[Welcome! You have been chosen as the host of the gamer system!]
As I open my eyes, I look around a small room that I don't recognize. My body was on top of what looked like a bunk bed, just with no top bed.
After a couple of seconds of waking up, a rush of memories crammed themselves through my brain.
I was currently on a Fire Nation ship, dressed in red Fire Nation armor, a blade of red curved metal resting on my lap.
My new life as a peasant boy, who was lucky enough to be born with the ability for fire bending. Recruited by a soldier to become a soldier (as mandatory for all fire bender, not part of the noble class). He was chosen to be one of the soldiers brought along as Princess Azula's retinue.
You would think someone in my situation would immediately freak out due to being sent to another world and fusing with another entity, getting their memories in a fictional world you thought was fake, but for some reason, he felt strangely calm.
[System current features: status, quest, inventory, skills upgrade, skills list, romance/reputation system]
[Functions explained]
—Status: The status function displays the user's current attributes, using statistics.
—Quests: The Quest function provides objectives, some mandatory and some optional, with rewards for completion.
—Inventory: The inventory is a mental storage space where items can be summoned or stored at will.
—Skills Upgrade: The Skills Upgrade function allows him to improve his abilities using experience points.
—Skills List: The Skills List is just a list of user skills.
—Romance/Reputation System: This function tracks how key characters view the user.
Alright, good to know, I thought, as I decided to click on my status.
Name: Chen
Race: Human
Age: 15
—[Stats]—
Body: 47
Mind: 17
Energy: 37
—[Skills list]—
[Gamer body—Max]
[Gamer mind—Max]
[Observe—level 1/100]
[Fire bending—level 1/100]
It's looking good, I thought as I got up from the bed. As he did, I heard a voice: "Attention all combatant crew members. By the order of Princess Azula, you are to report to the deck!" A male voice echoed and reverberated throughout the ship, "You have three minutes. Failure to appear on time will be met with consequences."
[Quest added!]
Objective: Avoid drawing attention from Azula.
I sighed, "Guess I have to go see what the bitch wants." I said to myself as I stood up, stretching out a bit before getting a move on.
Just two minutes later, I found myself standing on the deck, formed up into a single line of twenty, with nineteen other similarly dressed soldiers, all Fire Benders. And I got my first look at Princess Azula.
She was beautiful; there was no denying it. Her hair was extremely dark black, a similar feature shared between many people from the Fire Nation. Her features were pointed and graceful. A sharp beauty, reminiscent of a hawk.
She prowled up and down the deck, walking by us one by one, eyeing us intently, examining us stoically.
[Princess Azula]
My current observed scale only gave me names, which was annoying I would need to level it up.
"My brother and my uncle have disgraced the fire lord and shame on all of us" said azula as I zone out already knowing this speech.
I left immediately when she said dismiss Making sure not to get her attention.
Watching isekai I always hated those fucking stay in the background cuck. Like each one of them were pathetic losers including the people that enjoy them and wrote them since why if you had power why would you hide it?
But in this case, he would have to do that since he was weak right now and unlike those OP bastards he wasn't broken yet so he needs to stay under the radar for now.
Especially with a bitch like Azula around he already knew that the captain was going to get a death threat by her for simply informing her?
Hopefully, he didn't end up dead by the end of the week.
[Minor Quest Completed!]
Objective: Avoid drawing attention from Azula.
Reward: +50 EXP, +1 Mind
Not much, but every bit counted. I was weak right now no shame in admitting it.
I made my way below deck again, returning to the small room they'd assigned me and letting out a sigh as I sat on the edge of the bed.
I opened my system again.
[EXP: 50/100]
[Stat Points: 0]
[Skill Points: 1]
"Let's see what I can do with this…"
I opened the Skills Upgrade menu and hovered over [Observe].
[Skill Upgraded! Observe is now Level 2/100.]
Alright, still weak, but maybe now I can get more than just a name the next time I look at Azula or anyone else important.
"System," I said aloud, feeling like an idiot. "Are there any tutorials? Or skill trees for fire bending?"
[Answer: At present, Fire Bending is at Level 1. You may unlock sub-styles and techniques by training, studying scrolls, or fighting. At Level 5, the Skill Tree becomes available.]
Alright good I thought to myself.
New Quest Unlocked!
[Burn to Grow]
Objective: Train Fire Bending to Level 2.
Optional Objective: Impress a superior officer during training.
Reward: +100 EXP, +1 Fire Bending Level
Bonus: Unlock [Basic Fire Bending Skill Tree]
Failure Penalty: None
"This…this is actually good" if I finish this quest, I'm able to get access to the skill tree much faster compared if I got it normally.
-later-
The next morning, I woke up to the same voice as yesterday echoing across the ship.
"Attention all combatant crew members. By order of Princess Azula, you are to report to the deck!"
What the fuck does she want now? I grumbled mentally as I threw on my uniform and strapped my curved red sword to my back.
When I stepped onto the deck, I immediately froze at the sight in front of me.
A pile of groaning, unconscious soldiers lay heaped together near the center of the deck some moaning, some unmoving. Standing over them with a faintly glowing blue fireball floating lazily above her palm was none other than Princess Azula herself.
From the whispers and murmurs around me, it didn't take long to figure out what had happened.
Apparently, Azula had woken up in a mood. Disappointed with the soldiers' performance and overall strength, she'd demanded they all report here only to start knocking them out in batches when they failed to meet her impossible standards.
Once again, we lined up like loyal cuck soldiers.
Azula's voice rang out, sharp and regal, as she sauntered toward the center of the formation.
"I must admit," she began, her voice laced with disdain, "I find myself disappointed in you lot."
She paced slowly, her predatory golden eyes scanning each of us. Her lips, painted blood-red, curled into a sneer.
"As pathetically weak as my brother is, even he is worth majority of you. And my uncle is the Dragon of the West. A legend."
She stopped, flicking a strand of her perfect black hair behind her ear.
"I will defeat him, of course. But I must be prepared. I can't have dear Zuzu teaming up with him against me."
She raised her voice, letting it echo across the ship. "Right now, you get a rare opportunity: prove your worth to me. Fight. All of you. Let me see if there's anything salvageable among this trash heap."
The fuck…?
[Quest Gained!]
[Title: Trial by Fire]
Objective: Be among the last 10 standing.
Reward: +150 EXP, +1 Stat Point
Hidden Objective: ???
For a brief moment, no one moved. A stunned silence. My brain was still processing the quest notification.
"Well!?" Azula snapped, crossing her arms, her nails tapping rhythmically on her armguard. "I haven't got all day. Get to it!"
That snapped everyone into motion.
I was the first to move.
Before the soldier on my right could even blink, I swept my leg under him and kicked his knees out from under him. As he dropped with a panicked yelp, I drove the pommel of my sword into his helmet with a hard crunch, slamming him face-first into the deck.
Around me, panic erupted. Fire erupted in bursts of red and orange. People were screaming. Dodging. Throwing punches and fireballs and tripping over one another like amateurs. It was chaos.
To my left, a soldier launched a fireball at me with a clumsy thrust of his fist. I met it with one of my own two blasts colliding midair in a burst of flame and smoke.
He came in with a flaming arc-kick. I ducked just enough for it to miss and slam into someone else behind me.
I surged forward, fire coiling around my fist like a serpent. I slammed it into his side and released the flame on impact. The explosion sent him flying backward with a shriek of pain.
Another soldier lunged at me from the side. I moved fast, slamming my fire-coated palm into his face. His scream was cut off as he dropped, out cold.
The last one hesitated. Big mistake.
I drew my sword halfway, grabbed the hilt, and cracked him across the skull with the flat. He dropped like a sack of bricks.
[EXP +150! Quest Complete!]
You were among the last 10 standing.
Stat Point +1. Fire Bending EXP +25.
Reputation with Azula: +0.2 ("Amused Curiosity")
Hidden Objective Progress: 1/???
I looked around, panting lightly. Smoke filled the air. Groans and twitching limbs littered the deck. The last few standing including me were bruised, winded, and wide-eyed.
Azula stood at the center again, smiling faintly.
"Well, well. Maybe some of you aren't worthless after all."
She turned, her cape flicking behind her. "Clean up the rest."
And just like that, she was gone.
-later-
By the time the mess was cleared and the groaning bodies were dragged off the deck, my limbs felt like they were to rip out of their socket at any moment.
The remaining ten of us were ordered to stand down and given the rest of the day to "recover and reflect on our mediocrity."
Gee, thanks.
I made my way back to the sleeping quarters, ignoring the way a few of the other guy gave me side-eyes. A couple of them looked impressed. A couple, wary. And at least one looked like he was already planning to sucker punch me in my sleep.
I'd deal with that later.
Collapsing onto my bed, I opened my status screen.
Name: Chen
Race: Human
Age: 15
—[Stats]—
Body: 47
Mind: 18
Energy: 37
—[Skills List]—
[Gamer Body] – Max
[Gamer Mind] – Max
[Observe] – Level 1/100
[Fire Bending] – Level 1 (85/100)
[Swordsmanship – Level 1 (32/100)] (New)
A new skill popped up Swordsmanship. Must've triggered from all the beatdowns with the pommel and hilt.
I decided to hold onto the stat point for now. No need to burn it when I wasn't in immediate danger. Fire Bending was almost ready to level up anyway maybe then I'd get a small power boost or unlock a technique.
I closed the screen with a mental flick.
"Not bad out there," a voice said from the side.
I tilted my head and saw one of the survivors tall, wiry, sharp-faced. His uniform was scorched on the right shoulder and he had a small burn on his neck that was already blistering. He leaned against the bunk across from mine.
"You move like someone who's been in a fight before," he said. "Name's Ren."
I stared for a second before responding.
"Chen."
He smirked. "Heh. Short and to the point. You from the Capital?"
"No."
"Good. Capital boys usually scream before they burn." He paused. "Listen… most of these guys? They're gonna drop like flies. Azula doesn't care if we survive or not only if we amuse her."
I stayed quiet.
Ren shrugged. "Don't have to talk. Just keep your head down, and don't draw attention. Princess likes to break toys she notices too early."
That was the plan. But if the system wanted growth, I'd have to earn EXP, not hide like a coward. Still… he wasn't wrong.
Ren stood up. "Anyway, if you're still alive in a week, I'll buy you a drink. Assuming we get one."
As he left, I couldn't help but open the last notification that had been blinking at the edge of my vision.
[Princess Azula-Reputation: 0.2]
I leaned back on the bunk and stared at the metal ceiling.
So far, this world was exactly what I expected.
Extremely brutal, considering this world has been in a century old war. But if he survive long enough to make it to land he would survive.