MAEPG: Episode 80
Episode 80 Individual Projection (2)
‘To overlay my body with the avatar I’ve raised…’
The duration would vary depending on the skill’s proficiency, so he would have to figure that out later, but this was a more amazing ability than he thought.
Simply put, if he projected Hans, there would be two Immortal Kings in the world for that moment.
“Wow… This is truly amazing.”
He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
All his avatars were stronger than him, the original body.
Even Hubert, who was running a trading company, and Harris, the Elf who was recently created.
‘It’s only natural, considering all the growth bonuses and the different flow of time.’
He could understand why there was no additional avatar creation with this level of skill.
‘I need to try using it once. Who should I project first?’
He fell into thought for a moment, choosing a test subject.
The strongest one was Hans, but… he was a bit reluctant to use him for the first try because of his strong personality.
He didn’t think there would be any problems, but he still needed some mental preparation.
The Elf Harris wasn’t compatible with Earth’s air, and the merchant Hubert wasn’t much different from the original body.
Then he had to choose from the remaining ones…
‘Ah! Right. Let’s project Heinrich first.’
It seemed like a good opportunity since he hadn’t been able to summon him to reality since he joined the Church.
“Whew.”
He immediately closed his eyes and focused his mind.
He set Heinrich as the target for “Individual Projection” and applied it to his body.
“…”
There was no explosion or flash of light.
He just realized it in an instant, through his body.
That he had become Heinrich.
He felt explosive power from the bulging muscles all over his body, and his sharpened senses naturally gathered information from the surroundings.
The abundant holy power flowing through his body invigorated him.
‘This feels strange.’
The real Heinrich still existed in the Church, but it was also definitely Heinrich who was here.
His very existence was overlaid, and the equipment he was wearing was also identical, as if it had been copied.
“Is this what it feels like for an awakened one who uses holy power to return to Earth…”
He muttered softly, gathering holy power in one hand and emitting a faint light.
He already knew it through the widespread information, but there was no problem in using his power.
‘Of course, recovery is much slower than when I’m in Auterica.’
About half the speed?
Still, holy power was being supplied smoothly, even though the pathway connected to the Main God had stretched and thinned like a rubber band.
‘As expected of God.’
Because of this, countless religions from various dimensions were currently proliferating on Earth.
He could easily find websites like ‘XXX Dimension XX Religion Korea Branch’ on the internet.
‘They’re popular because people want to borrow the power of returnees who were priests.’
But there was a limit to how much those places could grow.
The number of believers that the already small number of priests could handle wasn’t that large.
Only returnees could use holy power because of their special characteristics, and Earth was still a barren land for supernatural abilities.
They couldn’t baptize others, and their holy power didn’t grow anymore.
And if their faith weakened, their holy power would inevitably decrease, so returnees who were priests had no choice but to focus on religious activities to at least maintain the status quo.
There was an organization called ‘Pantheon’, an alliance of otherworldly religions, but their cohesion wasn’t very good because their doctrines were too different.
‘They’re at a significant disadvantage compared to other awakened ones, but it can’t be helped because of the power mechanism.’
He didn’t know if the gods had made some kind of agreement, but they should be grateful that the connection wasn’t severed.
He turned his head and looked at Hans, who was concealing his energy with a barrier next to him.
He felt a tingling sensation, as if their inherent energies were clashing.
‘I’ve confirmed the performance of “Individual Projection”. “Mind Hub” is also working properly. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens when I project Hans.’
Now all that was left was to see how long the skill lasted.
And unfortunately, he was able to confirm its limit soon.
“Uh…”
His senses changed in an instant, as if he was changing a filter.
Even from Hans’s perspective, his appearance changed in an instant, as if it was video editing.
Ten minutes.
He checked the time and couldn’t hide his disappointment.
But considering this was his first time using it, the duration would gradually increase as his proficiency increased.
Perhaps he could even discover other functions.
‘Things will be easier from now on.’
He had become freer thanks to this skill.
He could now borrow the abilities he needed in necessary situations without considering the avatar’s local circumstances.
‘Then for now…’
Countless things he could do with this “Individual Projection” came to mind, but the first thing he had to do was already decided.
_________________________
‘To overlay my body with the avatar I’ve raised…’
The duration would vary depending on the skill’s proficiency, so he would have to figure that out later, but this was a more amazing ability than he thought.
Simply put, if he projected Hans, there would be two Immortal Kings in the world for that moment.
“Wow… This is truly amazing.”
He couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
All his avatars were stronger than him, the original body.
Even Hubert, who was running a trading company, and Harris, the Elf who was recently created.
‘It’s only natural, considering all the growth bonuses and the different flow of time.’
He could understand why there was no additional avatar creation with this level of skill.
‘I need to try using it once. Who should I project first?’
He fell into thought for a moment, choosing a test subject.
The strongest one was Hans, but… he was a bit reluctant to use him for the first try because of his strong personality.
He didn’t think there would be any problems, but he still needed some mental preparation.
The Elf Harris wasn’t compatible with Earth’s air, and the merchant Hubert wasn’t much different from the original body.
Then he had to choose from the remaining ones…
‘Ah! Right. Let’s project Heinrich first.’
It seemed like a good opportunity since he hadn’t been able to summon him to reality since he joined the Church.
“Whew.”
He immediately closed his eyes and focused his mind.
He set Heinrich as the target for “Individual Projection” and applied it to his body.
“…”
There was no explosion or flash of light.
He just realized it in an instant, through his body.
That he had become Heinrich.
He felt explosive power from the bulging muscles all over his body, and his sharpened senses naturally gathered information from the surroundings.
The abundant holy power flowing through his body invigorated him.
‘This feels strange.’
The real Heinrich still existed in the Church, but it was also definitely Heinrich who was here.
His very existence was overlaid, and the equipment he was wearing was also identical, as if it had been copied.
“Is this what it feels like for an awakened one who uses holy power to return to Earth…”
He muttered softly, gathering holy power in one hand and emitting a faint light.
He already knew it through the widespread information, but there was no problem in using his power.
‘Of course, recovery is much slower than when I’m in Auterica.’
About half the speed?
Still, holy power was being supplied smoothly, even though the pathway connected to the Main God had stretched and thinned like a rubber band.
‘As expected of God.’
Because of this, countless religions from various dimensions were currently proliferating on Earth.
He could easily find websites like ‘XXX Dimension XX Religion Korea Branch’ on the internet.
‘They’re popular because people want to borrow the power of returnees who were priests.’
But there was a limit to how much those places could grow.
The number of believers that the already small number of priests could handle wasn’t that large.
Only returnees could use holy power because of their special characteristics, and Earth was still a barren land for supernatural abilities.
They couldn’t baptize others, and their holy power didn’t grow anymore.
And if their faith weakened, their holy power would inevitably decrease, so returnees who were priests had no choice but to focus on religious activities to at least maintain the status quo.
There was an organization called ‘Pantheon’, an alliance of otherworldly religions, but their cohesion wasn’t very good because their doctrines were too different.
‘They’re at a significant disadvantage compared to other awakened ones, but it can’t be helped because of the power mechanism.’
He didn’t know if the gods had made some kind of agreement, but they should be grateful that the connection wasn’t severed.
He turned his head and looked at Hans, who was concealing his energy with a barrier next to him.
He felt a tingling sensation, as if their inherent energies were clashing.
‘I’ve confirmed the performance of “Individual Projection”. “Mind Hub” is also working properly. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens when I project Hans.’
Now all that was left was to see how long the skill lasted.
And unfortunately, he was able to confirm its limit soon.
“Uh…”
His senses changed in an instant, as if he was changing a filter.
Even from Hans’s perspective, his appearance changed in an instant, as if it was video editing.
Ten minutes.
He checked the time and couldn’t hide his disappointment.
But considering this was his first time using it, the duration would gradually increase as his proficiency increased.
Perhaps he could even discover other functions.
‘Things will be easier from now on.’
He had become freer thanks to this skill.
He could now borrow the abilities he needed in necessary situations without considering the avatar’s local circumstances.
‘Then for now…’
Countless things he could do with this “Individual Projection” came to mind, but the first thing he had to do was already decided.
_________________________
The next day, late at night.
Two figures suddenly emerged from the ground in a deserted alley.
Me, wearing a suspicious outfit with a pulled-down cap and a mask…
Swoosh—
And Hans, whose presence seemed to freeze the surrounding air.
Hans, who had brought me here, immediately melted back into the ground.
‘It’s definitely convenient to have Hans. He’s versatile.’
Well, with that level of ability, it would be harder to find something he couldn’t do.
I, left alone, quietly waited for Hans to finish his work.
‘…Done.’
After a short time, when all preparations were complete, I used “Individual Projection”.
This time, the projection target was also Holy Knight Heinrich.
His senses changed in an instant.
He felt power overflowing from his entire body, and holy power filled him.
‘Let’s go.’
I pulled down the visor of the helmet I was wearing and immediately used “Blessing: Leap” to move to where Hans’s gaze was fixed.
Flash—
Holy power erupted from the destination, momentarily illuminating the surroundings.
But the barrier surrounding the area completely blocked the energy without faltering.
‘Done. It’s going smoothly so far.’
This was a hospital room where Tae-san’s grandmother was hospitalized.
He had come here personally to carry out the method he had thought of before, taking advantage of his newly acquired ability.
‘It’s best to handle everything quietly. Hans made thorough preparations.’
Light flashed in the middle of the four-person hospital room, but everything was silent.
It was thanks to Hans’s efforts in preparing beforehand, including sleep magic and concealment barriers.
‘He couldn’t even enter the room…’
He was currently watching the room from a distance, maintaining the magic remotely.
It wasn’t that difficult with the help of all sorts of skills like “Path of Magic” and “Magic Domination”, but it was still an inefficient method.
But he had no choice.
‘It’s dangerous for him to be near the patients.’
No matter how much he could conceal his presence, he needed to be careful because he didn’t know what kind of negative effects even the slightest leakage of energy might have.
To the weak, Hans was the embodiment of death itself.
I turned my head and quietly looked at the grandmother, who was still sleeping soundly.
‘…She’s aged a lot.’
She was someone I had naturally become close to through Tae-san.
She was a kind grandmother who always smiled and took care of her grandson and his friends…
It had only been two years since I last saw her because I had shut myself in my room, but she had become noticeably thinner.
Well, she was also close to my parents, so their passing must have had a mental impact on her.
I carefully held her thin hand and raised my holy power.
A faint light began to flow gently through her hand.
I continuously poured holy power, processed with “Auterica Holy Magic”, to restore her energy, improve her stamina, and remove toxins.
‘I don’t know how effective this will be…’
Holy power wasn’t a cure-all.
Of course, it was true that it was more effective for healing than other energies, but there was nothing he could do about illnesses caused by old age.
Even the Pope of the Main God Church was bedridden due to old age.
‘But it should at least be helpful to heal minor ailments and boost her body’s recovery ability.’
Even though it was weakened due to the limitations of the Earth dimension, bishop-level holy power wasn’t weak.
I held her hand, maintained the holy magic, and reminisced.
I met Tae-san and became friends, and naturally became close to his grandmother.
The children’s friendship extended to their guardians, so my parents often spent time with her.
When she was hospitalized, we went to visit her together…
That connection was shattered along with the accident that day.
I closed my eyes tightly and maintained the holy magic until right before the skill’s duration ended, then slowly let go of her hand and stepped back.
‘I’ve done enough.’
It was a luxury that not everyone could afford, to receive healing with bishop-level holy power on Earth.
There were very few healers at that level, and they wouldn’t easily grant such a request.
“…I’ll come again with Tae-san next time. See you again when you’re healthier.”
I whispered softly to the grandmother, whose expression had become more relaxed, and then used “Blessing: Leap”.
I returned to the alley under Hans’s control in an instant, and Heinrich’s armor disappeared, and I returned to my original form.
“Whew…”
It wasn’t particularly difficult, but I sighed unconsciously.
The memories of the past that suddenly came to mind disturbed my heart.
…Today, I kept thinking about my deceased parents.
As I was trying to pull myself together, Hans stealthily appeared next to me.
Emanating his usual chilling aura that seemed to freeze the soul.
“…!”
My mind instantly cleared at the sight.
Hans.
My first avatar, imbued with negative emotions using “Persona”.
My clone, my avatar, filled with stagnant and rotting emotions like anger, sadness, loneliness, and resentment…
I quietly looked at the blue ghost fires in the Hahoe mask.
Even though I was just looking at my avatar, “Clear Mind” was shaken mercilessly, and my mind became dizzy.
I could feel his silent cries.
…That’s right.
He was the embodiment of death, the embodiment of fear.
He was the aggregate of my negative emotions, the proof of my weakness…
And he was just… ‘me’.
“Ha! Right… I’ve been angry, resentful, and sad all this time… but there’s no time to indulge in sentimentality now.”
What I had to do wasn’t to look back on the past and shed tears over memories, but…
To prepare for the future, to tear apart and kill my enemies.
I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked to the side.
“Shall we go back?”
I chuckled and spoke to Hans for no reason.
Shadows squirmed on the ground and started to swallow us.
[Ah— The grand narrative has just begun. There’s no need to be sentimental now. We can do that at the end of the story, on top of their corpses. Hehehe… I’m looking forward to it!]
…He definitely needed one more thing.
He was my shameful abyss.
Two figures suddenly emerged from the ground in a deserted alley.
Me, wearing a suspicious outfit with a pulled-down cap and a mask…
Swoosh—
And Hans, whose presence seemed to freeze the surrounding air.
Hans, who had brought me here, immediately melted back into the ground.
‘It’s definitely convenient to have Hans. He’s versatile.’
Well, with that level of ability, it would be harder to find something he couldn’t do.
I, left alone, quietly waited for Hans to finish his work.
‘…Done.’
After a short time, when all preparations were complete, I used “Individual Projection”.
This time, the projection target was also Holy Knight Heinrich.
His senses changed in an instant.
He felt power overflowing from his entire body, and holy power filled him.
‘Let’s go.’
I pulled down the visor of the helmet I was wearing and immediately used “Blessing: Leap” to move to where Hans’s gaze was fixed.
Flash—
Holy power erupted from the destination, momentarily illuminating the surroundings.
But the barrier surrounding the area completely blocked the energy without faltering.
‘Done. It’s going smoothly so far.’
This was a hospital room where Tae-san’s grandmother was hospitalized.
He had come here personally to carry out the method he had thought of before, taking advantage of his newly acquired ability.
‘It’s best to handle everything quietly. Hans made thorough preparations.’
Light flashed in the middle of the four-person hospital room, but everything was silent.
It was thanks to Hans’s efforts in preparing beforehand, including sleep magic and concealment barriers.
‘He couldn’t even enter the room…’
He was currently watching the room from a distance, maintaining the magic remotely.
It wasn’t that difficult with the help of all sorts of skills like “Path of Magic” and “Magic Domination”, but it was still an inefficient method.
But he had no choice.
‘It’s dangerous for him to be near the patients.’
No matter how much he could conceal his presence, he needed to be careful because he didn’t know what kind of negative effects even the slightest leakage of energy might have.
To the weak, Hans was the embodiment of death itself.
I turned my head and quietly looked at the grandmother, who was still sleeping soundly.
‘…She’s aged a lot.’
She was someone I had naturally become close to through Tae-san.
She was a kind grandmother who always smiled and took care of her grandson and his friends…
It had only been two years since I last saw her because I had shut myself in my room, but she had become noticeably thinner.
Well, she was also close to my parents, so their passing must have had a mental impact on her.
I carefully held her thin hand and raised my holy power.
A faint light began to flow gently through her hand.
I continuously poured holy power, processed with “Auterica Holy Magic”, to restore her energy, improve her stamina, and remove toxins.
‘I don’t know how effective this will be…’
Holy power wasn’t a cure-all.
Of course, it was true that it was more effective for healing than other energies, but there was nothing he could do about illnesses caused by old age.
Even the Pope of the Main God Church was bedridden due to old age.
‘But it should at least be helpful to heal minor ailments and boost her body’s recovery ability.’
Even though it was weakened due to the limitations of the Earth dimension, bishop-level holy power wasn’t weak.
I held her hand, maintained the holy magic, and reminisced.
I met Tae-san and became friends, and naturally became close to his grandmother.
The children’s friendship extended to their guardians, so my parents often spent time with her.
When she was hospitalized, we went to visit her together…
That connection was shattered along with the accident that day.
I closed my eyes tightly and maintained the holy magic until right before the skill’s duration ended, then slowly let go of her hand and stepped back.
‘I’ve done enough.’
It was a luxury that not everyone could afford, to receive healing with bishop-level holy power on Earth.
There were very few healers at that level, and they wouldn’t easily grant such a request.
“…I’ll come again with Tae-san next time. See you again when you’re healthier.”
I whispered softly to the grandmother, whose expression had become more relaxed, and then used “Blessing: Leap”.
I returned to the alley under Hans’s control in an instant, and Heinrich’s armor disappeared, and I returned to my original form.
“Whew…”
It wasn’t particularly difficult, but I sighed unconsciously.
The memories of the past that suddenly came to mind disturbed my heart.
…Today, I kept thinking about my deceased parents.
As I was trying to pull myself together, Hans stealthily appeared next to me.
Emanating his usual chilling aura that seemed to freeze the soul.
“…!”
My mind instantly cleared at the sight.
Hans.
My first avatar, imbued with negative emotions using “Persona”.
My clone, my avatar, filled with stagnant and rotting emotions like anger, sadness, loneliness, and resentment…
I quietly looked at the blue ghost fires in the Hahoe mask.
Even though I was just looking at my avatar, “Clear Mind” was shaken mercilessly, and my mind became dizzy.
I could feel his silent cries.
…That’s right.
He was the embodiment of death, the embodiment of fear.
He was the aggregate of my negative emotions, the proof of my weakness…
And he was just… ‘me’.
“Ha! Right… I’ve been angry, resentful, and sad all this time… but there’s no time to indulge in sentimentality now.”
What I had to do wasn’t to look back on the past and shed tears over memories, but…
To prepare for the future, to tear apart and kill my enemies.
I closed my eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and looked to the side.
“Shall we go back?”
I chuckled and spoke to Hans for no reason.
Shadows squirmed on the ground and started to swallow us.
[Ah— The grand narrative has just begun. There’s no need to be sentimental now. We can do that at the end of the story, on top of their corpses. Hehehe… I’m looking forward to it!]
…He definitely needed one more thing.
He was my shameful abyss.
_____________________
Harris, who arrived in the Elven Kingdom of the Enamel Continent, began his journey to the World Tree over several days.
The other Elves and their villages he encountered along the way became new sights, and the songs that seemed to resonate with the spirits were a delight to his ears.
After repeated journeys, he finally arrived.
At the heart of the kingdom, where the World Tree was located.
Even during the journey here, it was difficult to grasp its scale because of its size that defied perspective, but now it felt like he was facing a giant cliff.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Cecily, who was walking next to him, suddenly exclaimed and stared blankly into space.
The focus in her orange eyes slowly disappeared.
“…It’s beginning.”
High Elf Rapori quietly spoke and had the group step back.
Harris followed them and quietly looked at Cecily.
‘That Cecily, she’s finally becoming a real High Elf.’
Just as he was about to be swept away by a strange feeling,
‘Ah! That’s…’
Harris caught sight of something slowly descending from the sky.
A branch with lush leaves was fluttering in the wind as it descended.
‘The fruit of the World Tree.’
And a fist-sized red fruit was hanging from its end.
Harris, who arrived in the Elven Kingdom of the Enamel Continent, began his journey to the World Tree over several days.
The other Elves and their villages he encountered along the way became new sights, and the songs that seemed to resonate with the spirits were a delight to his ears.
After repeated journeys, he finally arrived.
At the heart of the kingdom, where the World Tree was located.
Even during the journey here, it was difficult to grasp its scale because of its size that defied perspective, but now it felt like he was facing a giant cliff.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Cecily, who was walking next to him, suddenly exclaimed and stared blankly into space.
The focus in her orange eyes slowly disappeared.
“…It’s beginning.”
High Elf Rapori quietly spoke and had the group step back.
Harris followed them and quietly looked at Cecily.
‘That Cecily, she’s finally becoming a real High Elf.’
Just as he was about to be swept away by a strange feeling,
‘Ah! That’s…’
Harris caught sight of something slowly descending from the sky.
A branch with lush leaves was fluttering in the wind as it descended.
‘The fruit of the World Tree.’
And a fist-sized red fruit was hanging from its end.
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