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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Avatar (2)
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"Huh? Why is this happening all of a sudden?"
I snapped my eyes open and sat up, and the transfer circle had shifted back to purple.
I hurriedly closed my eyes again and focused my mind on the avatar.
Sure enough, the transfer circle began to glow blue once more.
I let out a hollow laugh and turned the avatar's head to check the clock. Only about a minute remained.
'...It works?'
I pondered deeply and finally realized what was going on.
The avatar's body was a perfect match for my main body.
It wasn't an illusion or a separate entity.
If anything, it was like a newly grown body part.
The only resources it needed were food to sustain its energy for physical activity.
Double the food bill—that was the sole downside.
If the main body was the right half including the head, the avatar was the left half excluding the head.
So if I focused the mind—equivalent to the head—on the avatar...
'I can make the transfer circle recognize the avatar as the main body!'
Fireworks exploded in my head. My body trembled with ecstasy.
As I smiled contentedly, satisfied that every problem had been solved—
Woooong—
The magic circle, glowing blue, lit up brilliantly and emitted a humming vibration.
And then.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Transfer beginning.
My avatar was sent to the other world.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Transfer to the Auterica Dimension complete. You may return to Earth via the 'Return' option in the Karma Shop. Current Karma: 0. Checkable later in the Karma Shop.
Before I could even recall the messages from during the transfer, my vision brightened.
The first thing I saw was a forest.
The towering trees, grass, and flowers were something I hadn't seen in ages.
Two years cooped up at home, and even before that, I wasn't one for hiking, so it had been years.
Realizing that, cold sweat suddenly broke out, and my breath grew ragged.
"Hah... hah... heok."
I'd thought it might be okay.
This wasn't the Earth where the accident happened. I'd awakened my ability and been summoned to another world, so maybe it would work out somehow.
Besides, this wasn't even my main body—it was just an avatar using Avatar.
It was a pipe dream.
I quickly closed the avatar's eyes and shifted my focus back to my main body on Earth.
Opening my eyes, the familiar sight of my room greeted me, and a sigh of relief escaped.
The stifling confinement I'd grown accustomed to over the years oddly brought comfort.
This peace didn't last. Ignoring the sensations from the avatar side became impossible as a strong sense of dissonance hit me.
Once I noticed the difference between focusing on the avatar and the main body, the dissonance grew even worse.
The breeze brushing my ears, the forest scents, the warmth of sunlight on my skin.
And the breaths in and out, food digesting into energy and being consumed—everything felt alien.
No, the fact that I could feel all these things at all was bizarre.
"Urp..."
Motion sickness hit hard.
And soon, I pinpointed the cause.
'I'd forgotten... the flow of time is different!'
Not all other worlds have an exact 1:10 time ratio.
Estimates from returnees come with variances.
But what mattered to me now was that the time difference was at least 10-fold.
Even maximizing focus on the main body didn't stop the nausea.
While the main body exhaled once, the avatar did it ten times over.
The avatar just stood there eyes closed, yet its metabolism outpaced the moving main body, making the gap stark.
'Dizzy... gonna puke.'
Yeah, no can do. Can't hold it.
"Dismiss."
Ah... much better.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Lying there a bit, the motion sickness subsided quickly.
With calm returning, various thoughts bubbled up.
A sense of accomplishment for averting crisis, mingled with inexplicable regret.
As relief washed over me that I'd never be sent to another world again, I suddenly remembered the text to my friend and checked hurriedly.
"Oh... good, still unread."
I deleted it and resent a casual check-in.
No need to worry him unnecessarily.
This turn of events made me glad I hadn't reported to the Ability Management Bureau.
I'd planned to right after returning, but circumstances changed my mind.
'Not planning crimes with this, but the hassle is annoying enough.'
Objectively, it was a crime-optimized ability.
Mask up, rob, vanish—perfect crime.
Even if suspected, the main body could alibi.
Dismissal would leave items behind, but workarounds exist.
'Just fantasies, though.'
I'd just confirmed I couldn't even go outside in avatar form.
'Ah... whatever, doesn't matter now.'
Crisis passed, no issues ahead. Hone the ability, and I could solo duo games.
That's enough.
Casually, I resummoned the dismissed avatar.
✨ ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! ✨ Returned to Earth on your own without using the Karma Shop. As reward for a feat transcending dimensions, granted special privilege Otherworld Transfer Circle Summon. Once per day, summon a transfer circle to return to a previously visited location. Feat achievement has greatly impacted the world. Karma greatly increased.
"...Huh?"
The message I'd thought I'd never see again floated before my eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Karma and the Karma Shop.
The way awakeners return from other worlds.
Karma accumulates through good deeds, evil acts, kills, labor, etc., scaled by impact on others or the world.
But...
"Karma Shop check."
🛒 KARMA SHOP 🛒 Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)Status Enhancement – View Details Held Karma: 1,910,213
In the chaos, I'd forgotten, but right after dimension shift, there was a Karma Shop message.
Gather karma, use 'Return' to get back to Earth...
'Most build karma steadily to return, but I did the opposite—came back first, then filled karma.'
How to spend karma is up to the user.
Enhance self for safer farming, or save purely for 'Return'?
Balance per situation is key.
Too weak, survival's impossible; blind enhancement risks missing the window and dying.
"Who'd have thought it'd play out like this. 'Feat transcending dimensions'..."
The system saw sending an avatar via transfer circle, then resummoning on Earth, as a trans-dimensional return...
'Bug? Is this okay?'
Proxying the avatar was basically tricking the system, and getting privileges on top felt guilty.
'Nah, a grand system spanning dimensions won't nitpick and penalize. Wasn't intentional.'
They shouldn't leave exploits.
Program bugs are the developer's fault, right?
I just did my best!
This self-justification rang true upon reflection.
'Yeah! I'm innocent! Full speed ahead!'
Feeling righteous, I glanced at the sky, then boldly checked the Karma Shop.
Like shopping with a fat bank account.
'On Earth, 'Return' is pointless. Unique Skill means Avatar, right?'
Status Enhancement details flooded my view.
Broad categories: Body, Mind, Ability, Attributes, etc.
Under Body > Strength: upper/lower muscles, even biceps, lats separately.
Agility: explosiveness, reflexes, dynamic vision, etc.
'No status screen, but shop's over-engineered!'
Perusing left me bemused, until one item caught my eye.
Body – Stamina – Recovery Enhancement (10,000)
I stared, then selected it as if entranced.
No dramatic effect.
Not like strength where muscles visibly bulk; gradual recovery, expected.
Recovery Enhancement (20,000)
Selected again.
A tingle in my legs. Healing sensation.
Would heal eventually anyway.
Recovery Enhancement (40,000)
Again.
Legs itched.
Shorter recovery; full heal soon.
Cost doubled each time, but peanuts compared to total.
Recovery Enhancement (80,000)
Again.
This leg injury wasn't mere inconvenience.
It was my pain, the scar of parting from family, the mark trapping me indoors.
Symbol of accumulated sorrow, despair, agony, deprivation, resignation, misfortune.
Recovery Enhancement (160,000)
Again.
Electric jolt through legs.
Rolling up pants, smooth skin—no surgical scar.
And I knew.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Recovery exceeded threshold. Acquired skill Super Recovery.
The limping leg fully healed, now stronger than before.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Overwhelmed shedding a long-binding shackle, I basked in emotion before calming.
Not all problems solved.
Still couldn't go out, but hope sprouted—I could overcome now.
Checking Super Recovery: straight-up recovery boost.
Not limb regrowth, but most wounds heal fast.
Calmed, checked Karma Shop again.
🛒 KARMA SHOP 🛒 Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)Status Enhancement – View Details Held Karma: 1,600,213
'How much karma from that feat?'
Not complaining, but staggering.
Gaze stopped at 'Unique Skill Enhancement'.
Avatar awakening started it all.
Enhancing it—what more could it do?
Maybe key to further growth.
Unique skills grow per user's direction.
Train karma-free for proficiency, or shortcut via shop.
Now risk-free otherworld access too.
But current state was dead weight.
Enhancement might grow helpfully; selected it.
Brief headache passed; no immediate change noticed.
Post-resummon achievement pushed avatar to subconscious.
Soon realized: my brain doubled.
Always two, but one mind switched bodies.
Now, split thinking fluidly, independent operation.
Faced avatar.
Two views natural, no dissonance.
"Hm, handsome as ever."
"You too. Built body? Working out?"
"Of course. Fruits of steady effort."
Conversing smoothly.
...Essentially self-talk.
Tested limits: high-fives facing each other. Push-ups and sit-ups simultaneous.
Surf net while cleaning; solo co-op games!
"Ha! Not the time."
Side-tracked briefly; refocus.
Clearing gaming gear with avatar, summarized enhanced skill.
Not just multitasking—separate brains for parallel thought.
Natural acceptance implied boosted cognition/mentality stats.
'And one more.'
Avatar picked up room chair.
Dismissed...
Avatar vanished with chair.
Now, equip independently, summon/dismiss with items!
Weight-limited sub-space.
Expect big future help; nodded satisfied, checked shop.
Unique Skill Enhancement (400,000)
Good, no doubling here.
Can enhance more.
Selected again; headache, then message.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Unique skill has grown, unlocking potential. Acquired special skill Mind Hub.