Author: Read the auxiliary chapter in volume 0 first
----------
Shaolan wasn't a brainiac, but the more she thought about it, the more she perceived something.
Her system seemed to be full of loopholes… And her potential was probably only limited by her own thoughts.
… No, rather, the system seemed to be full of loopholes only because of her fusion skill. Without it, she couldn't break some of the rules the AI came with.
Reading about a certain world as she grew hopefully suspicious, she asked her question to the system, which confirmed her thoughts by replying, [🖥️⚡***** Yes. Super Smash Bros is a world which eludes energy codifications and breaks skill-related rules, host. Do you wish to merge a thorough Super Smash Bros system within me? This will consume the next daily charge.*****⚡🖥️]
"Really!" Shaolan laughed. She was happy. But then, hearing the system, she realized something odd. Confused, she asked, "Merging? System, can you also fuse things?"
The system answered coolly, [🖥️⚡***** Yes, host. You never asked me, but as your system I can naturally use all your powers.*****⚡🖥️]
"..." Shaolan was dumbstricken. In the next few minutes, she and the system got busy with the more serious stuff.
Once they were done, Shaolan had become some kind of multiversal rule breaker.
Seeing how it happened, she felt it was too easy. But if she had been slower, she didn't know how long it would've taken...
A day? Her original plan for today was to get the LOK version of the system... So maybe.
... What if she never thought of this?
Damn, sad life...
Shaolan was an optimist. She immediately stopped thinking about the ifs.
The system was still a tutorial and a teacher. She would need to learn disciplines like a new martial art student listening to their master.
However, energy/world related things stopped being a bother this morning. Shaolan could focus on having fun.
Which for her was to train becoming a bender as fast as possible.
-----
Later that morning, after a shower.
Shaolan wasn't supposed to walk out of her room to get breakfast, but she did.
Before leaving her room, she found out from the system that it couldn't just merge stuff like her. It could devour things. It was natural since it was using her power. It was scary, still…
When she was frightened, the system calmed her down by reminding that it was friendly and couldn't harm her. She had a deathless soul, and it was tied to it. Devouring wouldn't work.
Even if it could, it would stop existing.
She didn't know if it told the truth with some of the unnerving fiction she read in her first life, but she trusted her mysterious AI. She didn't have other options anyway.
----------------------------------------
The Li family was having breakfast with Mai and Tomtom. When Shaolan's parents saw their sick daughter walk inside the room, their eyes went wide.
Looking both confused and angry, Ukano yelled, "Shaolan! What do you think you're doing?!"
"What do you mean what, father? I came to have breakfast with everyone." Walking behind Mai, Shaolan played with her little brother's cute cheeks and replied. She was smiling, not really fazed by her father's anger.
Scowling like her husband, Michi had a more worried, concerned look, when she whispered, "Shaolan, this isn't good. You're not just sick, your father punished you. Don't anger him more…"
"Really. Listen for once in your life… If you're bored, I'll come have a chat with you later." Mai whispered as well, nodding to their mom's words. Just like her friends, Mai had graduated from the fire school for girls. In the morning, she generally threw knives against a wall to practice her skills, so she was visibly making an effort.
"Guards! Fetch this young lady back to her room at once!" Ukano spoke to the people outside in the hall. Damaged fatherly pride and unsightly anger were written on his face.
Shaolan didn't know if it was more because she was going against his punishment this soon, or if it was because he didn't want to see her continue to be more unreasonable. With her parents and her body.
… She didn't care either way. Ukano wasn't even family, he was a tool to her.
He was a person she never liked after she read the ATLA comics. He didn't really care about his family. He went as far as putting his baby son in danger for the sake of his career… And this had nothing to do with Tomtom getting kidnapped twice. He couldn't be blamed for it the second time it happened. His wife had already left home with her children at that time.
The other reason why Shaolan didn't care much about him was naturally him being a man...
"Father, I apologize if I offended you. I just wanted to share breakfast with everyone. I'm getting better… It's true. Don't you find it strange how I returned home from the barren mountains on my own yesterday?" Shaolan sat and said. Behind her, she was hearing the metallic-sounding steps of mail-wearing guards. They were approaching.
Ukano frowned. So did Michi and Mai.
Probably realizing something, Ukano raised his hand and stopped the guards when he asked, "On your own… Is it true? Now that you mention it, how exactly did you come back?"
Shaolan smirked inside when she started speaking.
Listening to her explain, Ukano eventually told Michi to bring some breakfast to his second daughter.
By the time, the girl was done half-lying, making the truth sound better than it actually was, the fire nation magistrate was laughing happily.