Chapter 3
Chapter 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Avatar (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Huh? Why’s this happening all of a sudden?”
I snapped my eyes open and sat up, only to see the teleportation circle shift back to purple.
I hurriedly closed my eyes again and focused my mind on the avatar.
Sure enough, the circle began to glow blue once more.
I let out a hollow laugh and turned the avatar’s head to check the clock. About a minute remained.
…So it works?
I pondered what had happened and soon realized the truth.
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 required were food to sustain its energy for physical activity—nothing more.
Double the grocery bill would be the sole downside.
If my main body was the right half, including the head, then the avatar was the left half, excluding the head.
By focusing the mind—that metaphorical head—on the avatar in that state…
I can make the teleportation circle recognize the avatar as the main body!
Fireworks exploded in my head. My body trembled with ecstasy.
As I smiled contentedly, basking in the satisfaction of solving every problem…
Woooong—
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Teleportation commencing. My avatar was sent to the other world.
* * *
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Teleportation to the Outerica Dimension complete. You may return to Earth via the 'Return' option in the Karma Shop. Current Karma: 0. Check the Karma Shop for details later. Before I could even recall the messages from the transfer, my vision brightened.
The first thing I saw was a forest.
Towering trees, grass, and flowers—it had been ages since I’d laid eyes on such sights.
Two years cooped up at home, and even before that, I wasn’t one for hiking. It’d been years.
Realizing this, cold sweat suddenly broke out, and my breath grew ragged.
“Hah… haa… 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’d be fine.
Besides, this wasn’t my main body—it was just an avatar from Avatar.
Wishful thinking.
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 actually soothed my mind.
This peace didn’t last. Ignoring the sensations from the avatar grew harder as a profound sense of wrongness set in.
Comparing the focus on the avatar versus the main body amplified the dissonance.
The breeze brushing my ears, the forest scents, the sun’s warmth on my skin.
Inhales and exhales, digesting food into energy and expending it—all felt alien.
No, the very fact that I felt them at all was bizarre.
“Urp…”
Motion sickness hit hard.
And I soon pinpointed the cause.
I forgot—the flow of time is different…!
Not every otherworld has a perfect 1:10 ratio.
Estimates from returnees come with variances.
But the key point was that the time difference was at least tenfold.
Even maxing focus on my main body couldn’t stop the nausea.
One exhale from the main body meant ten-plus from the avatar.
The avatar stood still with eyes closed, yet its metabolism outpaced my moving main body— the gap was stark.
Dizzy… gonna puke.
Yeah, no can do. Can’t hold it.
“Dismiss summon.”
Ah… better.
* * *
Lying down eased the nausea soon enough.
With calm settling in, thoughts proliferated.
Achieving crisis aversion brought fulfillment, tinged with inexplicable regret.
Relieved I wouldn’t be sent to another world again, a text to my friend popped into mind. I checked frantically.
“Phew… good, still unread.”
I deleted the sent message and fired off a casual check-in instead.
No need to worry him unnecessarily.
This mess made skipping the report to the Ability Management Bureau a blessing.
I’d planned to report right after return… but circumstances changed my mind.
I’m not planning crimes, but the hassle is annoying enough.
Objectively, it was a crime-optimized power.
Mask up, rob, vanish—perfect crime.
Even if suspected, the main body provides an alibi.
Dismissal leaves 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 averted, no issues looming. Hone the ability, and solo dual-player games await.
That’s enough.
Absentmindedly, I resummoned the dismissed avatar.
🏆 ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED! 🏆 Returned to Earth independently, without using the Karma Shop. As a reward for achieving a feat transcending dimensions, you gain the special privilege Otherworld Teleportation Circle Summon. Once per day, summon a circle to travel to a previously visited location. You've achieved a feat with massive world impact. Karma greatly increased. “...Huh?”
The messages I’d thought gone forever floated before me.
* * *
Karma and the Karma Shop.
The means for awakeners to return from otherworlds.
Karma accumulates via good deeds, evil acts, kills, labor—weighted by 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 Held Karma: -1,910,213 In the chaos, I’d overlooked it, but there was a Karma Shop mention during dimension shift.
Gather enough for 'Return' to get back to Earth…
Most build karma steadily to leave, but I returned first and filled up instead.
Karma use is up to the individual.
Boost self for safer accumulation with some karma, or save purely for 'Return'.
Balance per situation—too weak risks survival; blind boosting misses timing, leading to sudden death.
“Who’d have thought it’d play out like this. A ‘feat transcending dimensions’…”
The system deemed sending an avatar via the circle, then resummoning on Earth, as a dimensional return…
Isn’t this a glitch? Is this okay?
Proxying the avatar already tricked the system, and now perks too—guilt crept in.
Nah, a grand system spanning dimensions won’t nitpick. Wasn’t intentional.
They shouldn’t leave exploits.
Bugs are devs’ faults, right?
I just gave my all!
Self-justification spiraled, but each point rang true.
Right! I did nothing wrong! Chest out!
Confident now, I glanced skyward, then boldly eyed the Karma Shop.
Like shopping with a fat bank account.
‘Return’ is moot on Earth. Unique Skill means Avatar, right?
Status details flooded in—dizzying array.
Broad categories: Body, Mind, Ability, Attributes.
‘Body’ sub ‘Strength’ split upper/lower body, even biceps, lats specifics.
‘Agility’ had explosiveness, reflexes, dynamic vision—same for others.
…No status screen, but shop’s lavishly detailed!
One item caught my eye amid the unease.
Body – Vitality – Recovery Enhancement (10,000)
I stared, then selected without hesitation, entranced.
No dramatic flair.
Not like strength’s instant muscle gain—gradual recovery, expected.
Recovery Enhancement (20,000)
Another tap.
A tingle in my legs. Healing underway.
Would’ve healed eventually anyway.
Recovery Enhancement (40,000)
Again.
Legs itched.
Shorter recovery—full heal soon.
Costs doubled per buy, but peanuts to my total.
Recovery Enhancement (80,000)
Once more.
This leg injury wasn’t mere inconvenience.
It was my pain, the scar of family farewell, the blight trapping me indoors.
Embodiment of accumulated sorrow, despair, agony, lack, resignation, misfortune.
Recovery Enhancement (160,000)
Again.
Electric jolt through legs.
Hiking pants, smooth skin—no surgical scar.
And I knew.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Recovery exceeded threshold. Acquired skill Super Recovery. My limping leg was fully healed—stronger than before.
* * *
I basked in shedding a layer of shackles that had bound me, moved for ages, before calming.
Not all problems solved.
Still couldn’t go out, but hope sprouted—I could overcome now.
Super Recovery boosted recovery, as named.
No limb regrowth, but most wounds heal fast.
Settled, I checked the 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 did that feat grant?
Not complaining, but staggering.
Gaze halted at ‘Unique Skill Enhancement’.
Avatar awakening sparked all this.
What more from enhancing it?
Could propel further growth.
Unique skills grow per user’s direction.
Hone via practice karma-free, or shortcut via shop.
Risk-free otherworld trips now possible too.
Current state rendered it useless egg.
Enhancement might evolve helpfully—selected.
Brief headache passed; no change noticed at first.
Post-resummon feat message had sidelined avatar consciousness.
Soon clear: my brain doubled.
Not new—previously one mind shuttled bodies; now split-thinking adeptly.
I faced the avatar.
Two views natural, no dissonance.
“Hm, handsome as ever—manly.”
“Speak for yourself. Great build—hit the gym?”
“Naturally. Fruits of steady effort.”
Fluid conversation now.
…Essentially soliloquy.
Testing limits: patty-cake facing self. Push-ups and sit-ups simultaneous.
Surf net while cleaning; solo dual-player games even sans friends!
“Ha! Not the time.”
Detour over—refocus.
As avatar packed console, I summed enhanced skill.
Beyond multitasking: separate brains for independent thought.
Seamless integration suggested boosted intellect/mentality stats.
And one more.
Avatar grabbed room chair.
Dismissed…
Avatar vanished with chair.
Avatar now equips independently, summons/dismisses with items!
Weight-limited, but sub-space akin.
Anticipating huge future aid, nodded satisfied, rechecked shop.
🛒 KARMA SHOP 🛒 Unique Skill Enhancement (400,000) Skill enhancement didn’t double—good, more room.
Selected again sans hesitation; headache, then message.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Unique Skill has grown, unlocking potential. Acquired special skill Mind Hub.