The bazaar wasn't as crowded as he used to see it. Maybe it was the time or the situation that shrouded the kingdom; he could see the effect all over.
Cain followed his memory to a lane of hawkers and looked around in fascination. With mats sprawled before them and an assortment of wares, from pretty trinkets to essential oils and old tattered scrolls, he spotted one such scroll and knelt before the stall to take a look.
"5 gold pieces." The man spoke with one eye closed. Cain took a look at the guy and picked up the scroll. Unfurling the paper, he saw illustrations of bending forms. However, they looked suspiciously fake. With his knowledge from the [Combat Bender], he could confirm that it was a scam. He shook his head, put it back, and left.
He spent the next twenty minutes window shopping, patting his pouch whenever he came across something that he liked. Eventually, he arrived at a shop that showcased a variety of robes. He went inside and started looking for something that would suit his needs.
"Hello, sir, how may I help you?" A pretty-looking young girl with short brown hair came forward and asked. He looked at her attire and then nodded to the clothes on display.
"I would like to buy some clothes for myself. But as you can see, I am finding the task extremely difficult."
The girl nodded her head and gestured for him to follow. She helped him find clothes that were to his liking. In the end, he ended up choosing a long black and red robe with black trousers. Alongside, he picked an all-black robe. The total tallied up to 12 gold pieces, and Cain left the shop with a considerably lighter wallet.
He wandered the market for some time before deciding to call it a day. He found a clear alley with a door, and once he made sure that no one was looking this way, he opened the door to his warehouse and promptly closed it behind him.
Earlier, he had almost forgotten about the [key link], and it was only after he left the warehouse that he remembered. Nonetheless, it was a neat feature that he absolutely loved and would not hesitate to abuse to his own advantage. He grinned and decided to first change his clothes.
After he was done, he moved to the podium, saw a slot that fit his key, and inserted it. He willed his mind and saw a list of doors appear on a virtual window-like screen, much like his quest window. Currently, only two doors were listed, and he picked the one that he knew led to his house.
The door in the entryway opened to reveal his home to him. He moved inside and started going through all his things. He picked whatever was useful and allocated it to his warehouse. Since it was going to be his personal residence from here on, he might as well make full use of it.
Once done, he changed back into his old clothes to avoid any attention and decided to take a stroll around the village. As it was already getting late, he ended his walk by buying a fish and some alcohol. He moved back into his house and closed the door. Opening the doorway to his personal reality, he moved inside and closed the door behind him.
Unfortunately, he didn't have any electrical appliances to help with cooking. It made him sigh, as he would have really liked to put all this electricity to use. It wasn't as bad since he could still make use of it by building a basic electrical stove with some wire and insulating material; unfortunately, he possessed none of that.
In the end, he chose to go down the bender pathway and decided to use his skills to roast the fish. Before that, however, he was more excited to test his full skills.
With the [Starting Space] being as large as a football court, even with it being somewhat occupied, there was plenty of space for him to practice his skills with.
Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind inward. A blazing inferno lived beneath his mortal skin, and he could feel the heat living within him. Feel it, control it, and grow it. His eyes opened lightning fast, and his hands moved with speed and power. A radiant jet of flames blasted forth from his fist, and he lowered his stance to sweep his feet, propelling a wave of fire.
His moves were fast and quick, but each one carried with it the ferocity of a dragon. His complex martial forms blended into his bending skills to make his dance all the more deadly. For more than five minutes, he kept it up, only feeling slightly sore due to the strain he placed on his muscles. He let out a hot breath and calmed down.
Cain looked at his sweat-soaked clothing and considered it fortunate that he had changed back into his old clothes; otherwise, they would've been absolutely dirtied.
He decided not to make his warehouse a dumpster and went to take a shower. The water temperature could be adjusted, but he seemed to like it rather cold. He didn't know if it was his nature as a firebender or just the change from adapting to his new body.
He changed into his new clothing, liking the feel of something that didn't sting against his skin. Old Cain was more focused on survival and saving whenever possible, and it was absolutely necessary if he wanted to look for his family or take his revenge.
While he did feel for the old him, he also knew that there was no comparison between the two. To the old him, it would've been good enough if he could've found his parents. But the current him was already different, what with his bending mastery that made him cut above others.
Not to mention that he still had a long way to go. Given enough time, he would certainly reach the apex of this world, or closer to it. Remembering the list of perks that he had yet to purchase, Cain mentally called the list to appear before him.
He was especially interested in the lightning-bending perk. It cost 400 CP, so he would've to wait till he had made some more CP's. [Bending Genius] appealed to him, and if he combined it with his [Chi Mastery] perk, he could in theory achieve the lightning bending through his own efforts. Heck, it even opened up the possibility of energy bending.
Cain decided not to think much for the time being. While he would certainly appreciate a good perk or two, he'd have to wait until he had secured a stable amount of points.
He found a thin metal rod and impaled the fish on it. Using his extreme control over the fire, he wreathed the scaled animal with blazing heat, causing it to sizzle and pop. He had already cleaned the gunk beforehand, so aside from the slight stench that changed after he had roasted it, it smelled and tasted no different from a normal fish.
Before he let sleep take him, he went to look for his armor that he had gotten as a free item due to his civilian background. Sure enough, it was red with a shining golden sun engraved on the chest plate, and it came with a helm designed in the shape of fire.
While he appreciated the aesthetic, he didn't think of using it unless he planned to infiltrate the warships or palaces.
Deciding to take a moment to rest, he lay on the bunk bed and slowly drifted into sleep.
...
When Cain opened his eyes, it was to the pleasant light streaming from the window, the freshness of the air, and the sweet smell of his breakfast. He looked around to find fresh and hot broth in a container that rested on his table.
He took a moment to savor the taste and then wolfed it down. Feeling his body, he removed his clothes and took the shower.
It was about time that he decided to do something about this quest. As it was, he would certainly fail it in the next few years if he didn't complete it, but what worried him the most was that without completion or failure, no new quest would be generated. This would become a problem if he wanted to amass a number of points for his future purchases.
Having decided on a course of action, he changed into his normal set of clothing and left the workshop. Once outside the house, he found the scene no different from yesterday. He took a perch on a slightly raised platform to overlook the entire village. It was certainly a small village with a population less than 100, and cleaning the river would also take, in his estimation, around a week or two. Unlike the original show, he didn't have a water bender to help, so they would've had to do this the old-fashioned way.
The problem was how to stop the factory from spilling their pollution into the waters. He wasn't an avatar, so it wasn't likely that the intimidation would work. Not to mention that the war was still a few years behind, so attention would certainly shift here if any abnormalities were to be found.
Cain stroked his chin in thought. [Memory] helped him remember how the team Avatar had managed to solve this problem. A bit of luck, a lot of power, and a whole lot of plot armor. While [Combat Bender] made him proficient in fighting using martial arts and bending, it still only placed him on the level of veterans, not above them. If he played his cards right, he could certainly defeat this group with sufficient preparation and surprise. The problem was the aftermath.
As it had been stated in the canon, the general would certainly send a retinue to punish the villagers on the assumption that they were responsible. While it might accomplish the mission, it would certainly place the people here in danger. Cain frowned and thought some more. Painted Lady, the words appeared in his mind.
If it took the fear of God for these people to stop sullying this place, then he would need to become the nightmare incarnate.