MAEPG: Episode 3
Episode 3 Avatar (2)
"Huh? Why is this suddenly...?"
When I opened my closed eyes and got up, the transfer formation turned purple again.
I hurriedly closed my eyes again and focused my mind on the avatar.
As expected, the transfer formation started to glow blue.
Smiling wryly, I turned the avatar's head to check the time, and there was only about a minute left.
'...This works?'
I pondered over how it worked and then realized.
The avatar's body was perfectly identical to my original body.
It wasn't an illusion or a separate entity.
If anything, it was like a newly sprouted body part.
The resources needed to maintain it, and the fact that it needed to eat food separately to replenish the energy needed for physical activity, were all there was to it.
The only downside was that my food expenses would double.
If the original body was the upper body, including the head, the avatar was the lower body, excluding the head.
If I concentrated my mind, which could be considered the head in that situation, on the avatar...
'I could make the transfer formation recognize the avatar as the original body!'
Fireworks went off in my head. My body trembled with joy.
I smiled contentedly at the satisfaction of having all my problems solved.
Wooong—
The blue magic circle emitted a bright light and vibrated.
And.
《Transfer begins.》
My avatar was transported to another world.
"Huh? Why is this suddenly...?"
When I opened my closed eyes and got up, the transfer formation turned purple again.
I hurriedly closed my eyes again and focused my mind on the avatar.
As expected, the transfer formation started to glow blue.
Smiling wryly, I turned the avatar's head to check the time, and there was only about a minute left.
'...This works?'
I pondered over how it worked and then realized.
The avatar's body was perfectly identical to my original body.
It wasn't an illusion or a separate entity.
If anything, it was like a newly sprouted body part.
The resources needed to maintain it, and the fact that it needed to eat food separately to replenish the energy needed for physical activity, were all there was to it.
The only downside was that my food expenses would double.
If the original body was the upper body, including the head, the avatar was the lower body, excluding the head.
If I concentrated my mind, which could be considered the head in that situation, on the avatar...
'I could make the transfer formation recognize the avatar as the original body!'
Fireworks went off in my head. My body trembled with joy.
I smiled contentedly at the satisfaction of having all my problems solved.
Wooong—
The blue magic circle emitted a bright light and vibrated.
And.
《Transfer begins.》
My avatar was transported to another world.
____________________
《Transfer to the Auterica Dimension complete.》
《You can return to Earth through the 'Return' option in the Karma Shop.》
《Current Karma: 0. You can check it later in the Karma Shop.》
Before I could even process the messages I saw during the transfer, my vision brightened.
The first thing I saw was a forest.
The tall trees, grass, and flowers were a sight I hadn't seen in a very long time.
It had been two years since I had been confined to my home, and even before that, I hadn't particularly enjoyed hiking, so it must have been years since I had last seen them.
As I realized that, I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and felt short of breath.
"Huh... Huh... Huff..."
I thought I might be okay.
Because it wasn't Earth, where the accident had happened, because I had awakened to supernatural abilities and been summoned to another world, I thought I might be able to manage somehow.
Moreover, this wasn't even my original body, but a clone created using "Avatar".
I was dead wrong.
I hurriedly closed the avatar's eyes and focused my mind on the original body back on Earth.
When I opened my eyes, the familiar sight of my room greeted me, and I let out a sigh of relief.
The stuffy, closed-in feeling that I had grown accustomed to over the years strangely calmed my mind.
I tried to ignore the sensations coming from the avatar, but soon a strong sense of dissonance hit me.
The difference between when I focused my mind on the avatar and when I focused it on the original body created a growing sense of dissonance.
The wind brushing past my ears, the scent of the forest, the warmth of the sunlight on my skin.
And the act of breathing in and out, the process of the food I had consumed being digested and becoming energy, and consuming it, all felt alien.
No, the fact that I could feel all of that was strange in itself.
"Ugh..."
I felt a strong wave of motion sickness.
And then I realized the cause.
'I forgot about the different flow of time...!'
Not all flows of time were exactly 1:10, as there were many other worlds.
It was just an estimated time based on the experiences of those who had returned, so there would be some margin of error for each individual.
But what was important to me now was that there was at least a tenfold difference in the flow of time.
Even though I concentrated my senses as much as possible on the original body, the motion sickness didn't stop.
When the original body exhaled once, the avatar exhaled more than ten times.
The avatar was just standing there with its eyes closed, but its metabolism was significantly faster than the original body, which was currently moving, and the difference was stark.
'I'm dizzy... I feel like I'm going to throw up.'
Yeah, this won't do. I can't stand it anymore.
"Dismiss."
Ah... that's better.
《Transfer to the Auterica Dimension complete.》
《You can return to Earth through the 'Return' option in the Karma Shop.》
《Current Karma: 0. You can check it later in the Karma Shop.》
Before I could even process the messages I saw during the transfer, my vision brightened.
The first thing I saw was a forest.
The tall trees, grass, and flowers were a sight I hadn't seen in a very long time.
It had been two years since I had been confined to my home, and even before that, I hadn't particularly enjoyed hiking, so it must have been years since I had last seen them.
As I realized that, I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and felt short of breath.
"Huh... Huh... Huff..."
I thought I might be okay.
Because it wasn't Earth, where the accident had happened, because I had awakened to supernatural abilities and been summoned to another world, I thought I might be able to manage somehow.
Moreover, this wasn't even my original body, but a clone created using "Avatar".
I was dead wrong.
I hurriedly closed the avatar's eyes and focused my mind on the original body back on Earth.
When I opened my eyes, the familiar sight of my room greeted me, and I let out a sigh of relief.
The stuffy, closed-in feeling that I had grown accustomed to over the years strangely calmed my mind.
I tried to ignore the sensations coming from the avatar, but soon a strong sense of dissonance hit me.
The difference between when I focused my mind on the avatar and when I focused it on the original body created a growing sense of dissonance.
The wind brushing past my ears, the scent of the forest, the warmth of the sunlight on my skin.
And the act of breathing in and out, the process of the food I had consumed being digested and becoming energy, and consuming it, all felt alien.
No, the fact that I could feel all of that was strange in itself.
"Ugh..."
I felt a strong wave of motion sickness.
And then I realized the cause.
'I forgot about the different flow of time...!'
Not all flows of time were exactly 1:10, as there were many other worlds.
It was just an estimated time based on the experiences of those who had returned, so there would be some margin of error for each individual.
But what was important to me now was that there was at least a tenfold difference in the flow of time.
Even though I concentrated my senses as much as possible on the original body, the motion sickness didn't stop.
When the original body exhaled once, the avatar exhaled more than ten times.
The avatar was just standing there with its eyes closed, but its metabolism was significantly faster than the original body, which was currently moving, and the difference was stark.
'I'm dizzy... I feel like I'm going to throw up.'
Yeah, this won't do. I can't stand it anymore.
"Dismiss."
Ah... that's better.
_________________
After lying down for a while, the motion sickness subsided.
As peace returned to my mind, many thoughts came to me.
A sense of accomplishment at having safely overcome the crisis and a strange feeling of disappointment.
As I was feeling relieved that I wouldn't be transferred to another world anymore, I suddenly remembered the text message I had sent to my friend and hurriedly checked it.
"Oh... Thankfully, he hasn't checked it yet."
I deleted the sent message and sent a new one asking how he was doing.
There was no need to worry him unnecessarily.
Now that things had turned out this way, I was glad I hadn't reported my awakening to the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau.
Originally, I had planned to report it immediately after returning, but... my mind changed as the situation changed.
'I don't plan on committing any crimes with this, but it's also a hassle to have to deal with the trouble.'
In fact, it was an ability optimized for crime.
I could commit a robbery with my face covered and then disappear, making it the perfect crime.
Even if I were suspected, the original body could prove my alibi.
Any additional items would be left behind when I dismissed the avatar, but there was always a way, so I could figure something out.
'Of course, it's just a fantasy.'
After all, I had just confirmed that I couldn't even go outside in avatar form.
'Ah... Whatever happens now, it doesn't matter.'
The crisis had passed, there was no chance of any problems arising, and if I honed my ability, I could even play a two-player game by myself.
That was enough.
And without much thought, I re-summoned the avatar I had dismissed.
《Achievement unlocked! Returning to Earth on your own without using the Karma Shop.》
《As a reward for achieving a feat that transcends dimensions, you are granted the perk "Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon". Once a day, you can use the transfer formation to travel to a place you have been before.》
《You have achieved a feat that has greatly impacted the world. Karma increases significantly.》
"...Huh?"
The message that I thought I would never see again appeared before my eyes.
After lying down for a while, the motion sickness subsided.
As peace returned to my mind, many thoughts came to me.
A sense of accomplishment at having safely overcome the crisis and a strange feeling of disappointment.
As I was feeling relieved that I wouldn't be transferred to another world anymore, I suddenly remembered the text message I had sent to my friend and hurriedly checked it.
"Oh... Thankfully, he hasn't checked it yet."
I deleted the sent message and sent a new one asking how he was doing.
There was no need to worry him unnecessarily.
Now that things had turned out this way, I was glad I hadn't reported my awakening to the Supernatural Ability Management Bureau.
Originally, I had planned to report it immediately after returning, but... my mind changed as the situation changed.
'I don't plan on committing any crimes with this, but it's also a hassle to have to deal with the trouble.'
In fact, it was an ability optimized for crime.
I could commit a robbery with my face covered and then disappear, making it the perfect crime.
Even if I were suspected, the original body could prove my alibi.
Any additional items would be left behind when I dismissed the avatar, but there was always a way, so I could figure something out.
'Of course, it's just a fantasy.'
After all, I had just confirmed that I couldn't even go outside in avatar form.
'Ah... Whatever happens now, it doesn't matter.'
The crisis had passed, there was no chance of any problems arising, and if I honed my ability, I could even play a two-player game by myself.
That was enough.
And without much thought, I re-summoned the avatar I had dismissed.
《Achievement unlocked! Returning to Earth on your own without using the Karma Shop.》
《As a reward for achieving a feat that transcends dimensions, you are granted the perk "Interdimensional Transfer Formation Summon". Once a day, you can use the transfer formation to travel to a place you have been before.》
《You have achieved a feat that has greatly impacted the world. Karma increases significantly.》
"...Huh?"
The message that I thought I would never see again appeared before my eyes.
__________________
Karma and the Karma Shop.
It was the way Awakened could return from other worlds.
Karma was accumulated through various methods, such as good deeds, evil deeds, killing, and labor, and was given based on the impact on others and the world.
But...
"Check Karma Shop."
『Karma Shop』
『Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)』
『Status Enhancement - View Details』
『Karma Owned - 1,910,213』
Come to think of it, I had forgotten because I was out of my mind, but there was a message about the Karma Shop when I first dimension-shifted.
It said I could return to Earth through the 'Return' option by accumulating Karma...
'Normally, people would gradually accumulate Karma and return, but I returned first and then filled up my Karma.'
How to use Karma was up to the individual.
Whether to strengthen oneself with a certain amount of accumulated Karma to gather more safely, or to steadily save it without using it elsewhere and use 'Return' directly.
It was important to distribute it appropriately according to the situation.
If you were too weak, survival itself would be a problem, and if you just blindly focused on strengthening, you might miss the timing and die a sudden death.
"But I never thought things would turn out this way. 'A feat that transcends dimensions'... "
It seems the 'system' judged that the avatar sent to another world through the transfer formation had returned by transcending dimensions because it was re-summoned from Earth...
'Isn't this a bug? Is this really okay?'
Sending the avatar instead was like cheating the system, so I couldn't help but feel a little guilty about receiving a perk like this.
'Hey, the great system that encompasses all dimensions wouldn't be petty enough to penalize me for this. It's not like I intentionally did something wrong.'
It was their fault for leaving loopholes in the first place.
Wasn't it the developer's fault for errors that occurred in the program?
I had simply done my best in everything!
It started as self-justification, but as I thought about it, it was all true.
'Yeah! I'm not wrong! Sue me!'
Feeling confident in myself, I glanced up at the sky and confidently checked the Karma Shop.
With the feeling of shopping with a full wallet.
'Since I'm on Earth, "Return" is meaningless, and the unique skill must mean "Avatar", right?'
When I clicked on the details of Status Enhancement, a dizzying number of items appeared before my eyes.
There were various categories such as Physical, Mental, Supernatural, and Attribute Power, even just as 'major categories'.
In the 'Strength' subcategory of 'Physical', there were separate lists for upper and lower body muscles, as well as individual lists for biceps, latissimus dorsi, and other parts.
'Agility' also had separate subcategories for reflexes, dynamic vision, and so on, and the same was true for other categories.
'...They don't provide a status window, but they put a lot of effort into the shop window!'
I was looking through the Karma Shop with a mixed feeling when I saw an item that caught my eye.
『Physical - Stamina - Recovery Enhancement (10,000)』
I stared at it for a moment, and then, as if possessed, I chose it without hesitation.
There was no dramatic effect.
It was natural, as it wasn't like Strength, where the increase in muscle mass was immediately noticeable, and it would recover gradually.
『Recovery Enhancement (20,000)』
So I chose it one more time.
I felt it in my leg. I could feel the injury healing.
If I just stayed like this, it would heal someday.
『Recovery Enhancement (40,000)』
I chose it one more time.
My leg started to tingle.
The recovery period must have been shortened, so it would be completely healed soon.
Every time I chose it, the Karma consumption doubled, but compared to the total amount I had, this was nothing.
『Recovery Enhancement (80,000)』
I chose it one more time.
This leg injury wasn't just an inconvenience to me.
It was my pain, the scar that marked my farewell to my family, and the wound that had confined me to my room ever since.
It was a symbol of all the negative emotions I had accumulated: sadness, despair, pain, loss, resignation, and unhappiness.
『Recovery Enhancement (160,000)』
So I chose it one more time.
It felt like an electric shock had run through my leg.
I pulled up my pant leg and saw a smooth leg with no surgical scars.
And I knew.
《Recovery has exceeded the standard. You have acquired the skill "Super Recovery".》
My leg, which had been limping due to the injury, was completely healed and stronger than before.
Karma and the Karma Shop.
It was the way Awakened could return from other worlds.
Karma was accumulated through various methods, such as good deeds, evil deeds, killing, and labor, and was given based on the impact on others and the world.
But...
"Check Karma Shop."
『Karma Shop』
『Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)』
『Status Enhancement - View Details』
『Karma Owned - 1,910,213』
Come to think of it, I had forgotten because I was out of my mind, but there was a message about the Karma Shop when I first dimension-shifted.
It said I could return to Earth through the 'Return' option by accumulating Karma...
'Normally, people would gradually accumulate Karma and return, but I returned first and then filled up my Karma.'
How to use Karma was up to the individual.
Whether to strengthen oneself with a certain amount of accumulated Karma to gather more safely, or to steadily save it without using it elsewhere and use 'Return' directly.
It was important to distribute it appropriately according to the situation.
If you were too weak, survival itself would be a problem, and if you just blindly focused on strengthening, you might miss the timing and die a sudden death.
"But I never thought things would turn out this way. 'A feat that transcends dimensions'... "
It seems the 'system' judged that the avatar sent to another world through the transfer formation had returned by transcending dimensions because it was re-summoned from Earth...
'Isn't this a bug? Is this really okay?'
Sending the avatar instead was like cheating the system, so I couldn't help but feel a little guilty about receiving a perk like this.
'Hey, the great system that encompasses all dimensions wouldn't be petty enough to penalize me for this. It's not like I intentionally did something wrong.'
It was their fault for leaving loopholes in the first place.
Wasn't it the developer's fault for errors that occurred in the program?
I had simply done my best in everything!
It started as self-justification, but as I thought about it, it was all true.
'Yeah! I'm not wrong! Sue me!'
Feeling confident in myself, I glanced up at the sky and confidently checked the Karma Shop.
With the feeling of shopping with a full wallet.
'Since I'm on Earth, "Return" is meaningless, and the unique skill must mean "Avatar", right?'
When I clicked on the details of Status Enhancement, a dizzying number of items appeared before my eyes.
There were various categories such as Physical, Mental, Supernatural, and Attribute Power, even just as 'major categories'.
In the 'Strength' subcategory of 'Physical', there were separate lists for upper and lower body muscles, as well as individual lists for biceps, latissimus dorsi, and other parts.
'Agility' also had separate subcategories for reflexes, dynamic vision, and so on, and the same was true for other categories.
'...They don't provide a status window, but they put a lot of effort into the shop window!'
I was looking through the Karma Shop with a mixed feeling when I saw an item that caught my eye.
『Physical - Stamina - Recovery Enhancement (10,000)』
I stared at it for a moment, and then, as if possessed, I chose it without hesitation.
There was no dramatic effect.
It was natural, as it wasn't like Strength, where the increase in muscle mass was immediately noticeable, and it would recover gradually.
『Recovery Enhancement (20,000)』
So I chose it one more time.
I felt it in my leg. I could feel the injury healing.
If I just stayed like this, it would heal someday.
『Recovery Enhancement (40,000)』
I chose it one more time.
My leg started to tingle.
The recovery period must have been shortened, so it would be completely healed soon.
Every time I chose it, the Karma consumption doubled, but compared to the total amount I had, this was nothing.
『Recovery Enhancement (80,000)』
I chose it one more time.
This leg injury wasn't just an inconvenience to me.
It was my pain, the scar that marked my farewell to my family, and the wound that had confined me to my room ever since.
It was a symbol of all the negative emotions I had accumulated: sadness, despair, pain, loss, resignation, and unhappiness.
『Recovery Enhancement (160,000)』
So I chose it one more time.
It felt like an electric shock had run through my leg.
I pulled up my pant leg and saw a smooth leg with no surgical scars.
And I knew.
《Recovery has exceeded the standard. You have acquired the skill "Super Recovery".》
My leg, which had been limping due to the injury, was completely healed and stronger than before.
_____________________
I was overcome with emotion for a long time at the fact that I had finally broken free from the shackles that had bound me.
Of course, not all my problems were solved.
I still couldn't go outside, but now I had hope and belief that I could somehow overcome it.
When I checked "Super Recovery", it was, as the name suggested, a skill that enhanced my recovery ability.
Even if it couldn't regenerate severed body parts, it could quickly heal most wounds.
I calmed myself down and checked the Karma Shop again.
『Karma Shop』
『Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)』
『Status Enhancement - View Details』
『Karma Owned - 1,600,213』
'Just how much Karma did I get for the achievement?'
Of course, I wasn't complaining, but at this point, I was a bit dumbfounded.
Then my gaze stopped at the 'Unique Skill Enhancement' option.
Awakening "Avatar" was the beginning of all the changes.
What could I do if I enhanced this skill?
Maybe it could help me grow further.
The growth of unique skills occurred in the direction desired by the Awakened.
You could also grow your ability by practicing and mastering it without consuming Karma, but you could drastically shorten that time through the Karma Shop.
Now I even had a way to go to another world without any risk.
But in its current state, it was nothing more than a useless skill.
Hoping that enhancing the unique skill would help me in this situation, I selected the option.
After a brief headache, I didn't notice any change at first.
It was natural, as the achievement message popped up right after the re-summoning, pushing the avatar to the back of my mind.
But I soon realized what had changed.
My brain had become two.
No, it had always been two, but while one mind had been switching between the two bodies, now I could skillfully divide my thoughts in two and move them.
I faced the avatar.
I could naturally accept the two fields of vision, and there was no sense of dissonance.
"Hmm, as expected, you're handsome, just like a man."
"You too. You're in good shape. Have you been working out?"
"Of course. It's the result of constant effort."
Now we could communicate smoothly.
...Of course, it was essentially just talking to myself.
To see how far I could go, I started experimenting.
I could clap my hands while facing each other. I could do push-ups and sit-ups at the same time.
I could clean while browsing the internet, and I could even play a two-player game by myself, something I could only do when my friend came over!
"Hot! This isn't the time for this."
I had briefly digressed, but it was time to refocus.
As I used the avatar to put away the game console, I organized my thoughts on the enhanced unique skill.
Not only had I become proficient at multitasking, but I could now think independently using each brain.
And the fact that I could naturally accept this meant that stats like thinking ability and mental strength must have also increased significantly.
'And one more thing.'
I had the avatar pick up a chair in the room.
And when I dismissed it...
The avatar disappeared along with the chair.
Now, not only could the avatar be equipped individually, but it could also be summoned and dismissed along with any items it was holding!
It was like having a kind of subspace, although there was a limit to the weight it could carry.
I nodded in satisfaction, expecting this ability to be of great help in the future, and checked the Karma Shop again.
『Unique Skill Enhancement (400,000)』
Fortunately, it seemed that the Karma consumption for enhancing unique skills didn't double.
Anyway, I could enhance it a little more.
Without hesitation, I chose "Unique Skill Enhancement" once more, and with a headache, a message appeared before my eyes.
《The unique skill grows and unlocks its potential. You have acquired the special skill "Mind Hub".》
I was overcome with emotion for a long time at the fact that I had finally broken free from the shackles that had bound me.
Of course, not all my problems were solved.
I still couldn't go outside, but now I had hope and belief that I could somehow overcome it.
When I checked "Super Recovery", it was, as the name suggested, a skill that enhanced my recovery ability.
Even if it couldn't regenerate severed body parts, it could quickly heal most wounds.
I calmed myself down and checked the Karma Shop again.
『Karma Shop』
『Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)』
『Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)』
『Status Enhancement - View Details』
『Karma Owned - 1,600,213』
'Just how much Karma did I get for the achievement?'
Of course, I wasn't complaining, but at this point, I was a bit dumbfounded.
Then my gaze stopped at the 'Unique Skill Enhancement' option.
Awakening "Avatar" was the beginning of all the changes.
What could I do if I enhanced this skill?
Maybe it could help me grow further.
The growth of unique skills occurred in the direction desired by the Awakened.
You could also grow your ability by practicing and mastering it without consuming Karma, but you could drastically shorten that time through the Karma Shop.
Now I even had a way to go to another world without any risk.
But in its current state, it was nothing more than a useless skill.
Hoping that enhancing the unique skill would help me in this situation, I selected the option.
After a brief headache, I didn't notice any change at first.
It was natural, as the achievement message popped up right after the re-summoning, pushing the avatar to the back of my mind.
But I soon realized what had changed.
My brain had become two.
No, it had always been two, but while one mind had been switching between the two bodies, now I could skillfully divide my thoughts in two and move them.
I faced the avatar.
I could naturally accept the two fields of vision, and there was no sense of dissonance.
"Hmm, as expected, you're handsome, just like a man."
"You too. You're in good shape. Have you been working out?"
"Of course. It's the result of constant effort."
Now we could communicate smoothly.
...Of course, it was essentially just talking to myself.
To see how far I could go, I started experimenting.
I could clap my hands while facing each other. I could do push-ups and sit-ups at the same time.
I could clean while browsing the internet, and I could even play a two-player game by myself, something I could only do when my friend came over!
"Hot! This isn't the time for this."
I had briefly digressed, but it was time to refocus.
As I used the avatar to put away the game console, I organized my thoughts on the enhanced unique skill.
Not only had I become proficient at multitasking, but I could now think independently using each brain.
And the fact that I could naturally accept this meant that stats like thinking ability and mental strength must have also increased significantly.
'And one more thing.'
I had the avatar pick up a chair in the room.
And when I dismissed it...
The avatar disappeared along with the chair.
Now, not only could the avatar be equipped individually, but it could also be summoned and dismissed along with any items it was holding!
It was like having a kind of subspace, although there was a limit to the weight it could carry.
I nodded in satisfaction, expecting this ability to be of great help in the future, and checked the Karma Shop again.
『Unique Skill Enhancement (400,000)』
Fortunately, it seemed that the Karma consumption for enhancing unique skills didn't double.
Anyway, I could enhance it a little more.
Without hesitation, I chose "Unique Skill Enhancement" once more, and with a headache, a message appeared before my eyes.
《The unique skill grows and unlocks its potential. You have acquired the special skill "Mind Hub".》
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