Gharhgg

With guttural growls echoing through their throats, four pitch-black salamanders pulled onto a carriage as a handsome man held the reigns. If one grew closer to him, they would feel a delightful aroma that stirred their hearts intermixed in the surroundings.

With the entirety of his skill released, Nik was able to man the carriage without any difficulty while the relieved Pavāka placed her head on his laps and let out a cute whimper.

"Student, you smell so good. I knew that my eyes weren't deceived when I saw a rare talent in you."

Snuggling her head, Pavāka immediately spoke.

"Student, pat your teacher's head."

Pavāka purred on his lips as Nik placed his hands on her head and ruffled her soft hair.

"I feel like a caretaker..."

Muttering, Nik looked at Pavāka before suddenly asking.

"Teacher... you don't seem old, but you know a lot about history."

Snorting coldly, Pavāka retorted.

"What did you say? I am the only spirit of Purity Lightning in this world! I am older than the Hundredth ancestor of your bitch lord."

"Ho~ I see."

Nik nodded as he confirmed Pavāka's legal status and took a deep breath. He needed to calm down. If he let his thoughts control the actions of his body, the result might be counterproductive.

Everything will be taken in due time.

He will definitely lord over Azula, and also teach Pavāka a lot of new things.

As they continued their journey, the earth suddenly trembled as earthen spikes grew out of nowhere, immediately striking at the happily running Salamanders. 

Chhk

Disgusting sound of flesh getting pierced echoed as the sparse trees accommodated shadows of burly men that soon emerged from their hiding while glaring at the carriage, Nik and the dying salamanders menacingly.

With the massive bodies of the salamanders smacking at the ground, a cloud of dust rose as the leading tan-skinned figure in green immediately punched out and the cloud of dust was pushed back.

Sneering, the moustached leader stepped out and demanded loudly.

"Azula! Come out, now! The Fire Nation's reign of terror shall end after we take you as hostage!"

A total of seven, similarly, green-clothed members slowly stretched around the carriage and the silent Nik as Azula remained unresponsive.

Inside the carriage, a flushed Azula slowly reorganization her breathing. This ride had been strangely pleasurable for her as each and every bump only made way towards her spine through her special place. In such a condition, it was definitely hard to counter-attack. Even when she went so far as to leak her own whereabouts, all of her plans got messed up due to this strange ride.

Meanwhile, Pavāka that remained on Nik's lap pouted and groaned in frustration.

"Student, why did you stop patting my hair! You should keep on patting me. That's the only path to enlightenment."

But suddenly, she felt a shiver run down her pixie spine as her head snapped up, her confused violet eyes matched with the cold, impassive violet eyes that brewed a terrorising blizzard within.

"Student... are you alright?"

Pavāka continued as Nik utterly disregarded her and stood up, making Pavāka fall sideways while he jumped down and looked at the left lower-corner salamander that was breathing its last breath.

Touching its head lovingly, Nik sighed gently.

"Sorry, Inferno... and you were such a good girl, too. Rest. 

Those who dare slay such cute pets... they don't deserve their lives."

His passionate whispers did not escape the ears of encroaching Earth Benders while Nik slowly touched Inferno's eyes and lowered her eyelids as the cute salamander grunted softly in response, before lying motionless.

"Pet? Don't make me laugh! Looking at your physique and those green clothes, you must be one of the traitors, right?!

Filth like you shouldn't even live, much less curse us noble earth benders!"

Shaking his head, Nik stood up and smiled. A cruel arc touched his lips as he chuckled softly.

"Pride? Nobility? 

Sorry to burst your bubble guys, there is no honour in killing. Once a murderer, always a murderer. 

Those who relish in the delusional honour and nobility after slaying down a life... such hypocrisy... is too disgusting to be even spat at."

As Nik clenched his fist and looked back that the nearest member who held an ugly face, the leader immediately gritted his teeth and pointed towards Nik while shouting.

"Azula is a good as ours! We will deal with her later! But first... Kill that bastard! Brothers, at arms!"

"Houh! Houh! HOUH!"

They let out loud breathing simultaneously while the one Nik looked at smiled menacingly while crouching and immediately punching out, almost immediately, rocks the size of a fist flew towards Nik, directed towards his vital points.

Even though Nik could look through the direction of rocks clearly, evading all of them remained a pipe dream. Raising his fist, he roared loudly before shooting towards the barrage of rocks before sidestepping and smashing his left fist against a spiralling rock!

Bang

With his fist cut open, blood splashed out without any regards as Nik charged the earth bender and cruelly punched at the terrified man's neck, snapping his neck back with a grotesque crunch that made everyone stunned and gulp.

"On down... Inferno demands more life..."

Growling, Nik immediately evaded a slab of rock shot towards him and started dealing with the left one, right next to the slumping corpse.

'No matter how tough their muscles are, they still cannot live my punches. Our strength is too different. Get close to them... get close to them...'

As he ran with making use of all the senses available to him, he didn't even notice a white shroud covering the dead body before a dull-white medallion floated above the body of the dead earth bender.

"Shit... Makbul was the only one capable of sniping! Fuck!

Everyone, Attack at once! He cannot dodge all of that!"

The leader roared when suddenly, to his terrified eyes, he saw a ball of blue fire shooting towards Garhai, immediately consuming him.

Finally, he noticed the cold and arrogant figure standing on top of the golden carriage as he gulped.

'We... miscalculated.'

But still, he immediately entered into a horse stance and lowered his hand while taking deep breaths.

"Spike!"

Smashing his leg on the ground, a long spike immediately erupted from the ground before the leader punched out, making the spike fly towards Azula, who only smirked before extending her index and middle finger as lightning crackled within them.

Sneering, the leader shouted!

"In front of my earth spike, even your lightning bending is of no use!"

But suddenly, he saw the lightning shooting straight towards him as Azula actually sat on the carriage, the spike simply flew above her, not even touching her hair.

With the lightning strike, he soon found losing control of his body as he looked at his bloodied brothers with despair in his eyes.

Suddenly, the leader matched his younger brother's gaze when suddenly, his neck was stepped upon and the terrifying bone-crunching sound rang out once again as a desperate roar escaped the leader's lips!

"Sinng!!!!!!!"

"Shut up!"

Nik snapped at the leader's direction!

"Did you think that you can just roll here and kill as you like? Huh?"

Nik growled when suddenly, he finally noticed the white shroud forming above the head of the man as Nik finally snapped out of his rage.

'This was for you, Inferno. May you rest peacefully.'

Nik prayed for a moment before Azula spoke out.

"Filth... no, from now on, you shall be honoured as I will call you by your name.

Nik, good work. I'll reward you properly. After all, you just assisted me in capturing the leader of the Guan Din Se."

Smilingly, Azula looked back at the leader and snickered.

"Gayu, did you really think that you could capture me? Now... let's make full use out of you."

Meanwhile, the moment Nik touched the floating the white medallion, a screen appeared in front of his face.

[Hidden Quest Achieved:

Gain your first treasure medallion.

Reward: Storage Unlocked.]

A few commands appeared within his consciousness as Nik nodded in understanding and touched the medallion before it disappeared. As he looked at another medallion floating, Nik made his way towards the corpse as a light figure immediately hugged his neck from the back and giggled.

"That was amazing, Nik! You were so cool! Smashing earth benders, the physically strongest benders to their death using your fist!

As expected of my student!"

Nik looked back and then looked at his bleeding hand.

"Teacher... you like the act of killing?"

Shaking her head, Pavāka replied with a brilliant smile.

"My likes or dislikes won't stop a killer. So, I just happened to be intrigued by their motives before I started enjoying how righteously they put their act in motion."

Pavāka shrugged while Nik bent down and touched the second medallion before placing it inside his storage space.