MAEPG: Episode 2
Episode 2 Avatar (1)
<Those who awaken to supernatural abilities are transported to another world, and can return to Earth by achieving certain conditions.>
It was a phrase that succinctly described the present era, and it was the fundamental reason why society was in turmoil now.
-A large fire broke out in a commercial building in South Jeolla Province, and the fire department is currently working to extinguish it.
-The arsonist fled the scene and is currently at large, and the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau believes it to be a random crime committed by an Awakened before being transported to another world...
"They've been especially rampant lately."
I turned my head away after watching today's news blaring on TV.
These days, there were constant incidents and accidents everywhere.
Though, it had nothing to do with me, who was cooped up in my room.
'Crimes of desperation committed before being transported to another world, where the survival rate is low. And the chaos caused by those who return...'
As if ignoring the doomsday theory that the world would end in the year 2000, the world was still intact even now, more than twenty years later.
'No, it's too messed up to be called intact.'
The world hadn't ended, but humanity had to adapt to new changes.
And I was a victim of that transition.
"······"
It had already been almost two years since I lost my family in an Awakened terrorist attack and became a recluse, confined to my room.
Ding-dong—
The sudden sound of the doorbell.
I limped towards the intercom, dragging my leg that had become inconvenient due to the aftereffects of the accident.
'Is it that day already?'
A familiar person stood at the door with a businesslike expression.
"Hello. This is the Transfer Investigation Department of the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau. Are you Mr. Han Seong-hyeon?"
A businesslike voice that I heard as soon as I opened the door and faced him.
I had met him a few times, but he always spoke like that whenever I saw him.
"Yes... As you can see."
Unfazed by my sullen reply, the investigator looked back and forth between his tablet and my face a few times, then immediately bid me farewell.
"Yes, you've been confirmed. If you awaken, please report to the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau. Have a nice day."
Click—
My semi-annual interaction with an outsider ended in less than a minute.
-The problem is that because awakening and transfer occur randomly, there's no way to know who awakened and disappeared, and when, isn't there?
-Legally, it's mandatory to report after awakening, but does everything in the world go according to the rules? We need a more fundamental solution, institutionally!
I headed to the kitchen, leaving behind the noisy chatter of the panelists on TV.
'Oh, come to think of it, I'm out of food.'
I opened the cupboard just in case, but as expected, only an empty space greeted me.
Clicking my tongue, I picked up my smartphone to order groceries, but then put it down.
'...Forget it. I'll just order delivery later.'
The accident had robbed me not only of my family and my leg, but also of my courage.
Since that day, I had been confined to my home due to trauma about the outside world, communicating with the world only through the internet with my one remaining friend.
Well, because of that, I received a check-up call every month and a home visit every six months. I had to accept it.
-So, what I'm saying is that the work they do under the guise of transfer investigation is ineffective! It's just a product of desk bureaucracy...
-But we can't just sit back and do nothing...
Returning to the living room, I started my daily routine that had been going on for two years, using the TV sound as a radio.
"Hoo, hoo!"
Various types of exercise equipment were placed on one side of the living room.
I had prepared them for leg rehabilitation training, and I hadn't missed a single day of using them since then.
'...But it had no effect, no matter how much I did it.'
My body had become healthy, but that was all.
There was no improvement whatsoever in the recovery of my leg, which was the original purpose.
I knew it was useless, but I couldn't help but repeat it habitually.
Because I thought that if I could overcome my disability, I could also overcome my trauma.
Because I felt like if I gave up even this, I would have nothing left.
"Hooo..."
Suddenly feeling self-deprecating, I put down the dumbbell and stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
How did it come to this?
I wasn't the only one in the world who was unhappy, so why couldn't I overcome it?
Why did my whole body tremble and I become engulfed in fear when I took even a single step outside?
If I had more courage, would something have changed?
If I could get out of this room and go anywhere...
It was then, as I was sinking into the swamp of self-pity.
《Dimensional inflection point detected. Connecting to the Akasha System.》
I jumped up from my chair at the words that suddenly appeared before my eyes.
《Awakening unique skill.》
"What? Suddenly? Me?"
And soon I fell into a panic.
Awakening to supernatural abilities was synonymous with being transported to another world.
But there was no way I, who couldn't even go outside my door, could survive and grow in another world with a new ability, could I?
But as if my circumstances didn't matter, the letters continued to appear before my eyes.
《Awakening complete. You have awakened the unique skill "Avatar".》
《24 hours until transfer.》
And with that last message, I lost consciousness.
_____________________
"Ugh... My head..."
My head was throbbing.
When I came to, it was already dark outside.
With a burning thirst, I sat up, my body aching, and gulped down water from the kitchen. Then it suddenly dawned on me.
'Huh? My leg is healed?'
I slowly moved my leg back and forth.
It wasn't fully recovered yet, but it was much more comfortable than before.
'Physical enhancement after awakening? If this continues to grow, could it be completely cured?'
I stopped my wishful thinking and faced reality.
On top of the problem of not being able to go outside, what were the chances of me surviving and growing in another world with my inconvenient leg and returning?
'Chances? I'd probably die somewhere before long.'
Even athletes and special forces soldiers couldn't return, so what could I possibly do?
Of course, that didn't mean I could just sit back and give up.
"Avatar..."
As I thought about the ability, the information imprinted in my head at the time of awakening came to mind.
<Unique Skill "Avatar" - Creates a clone.>
"This is too unhelpful..."
Well, I knew it, but...
This awakening didn't come with an intuitive and helpful status window like in a game, or a detailed skill description.
I had to figure out my physical abilities and condition by moving my body, and the only information I had about the skill was the minimum information imprinted in my head.
The direction of future growth was entirely up to me.
"Let's try using it once. I have no idea what I can do with the clone and to what extent."
Using the ability wasn't difficult.
I closed my eyes and used it as it was imprinted in my head.
I realized that the unique skill had been activated properly.
I slowly opened my eyes.
There I was, standing before me.
Shabby training clothes, messy hair, and eyes squinting as if observing.
I examined myself carefully to see if there was anything strange.
It was me, no matter how I looked at it.
Even the way he moved his head back and forth to observe was like looking in a mirror.
When we extended our right hands and shook hands, I felt a warm warmth.
Clear evidence that it had a physical form, not an illusion.
Then suddenly, I felt a sense of dissonance in my vision.
I hadn't noticed it because I had been focused on each other like looking in a mirror, but our visions were overlapping.
When we stood back to back, I realized it more clearly.
Now I could see both front and back at the same time!
But once I recognized the separate body, it became even more difficult to move.
My limbs got tangled as I tried to move the two bodies separately, and my expanded vision was dizzying.
It felt like I had new body parts that shared only my brain, which was very strange.
'My brain doubled in size, but why!'
But I had no choice but to get used to it.
This was the only way I could survive.
Growl—
...Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten anything all day and had fallen asleep like I had passed out.
Let's think about it while eating chicken first. It's all about survival.
<Those who awaken to supernatural abilities are transported to another world, and can return to Earth by achieving certain conditions.>
It was a phrase that succinctly described the present era, and it was the fundamental reason why society was in turmoil now.
-A large fire broke out in a commercial building in South Jeolla Province, and the fire department is currently working to extinguish it.
-The arsonist fled the scene and is currently at large, and the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau believes it to be a random crime committed by an Awakened before being transported to another world...
"They've been especially rampant lately."
I turned my head away after watching today's news blaring on TV.
These days, there were constant incidents and accidents everywhere.
Though, it had nothing to do with me, who was cooped up in my room.
'Crimes of desperation committed before being transported to another world, where the survival rate is low. And the chaos caused by those who return...'
As if ignoring the doomsday theory that the world would end in the year 2000, the world was still intact even now, more than twenty years later.
'No, it's too messed up to be called intact.'
The world hadn't ended, but humanity had to adapt to new changes.
And I was a victim of that transition.
"······"
It had already been almost two years since I lost my family in an Awakened terrorist attack and became a recluse, confined to my room.
Ding-dong—
The sudden sound of the doorbell.
I limped towards the intercom, dragging my leg that had become inconvenient due to the aftereffects of the accident.
'Is it that day already?'
A familiar person stood at the door with a businesslike expression.
"Hello. This is the Transfer Investigation Department of the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau. Are you Mr. Han Seong-hyeon?"
A businesslike voice that I heard as soon as I opened the door and faced him.
I had met him a few times, but he always spoke like that whenever I saw him.
"Yes... As you can see."
Unfazed by my sullen reply, the investigator looked back and forth between his tablet and my face a few times, then immediately bid me farewell.
"Yes, you've been confirmed. If you awaken, please report to the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau. Have a nice day."
Click—
My semi-annual interaction with an outsider ended in less than a minute.
-The problem is that because awakening and transfer occur randomly, there's no way to know who awakened and disappeared, and when, isn't there?
-Legally, it's mandatory to report after awakening, but does everything in the world go according to the rules? We need a more fundamental solution, institutionally!
I headed to the kitchen, leaving behind the noisy chatter of the panelists on TV.
'Oh, come to think of it, I'm out of food.'
I opened the cupboard just in case, but as expected, only an empty space greeted me.
Clicking my tongue, I picked up my smartphone to order groceries, but then put it down.
'...Forget it. I'll just order delivery later.'
The accident had robbed me not only of my family and my leg, but also of my courage.
Since that day, I had been confined to my home due to trauma about the outside world, communicating with the world only through the internet with my one remaining friend.
Well, because of that, I received a check-up call every month and a home visit every six months. I had to accept it.
-So, what I'm saying is that the work they do under the guise of transfer investigation is ineffective! It's just a product of desk bureaucracy...
-But we can't just sit back and do nothing...
Returning to the living room, I started my daily routine that had been going on for two years, using the TV sound as a radio.
"Hoo, hoo!"
Various types of exercise equipment were placed on one side of the living room.
I had prepared them for leg rehabilitation training, and I hadn't missed a single day of using them since then.
'...But it had no effect, no matter how much I did it.'
My body had become healthy, but that was all.
There was no improvement whatsoever in the recovery of my leg, which was the original purpose.
I knew it was useless, but I couldn't help but repeat it habitually.
Because I thought that if I could overcome my disability, I could also overcome my trauma.
Because I felt like if I gave up even this, I would have nothing left.
"Hooo..."
Suddenly feeling self-deprecating, I put down the dumbbell and stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
How did it come to this?
I wasn't the only one in the world who was unhappy, so why couldn't I overcome it?
Why did my whole body tremble and I become engulfed in fear when I took even a single step outside?
If I had more courage, would something have changed?
If I could get out of this room and go anywhere...
It was then, as I was sinking into the swamp of self-pity.
《Dimensional inflection point detected. Connecting to the Akasha System.》
I jumped up from my chair at the words that suddenly appeared before my eyes.
《Awakening unique skill.》
"What? Suddenly? Me?"
And soon I fell into a panic.
Awakening to supernatural abilities was synonymous with being transported to another world.
But there was no way I, who couldn't even go outside my door, could survive and grow in another world with a new ability, could I?
But as if my circumstances didn't matter, the letters continued to appear before my eyes.
《Awakening complete. You have awakened the unique skill "Avatar".》
《24 hours until transfer.》
And with that last message, I lost consciousness.
_____________________
"Ugh... My head..."
My head was throbbing.
When I came to, it was already dark outside.
With a burning thirst, I sat up, my body aching, and gulped down water from the kitchen. Then it suddenly dawned on me.
'Huh? My leg is healed?'
I slowly moved my leg back and forth.
It wasn't fully recovered yet, but it was much more comfortable than before.
'Physical enhancement after awakening? If this continues to grow, could it be completely cured?'
I stopped my wishful thinking and faced reality.
On top of the problem of not being able to go outside, what were the chances of me surviving and growing in another world with my inconvenient leg and returning?
'Chances? I'd probably die somewhere before long.'
Even athletes and special forces soldiers couldn't return, so what could I possibly do?
Of course, that didn't mean I could just sit back and give up.
"Avatar..."
As I thought about the ability, the information imprinted in my head at the time of awakening came to mind.
<Unique Skill "Avatar" - Creates a clone.>
"This is too unhelpful..."
Well, I knew it, but...
This awakening didn't come with an intuitive and helpful status window like in a game, or a detailed skill description.
I had to figure out my physical abilities and condition by moving my body, and the only information I had about the skill was the minimum information imprinted in my head.
The direction of future growth was entirely up to me.
"Let's try using it once. I have no idea what I can do with the clone and to what extent."
Using the ability wasn't difficult.
I closed my eyes and used it as it was imprinted in my head.
I realized that the unique skill had been activated properly.
I slowly opened my eyes.
There I was, standing before me.
Shabby training clothes, messy hair, and eyes squinting as if observing.
I examined myself carefully to see if there was anything strange.
It was me, no matter how I looked at it.
Even the way he moved his head back and forth to observe was like looking in a mirror.
When we extended our right hands and shook hands, I felt a warm warmth.
Clear evidence that it had a physical form, not an illusion.
Then suddenly, I felt a sense of dissonance in my vision.
I hadn't noticed it because I had been focused on each other like looking in a mirror, but our visions were overlapping.
When we stood back to back, I realized it more clearly.
Now I could see both front and back at the same time!
But once I recognized the separate body, it became even more difficult to move.
My limbs got tangled as I tried to move the two bodies separately, and my expanded vision was dizzying.
It felt like I had new body parts that shared only my brain, which was very strange.
'My brain doubled in size, but why!'
But I had no choice but to get used to it.
This was the only way I could survive.
Growl—
...Come to think of it, I hadn't eaten anything all day and had fallen asleep like I had passed out.
Let's think about it while eating chicken first. It's all about survival.
___________________
A few hours later.
"Ah, this won't do."
It was impossible, as expected.
I had gotten used to it to some extent.
I could now summon and dismiss the clone skillfully, and if one body was stationary, the other could move as usual.
But when I tried to move both bodies at the same time, I kept faltering, and even then, I could only move slowly.
'Before that, will I even be able to move properly outside...'
If I had enough time, I might have been able to get more used to using the ability, but I didn't have much time left.
"It's time to prepare for the transfer..."
I took out the items I had at home and the ones I had ordered before practice and organized them.
I packed a large bag with survival items like a fire starter, multi-tool, a portable food knife, easy-to-eat preserved food, water bottles, and more.
I couldn't pack any real weapons.
For some reason, weapons were restricted from interdimensional transfer.
People in other countries had tried to bring firearms, but they had failed, and they had found that a knife was the limit, even among cold weapons.
An open-face motorcycle helmet that wouldn't obstruct my vision, shin guards, gauntlets, and a bulletproof vest for safety equipment.
I took out the items my parents had prepared before they passed away and put them on one by one.
They had bought them in advance and stored them in the storage room in case anyone was transferred at any time.
'I never thought I'd actually use them...'
I realized I hadn't contacted my only friend, so I called him, but he didn't answer.
Come to think of it, he had said he wouldn't be able to contact me for a while because of work.
Unfortunately, I had no choice but to send him a text message saying thank you for everything and put down my phone.
Finally, I calmed myself down by browsing a website that summarized information about other worlds.
The other worlds to which people were transferred were random, and there were over hundreds of them that had been identified so far, so I couldn't know exactly where I would go, but it was better than knowing nothing.
Anxiety about my insufficient ability due to lack of practice.
Worries about whether I could adapt to another dimension, not just the outside.
Despite all that, a feeling of desperation, like a struggle to survive, clouded my mind and body.
As I took a deep breath to calm myself down, a blue transfer formation appeared beneath my feet.
《10 minutes until transfer.》
I stared down at the interdimensional transfer formation beneath my feet.
If I stood on this and 10 minutes passed, I would be transferred to another world and would struggle to survive in that unknown place.
'I heard that the aging of the body while in another world follows Earth time? If I could just survive, it would definitely be beneficial.'
The flow of time was different in each transferred world, but it was said to be about 1:10 on average.
'...It usually takes about a year to return, which means about 10 years of survival in another world. Ha... 10 years. You're kidding, right?'
With that thought, I stepped back and unknowingly stepped off the transfer formation.
Then the blue transfer formation began to glow red.
The red transfer formation was a warning.
If time ran out in this state, it would forcibly send the Awakened to another world.
Naked, leaving behind all the luggage I had packed.
As the situation approached, my mind became troubled again.
It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't reported my awakening to the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau because I had been out of my mind, but what did it matter in this situation?
I immediately erased it from my mind.
'Ah... I wish someone would go up there instead of me...'
Of course, it was a meaningless thought.
It had been more than twenty years since awakening and interdimensional transfer began, and it was no exaggeration to say that people all over the world had tried everything they could.
Even if someone else went up, the transfer formation would remain red, and it would ignore the person standing on it and forcibly send the Awakened instead.
The interdimensional transfer formation only recognized and activated for the Awakened themselves.
Then suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
'Maybe... No, that can't be. But what if?'
I immediately used "Avatar".
The summoned avatar was dressed in the same shabby training clothes as before, unlike me, who was armed with all sorts of items.
As I moved, recalling the sensations I had practiced, the clone awkwardly stepped onto the transfer formation.
And soon the color of the transfer formation began to change.
"It works! It worked... ?"
The light of the transfer formation seemed to turn blue, but then it stopped in the middle.
I let out a sigh of disappointment as I looked at the purple transfer formation.
'Of course. It wouldn't be that easy.'
I was curious about what would happen if time passed in this state, but I had no intention of experimenting with it myself.
If something went wrong, my already rock-bottom survival rate would converge to zero.
I thought I had tried it on a whim, but I guess I had been expecting a lot without realizing it.
Disheartened, my legs gave way and I collapsed onto the floor. I looked at my watch and saw that there was only about 5 minutes left.
I really didn't have much time left.
It was time to make up my mind and step up.
I closed my eyes tightly and took one last deep breath.
And in my 'vision'...
I saw myself, armed to the teeth, sitting down with my eyes closed.
With one side of my vision blocked, my attention naturally shifted to the other side, and most of my consciousness was focused on the avatar without me realizing it.
And the transfer formation began to glow blue.
A few hours later.
"Ah, this won't do."
It was impossible, as expected.
I had gotten used to it to some extent.
I could now summon and dismiss the clone skillfully, and if one body was stationary, the other could move as usual.
But when I tried to move both bodies at the same time, I kept faltering, and even then, I could only move slowly.
'Before that, will I even be able to move properly outside...'
If I had enough time, I might have been able to get more used to using the ability, but I didn't have much time left.
"It's time to prepare for the transfer..."
I took out the items I had at home and the ones I had ordered before practice and organized them.
I packed a large bag with survival items like a fire starter, multi-tool, a portable food knife, easy-to-eat preserved food, water bottles, and more.
I couldn't pack any real weapons.
For some reason, weapons were restricted from interdimensional transfer.
People in other countries had tried to bring firearms, but they had failed, and they had found that a knife was the limit, even among cold weapons.
An open-face motorcycle helmet that wouldn't obstruct my vision, shin guards, gauntlets, and a bulletproof vest for safety equipment.
I took out the items my parents had prepared before they passed away and put them on one by one.
They had bought them in advance and stored them in the storage room in case anyone was transferred at any time.
'I never thought I'd actually use them...'
I realized I hadn't contacted my only friend, so I called him, but he didn't answer.
Come to think of it, he had said he wouldn't be able to contact me for a while because of work.
Unfortunately, I had no choice but to send him a text message saying thank you for everything and put down my phone.
Finally, I calmed myself down by browsing a website that summarized information about other worlds.
The other worlds to which people were transferred were random, and there were over hundreds of them that had been identified so far, so I couldn't know exactly where I would go, but it was better than knowing nothing.
Anxiety about my insufficient ability due to lack of practice.
Worries about whether I could adapt to another dimension, not just the outside.
Despite all that, a feeling of desperation, like a struggle to survive, clouded my mind and body.
As I took a deep breath to calm myself down, a blue transfer formation appeared beneath my feet.
《10 minutes until transfer.》
I stared down at the interdimensional transfer formation beneath my feet.
If I stood on this and 10 minutes passed, I would be transferred to another world and would struggle to survive in that unknown place.
'I heard that the aging of the body while in another world follows Earth time? If I could just survive, it would definitely be beneficial.'
The flow of time was different in each transferred world, but it was said to be about 1:10 on average.
'...It usually takes about a year to return, which means about 10 years of survival in another world. Ha... 10 years. You're kidding, right?'
With that thought, I stepped back and unknowingly stepped off the transfer formation.
Then the blue transfer formation began to glow red.
The red transfer formation was a warning.
If time ran out in this state, it would forcibly send the Awakened to another world.
Naked, leaving behind all the luggage I had packed.
As the situation approached, my mind became troubled again.
It suddenly occurred to me that I hadn't reported my awakening to the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau because I had been out of my mind, but what did it matter in this situation?
I immediately erased it from my mind.
'Ah... I wish someone would go up there instead of me...'
Of course, it was a meaningless thought.
It had been more than twenty years since awakening and interdimensional transfer began, and it was no exaggeration to say that people all over the world had tried everything they could.
Even if someone else went up, the transfer formation would remain red, and it would ignore the person standing on it and forcibly send the Awakened instead.
The interdimensional transfer formation only recognized and activated for the Awakened themselves.
Then suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
'Maybe... No, that can't be. But what if?'
I immediately used "Avatar".
The summoned avatar was dressed in the same shabby training clothes as before, unlike me, who was armed with all sorts of items.
As I moved, recalling the sensations I had practiced, the clone awkwardly stepped onto the transfer formation.
And soon the color of the transfer formation began to change.
"It works! It worked... ?"
The light of the transfer formation seemed to turn blue, but then it stopped in the middle.
I let out a sigh of disappointment as I looked at the purple transfer formation.
'Of course. It wouldn't be that easy.'
I was curious about what would happen if time passed in this state, but I had no intention of experimenting with it myself.
If something went wrong, my already rock-bottom survival rate would converge to zero.
I thought I had tried it on a whim, but I guess I had been expecting a lot without realizing it.
Disheartened, my legs gave way and I collapsed onto the floor. I looked at my watch and saw that there was only about 5 minutes left.
I really didn't have much time left.
It was time to make up my mind and step up.
I closed my eyes tightly and took one last deep breath.
And in my 'vision'...
I saw myself, armed to the teeth, sitting down with my eyes closed.
With one side of my vision blocked, my attention naturally shifted to the other side, and most of my consciousness was focused on the avatar without me realizing it.
And the transfer formation began to glow blue.
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