**Roku. Omashu.**
Waking up quite early, I noticed I was in the tender embrace of feminine bodies. Lazily opening my eyes, I saw Suyuki and Toph sweetly asleep, snuggled against me on either side. Jun and Shizuka were a bit farther away. Last night, they decided to let the younger family members take their place. And no, there was no debauchery. Toph isn't ready for that yet. The other girls aren't particularly keen on being with anyone else besides me during "that" process.
I spent another fifteen minutes enjoying the warmth of their harmonious bodies, which seemed to tremble as they pressed against me. Listening to their steady breathing, I once again felt grateful that the saga of confession had ended so well. It's safe to say I even gained some bonuses. Our relationship has clearly grown stronger!
Carefully starting to extricate myself, I found their hands gripping me even tighter.
*"I didn't expect to use chi like this,"* I thought, activating the fifth chakra. Stretching my body, I finally broke free. Not a second later, Suyuki and Toph felt the unfamiliar emptiness, and soon they were in each other's arms. *"It would be interesting to see their reaction when they wake up…"*
While taking care of my morning routine, I pondered how habits can sometimes be stronger than ourselves. Thanks to the vast amount of high-quality life energy, sleep is only a minor necessity for me. Some sluggishness from its absence only appears after a month. And it seems I just enjoy lounging in bed, especially when surrounded by people dear to my heart. The same goes for food and water. Energy simply overrides the need for basic bodily requirements. Of course, after expending a lot of energy, the body will demand external stimulation in the form of fluids and other nutrients found only in food.
At the same time, I—Yo—was talking with Wan Shi Tong. The battle with General Old Iron had sparked some thoughts. Why couldn't he, the spirit of knowledge, attack the Fire Sages, while Koh managed to attack me during the wedding ceremony? How did it happen that Tui and La didn't suffer any backlash, even though they helped me with their energy? And why could the General freely demonstrate his power? I know the world—and the barrier itself—has somewhat "unlearned" how to handle spiritual energy, making it foreign. Just like life energy is to the Spirit World.
*"The thing is, Koh's abilities in stealth allow him to somewhat disregard the laws of the world. And do you really think he showed you his full power?"* Wan Shi Tong asked, slightly mockingly, making me feel ashamed of my thoughts. I had thought I'd given him a good fight… *"Tui and La acted only indirectly; their energy first passed through your channels, thus acquiring 'human' characteristics."*
*"The General also wasn't going all out. If he had, you wouldn't have been able to build a city there… You'd have had to recreate the landscape entirely. Besides, the human world has somewhat 'grown accustomed' to the General's energy, since he's been here for centuries. I, on the other hand, have always remained within the walls of my abode, which is why I've never become a part of the human world,"* he explained. Now everything made much more sense.
Lost in the thoughts from the spirit of knowledge's mini-lecture, I didn't notice I had already arrived at the branch of the Earth University. The people responsible for improving the postal system had decided to stay here, opening a new branch of the higher education institution.
*"Don't mind me, go about your business,"* I waved, seeing students and teachers starting to approach to greet me.
They already have enough on their plates. This branch, like the main university, is responsible for planning the future city. The most advanced technologies will be implemented, and the city must remain viable even centuries from now. I didn't hesitate to share many of my ideas, drawn from my past life. For example, roads… I know very well that animals are still the primary mode of transport, but considering progress, it won't be long before the first automobiles appear. I think it's worth being prepared. We can add underground and overhead crossings—anything to avoid overloading the roads.
The key is not to forget that all business activity shouldn't be concentrated in a single district. I don't think anyone would be happy to travel or walk across the entire city to work. That means every few districts should provide a full life for the people living there.
Honestly, I didn't like Republic City, as shown in *The Legend of Korra*. It had a measly single park and endless clusters of buildings. There was a severe lack of natural green. Hmm, don't forget playgrounds for children either.
We need to consider the unique characteristics of each nation, incorporating something traditional and familiar to them, so people adapt to the new place more quickly. Most likely, as the city is populated, people will generate new ideas themselves. The main thing is not to forget to listen to their words.
High-rise buildings are a whole separate topic. I'm sure Republic City didn't acquire its skyscrapers immediately. But I really wanted at least one… Which is why the best architects from the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation have been racking their brains for days. According to them, they have enough fundamental theoretical knowledge to build a multi-story building, but currently, there are no materials that could serve as the structure's framework.
*"Lord Roku!"* one of the scientists, seemingly responsible for studying minerals, burst into the main hall. His lab coat looked like it hadn't been washed in a long time. He also wore glasses, making his excited gaze even more frantic. If someone asked me what a stereotypical scientist looks like, I'd point to this guy without hesitation. *"We did it!"* he proclaimed loudly. Unfortunately, I can't read minds, so his words didn't elicit the expected response from me.
*"Calm down, no need to distract others from their work,"* I said, quickly approaching him. As far as I know, his team had been working on something for a long time, but they refused to talk about it until there were visible results.
*"Please forgive my excitement,"* he corrected himself, lightly bowing to the entire hall. *"We've solved your problem!"* he said much quieter. Well, I have plenty of problems—I wonder which one? *"You should see it for yourself!"* He quickly led me through the corridors. After a couple of long staircases downward, we found ourselves beneath the city. In its uninhabited part, which had recently been adapted for the University's practical needs.
Without distracting others from their experiments, we quietly entered the farthest hall, where the jennomite caves begin. In the room, their small team was already waiting for us. Crowded around a light-green jennomite, proud smiles never left their faces.
*"Jennomite?"* I asked, expecting something else.
*"Not just jennomite, but artificially grown jennomite!"* the youngest of them chimed in excitedly.
*"As you know, creeping crystal grows when it comes into contact with living beings,"* the head of the department began explaining rapidly. *"At first, we didn't understand what factors caused it to grow? There were too many different reasons, following which it could spread… But thanks to your help, we realized that jennomite grows by absorbing life energy!"* I remembered! About a month ago, reports about their work landed on my desk, in which they mentioned their problems. It seems I "automatically" responded and outlined the principles of life energy for them.
*"Go on,"* I nodded, waiting for the rest of the story.
*"My colleagues and I saw hidden potential in this mineral…"* He looked around, making it clear that everyone present had contributed. *"We only needed to slightly alter its structure, and we got a very hard material, stronger than the renowned steel of the Fire Nation! Plus, it has another property—absorbing vibrations… I think you can already understand where this new jennomite might be useful? We'll be able to build any heavy structures! That means my irrational dream of a skyscraper will come true much sooner!"*
*"And you control its shape and size using this life energy?"* I guessed, noticing that the very same excited voice's life energy flow was much faster. *"Show me?"*
*"Goku!"* the department head said. That was enough for the boy to understand. Approaching the crystal, he slowly directed his life energy toward it. After a few seconds, the edges of the crystal began to grow slightly. Goku lasted another couple of minutes, but it was enough for the crystal to triple in size.
*"This will change the entire concept of architecture!"* My sincere words and enthusiastic applause were the best reward for them, as King Roku himself acknowledged their achievements. *"New resources will be allocated to you! And each of you can ask me for one favor! No, no, you truly earned this!"* I said, seeing them already trying to decline my generosity.
Toward the end of the workday, the brilliant minds of the Fire Nation delighted me with another piece of news. They had developed an alloy capable of storing firebending energy for a long time. Most likely, it's thanks to this alloy that, in *The Legend of Korra*, we see power plants operated by firebenders. As for myself, I vowed never again to try to impose the standards of the past world onto this one, where various "bending" minerals and rocks exist.
The scientists themselves understood the potential of the alloy. I think another technological leap awaits us in the near future. And seeing the example of what happened to the planet in the past world, I decided to guide this world in a more environmentally friendly direction whenever possible. I sincerely hope the Avatar world still has many pleasant surprises in store…
**Great Divide. Roku.**
*"Don't try to act alone! Watch each other's backs!"* I shouted at the young—and not so young—conquerors. Divided into groups, they had been fighting off another wave of canyon crawlers for an hour.
Nearly three hundred strong conquerors—these are people who passed my selection for the title of the next King of Omashu. I could have comfortably remained on the throne, but during my last meeting with Lao, I noticed how much he had lost weight and grown haggard. Some of his issues prevented him from admitting that the workload wasn't decreasing. And competent, trusted people can't be grown quickly, so he's been driving himself into the ground.
Therefore, it was decided to head to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible, leaving Omashu to my appointee. Someone weak on the throne of the city-state wouldn't be accepted, so I had to significantly narrow down the circle of candidates, searching for uncut diamonds among the conquerors.
Combining the useful with… the useful, our small army marched like a heavy stone through the nearby provinces, eradicating various scoundrels along the way. This time, the target was a canyon that serves as home to overly prolific crawlers. Besides, it was high time to reduce their rampage.
*"What kind of mess awaits me this time?"* I thought grimly, feeling my intuition starting to "scream," and a chill had already run down my spine a couple of times—nothing good…
*"Begin retreat!"* I commanded, occasionally rescuing the most careless from the jaws of death.
A couple of minutes later, I had to save another idiot who had miscalculated his strength. He wasn't far away, so I didn't use my bending, relying solely on my body. Quickly positioning myself in front of the young man, I kicked the large creature hard, leaving a long furrow behind it.
*"Thank you so much, King!"* the guy said, who, out of fear of death, had fallen on his backside.
*"Tch…"* I wanted to scold him for his carelessness, but…
My words were cut off as my head was unexpectedly severed from my body. In the last couple of moments, my eyes managed to see how that very same guy I had saved began growing numerous familiar legs…
**Same place and time. Koh—the Face Stealer.**
*"Why can't I take your face?!"* he roared furiously. His voice literally crushed the conquerors.
A second later, Koh received the answer to his question. Yuki's body, his head, and all the blood that burst out under great pressure began turning into energy particles, which started drifting away.
*"So, I need to get all his bodies…"* Expected, but it doesn't make it any easier. Going to the North Pole risks a confrontation with the spirits of the Moon and Ocean. His other body is almost always near Wan Shi Tong, whom he also can't handle. That leaves one more. The one from the Fire Nation islands.
*"I'm not setting foot there!"* he quickly shook his head, trying his best to forget how the golden dragons once beat him up. Of course, only one young individual is there now, but his fear of that species overwhelmed his common sense.
*"Pity to leave so many new faces…"* He looked at the pathetic humans, some of whom had already soiled themselves from fear. It's best to lie low for now; the world is already angry with him. If someone of Koh's level were here, they would notice how the very essence of the spirit is cracking at the seams. It seemed that just a little more, and the Face Stealer would cease to exist. He had expended too much in that battle at the North Pole. So today, he only had a second to showcase his full power and speed.