"Huh? What's happening all of a sudden?"
My eyes blinked open. I shot upright in my chair, and the transfer marker instantly turned purple again.
I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing my mind entirely on the avatar.
Sure enough, the marker’s light shifted back to a steady blue.
A wry smile touched my lips. I turned the avatar’s head to check the clock on the wall. About a minute left.
…So this is possible?
The pieces clicked into place. The avatar's physical form wasn't an illusion or some separate entity—it was a perfect match for my own body. In fact, it felt more like a newly grown limb than anything else. It even required resources to maintain; I had to eat for two just to supply the energy for its basic functions. The doubled food bill was the only real downside.
If my main body was the upper half, head included, then the avatar was the lower half, everything but the head. And if I, the head, concentrated my consciousness entirely on that lower half…
I can make the transfer marker recognize the avatar as my real body!
The realization was like a firework exploding in my mind. A thrill of pure joy shivered through me. Just as I was smiling, certain all my problems were solved, a low hum filled the room. The blue magical circle on the floor began to glow, its vibration intensifying.
And then.
[The transfer is about to commence.]
My avatar was pulled into another world.
[The transfer to the Ashen Realm dimension has been completed.]
[Through the 'Return' option at the Karma Shop, you can return to Earth.]
[Currently, Karma owned: 0. You can check it at the Karma Shop later.]
Before the words floating in my vision could fully register, my surroundings flared with light. I was in a forest. Towering trees formed a dense canopy overhead, and the ground was a carpet of grass and wildflowers. It had been a long time since I’d seen anything so natural. Confined to my home for two years, and never much of a hiker before that, a sight like this was from another lifetime.
The thought sent a cold sweat down my back, and my breath hitched. I tried to calm myself. This wasn't the Earth where my accident had happened. I was an Awakened, summoned to another world. Maybe I could make this work. Besides, this wasn't even my real body; it was the avatar. The whole situation was absurd.
I quickly had the avatar close its eyes and shifted my focus back to my body on Earth. The familiar sight of my room greeted me, and I let out a sigh of relief. The oppressive atmosphere I’d lived with for years felt strangely comforting. For a moment, I could almost ignore the sensations from the avatar, but a powerful sense of alienation was already creeping in.
The disconnect between focusing on my real body and my avatar was growing sharper. From the avatar’s perspective, there was the wind whispering past my ears, the rich scent of the forest, the warmth of sunlight on my skin. I could feel its lungs drawing breath, its stomach digesting food, its body expending energy—and it all felt wrong.
"Ugh…" I groaned as a wave of nausea rolled through me. It didn't take long to pinpoint the cause.
I forgot about the time difference!
With countless other worlds in existence, it was naive to assume the flow of time would be a perfect 1:10 ratio. Returnees always talked about slight variations. But the one thing that mattered was that time there was flowing at least ten times faster. Even focusing on my real body, the nausea didn't subside.
For every single breath my real body took, the avatar was taking more than ten. Even though it was just standing still with its eyes closed, its metabolism was churning at a vastly accelerated rate compared to my own, and the sensory dissonance was staggering.
Dizzy… I’m going to be sick.
I couldn't take it anymore. This was unbearable.
"Release the summoning."
Ah… much better.
After lying down for a while, the nausea finally faded. As a sense of peace settled over me, my mind began to race. I felt a surge of accomplishment for having navigated the crisis, but it was tinged with a faint, unplaceable regret. Relieved that I wouldn't have to worry about being transferred to that other world again, I suddenly remembered a message I’d sent a friend and grabbed my phone.
Oh… good, he hasn't seen it yet.
I deleted the panicked message and sent a new one, just a casual check-in. No need to worry him over nothing. And given how things had gone, it was a huge relief I hadn't reported my ability to the Administration for Ability Management. I’d planned on doing it right after returning, but now my thoughts on the matter had completely changed.
It’s not like I plan on committing any crimes, but dealing with the bureaucracy would be a nightmare.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized this ability was perfectly suited for criminal enterprise. You could cover your face, rob a place, then simply vanish. Even if you were a suspect, your real body would have a perfect alibi. The only catch was that releasing the summon would leave behind anything you were carrying, but I was sure there were ways around that.
Of course, it's just a fantasy.
Hadn't I just proven that I couldn't even handle being outside in the avatar's body?
Well, it doesn't matter now.
The crisis was over. No more problems. With a bit of practice, I could probably use my ability to play two-player video games by myself. That sounded like a good enough life for me.
Almost without thinking, I summoned the avatar again.
[Achievement unlocked! Returning to Earth by own power without using the Karma Shop.]
[As a reward for surpassing dimensions, you are granted the special ability 'Dimensional Transfer Stone.' Once a day, you can move to places you have been through the transfer.]
[You have made a significant impact on the world through your achievements. Your Karma has risen significantly.]
"…Huh?"
The system messages I thought I’d never see again were hanging right in front of my eyes.
Karma and the Karma Shop. That was how Awakened returned from other dimensions. You accumulated Karma through all sorts of actions—good deeds, bad deeds, contributions to society, even simple labor—anything that had an impact on the world and its people.
But…
"Check the Karma Shop."
[Karma Shop]
[Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)]
[Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)]
[Status Enhancement - View Details]
[Available Karma - 1,910,213]
In all the chaos, I’d forgotten the message I saw right after the transfer. It said I could accumulate Karma and use the 'Return' option to come home.
Normally, people grind away to earn enough Karma to come back. I managed to come back first and get the Karma afterward.
How to use it was up to me. A returnee had to spend it wisely, balancing raw power with utility. Neglecting your stats could get you killed, but indiscriminate spending could lock you out of crucial opportunities later.
I never expected this. 'Surpassing dimensions'…
It seemed the System had registered my avatar's return from Ashen Realm as my own body transcending dimensions.
Is this a bug? Is this even allowed?
First, I’d tricked the system by sending my avatar instead of myself, and now I was being rewarded for it. Surely, someone would notice.
Ah, whatever. The great System that governs entire dimensions isn't going to smite me for something so small. It's not like I did anything wrong on purpose.
Why was the loophole there in the first place? A bug in the code is the programmer's fault, not the user's. All I did was my best!
What began as self-justification started to sound more and more reasonable with each thought.
Yeah! This isn't my fault! Damn right!
Feeling a surge of pride, I turned my attention to the Karma Shop, ready to spend my newfound fortune.
I’m already on Earth, so 'Return' is useless. The unique skill must be my 'Avatar' ability.
I tapped to view the details of status enhancement, and a dizzying wall of text appeared. Under 'Physical,' there were subcategories like 'Muscular Strength,' which was then broken down into detailed lists of upper and lower body muscles, right down to the biceps and quadriceps. 'Agility' was just as granular, with entries for reflexes, dynamic vision, and more. It was the same for every category.
…They put this much detail into the shop, but they can't give me a simple status window?
Grumbling to myself, I browsed the endless list until one item caught my eye.
[Physical - Endurance - Reinforce Recovery (10,000)]
I stared at it for a long moment, then, as if compelled, I selected it.
There was no dramatic flash. This wasn't like boosting strength; recovery was a gradual process. I wouldn't see an instant change.
[Reinforce Recovery (20,000)]
So I bought it again.
This time, a faint sensation prickled in my legs. I felt like the old injury was mending, knitting itself back together. If I kept this up, it would eventually heal completely.
[Reinforce Recovery (40,000)]
Again.
My legs tingled. The healing process was accelerating. It wouldn't be long now. The Karma cost doubled with each purchase, but compared to my total, it was a drop in the bucket.
[Reinforce Recovery (80,000)]
Again.
The injury in my legs was more than just a physical limitation. It was a constant reminder of my pain, the scar left from being torn from my family, the anchor that kept me chained to this room. It was the physical manifestation of all the sadness, despair, and resignation I had carried for so long.
[Reinforce Recovery (160,000)]
So I bought it one more time.
A surge of power shot through my legs. I lifted my pant leg and stared. The smooth, unblemished skin where a deep surgical scar had once been was now gone.
And then, I knew.
[Recovery has exceeded the standard. Acquired skill: 'Rapid Recovery.']
The leg that had held me back for years was not just healed—it was stronger than it had ever been before.
I was lost in the moment for a long time, reveling in the feeling of having shed one of the shackles that had bound me. It took a while to compose myself. Of course, this didn't solve everything. I still couldn't go outside. But for the first time in years, a flicker of hope ignited within me, a belief that maybe, somehow, I could overcome that too.
I checked the new 'Rapid Recovery' skill. It did exactly what the name implied, dramatically enhancing my body's healing ability. It probably couldn't regrow a severed limb, but it seemed like it could swiftly mend most wounds.
After calming myself, I opened the Karma Shop again.
[Karma Shop]
[Return (1,000,000) (Unavailable)]
[Unique Skill Enhancement (300,000)]
[Status Enhancement – View Details]
[Available Karma - 1,600,213]
How on earth did one achievement give me this much Karma?
I wasn’t complaining, but it was still enough to leave me slightly dazed. My gaze settled on 'Unique Skill Enhancement.' My 'Avatar' ability had been the start of everything. If I strengthened it, what else could I do? Maybe it could help me move forward.
The growth of a unique skill was said to be tailored to the Awakened’s desires. You could hone it over time through practice, but the Karma Shop could accelerate the process significantly. Now that I had a risk-free way to travel to the other world, I just needed to be able to handle it. Hoping this would help, I selected the option.
A brief, sharp headache passed, and at first, I didn't notice any change. The achievement messages had popped up right as I re-summoned the avatar, pushing its presence to the back of my mind.
But then I felt it. My mind had split in two. No, it had always been two, but where one consciousness had previously switched between two bodies, I could now effortlessly divide my thoughts, controlling both bodies independently.
I stood up and faced my avatar. The two separate perspectives felt completely natural, with no sense of confusion or discomfort.
"Well, you're looking as handsome as ever," I said to myself.
"You too," my avatar replied. "Been working out? You look a little bigger."
"Of course. The result of consistent effort."
We could hold a perfectly normal conversation, even if it was just me talking to myself.
To test my limits, I started experimenting. We stood facing each other, performing tasks in perfect sync. We did push-ups and sit-ups simultaneously. I found I could clean the room with one body while browsing the internet with the other. I could even play the two-player games I'd only ever touched when a friend was over.
Oh, this isn't the time for that.
I had gotten sidetracked. With my avatar's help, I put away the game console and organized my thoughts on the enhanced skill. Multitasking was one thing, but this was more like having two separate brains, each capable of its own independent thought process. My mental and spiritual stats must have increased significantly.
And there's one more thing.
I had my avatar pick up a chair from the corner of the room.
Then, I released the summon.
The avatar vanished, and the chair vanished with it. Not only could my avatar now handle its own equipment, but it could take things with it when it was summoned or dismissed. The ability was limited to what I could physically carry, but it was like having my own private pocket dimension. This would be incredibly useful. I nodded in satisfaction and checked the Karma Shop one last time.
[Unique Skill Enhancement (400,000)]
Fortunately, the cost hadn't doubled this time. I could afford to strengthen it again. Without hesitating, I selected 'Unique Skill Enhancement' once more. Another headache pulsed behind my eyes, and a new message appeared.
[Your unique skill has grown, unlocking its potential. You have acquired the special skill 'Mind Hub.']