Other world (1)

Elijah sat on his bed, his eyes fixed on the small black avatar standing before him. It was an odd, shadowy figure, its form vaguely humanoid but lacking any distinct features. Intrigued, Elijah decided to test it out.

He reached for a book on his nightstand and tossed it lightly toward the avatar. To his surprise, the figure moved quickly, catching the book with ease. Elijah raised an eyebrow, impressed by its agility. 

"Bring it back to me," he commanded, and the avatar obeyed, placing the book gently in his hands. Elijah smiled slightly, pleased with its responsiveness.

Next, he pointed at his wheelchair, which was a few feet away. "Bring it closer."

The avatar moved without hesitation, grasping the wheelchair and dragging it toward the bed. As it did so, Elijah noticed something unusual—the ease with which it handled the task. The wheelchair wasn't particularly heavy, but the avatar's small size made its strength surprising.

When the chair was beside him, Elijah marveled at how the small figure had managed to pull it without any visible strain. "You're stronger than you look," he muttered, a flicker of excitement in his voice. 

But even as he admired the avatar's capabilities, Elijah felt a strange disconnect. There was something there, a connection between them, but he couldn't quite grasp it. It was like a puzzle with missing pieces, a mystery that eluded him.

With a sigh, Elijah leaned back against the headboard. "I wanted something more useful," he confessed, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Something like the ability to control fire, or something combat-related. Even if I got a summoning ability, why isn't it a giant wolf or something powerful like the ones in the videos?"

He stared at the small figure, its featureless face reflecting nothing back at him. "Instead, I get you," he said softly, though not unkindly.

Elijah's thoughts turned inward, trying to figure out his next steps. He needed to cultivate—to grow stronger—but doing so in the normal world wouldn't be as efficient as it would be in the other world, especially the Soul Energy he could get from the monsters he hunts. Plus, he lacked the resources that could assist him in his cultivation. There were so many things he needed, but he didn't know where to start.

"Should I go to the other world?" he mused aloud, recalling what he had read in the guide. He knew how to use the emblem to jump through the veil into the other world, a place where Bellatores like him could grow stronger. From the guide, he learned that all new Bellatores would appear in a Wanderer base—a safe zone set up by the Union and the government to help new Bellatores acclimate.

Elijah hesitated, unsure if he was ready to take that step. "I need to cultivate," he said, looking at the small dark avatar standing beside him, unmoving. "Maybe this guy wouldn't be so useless after all."

He had seen the avatar lift his wheelchair with surprising ease. "He's small, but maybe size doesn't matter."

Determined to test its limits further, Elijah changed into more comfortable clothes. Then he opened his closet, ordering the avatar to reach inside and grab a large metal box hidden in the back. The avatar complied, pulling out the heavy box and placing it in front of him.

"It would have taken me forever to get that thing out," Elijah chuckled, impressed once again by the avatar's strength. He opened the box, revealing its contents: a set of clothes and a large knife in a sheath. This was supposed to be his equipment for when he awakened, prepared by his parents. They had been confident he would awaken eventually; after all, children of Bellatores usually became Bellatores themselves.

But this thought made Elijah pause, his mind drifting back to the past. *Was I seen as a threat by someone?* he wondered. The harassment, the physical attacks that had left him crippled—it had all come out of nowhere. The hate and malice directed toward him had been too intense, too personal.

"You might have succeeded in crippling me," Elijah muttered, his voice low and filled with anger, "but I will find a way to pay you back for everything you did to me."

His eyes burned with a fierce determination as he put on the clothes from the box—a set of modern spider silk armor, lightweight yet incredibly durable, perfect for protection against stabs, monster claws, and more. He strapped the knife to his side, readying himself for whatever lay ahead.

As he turned to the avatar, intending to dismiss it, something stirred within him—an instinct he felt before, the connection between them, and a new set of information that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. Elijah froze, stunned by what he had just found out. He looked at the avatar and waved his hand, his heart beating loudly in his chest.

To his astonishment, the avatar moved toward him, its form fluid and almost liquid-like, and it merged with him, enveloping his body, particularly his legs. A thin, but noticeable dark layer covered Elijah, and suddenly, with some effort, he found himself standing.

"I can stand again," Elijah whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. He took a deep breath, tears of joy streaming down his face. The avatar wasn't just a summon that followed his orders—it was a support ability, one that suited him perfectly.

"Although," Elijah said with a slight chuckle, "the one moving my body is the avatar, so I'll need to get used to controlling it to walk properly. Otherwise, I'll look like an idiot!"

The realization that his ability wasn't just a simple summoning power filled Elijah with renewed hope. This avatar was more than it seemed, and now, standing on his own two feet, Elijah felt a sense of possibility he hadn't felt in years.

Elijah stood, a smile spreading across his face as he took his first steps around the apartment. The sensation was surreal—he was walking again, albeit with the avatar's support, but it felt real enough. He moved slowly at first, carefully directing the avatar to mimic the motion of his legs. Each step was deliberate, his movements slightly stiff as he adjusted to the new experience.

With each pass through the small space, his confidence grew. The stiffness began to fade, replaced by a smoother, more natural gait. He walked from the bed to the kitchen, then from the kitchen to the living room, his steps becoming more fluid with every lap. The sensation of walking after so long filled him with an overwhelming sense of joy. He couldn't help but smile, feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his soul.

After a while, Elijah headed to his bedroom, grabbed a small, worn-out backpack, and began packing. He didn't have much, but he filled the bag with what little he could. He stuffed in some food—just a few granola bars and a couple of apples—along with an extra set of clothes. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he grabbed a large kitchen knife from a drawer and slid it into the bag.

"You never know if I'll need this," he murmured, patting the knife that hung from his waist. It wasn't much, but a second backup weapon gave him a bigger sense of security.

He paused for a moment, thinking about the avatar's unique traits. "Luckily, the avatar doesn't have a summoning time limit," Elijah mused, feeling grateful. "Once it's here, it stays, feeding on the Soul Energy in the atmosphere to keep itself functioning. The only thing that would consume my own Soul Energy reserves would be summoning it—that's it."

Curious about his progress, Elijah opened the watch to check his stats. The screen flashed with new information:

Name: Elijah 

Status: Awakened 

Physical Condition: Crippled 

Realm: (None) 

Ability: ??????? (Level 1) 

Soul Level: 2% 

Strength: 9 (+6)

Agility: 6 (+4)

Endurance: 8 (+4)

His eyes widened in surprise. "Is this from the support of the avatar? Awesome!" he exclaimed, excitement bubbling up within him. The boost in his physical stats made him feel powerful, more capable than he had in a long time.

"Now, I'm confident I can hunt at least the weakest monsters in that place," Elijah laughed, a newfound determination in his voice. The thought of facing monsters didn't seem as daunting anymore. With the avatar's support, he felt ready to take on the challenges that lay ahead.

Elijah took a deep breath, remembering the guide's instructions. He focused on the emblem on the back of his hand, feeling the faint pulse of energy within it. Carefully, he directed a wisp of Soul Energy into the emblem, just as the guide had instructed.

In an instant, the world around him began to swirl. His vision darkened, and a wave of nausea hit him hard, making him lose his balance. The sensation was overwhelming, and he struggled to keep himself steady.

Before he could fully recover, a rough voice broke through the disorienting haze. "A new one is here, haha!" someone laughed heartily. "This happens to everyone on their first jump. Go sit down and try to calm down, someone will get you some water."

Elijah blinked, trying to focus as his vision slowly cleared. He was no longer in his apartment. Instead, he found himself in a new place, surrounded by unfamiliar faces. The rough voice belonged to a burly man standing nearby, who was grinning widely.