3. The Spirit of Knowledge
I spent the next two days looking for new dark water spirits to try to overcome my rank. After defeating several dozen average spirits, the development rested on a certain boundary, which was not passed by all the incoming energy from the murders.
I had the idea to ask Wong to kill the highest dark one for me, but first go find one. Then everything also rests on protecting myself, I will have to be next to him when killing, which will distract him from the battle, and from the baboon's stories it became clear that the higher spirits, these are still storehouses of unpleasant surprises, can finally bang if cornered. The main thing is that I myself did not want to jeopardize the reasonable one who helped me so much without asking for anything in return.
During the battles, he was able to hone his mastery of the element of water, unattainable by most average spirits. My favorite three techniques have shown themselves in all their glory, now I can create them automatically. Having decided to supplement my arsenal with something else, so there was a technique that I called cutting armor. The point is to create moving streams of water that can both protect and cause damage upon contact. Even for me it is too heavy to perform. To use it, you have to fully concentrate on it alone. But all this overrides its killing power. In a battle with two not weak average spirits, the cutting armor simply ground them in two seconds.
The biggest headache was a gradual and imperceptible change in the mind. More and more often I began to suppress various impulses to do something stupid, sometimes it became harder to think. Even Wong has already noticed my condition, but he doesn't know how to deal with it. The only thing he also advised was to go to the library to the spirit of knowledge, rarely when he does not know something, and he helps peaceful spirits without problems.
Deciding not to play with time anymore, I said goodbye to a slightly sad Wong, but it's still unclear when we will be able to see each other again. Thanking him for everything he did for me, I went to fill the vessel with water, while Wong began to draw on the ground approximate places and signs that I must pass to get to Wang Shi Tong. The journey, according to him, will take about a week of time. He would also like to take me to the place, but there are spirits hanging in his care that have trusted him, while he may not be there, they may attack them.
I assured him that I would be careful along the way, and I would avoid fights, the main thing is not to run into strong spirits, with average and lower ones, if anything, I will calmly cope.
After a firm handshake, I started my way to the library.
To know that this place is so extraordinary and to see with your own eyes all the same different things. On my way I met more than a hundred different spirits, after that number I just stopped counting them, it feels like there are spirits of everything in the world. I had to go around some places in a big arc, but I really shouldn't meet with the dark supreme now. I had to stay focused on my thoughts and actions all the time along the way, because if I didn't crush the inappropriate impulses of my lower spirit nature, the result could happen with a fatal outcome. I can say I was born only recently, while I don't really want to die.
After 8 days, I finally reached the library. And this view just amazed me, I would like to say so, but alas, the library was in the middle of the desert, and only its tower stuck out. As I continued walking towards her, I was thinking about giant owls and their love of burying libraries in the sand.
Going inside, I was met by solid rows of books, as if going up and disappearing there. That's what the spirit of knowledge means, the main thing is that he has read everything, and if I want to spend time usefully solving my problem, I should immediately go to him, do not forget that time is working against me now. Just as I was about to shout his name, the words stuck in my throat somewhere. I have the right. In less than a second, Wang Shi Tong himself is standing in front. When a hefty owl looks at you, in whose eyes there does not seem to be a drop of hostility, but at the same time you feel as if you have just been taken apart, examined and want to continue research. I couldn't even move until he finished my study.
"It's been a long time since you Otherworlders have appeared in our world," Wang Shi Tong finally said.
- And? - when I realized what he said, I was very scared, but seeing that nothing followed, and he still stood calmly and waited for an answer, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief, - Greetings to the keeper of knowledge Wang Shi Tong, I came to you for advice, my friend Wong advised me to visit you, - I said in one breath.
- Oh, it's that obnoxious boy Wong, - it was said even with some warmth, - Okay, enough of the formalities, I've already met people like you, you all have the same curse or gift, as you see, come with me.
Continuing to follow the spirit, Wang Shi Tong began to enlighten me about what was happening to me. As it turned out, they sometimes have spirits from other worlds, in his memory I am already the sixth such spirit, but he could only see three personally, the other two were not too peaceful, they began to indiscriminately attack others, and killed themselves about someone, he later learned this from those they ran into.
According to his observation, our gift is to absorb the residual energy that the spirits leave behind, we can assimilate them without harm to ourselves. In addition to this, we have a huge compatibility with the absorbed element, of course, you can think of an immediately acquired source, but even with it, the development and understanding of the element goes very quickly. I couldn't disagree with this, Wong also said that simple spirits master what I have been inventing and embodying for decades. The spirit of knowledge thinks that in theory, if we do not stop developing, then there is the possibility of obtaining even more elements, but he called our incompatibility with the world itself a curse, our origin is to blame here. It will not be possible to break through above the lower spirit until you become your own for the world.
After the research, the result was derived, according to which there is a small, but the possibility of being accepted. It is worth going through a rebirth, and this can be done only if you are born in a more material world, the world of people, while you are in the womb of your mother, that is, a person who is his own for the world, a certain process of binding you to energy will take place, or it can be called initialization. He also helped those spirits that came to him, hence so much confirmed information.
- Why did you help them so easily, and you don't refuse me either? - I asked, puzzled, - no, on the contrary, I'm very happy about it, I'm just interested.
- It's very simple– - turning to me, he looked at me with his piercing eyes– - being an ancient spirit, I can see a lot that is hidden in you, I can even tell you about what is unknown to you yourself. And if you were a big threat to the world, he would certainly be able to remove you. Why do you think those two aggressive otherworlders appeared near the dark supreme's place of residence, what made him interrupt his sleep, if earlier he would not have paid attention to spirits below him in rank, too much coincidence, don't you think so?
- I hope you are smart enough to put these facts together, - he continued to walk forward with a flap of his wings and say, - the world has no consciousness in our understanding of the word, it thinks in other categories, but even so it is the law here, so you can be calm, if he wanted, you wouldn't be talking to me here.
- Another world is new knowledge, - said Wang Shi Tong with excitement, - For me you are an investment in the future, I hope as soon as you can visit me in the world of people, with the books you have written about your world, it's not difficult, and you will fulfill my little request, right? - he finished with a squint at me.
I could only nod my head nervously a few times.
- That's good, - he said with satisfaction, - ask questions if there are any.
"What happened to those three?" Did they succeed? - it's interesting to understand how many chances I have.
First, it is worth telling how the process of sending spirits to the material plane takes place. To do this, you need to make some preparations. To begin with, you should learn how to strengthen your source, the next step is to send your consciousness to one of the sources, this step is the most important, since when you get into the world of people, your energy will be consumed very quickly, in order to reduce the rate of decay, you need to be able to reduce its losses. Then Wang Shi Tong will simply open a passage to another plane, and send my body to search for a suitable body.
This is where the real game with death begins, in order to be reborn in the world there must be an embryo of a child suitable for your energy that is not yet occupied by another soul. The world will not allow a body to be stolen that already has its soul. While you are searching, your energy is being spent, that is, when it is completely consumed, you will simply dissolve and disappear. So, I'll have to hope for my luck, especially since not so many benders are born in the world, for me this circle narrows even more, my energy is suitable for a water bender, the vessel should be a potential water bender. And now, as Wang Shi Tong knows, there are not too many of them, with the attack of the fire nations on the southern water tribe, those are born only on the northern water tribe that still retained their territories.
Moreover, the children themselves are not always born healthy, there are many diseases that can simply kill you at birth, when your soul will already be connected to the body, which will also finally kill you. It would be easier if I were a spirit of stone or fire, there are most of them in the world of people. But I have nothing to complain about, it's good that the first absorbed was not some rare spirit that has an element not of the four basic elements, then I would definitely have to exist for the rest of my life as a lower spirit. People with mixed elements are rarely born among people, this can even be called an exception. By the standards of the old spirits, people are still children who have just set foot on the path of comprehending bending, so in the future we should still expect the appearance of more people with non-traditional elements.
What about those three who were able to pass into the human world?
The very first person, being a spirit of fire, was able to find a body for himself. But his fate was not happy. It was back in the era of the development of the new earth by people, when they set foot on a dangerous and unpredictable land without the protection of turtle lions, medicine, and the whole culture was only in its infancy, there was a large mortality from various diseases, children were often born dead. This is especially true for benders of earth, fire and air, who did not have benders among them who could heal with their bending. He also died of the disease, in the first week after birth.
The second spirit was not even given a chance to live for a few days and fight for his life. He had been looking for a suitable vessel for birth for too long, time passed, and he simply dissolved without leaving anything behind.
The luckiest was the third spirit that was here relatively recently, if you can live in the world of people, you will recognize him as the Rank of the Conqueror or the Rank of the Great.
- Yes, he did Great things, but I do not advise you to be like him, - said Wang Shi Tong, - at first, when he was young, he already realized that he was the strongest earth bender among his surroundings, being a spirit gives a lot of advantages. But he was too arrogant, thinking that he was invincible, abandoned his development. As a result, he ran into a mountain that he could not overcome.
During the time of Chin, the kingdom of the Earth was greatly fragmented, constantly howling regions and a weak king that could not provide peace to his people. Then Chin took power into his own hands and began a victorious march throughout the kingdom, uniting it into a strong state. The last stronghold of the resistance was Kyoshi Island. Being confident in his strength, he did not heed the words of the avatar of that time, for which he paid with his life. But at the same time, he left behind many innovations and a strong foundation for the state, which still, being not united, repels the people of fire.
Arriving in a room in which there were only a few parchments on the table, the spirit stopped.
- These parchments contain knowledge about how to strengthen and send your mind to the source, as soon as you can fulfill them, call me, and while I have things to do, - the spirit of knowledge said, pointing to the scrolls with his wing.
- Can I ask for other knowledge that interests me? I asked quickly, before he left, "of course, if there are any.
- Here is all the knowledge that has ever been in both kingdoms, - he said with confidence, - feel free to say what you are interested in.
- Then I would like to know about the chakras and how to open them, - I said with excitement, even when watching the animated series, when the Avatar was taught by Guru Patik, I thought that the abilities granted by the opening of the chakras were not much revealed in the series, and the Guru himself definitely did not have all the knowledge that the spirit of knowledge had, I hope I will find something useful in them for myself.
"Good choice," Wang Shi Tong said approvingly, "I'll send my assistant with the necessary books. Alas, you shouldn't linger here any longer, it's better to finish reading and practicing as soon as possible, and we will proceed to your departure.
As soon as he left, I immediately started reading the scrolls. Everything was painted in great detail. To strengthen, it is worth driving the energy inside the body in the directions described, it does not look too hard. There were more difficulties with sending consciousness to the source, since I had two sources at first it was worth bringing them as close to each other as possible, then it is worth trying to send consciousness to one of them not to lose control over the other. If, when searching for a body, you lose the thread of control over another, there is a danger of losing it when entering the vessel.
The practice of these skills dragged me on for a long time, I came to my senses only when I felt a few weak nudges. Looking down, I saw a small fox that was holding several books in her teeth.
Thanking the assistant Keeper of Knowledge, the fox spirit for the books brought, I decided to go through them. Too much useful information turned out to be in them, it's worth trying to just remember all the material now, and start analyzing it already when I'm a person, now you can't even check this knowledge being a spirit.
A few hours later, I finished only the first book about the chakras, there were two more, but the effectiveness of actions began to fall, still eight days without sleep and constant tension began to make it clear that it was worth a rest.
Today I managed to understand how to strengthen the sources, which is not bad anymore. In two days I think I will manage to memorize books on chakras and complete the practice of sending consciousness to the source at a good level. And now it's better to go to bed.