94 - Medusa

***

That night

With a distortion in space, Levi appeared in his rooms with a satisfied look on his face, his spirit body had again leveled up by one, and even Ethereal sense leveled up alongside it increasing his range even further.

He might have wasted his time with his plan to bond with the moon spirit but if he could get Spirit body to level ninety he had a feeling all his efforts would be rewarded.

Sitting down cross-legged Levi started meditating to recover his energy and calm his mind and spirit, traveling between the physical and spirit world didn’t consume that much energy thanks to Void Monarch but switching between physical and spiritual stats did, And it’s starting to get annoying, he thought, now that he was trying to level up spirit body he was constantly switching between both states every day.

Thankfully I have Acnologia, he thought. The other Spirits energy pool was still big, but it was nowhere close to Acnologia’s, and it was still getting bigger.

Closing his eyes he cleared his mind and entered deep meditation or at least that was what he tried to do.

Barely ten minutes into his meditation session he felt a slight ripple in the space around him, or to be more accurate it was in the space relative to this one in the spirit world, someone was spying on him from the spirit world! The only reason he noticed was thanks to Void Monarch.

Pretending not to notice anything Levi kept sitting cross-legged while concentrating on using his Void monarch, discreetly locking the surrounding space, both in the physical and spiritual world, he didn’t want to give the one spying on him any chance to escape.

With a quick movement, Levi punched at the space next to him, unlike what would normally happen his punch didn’t stretch before him but sank into the space in front of him disappearing and appearing in the spirit world unleashing dozens of seals in quick succession on the one spying on him, right after that the feeling of being watched immediately disappeared. 

Feeling that they were dealt with, Levi stood up, sighed, and switched into his spiritual state before teleporting into the spiritual world.

Appearing where he had sealed his enemy Levi thought they had escaped as he looked around and found nothing before he looked down and saw a white snake trembling by his feet, it had shiny red eyes like rubies that stared at him with what he could only interpret as fear while their owner lay motionless on the ground.

‘So this is who was spying on me all along?’ Levi couldn’t help but wonder, it was obvious someone had spied on him before for Roku to know he had Air bending but he wasn’t able to detect it until now, although he didn’t know if it was the white snake in front of him or someone else.

“So what do we have here,” he said with an evil grin on his face as he crouched down and observed the snake spirit.

Seeing Levi crouch to its level the white snake started visibly shaking, even more than before, sadly for it, it couldn’t move, seals were layered all around its body.

“Can you speak?” asked Levi before realizing his mistake, even if it could it wouldn’t be able to answer him with all the seals placed on it, “Blink if you can speak, if you don’t I will kill you,” he said casually as if talking about the weather and the shaking of the snake became even more intense.

‘It's obvious it is understanding me but why wouldn’t it blink....Oh.’ Levi finally realised his mistake, snakes can’t blink! 

Ahem 

Coughing to hide his embarrassment Levi first reinforced the seals on the space around him before undoing the seals on the snake.

“PLEASE DON’T KILL ME?”

“I’LL DO ANYTHING YOU WANT.”

“I’LL BE YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT”

“I WANT TO LIVE? PLEEEEASE.”

The moment he removed his seals incessant female screams followed by cries came one after another shocking Levi speechless.

“Oy, calm down a little I am not going to…” started Levi trying to calm her down but she caught him off mid-speech.

“I’LL…” she started to speak before she suddenly stopped, Levi who still hadn't managed to get a word out till now detected a hint of hesitation in her tone,  “I’ll even offer up my body.” she finally said with reluctance making Levi’s mind go blank.

Acnologia’s loud laughs came right after, assaulting his mind even further.

Well, at least she stopped screaming, thought the shocked Levi.

Sniff sniff 

“I was just curious,” said the white snake holding back a cry.

“Can I speak now?” asked Levi with an annoyed tone as he sat on a big rock on the side, keeping the snake in his line of sight.

The snake just looked at him with fearful eyes not replying.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Levi, “Why were you spying on me?” 

“I was just curious, the other spirits said it was harmless and fun, the bastards lied to me, when I catch them I will…” 

“So other spirits had been spying on me before?” asked Levi even though he knew the answer.

“Yes, yes, they’re the ones who put me to it, I can even show them to you if you want.”

Snitch. Acnologia’s voice echoed in Levi’s mind, he paid him no heed.

Did they somehow find out about me having recently acquired a space-related ability and decided to test the waters by sending her? Levi couldn’t help but think, feeling sorry for the little snake.

I could just kill her, he thought, and he had a good reason for it. But then again there is no benefit in that.

The snake seemed to feel his intentions as its body started shaking even more, and Levi even detected slight ripples in space as if the snake was trying to teleport from there making him raise an eyebrow in interest, it seemed she had space-related abilities, but its ability was no match to Void monarch, the space around was completely locked down.

“It's useless, the space is locked,” said Levi dashing her hopes.

The snake started shaking even more intensely than before, Levi even though she might be trying to vibrate the space to escape, but she was just scared.

“I’ll let you live but only on one condition.”

“Yes, yes anything,” said the snake hurriedly interrupting Levi before he finished.

Someone with a bad temper would have killed her already for constantly interrupting him, Thought Levi. Thankfully I am a gentle soul that hates violence.

“I am going to use my power on you, don’t resist, you can resist if you want, it doesn't matter to me, but for your own good, don’t,” said Levi, his serious tone making the snake even more nervous, he got up and crouched to her level before putting his hand on her shaking head.

The snake felt a foreign energy invading its body, it wanted to resist at first before remembering Levi’s words and summoning all its willpower to hold back her instinct to pull back or resist, soon the white snake disappeared from in front of Levi.

[Ding]

[Bonding successful]

Unlike when he bonded with the moon spirit, this time Levi could immediately tell the white snake’s powers, Short-distance teleportation, and small space pockets creation, not bad, he thought.

Wait…now this is interesting, thought Levi as his eyes glowed a faint red, the insect spirits crawling on the ground slowly started turning into stone, petrifying gaze, although it takes way too long and it only seems to work on weaker opponents, not too useful, he disabled the ability with disappointment.

Whoah, what is this place? Who are you guys?

Who is that big red snake, and that eagle and….

Ahhhhhhh, master heeeelp, a…a…a centipede, there is a centipede in here, said the snake stuttering, calling Levi master without even realizing it.

Levi couldn’t help but smirk hearing her screams, he even thought of ordering Koh to get closer to her to frighten her even more before deciding against it.

Oh, who is that black snake? She asked again, her previous terrifying screams nowhere to be seen or heard.

Does she have short-term memory loss? Levi couldn’t help but question inwardly.

Why is it approaching me?

Hey back away, back away, it's not mating season yet.

H..help, Master help.

There must be something wrong with her head, Levi couldn’t help but think, he also noticed something else, this snake is a coward!

He couldn’t help but shake his head. Acnologia, stop scaring the newcomer, sent Levi and Acnologia stopped messing around with her, although with slight reluctance.

From now on your name shall be Medusa and stop screaming in my mind or I will kill you, said Levi and he could swear he heard a gulp.

What…what does it mean, the name I mean?

It is the name of a…really strong snake from my home, said Levi, he didn’t know what creature Medusa was and he didn’t want to bother asking the system. 

Oh, I like it, said Medusa, Levi could hear the hint of excitement in her voice.

What does my name mean? Asked Acnologia all of a sudden, this was the first time he had done that, he had just gone with it all those years.

It is the name of one of the mightiest dragons to have ever lived, maybe we will meet him someday, said Levi and he could practically see the stars glittering in his young friend's eyes.

Hey, not fair, why is his name cooler than mine, asked Medusa.

Sigh 

I have a feeling I am going to regret this, thought Levi as he undid the seals around and teleported back into his room in the northern water tribe.

***

On top of a big iceberg somewhere in the North Pole 

Aang stood before Levi who was going through a set of bending movements, if someone from the northern water tribe saw them they would realize they weren’t water bending styles. Aang was teaching Levi air bending.

“Your hand is too high up, keep it level with your shoulder.” 

“That is too stiff, it would be okay for water bending but for air bending, you need to be way more flexible.”

Aang kept giving one instruction after the other, directing and correcting Levi’s form, and Levi was constantly improving.

[Air-bending leveled up +3]

Even Aang was startled by how fast Levi was picking up air bending, he had spent years in the southern air temple and no one had picked it up as fast as this, not even him, the avatar.

Am I the Avatar or is it him? He couldn’t help but wonder as he saw Levi’s perfect stance.

He never made the same mistake twice, and in the rare times he did he never made it again, ever, he perfected every stance and blow on the first try, it was simply inhuman.

Just this short session was enough for my air bending to Level up three times, though Levi, and above it all he could feel that he wasn’t far from reaching another breakthrough and leveling up again. 

Love him or hate him he is a real master air-bender, thought Levi as he looked at Aang in wonder.

Not unlike water bending, air bending required the bender to flow with the motions of the element and be as flexible and malleable as the element itself, hence it was easier for Levi to Level up than fire bending.

Taking a deep breath Levi let it out before looking at Aang, “Alright this would be it for me today, thank you for your teachings Master Aang,” said Levi with a smile.

“You’re very much welcome, my student,” said Aang mimicking the voice of an old wise man.

“Now it's time for water bending,” said Levi and Aang immediately got into stance and started going through water bending motions with Levi correcting him from time to time, before they knew it the day was over.