Chapter 46

As the sun was rising…

"I'm retiring," I declared to the crowd standing in front of me. Looking at their faces, I could tell they'd had a rough night at the party. Well, I'd had a rough celebration myself… Katara and I.

But back to what's important. Now that the war was over, and I'd taken responsibility for shifting the Fire Nation's attention to the village by saving it, I was finally guilt-free.

Although it was cruel to wake everyone up this early after a hangover, I had to deliver a message quickly.

"What do you mean?" Haru stepped forward and asked.

"Yeah," Tyro nodded. "It's not like you're 70 years old."

It was obvious to everyone that I no longer wanted to lead them into battle.

I get it—they love me, and it's hard for them to let go.

"You see, guys," I smiled and clapped. "Last night, I had a moment of mental clarity… and this morning, I've thought a lot about it."

"And?" a middle-aged woman asked.

"We're going to face a full-scale attack from all directions," I replied. "It's a no-brainer that the Fire Nation now considers us their greatest threat and will move to eliminate us immediately."

An old man smiled. "There's no way the news could reach the Fire Nation that quickly."

"I thought so too. But let me ask you this," I said. "What's the fastest messaging bird?"

In my previous world, there was a small falcon that could fly faster than 300 km/h. In this world, the animals were stronger and different. Well, not just the animals—there was Zuko, who could break metal chains with a single kick, and old men like Iroh, who could throw boulders twice their size. Imagine what kind of speed and power the wildlife here possessed.

"Yes, I get your point," said a man who sounded like an expert, his voice tinged with sadness. "But there's no way the news could reach the palace that fast. There's an entire sea to cross. And while animals are fast, they don't have that much stamina."

I had thought the same thing—or at least I had, until I delved deeper into it.

They answered me.

"Does the Fire Nation have naval bases on islands in the sea?" I asked.

"They do."

"Yes."

"That's how we lost the war and got captured in the first place. It's thanks to their numerous naval bases."

"Oh, damn! I see it now."

The super-fast falcons wouldn't need to cross the entire sea to deliver an emergency report. A messaging bird could stop at one of those naval bases, which would then send another bird. Alternatively, the Fire Nation might have developed something similar to radio signals and a code system—though I doubted they had.

I could dwell on this and let my mind spiral into conspiracy theories, but I decided to plan for the worst-case scenario.

"That's why I'm retiring as a battle general," I said. "And before anyone says that building a large army takes time, let me remind you that producing enough explosive powder to wipe them out would take even longer. Not to mention, they now know what kind of weapons we have, and they'll adjust their strategies accordingly. Earthbenders, we're not dealing with brainless creatures here."

The villagers looked at each other, considering my words, and soon, they began to nod in agreement.

"Can anyone guess what I'm thinking now that we're the Fire Nation's top priority?" I raised a finger.

"Obviously, we do what they fear most—spread the knowledge," Kamu said.

I was impressed. For the first time, he'd said something intelligent and correct.

"You have a plan, don't you?" one of the villagers asked.

I nodded. "Not so much a plan as a suggestion. You can ignore it and settle somewhere else, living your lives guilt-free."

"I think the idea is to head to one of the major cities and spread the knowledge. Ba Sing Se or Omashu would be the obvious choices," someone suggested.

I clapped for whoever made that suggestion.

"And?" I prompted.

"And… what else?"

"If you can think of it, so can they. While they're gathering their army, they'll have units stationed along the way to intercept us," I said. "It wouldn't be difficult for them."

"Hmm… that makes sense."

"So, what do you suggest?"

"Divide," I said. "We'll split into several units—around ten, with myself making eleven. Each unit will head to a different city. I'll go to Omashu myself and take Katara with me for… educational purposes."

Katara smiled slightly and turned her head away.

Sokka looked at me with wide eyes, visibly shaking.

Oh, come on, Sokka. Last night, I saw you flirting with someone else's sister. Let your sister follow her heart, and don't tag along. Please, don't tag along.

"But wouldn't it be dangerous to go alone?" Haru objected, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm powerful enough," I said, taking his hand down. I turned to the remaining crowd and continued, "And that's why I'm taking the most dangerous route. Obviously, the Fire Nation will focus their guards on the paths to Omashu and Ba Sing Se—or any other major city. Take rides with you, and let the non-benders scout ahead. If they don't return, or come back running, you'll know what to do."

"Also, I forgot to mention—if you meet fellow earthbenders in other villages, train them and bring them with you. You'll be safer that way," I added with a heavy sigh. "I know this plan isn't foolproof, and the survival rate won't be 100%. But I hope we all make it through this alive."

The villagers—earthbenders, dustbenders, and metalbenders—sighed as if accepting the harsh reality. The sense of empowerment they'd felt just a day ago had faded like dust in the wind.

But that wouldn't go to waste. They would rekindle a new hope, one strong enough to push the Fire Nation back to their homeland.

I looked at them and said, "Don't worry. This is just a new beginning. If a hundred metalbenders could toy with 400 firebenders and their tanks, imagine what thousands—or tens of thousands—could do."

"Also, here's some advice: instead of relying solely on explosive dust, try gathering glass and grinding it into not-too-fine powder."

Glass wasn't just light—it was incredibly sharp. When turned into small shards mixed with earth particles, it became both a poison and a weapon. Inhaling even a little would destroy the lungs almost instantly.

"Hmm… glass dust. If it's not ground too finely but into thin, sharp blades, breathing it would mean certain death."

"And not breathing it would mean being cut by tens of thousands of tiny blades—literally."

I smirked. "Hey, hey. Don't over-rely on it. Always check the wind direction first. And wear face masks when handling it."

The villagers packed up their belongings that day, gathering all the glass they could find and grinding it into powder. As they worked, Katara approached me and took my hand, starting a conversation.

"So, what 'educational purposes' were you talking about?" she asked, holding my hand.

"I meant waterbending," I replied. "But if you want, I can teach you more."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Sounds like you've learned a lot."

"Yes," I nodded, catching her hint. "I mean, you can build ice shelters if you know how to make the ice cold enough, or set traps to wake you up while sleeping in the wild. And do you know about cabbage? It's delicious, and I have plenty of it."

"And what else?" she asked.

"What else?" I echoed.

"Aren't you going to admit that you're a playboy?" she asked.

"Do we even have that word in the South Pole? What does it mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "For that matter, where did you learn that word?"

"Sokka's villager friend called him that—or accused him of it—and told him to leave her alone," Katara explained.

"Ouch." I placed a hand on my chest, feeling a pang of sympathy for the poor guy. Rejection could only make him stronger. It was something every man had to get used to—unless they wanted to stay virgins forever or pay for it. In this world, I doubted there were any known places for that. Plus, STDs were real. I didn't even want to imagine what kind of viruses existed in the Avatar world.

I sensed Sokka approaching through the moisture in the air. He had a packed bag on his back and said, "So, what else?"

Great. A third wheel.

"You're tagging along?" I asked with a frown.

"I need Katara," Sokka replied. "There are chores to do. Besides, I can't trust a man traveling alone with my sister."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

Katara smiled bitterly. "That would be wonderful."

'I'll dump him once we reach Omashu,' I thought to myself, glancing south. 'Yeah, I'll write him an apology letter saying I had urgent business and needed a capable bender, so we had to leave early to fight an imaginary enemy.'

I sighed. "Anyway, we should get moving."

"Where?" Sokka asked.

"North. We'll ask for directions and then head to Omashu," I replied before putting my fingers to my mouth and whistling.

Lucy, who had grown into a 2.5-meter-tall tigress, came rushing toward me. One couldn't forget their pet—and ride—now.

I patted her head.

I decided to take one last look at my stats.

---

[

**Skill Trees**

- Waterbending - 14 

- Chi Bending - 11 

- Martial Arts - 9 

**Skills:**

- Hunting - 9 

- Steaming - 9 

- Fishing - 4 

- Freeze - 11 

- Stealth (Passive) - 10 

**Titles: (4/2)**

- The Deadly Ice (Equipped) 

- Shadow Lurker 

- Beast Hunter 

- Warlord (Equipped) 

**Accumulated Experience: 400,000**]