First avatar (1)

I've been cooped up at home, communicating with the world only through my one remaining friend and the internet.

Well, that's why I have to endure the monthly check-up calls and biannual visits.

"So, the transfer investigation is ineffective! It's just a product of desk work..."

"But we can't just sit back and do nothing..."

Back in the living room, I used the noise from the TV as background, continuing the routine I'd followed for two years.

"Whoosh, grunt!"

Various types of exercise equipment were arranged in one corner of the living room. They were items I'd used daily for rehabilitation training for my leg.

"...No matter how much I do, it's been futile."

While my body had become healthier, that was about it. There was no sign of progress towards my initial goal of recovering my leg.

"Avatar... even so, it's too unfriendly..."

No, I already knew. There was no intuitive and friendly status screen like in games, no detailed skill descriptions. I had to physically move my body to understand my physical abilities and status, and the information imprinted in my mind was all I had about the skills. The direction of my growth was entirely up to me.

"Let's try using it once. I have no idea what I can do with this clone."

Using the ability wasn't difficult. I closed my eyes and used it as imprinted in my mind.

I realized that my unique skill had properly activated.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

There I was in front of me. Clad in loose workout clothes, messy hair, eyes wide open as if observing.

I checked myself over for any abnormalities. It was undoubtedly me, no matter how I looked at it. Even moving my head around felt like looking in the mirror.

When we extended our right hands for a handshake, I could feel the warmth. It was a clear sign that it wasn't an illusion but a tangible entity.

However, I suddenly felt a sense of disorientation in my vision.

Though we had been focusing on each other like looking in the mirror, I hadn't noticed that our vision was overlapping.

It became even more apparent when we stood facing each other. I could now see both in front of and behind me at the same time!

But with a separate body to consider, moving became even more challenging. With two bodies moving separately, my arms and legs got entangled, and the extended field of vision was dizzying. It felt very alien, as if additional parts of my brain were sharing a separate body.

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"Why do I have two brains now?"

But I had no choice but to get used to it. It was the only way I could survive.

Gro~wl...

...Come to think of it, I fainted today without eating anything.

Let's start by tearing into the chicken. It's a survival thing to eat and live.

***

time passed in that state, it would forcibly send the awakened individual to this other world. Leaving all my well-prepared luggage behind, I stood there in my bare body. As the situation unfolded before my eyes, my mind became restless again.

Suddenly, I remembered that I hadn't reported my awakening to the Ability Management Agency, but I realized it was too late to do anything about it in this situation. I immediately erased the thought from my mind.

"Ah... If only someone else could go up there instead of me..."

Of course, it was just a meaningless thought. Twenty-something years had passed since the awakening and inter-world transfers 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 marker would remain red, and it would forcibly send the person who went up, ignoring them.

The inter-world transfer marker only recognizes and operates for the awakened individual. Then, suddenly, a thought grazed my mind.

"Perhaps... No, that's unlikely. But still, what if?"

I immediately used "Avatar." The summoned avatar was dressed in the same loose workout clothes as before, armed with all sorts of items, unlike me. Recalling the sensations I had practiced, the clone clumsily climbed onto the transfer marker. Then, the color of the transfer marker began to change.

"It's working! It's wo... huh?"

Just when it seemed like the light of the transfer marker was turning blue, it stopped in the middle. I sighed with disappointment as I looked at the violet light emanating from the transfer marker.

"Well, I guess so. It wouldn't be that easy, after all."

I was curious about what would happen if time passed in that state, but I didn't intend to experiment with it personally.

If things go wrong, the already minimal chances of survival will converge to zero. So, it was more of a 'try it if it works, if not, move on' kind of situation, but it seemed like I was expecting a lot without realizing it.

Overwhelmed with disappointment, I lost strength in my legs and slumped down in place, glancing at the clock. There were only 5 minutes left now. There really wasn't much time left. Now, I had to steel myself and go up.

I tightly closed my eyes, took one final deep breath, and in my 'sight,' I saw myself, heavily armed, sitting with my eyes closed. With one side of my vision restricted, my focus naturally shifted to the other side, and unknowingly, most of my consciousness was concentrated on the avatar.

Then, the transfer marker began to emit a blue light.