Chapter 2 : Avatar (1)

In an era where awakening mysterious abilities meant a ticket to other worlds, with a chance of return upon completing certain conditions, our society was plunged into chaos, becoming the crux of the current disorder.

-On a commercial building in Jeonnam, a massive fire is being subdued by firefighters.

-The arsonist fled the scene, now in hiding, and the Awakened Management Bureau is treating this as a pre-transfer crime by an Awakener.

"Things have been particularly aggressive lately," I muttered, turning away from the TV blaring today's news. Nowadays, it seems incidents and accidents are incessant, though I, confined to my room, have no part in it.

'The despair-driven crimes before the low-survival-rate transfer, and the turmoil caused by those who return...'

As if mocking the doomsday prediction of the year 2000, the world, now two decades later, is still standing. Not intact, but surviving, adapting to this new era of change. And I am a victim of this transitional period.

Two years have passed since I became isolated due to the trauma of losing my family to an Awakener's terror.

Ding-dong―

I limped towards the intercom, my leg still uncomfortable from the accident's aftermath.

'Is it that day already?'

A person with a familiar face but a bureaucratic expression stood at the door.

"Hello. I'm from the Awakened Management Bureau's Transfer Investigation Department. Are you Sung-hyun Han?"

The official's voice, despite our several encounters, was as impersonal as ever.

"Yes... As you see."

Undeterred by my sullen response, the investigator glanced between his electronic pad and my face before swiftly concluding the visit.

"Yes, everything seems in order. Please report to the Awakened Management Bureau if you awaken any abilities. Have a good day."

Click―

The brief interaction, my only outside contact in six months, ended in less than a minute.

-As awakenings and transfers happen at random, there's no way to track who has awakened or disappeared, is there?

-Though it's mandatory to report after awakening, the world doesn't always follow such principles. We need more foundational solutions!

Ignoring the noisy TV panel discussion, I headed to the kitchen.

'Oh, I've run out of food.'

Hoping against hope, I opened the cupboard, only to be greeted by emptiness. Sighing, I picked up my smartphone to order groceries but decided against it.

'...Later. I'll just order delivery.'

The accident robbed me of my family, my leg, and my courage. Since that day, my only connection to the outside world has been through the internet, with my one remaining friend. Despite the monthly calls and biannual visits for verification, it's a small price to pay.

-The debate on transmission investigation being ineffective! Just bureaucratic paperwork...

-We can't just stand by and do nothing...

Returning to the living room, I resumed my routine of the past two years with the TV's noise as my company.

Huff, puff!

Surrounded by various exercise equipment for my leg's rehabilitation, I've not missed a day's training.

'...Though it never really helped.'

Physically healthier, yes, but my leg's recovery remained elusive.

Continuing out of habit, hoping to overcome my disability and the trauma associated with it. Giving up felt like losing everything.

Sigh...

Overwhelmed by a sense of failure, I dropped the dumbbell and gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought.

How did I end up here? Surely, I'm not the only one suffering. Why can't I overcome this fear, this trembling at the mere thought of stepping outside?

Would things have been different if I had more courage, if I could just leave this room?

As I spiraled into self-loathing...

"Dimensional inflection point detected. Connecting to the Akasha System."

The sudden message had me leaping from my chair.

"Awakening your unique skill."

"Wait, what? Now?"

Panic set in. Awakening abilities meant potential transfer to another world. But how could I, afraid to even step outside, survive in another realm?

Despite my predicament, the messages continued.

"Awakening complete. You have awakened the unique skill "Avatar.""

"24 hours until transfer."

And with that final message, I blacked out.

***

"Ugh... My head..."

Waking with a throbbing headache, it was already dark outside. Thirst led me to gulp down water in the kitchen when a realization struck.

'My leg... it's better?'

Testing my leg's movement, it wasn't fully healed but significantly improved.

'Physical enhancement after awakening? Could this lead to a full recovery?'

I halted my optimistic thoughts to face reality.

Even with my leg's discomfort, what were the chances of surviving and growing in another realm, only to return?

'Likely, I'd die somewhere shortly after arriving.'

Even athletes and special forces members often don't return.

Of course, that doesn't mean I can just give up.

"'Avatar' huh..."

Recalling the awakening, the information imprinted in my mind surfaced.

〈Unique Skill "Avatar" - Creates a duplicate.〉

"Talk about unhelpful..."

Sure, I had some knowledge about it, but this awakening lacked the intuitive, user-friendly interface of a game, detailing abilities and statuses. Learning about my physical abilities and skill involved direct, personal exploration, the minimal information imprinted in my mind being all I had. The direction of growth was entirely up to me.

"Guess I should try it out. See what I can do with a duplicate."

Using the ability felt straightforward.

After following the imprinted instructions, I immediately knew the skill had activated successfully.

Opening my eyes, there I was, staring back at me.

Dressed in shabby sweatpants, hair a mess, eyes half-closed as if observing me, I examined this clone for any discrepancies.

From every angle, it was undeniably me, even mimicking my movements as if looking in a mirror.

Our right hands met in a handshake, warmth confirming it wasn't just an illusion but a real entity.

Suddenly, I felt a dissonance in my field of vision. Focused on each other, we hadn't noticed the overlapping views. Standing back to back, the anomaly became clear.

Now, I could see both in front and behind simultaneously!

However, managing two bodies made moving awkward. The independent operation of each, combined with the expanded field of vision, was disorienting.

'It's like having two brains!'

But adapting was the only way forward, my sole chance at survival.

Grumble―

...I had collapsed from hunger earlier today. Best start with chicken. After all, this is all about survival.

***

Hours later.

"Ah, this isn't working."

It had been overly ambitious.

I'd gotten somewhat used to it, mastering summoning and dismissal, able to move normally if one body remained still.

Yet, attempting to move both simultaneously resulted in hesitant, sluggish movements.

'Can I even maneuver properly outside...'

If more time were available, perhaps I could've adapted further, but time was a luxury I didn't have.

"Time to prepare for the transfer."

I began organizing items I had and those ordered before practicing: a large bag filled with survival tools like a fire starter, multi-tool, portable knife, easy-to-eat preserved food, and water bottles.

Real weapons were out of the question, restricted by the transfer process. Even attempts abroad to carry firearms failed, with knives barely permissible.

I also packed protective gear: an open-face motorcycle helmet for unobstructed vision, shin guards, arm guards, and a stab-proof vest. These were preparations my parents had made before their demise, stored just in case.

'I never thought I'd actually use them...'

I tried contacting my only friend, to no avail. He had mentioned being unreachable due to work. Regretfully, I texted my thanks before setting the phone aside.

I reviewed sites on other worlds, trying to calm my nerves. The destinations varied, with hundreds identified, so predicting my landing was impossible. But knowing something felt better than ignorance.

The anxiety over my unpolished ability, the fear of adapting to another dimension, clashed with a desperate determination to survive.

As I took a deep breath to settle my nerves, a blue-lit transfer circle appeared beneath me.

"10 minutes until transfer."

Staring down at the circle, I knew stepping off it meant embarking on a struggle for survival in an unknown world.

'The aging of my body will follow Earth's time while I'm away, right? If I survive, it'll definitely be worth it.'

Time flows differently in other worlds, roughly 1:10 on average.

'...Surviving there for about 10 years means just a year here, huh. Great, a decade.'

Backing away inadvertently, the circle began emitting a red light—a warning.

Remaining in this state meant a forced transfer, leaving behind all my preparations for an unarmored start.

As the reality hit, my mind raced with regret over not reporting my awakening. But what difference would it make now?

'Agh, if only someone else could take my place...'

A futile wish.

After twenty years of awakenings and transfers, every conceivable method had been tried.

Others stepping into the circle wouldn't change its color; it would ignore them, forcibly sending the Awakener instead.

Transfer circles recognized only the Awakener.

Then, an idea flickered.

'Perhaps... No, but what if?'

Activating "Avatar," my duplicate appeared in its original, unkempt state.

Moving it onto the circle, the color began to change.

"Is it working? Did it...?"

The circle turned purple, halting midway.

Watching the purple glow, I sighed in disappointment.

'So, it was too good to be true.'

Curiosity about what might happen if the circle's timer ran out lingered, but I had no intention of finding out firsthand. Any deviation from the norm could plummet my already slim survival chances to zero.

It was a shot in the dark, a desperate gamble I'd hoped against hope might work. Yet, deep down, I had harbored a significant amount of hope, now dissipated into the realm of what-ifs. Sinking to the floor, defeat weighing heavily on me, I glanced at the clock. Only 5 minutes remained.

Time was running out, and reality wasn't waiting for anyone, least of all me. It was time to steel my resolve and step into the unknown.

With a deep, steadying breath, I prepared myself for the leap into another world.

Then, in 'my view,' something extraordinary happened. While I had my eyes closed, resigning myself to fate, the world from the avatar's perspective remained clear. One side of my vision was limited, naturally drawing my focus toward the avatar's perspective, inadvertently concentrating my consciousness there.

And the transfer circle started to emit a blue light once more.

The realization hit me like a wave; my unique ability, my 'Avatar,' might just be the key to not just survival but thriving in the unknown realms beyond.