feeling that had become familiar over the years strangely comforted me. Even temporarily ignoring the sensations felt from the avatar's side, soon a strong sense of alienation set in.
There was a growing discomfort as I recognized the difference between concentrating on the avatar and focusing on my real body. The wind brushing my ears, the scent of the forest, the warmth of the sunlight on my skin, the process of inhaling and exhaling, the digestion of consumed food into energy, and the expenditure of that energy—all of it felt strange.
"Ugh...," I moaned. A strong nausea was creeping up on me. Soon enough, I understood the cause.
'I've been forgetting about the difference in time flow!'
Considering the existence of various other worlds, it wasn't accurate to assume that the flow of time in each world was precisely 1:10. Based on the experiences of returnees, there would inevitably be some degree of error. But what mattered now was that the time difference was at least 10 times. Despite concentrating my senses towards my real body, the nausea didn't abate.
While my real body took one breath, the avatar took more than ten. Despite standing still with my eyes closed, the avatar's metabolism was significantly faster than that of my currently moving body, making the disparity starkly apparent.
'Dizzy... I feel like I'm going to vomit.'
No, this won't do. I can't endure it any longer.
"Release the summoning."
Ah... that's better.
***
After lying down for a while, the nausea subsided. With a sense of peace settling in, various thoughts started to flood my mind. There was a sense of accomplishment in having somehow safely overcome the crisis, along with a subtle sense of regret for some reason. Feeling relieved that there would be no more transfers to this other world, I suddenly remembered a message I had sent to my friend and hurriedly checked my phone.
'Oh... luckily, he hasn't seen it yet.'
I deleted the sent message and sent a new one inquiring about his well-being. There was no need to unnecessarily worry him. Given the way things had turned out, it was fortunate that I hadn't reported it to the Administration for Ability Management.
Initially, I had intended to report it immediately upon returning, but with the change in circumstances, my feelings had shifted.
'I don't have any intention of committing a crime with this, but it's just too troublesome to deal with the complications.'
Upon closer examination, it was an ability perfectly suited for criminal activities. If one covered their face, committed a robbery, and then vanished, it could lead to a perfect crime. Even if there were suspicions, the real body could provide an alibi.
Upon releasing the summoning, any additional belongings would be left behind. However, there must be a way to make ends meet, considering that methods could be found.
'Of course, it's just a delusion.'
Didn't I confirm a while ago that I couldn't even go outside in the avatar state?
akin to creating a kind of extra-dimensional space.
This ability would undoubtedly be a great help in the future, and with the expectation of that, I nodded satisfactorily and checked the Karma Shop again.
[Unique Skill Enhancement (400,000)]
Fortunately, enhancing the unique skill didn't seem to double the cost each time. At any rate, I could strengthen it a bit more. Without hesitation, I selected 'Unique Skill Enhancement' once more, and with a headache, a message appeared before my eyes.
[Your unique skill has grown, unlocking its potential. You have acquired the special skill 'Mind Hub.']