Chapter 3: The Best Actor

That's right!

The person that was currently seeking Genji's life was the person he had just placed all the blame for burning the barracks.

To think he would come for revenge…

(｡･ ω<)ゞ ~ teehee

'He's so petty… I only ALMOST got him killed, it's not like he would have died,' grumbled Genji as he focused back on the middle aged man that continued to aim for his life.

Suddenly, he had an idea.

Genji wasn't too sure if this idea would work out, but it should help in giving him some time to breathe. It was worth a shot, especially when he could be killed any second now.

However, for this plan to work, he needed a key figure to be around.

Searching around the area, Genji finally found the key figure, Prince Zuko.

Putting his acting skill in full throttle and trying to exaggerate his actions, Genji continued to block the middle aged man's attacks with a depressed look.

Then, with all his might, Genji's yell was like someone farting in a quiet classroom. Everyone instantly stopped whatever they were doing and turned to look at the culprit of the far- cough!- yell.

"HELP! This man is trying to kill me!"

As if incensed by Genji's yell, the middle aged man frowned and quickly sped up his attacks. The man focused his gaze on Genji and his eyes were staring daggers at Genji, seemingly wishing to pierce through Genji.

"He's planning to assassinate Prince Zuko!"

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Acting> (Lvl 12)]

With his <Acting> skill suddenly shooting up in level, Genji knew that many had believed his bluff that the middle aged man was an assassin.

Suddenly, everyone in the surroundings frowned and even the middle aged man paused as he looked at Genji with a shocked look on his face. This pause however, was enough for Genji to finally counter attack.

With his <Novice Poleman> skill at level 16 already, he was already strong enough to be able to deal some damage on the middle aged man.

Surprised by Genji's sudden attacks, the man scoffed, believing Genji to still be the same weak kid when they began to spar.

Pa!

The two staffs collided with each other and made them both recoil backwards after the impact.

'Huh?'

The middle aged man looked at Genji with an incredulous look on his face as he realized that Genji was somehow more skilled than before. Skilled enough to have suddenly get the jump on him.

"Hm… you won't surprise me again…" said the middle aged man as he smiled coldly, his hold on his staff becoming tighter.

Bang!

Genji sucked in cold air as he felt his hands tremble in pain after blocking a strike from the middle aged man.

'He's still so strong! It's obvious that he's more skilled than I am,' thought Genji as he cursed the middle aged man with a frown. 'Just how high is his skill level at?!'

However, this time around, Genji was also much more skilled than before.

Without retreating backwards, Genji rebounded from the man's attack and quickly struck back despite being at a disadvantage.

With his staff stabbing straight at the man's chest, Genji's eyes lit up as he watched his staff strike his opponents chest.

Bang!

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Novice Poleman>(Lvl. 19)]

'Great!' yelled out Genji within his mind happily as his strike had finally hit his target. His skill experience had finally reached the mark and leveled up as well.

It was such an excruciating five minutes of continuous attacks and blocking with the staff and it finally paid off!

Fwoosh!

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, two wooden staffs appeared within Genji's vision. He couldn't move nor dodge said staffs, but he was lucky enough that the staffs weren't aiming for him at all.

Lifting his head to look at his target properly, Genji realized that the man's arms were being restrained Fire Nation foot soldiers.

With a disappointed feeling within his heart, Genji felt like he was cheated out of a joyful memory. He watched as the man was being beaten by sticks and suddenly felt like he wanted to relieve his stress as well.

So, without questioning anything, he wielded his staff and swung it at the restrained man who was taking the brunt of every hit without being able to defend himself.

"How dare you want to betray the Prince!"

"Don't you dare attack the Prince!"

"What?! You wanted to assassinate the Prince?! Die!"

Suddenly, every single soldier above Prince Zuko's boat was attacking the middle aged man in order to 'protect Prince Zuko'. However, as a man with the <Acting> skill, he knew that all these soldiers were acting.

They all just wanted to get a promotion, or even a raise for protecting the Prince. They wanted to rise and become distinguished from everyone else.

These men were all ambitious, ambitious enough to suddenly throw someone in front of a moving train in order to win something in return.

"Damn you! How dare you try to kill me!" yelled Genji as he continued to slap around the man with his staff in hand.

Then, as expected, Genji had eventually knocked out the man after a swift attack to the head.

[Ding! Level 1 Skilled Fire Nation Foot Soldier defeated! Experience +2]

'Plus! FUCKING… TWO?!' Genji cursed as he looked at the measly small amount of points he had raised.

Staring right at the middle aged man, Genji cursed at him, 'Fuck you! Can't even help me level up in this god-forsaken land?! I'm freezing my balls off here!!'

Lifting his staff, Genji pushed everything he had into this single strike as he slammed it down on the middle aged man's shoulder.

Crack-ptch!

With a loud cracking sound, followed by a weaker cracking sound, Genji's stick flew up in the air, broken. On the other hand, Genji had also broken one of the man's bones.

[Ding! Skill level up!]

[<Novice Poleman> (Lvl. 20 MAX)]

[Ding! Congratulations on <Novice Poleman> leveling up to skill level 20, skill advanced to <Adept Poleman>!]

[Rewarding Host proper stat points for advancing <Novice Poleman> skill to the next rank, <Adept>!]

[+2 Power

+1 Vitality

+1 Energy]

[Work harder Host!]

The instant Genji felt like he was going to fall to the ground, he felt a refreshing energy course through his body and instantly bringing him back up to tip top shape. Not only that, he felt like something within him had just been unlocked!

'This must be the energy! Now I can practice firebending,' thought Genji, happy about the outcomes of this fight despite the dire straits he was in a couple of seconds ago.

He had to scream for help and not just that, he was conspired against by someone he didn't even know properly! (Despite how he had shifted all the blame for burning the barracks on him.)

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Now, he had to head hunt that poor bastard, although he first had to check his spoils.

Bringing up his data panel, Genji looked at his increased stats in fervor.

Name: Genji

Level: 0 (2/5)

Power: 7

Vitality: 6

Energy: 1

Stat Points: 0 (+4 per Level)

Experience Storage: 0 (Can increase Character Level or Skill Level.)

Skills: <Adept Poleman> (Lvl. 20)

<Novice Firebender> (Lvl. 1)

<Acting> (Lvl. 12)

<Danger Sense> (Lvl. 19)

Storage: (Common) Fire Nation Foot Soldier Helmet x1

'Holy shit! It's as if I had leveled up,' thought Genji as he looked at the four stat points he had just received.

Just as Genji was about to start celebrating, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head as a load of information rushed straight into his head. The images and words were fixed into his brain, as if he couldn't forget this information anymore.

Slowly inspecting this newfound information, Genji found that it was the basics of every Polearm that was suddenly stuck into his brain. Like if he had completely mastered the basics of these pole weapons.

Stab…

Spin…

Parry…

Slash…

Pierce…

Thrusts…

Chops…

Cuts…

Strikes…

Blocks…

Etc…

It was as if every basic move and technique having to do with the pole weapons were imprinted inside his mind.

Like throwing javelins!

If Genji wanted to, he could hit a target 40 meters away with pin-point accuracy when throwing a javelin, or any sharp pole weapon.

'It's not enough,' thought Genji as he looked at his stats. He was, theoretically, a level 1 person already. If he actually manages to level up, he will end up with the strength of a level 2 person!

Such are the benefits of having a system.

Feeling his mind clearing up, Genji's blurry vision was finally clearing up.

When he looked up, he saw the soldiers looking at him with shock.

Some had envious looks on their faces whilst others had incredulous looks on theirs.

"Damn, he basically only cried for help. How lucky could he be?"

"But he did uncover an assassin. This will get him into the good books of the Prince."

"That… is true."

Everyone sent Genji dubious gazes before looking at something behind Genji.

'Behind me?'

Turning around slowly, Genji noticed a person looking at him with a smile on his chubby face.

"So, young man, would you be up to following my grandson?" said the chubby man as he looked right into Genji's eyes with a deep and wise look on face.

Genji looked at the man before him in a bit of shock, not knowing what to think.

'The wise man Iroh is asking ME to follow Zuko? I don't know if he saw me correctly, but I guess I'll take it,' thought Genji with a smirk inside his heart.

"I-I will follow Prince Zuko!"

Genji lowered his head and accepted Iroh's request. Although a bit confused as to why, he knew that Iroh must have seen something on him.

Every person that has watched the Avatar knows that Iroh is a very spiritual and wise man. He doesn't do things for no reason at all unless they help better the world in some way, shape, or form.

To ask Genji to follow Zuko must mean that he's trying to use Genji to probably 'fix' Zuko or at least lead him down the correct path.

'But just what did he see in me?' thought Genji as he looked at the disappearing back of Iroh's.

"We will talk more about this later over a cup of tea, young man," said Iroh as he walked away.

Genji, still a little lost, eventually just stood up and walked away.

Being a follower of Prince Zuko wasn't going to be a permanent thing. At most, he will end up being friends, or even the best of friends, before he dips and lives his own life.

'Wait… being friends… is this his way of trying to get Zuko to stop thinking about his pursuit for honor? What a sly old man,' thought Genji as a light flashed within his eyes.

Figuring out what Iroh was planning, Genji walked away, humming a little song with a smirk on his face.

…

"Uncle, are you really going to let that soldier befriend me? You know about the trials I need to face alone," muttered Zuko as he looked over at the youth Genji who was walking away with a scrutinizing gaze.

Iroh simply smiled and served himself a warm cup of Jasmine Tea as he sat down to relax his body. His hands moving over to the table where a game of pai sho was set up before turning to look at his nephew with a caring gaze.

Seeing as how his uncle hasn't responded to him yet, Zuko continued, "I don't accept this uncle. I don't need someone to follow me or protect my back. All I need is to capture the Avatar.

Once I capture the Avatar, I will head over to father and reclaim my honor!"

Seeing Zuko become fierce once more as he mentioned his own father and his honor, Iroh couldn't help but pity his own nephew.

From getting burned on his face and being shamed in front of hundreds of people by his own father. To directing all his negative emotions to the fact that his honor was taken away, clouding his mind and preventing him from seeing the truth.

'My poor nephew… he's so similar to you Lu Ten,' thought Iroh as his eyes misted for a bit before a silly grin spread on his face.

Shaking his head, Iroh said, "Without a follower, how do you expect to carry out certain missions without help? Right now, you're like a frog in a well. Unable to see anything beyond what you wish to see.

You need a fresh perspective nephew. That young man will help you 'capture' the Avatar and help you regain something better than your honor."

"Something better than my honor? I don't need something like that," Zuko said with a frown. He looked away from his uncle and over to the sun overhead with squinted eyes. Just as he was about to walk away, he heard a pair of soldiers talking and having fun together.

Gazing at them for a moment, Zuko eventually thought about all the things his uncle had for him ever since he was a child.

Sighing, Zuko turned to look at Iroh and said in an exasperated tone, "Fine. I'll listen to you just this once. I hope your advice does not disappoint this time."

With that, Zuko walked away hurriedly with heavy steps as if trying to escape his uncles proud look on his face.

"Well done, my nephew," mumbled Iroh as he drank from his tea calmly. "Well done…"

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