and Mark jumped.
"Jesus Christ, don't do that, please," Mark said, gripping his chest.
"Who's this Christ? A spirit from your old world?"
"More or less," Mark resisted the urge to massage his nose bridge. For someone so strong, he could be so clueless sometimes. Ren strolled past him, and he braced himself for what came next.
"Your technique is good, but your situational awareness is poor, as is your regard for civilian life. There are at least a dozen less destructive ways you could've approached the problem. Your inexperience is telling." There was a long pause. "But your heart is eager."
Mark beamed. This was the first time he'd gotten an actual compliment from the man. And he'd take it!
More important, though, he passed!
"Does that mean I'm getting Chi breathing training anyways?"
Aaron, who'd been silent all this while, faced them, his face twisted in rage.
Mark threw his hands up. "Finally!"
"Father, you can't be serious," Aaron said. "Look at the collateral damage he caused just slinging rocks around. Do you really think he's ready for Chi-breathing?"
"I can be careful," Mark said. "And I'll have you while I get used to the new techniques. What happened today is a one-time thing. I don't typically make a habit of destroying the city."
"He doesn't care," Aaron said. "I've seen it, you've seen it, and what happened today proved it. It would be irresponsible to trust him with this much power. And you know the ghosts and kids won't stand for this! Chi breathing is the highest honour a member of the Air Nation can achieve. He doesn't appreciate or understand the sacrifice that made any of this possible."
Ren folded his hands behind his back. "And neither do you. You were there when your Grandfather decided to take Mark in, and I understand you're upset about his decision to take in Mark, but you need to remember that the Falcon makes the final decisions, not you or I, and certainly not the children or the ghosts. We leave for the North pole tomorrow, and you will leave your anger and distrust here. Do I make myself clear?"
Aaron's face went white with surprise before it slowly turned hard. "Yes, Father. I understand perfectly." He turned around. "Forgive me. I must go back to my training. The Air Stinger still eludes me."
Mark was speechless as Aaron walked away, and he remained that way until Ren broke the silence.
"Don't worry about him. He'll come around."
"I am not so sure about that," Mark muttered. In his experience, rage like that doesn't just go away.
"He won't let this go."
"He might've grown to dislike you, but he'll always place the interests of the Air Nation before himself."
"But what if he decides I am bad for the Air Nation or something."
"Then you'd already be dead," Ren casually said. Marked looked at the man, stunned. Ren cracked a rare smile.
"Hahaha..."
"Lighten up, kid," Ren said. "I know, my Son. He'd never harm you. You think too much for a 10-year-old. Act your age."
"People my age don't get dragged into a multiversal tournament."
"Didn't you volunteer?" Ren raised a brow.
"The best and worst decision of my life," Mark laughed, then asked. "When do we start training?"
"Right this very moment," Ren said, turning toward the palace. "Come along."
Mark followed, his mind going over the exchange over and over again. It was true that Aaron never had so much as punish him too harshly when they spared, but he'd seen the kid mow down dozens of people.
Would he even stand a chance if it came to blows?
"I need to get stronger," Mark muttered.