When we were done naming our new companions, we placed them carefully on top of Appa's fur so they could sleep peacefully. Appa, who was awake, seemed more than happy to have new company and hummed.
After that, we prepared our food that was packed by our friends back home and ate it. Then we quickly fell asleep since we were all excited about going to the Southern Air Temple, where Aang said he learned airbending and grew up.
We had different reasons to be excited. For Aang, it was going home, while I was excited because of Aang's stories that he kept telling us.
He said that there were many games we could play there, how massive, majestic, and beautiful the temple was, and how many different species of animals like Appa lived there.
However, I feared that Aang would be sad since I had heard that the Air Nomads had long been extinct except for Aang.
But we would be there if that happened.
Aang might even become more determined to defeat the Fire Nation than he already was.
The next day.
I opened my eyes to see my new friend standing on my chest and looking at my face curiously.
"..."
"..."
We looked at each other for several seconds before Zuno panicked and flapped his majestic wings aggressively, stumbling backward.
I couldn't help but laugh at this scene as I picked him up.
"What are you doing, Zuno?"
Zuno's panic seemed short-lived as he didn't panic when being picked up by a stranger like me. He just tilted his head cutely, puzzled by my question.
"Haha, how cute! You must be hungry now, huh? Let's wait for Katara to wake up so she can cook us our breakfast..."
And then, I suddenly thought of something.
"Or... I can just cook by myself..."
It didn't take me long to create another skill for myself.
Skill: Culinary Mastery
Description: This skill grants you the ability to transform any ingredient into a culinary masterpiece. With unparalleled knowledge of flavors, textures, and cooking techniques, you can create dishes that surpass the finest in the world. You can instinctively know the perfect combinations, cooking times, and methods, even with unfamiliar ingredients. The skill enhances your senses, allowing you to detect subtle flavors and aromas, ensuring perfect seasoning and balance in every dish. At its highest level, Culinary Mastery lets the you adapt to any cuisine, crafting meals that evoke deep emotions and unforgettable experiences in those who taste them.
Almost instantly, the knowledge from Culinary Mastery was directly imparted into my head without any problem.
With this, I could guarantee that I was now the best cook in this world.
My mind instantly recalled all the ingredients I had passed yesterday while scouting, and I already knew what I needed to make our breakfast more flavorful today.
Skill: Weapon Mastery Lv. 8
Skill: Elemental Shielding Lv. 9
I also upgraded Weapon Mastery and Elemental Shielding skill using my points for today to make myself stronger for any coming threats.
After I was done with creating and upgrading my skills, I let Zuno go, and he quickly ran toward Moa and Appa.
"Now, let's start."
Katara was dreaming of bending giant waves in the ocean after being taught by a great master from the Northern Water Tribe.
She was laughing a lot as she was patted on the head for her genius.
—Now! I'm the strongest waterbender in the world! But... Huh? What is that smell? What's going on?!
Her world suddenly became hazy and colorful.
Then her world shatters.
She woke up with a groan.
But the smell hits her again.
"What is that smell? Why is it... Hmm..."
She opened her eyes immediately and looked around.
Aang had also woken up, and almost all of them were focused on one thing.
Sokka was cooking, and it smelled really good!
How could her brother, who was so lazy most of the day back at their camp, cook something like this?
Sokka's hands were working simultaneously, one was cutting some unknown ingredients while the other was adding other unknown ingredients to the pot.
And it looked so easy for him.
Is this really Sokka?
Sometimes, Katara thought this Sokka was not her brother at all.
He had completely changed in one day.
He suddenly became a skilled warrior who could beat a Fire Nation soldier and even make them retreat.
Katara didn't underestimate Sokka's skills, but she knows that he was not so skilled at handling a spear.
Now, Sokka could even cook something that smelled amazing when he rarely even cooked before.
"Oh, you two are awake now. The food is almost ready."
Aang, upon coming to his senses, immediately used his airbending to arrive in front of the pot.
He was smelling it aggressively, which made me push his face away.
"Stop smelling it, you might ruin its flavors."
Eventually, breakfast was cooked, and all of them, except me, were salivating in anticipation.
I knew why I could withstand the smell and not devour everything immediately.
The skill already made me feel like I had tasted this type of food before, even though I had just made it today.
"Come on, Sokka, give me my share!"
"Alright, alright. Here you go."
Not even a second after I put his share on his plate, he ate it immediately.
"This is so good! Sokka, where did you even learn to cook this?!"
"This? I just made it."
Aang didn't seem too surprised by it.
I couldn't really blame him.
He didn't know me too well since we had just met two days ago.
But I knew my little sister had many questions in her head right now.
Katara, while eating her share, asked.
"Really? Why haven't you told me you were so good at cooking before?"
I also ate my share as I spoke.
"I was just too lazy before, but I came to realize something after the Fire Nation ship arrived at our camp. We can't just keep letting the Fire Nation push us around and take whatever they want. We need to fight back. And that's what I did. Then I learned that Aang was the Avatar, which gave me a new purpose in life, to help Aang on his journey and stop the tyranny of the Fire Nation so our people can live in happiness."
I continued.
"You may see me as the lazy brother who always bothers you, but I've always been training my skills to help protect our camp in case something happens."
I may not have trained every day, but I certainly trained.
However, as time went by, I noticed something.
I wasn't as talented as my sister.
I kept training, but with a weaker will, which made me weaker.
I don't feel any improvement in my skills.
I always said I would protect our camp, but deep down, I knew it wasn't true. I was just really weak—weaker than my sister.
Seeing me become a little gloomy, Katara approached and hugged me.
"You've always been the best brother in the world, Sokka. You may be a little annoying, but I know that all you care about is protecting us when something threatens us. And you really did it when you beat that Fire Nation soldier. I'm really proud of you, my brother."
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