Chapter 17: So It Was Just an Alt Account

5:00 AM, 5:00 PM in-game.

Dachun was woken by his alarm clock and immediately perked up, eager to log in.

—System Notification: Dear player, the Soul Severing ritual is complete. You have obtained a Soul Manifestation Avatar. Your original body’s crimes and a portion of your knowledge and memories have been transferred to this avatar. Dual-client interface enabled. You may now familiarize yourself with the avatar’s attributes and controls.

An avatar!?

The next moment, Dachun found himself sitting in the Resurrection Plaza of Iron-Black City, suffering from a "Death Weakness" debuff, though he was no longer marked as a red-named player.

Holy crap, did my main body die and respawn in the city?

Simultaneously, a picture-in-picture window appeared on the game interface. Dachun switched to it and saw the previous mineral crystal warehouse, though the portal was gone. In the main view stood a pink, half-human-sized creature with two small white clouds on its back—a little angel!?

Holy crap!! Is this picture-in-picture the dual-client interface?

Dachun immediately switched to controlling the avatar. It could move! Holy crap, my avatar is a little angel! Is this a player or an NPC? Is it actually an illusion, or is it actually a little demon?

Dachun immediately checked the avatar’s attributes:

Level: 1. No profession. Each level up grants: Attack +1, Health +1, Stamina +1, Carry Capacity +1, Manifestation Value +1.
Race: Phantom Spirit.
Reputation: -100,000
Attack: 0
Defense: 0
Attack Speed: 10
Movement Speed: 11 (Expert Running +1)
Health: 69 (Manifestation Value +57, Intermediate Mining Pick Dual-Wield +11, Basic Mining Pick Disarm +1)
Carry Capacity: 283 (Master Mining Level 1 +53, Expert Running Level 1 +32, Advanced Swimming Level 10 +30, Advanced Fancy Swimming Level 10 +30, Advanced Underwater Mining Level 10 +30, Advanced Underwater Construction Level 10 +30, Advanced Fishing Level 3 +23, Advanced Gathering Level 1 +21, Intermediate Mining Pick Dual-Wield Level 1 +11, Intermediate Climbing Level 1 +11, Basic Marathon Level 10 +10, Basic Cooking Level 1 +1, Basic Mining Pick Disarm Level 1 +1)
Stamina: 283 (Master Mining Level 1 +53, Expert Running Level 1 +32...)
Leadership: 0
Wisdom: 8
Manifestation Value: 57
Hunger: 0
Special Skill 1: Soul Link. The avatar and main body share knowledge and skills.
Special Skill 2: Manifestation Growth. Can comprehend manifestation skills.
Inventory: 16 Manifestation Mushrooms.

So these were the avatar’s stats. If it hadn’t inherited the carry capacity and stamina bonuses, it would be unimaginably weak. So "Manifestation Value" increases health. There were still mushrooms in the inventory that I hadn't finished eating; I'll have to rely on eating mushrooms to grow in the future. But it didn't inherit the Scavenger profession? And what about the magic stones?

Dachun immediately switched to his main body to check his stats and was stunned!

The Scavenger profession was still there! The 400+ carry capacity and stamina were there too, and the 6 magic stones remained! They didn't drop upon death—was it because the red-name status was cleansed?

However, all the skills he had painstakingly practiced that day were gone. Aside from the "Death Weakness" status, there were two new, previously unseen internal status effects: "Muscle Memory" and "Toxin Residue."

Muscle Memory: Your soul has been stripped away, causing you to forget much of your knowledge, but your muscle memory remains. Perhaps you can rediscover your skills and gain new insights.
Toxin Residue: Your body has consumed a large amount of hallucinogenic toxins, resulting in some lingering negative effects.

Holy crap!! My main character was cleansed, but also ruined. Did my alt become my main?

Wait, there’s no duration on the Death Weakness!

Death Weakness: Your weakness is caused by the soul separation. You must strengthen yourself and nourish your soul to gradually eliminate the weakness.

What the hell does "nourish your soul" mean?

Well, this is the result I wanted. As long as the 400 carry capacity and stamina remain, even if the weakness cuts my stats in half, I can still walk at the speed of a normal player after death, even while carrying six stones that weigh over a hundred each. It won't arouse any suspicion.

Safe is good. Should I send a message to Shirley to let her know I'm okay?

Not yet! The whole city is likely crawling with spies for the big syndicates. Not only can I not contact her, but I also have to remove my escort badge so no player can capture a screenshot or recording of me.

Just then, a familiar voice came from the avatar's side: "What are you waiting for? Pick up your mining pick and follow me to your workstation!"

Dachun switched to the avatar and saw the female angel from before, but now she was wearing tight, shiny black leather armor. It left enough exposed while covering what needed to be covered, and a cross-like badge on her chest was particularly alluring. She held a long leather whip in her hand—quite the vibe!

Dachun couldn't believe it: "Lady Maria?"

The female angel said sternly: "Call me Supervisor. I only oversee the work, and I won't answer any other questions. Given your ability, I'll allow you to take two picks."

Could this supervisor be an avatar of Maria?

How could I not ask! Dachun forced a conversation: "My Lady, is this badge for a member of the clergy?"

The supervisor's gaze turned cold.

Dachun immediately backed down. Better not ask. If asking provided clues, it wouldn't be a hidden scenario anymore, and the big syndicates would crack it in seconds. Besides, the cross she wore was inverted—long at the top and short at the bottom—clearly standing in opposition to the Church.

Dachun took two picks from the warehouse shelf and followed the supervisor out through the same golden door he had entered earlier.

The scene blurred, and Dachun found himself back in the corridor, suddenly seeing a two-headed beast the size of an elephant, made of burning golden light, crouching there! The supervisor flickered and appeared on the beast’s back, and it began to rumble to life. The "little angels" around the corridor were still pecking at the ore like madmen.

So the supervisor rides a mount! It wasn't that the beast couldn't catch me; it was just testing me. If I had actually tried to kill someone, I would have been sanctioned in seconds.

Looking back, the golden door was still there. It seems that the warehouse door, which only appeared to humans when they were dying or poisoned, is just a normal occurrence for the "little angels."

Before long, Dachun returned to the familiar mine. The supervisor pointed her whip at a spot where the color was significantly darker red: "That is your workstation. Do not leave without permission. Do you understand?"

Dachun nodded repeatedly: "Understood!"

He stepped forward to start digging, but suddenly realized this spot was incredibly hard—it wasn't like the previous master-level mining that cut through everything like butter. Is this a super-rare ore that even masters can't handle? I'll need to set up my auto-looting so these little demons don't steal it.

The supervisor was satisfied: "That's better!"

The mount rumbled away.

—System Notification: You can set up auto-AFK in your current scene. Would you like to enable it?

Oh, is it that safe?

Dachun immediately realized how advantageous this was. The alt can AFK in the abyss while the main character can go on adventures or AFK elsewhere. And the income from selling ore—wait! Can you sell ore from the abyss? As a red-named little angel, am I just a slave working for free for my main character?

Just then, the little demons around him whispered, and Dachun was surprised to find he could understand them: "It's him!" "That's him!" "He swindled us out of our big mushroom!"

Holy crap! So, being a dem... er, an angel means I can understand angel-speak now? Even like this, I'm still recognized?

Dachun immediately countered reasonably: "It wasn't my fault; the supervisor showed up, there was nothing I could do!"

The other angels were unconvinced: "You still have some on you! That belongs to us!"

Dream on. That’s my AFK ration.

Just then, two little angels who were noticeably larger than the rest stepped forward: "If it weren't for our Big Brother, you wouldn't even have had the chance for those two feasts. Big Brother doesn't owe you anything!"

"You two only say that because you ate the big mushrooms!"

Dachun was delighted. So these are the two little ones, and they call me Big Brother?! Hahaha, well, it wasn't for nothing that I specifically cultivated them; those top-tier mushrooms really did make them stand out from their peers! Whether in school, at work, or anywhere else, as long as you have two followers, you have a superior status—three make a tiger, and you can crush everyone else.

Dachun gave them a thumbs up: "I can only dig here for now, but if the chance arises, I'll keep digging for that 'feast' for everyone!"

The two little ones clapped: "Big Brother is right!"

Dachun asked again: "Is there anything special about this workstation?"

"We don't know!"

Holy crap! Forget it, I'll just set it to auto-AFK. Let's move the main character.

At this moment, more level 1 players were respawning in the plaza from time to time. Clearly, the massive PvP outside was still ongoing; the syndicates really have deep pockets.

Dachun suddenly realized he didn't know where to go. The harbor bar? No, Vivian is probably at the Fat Baron's house preparing for the spice ball—that dead fat guy deserves to die!

Go to the shipyard and ask the old drunkard? I wouldn't dare, not to mention the shipyard is closed for the night.

Suddenly, Dachun remembered the old drunkard mentioning an old woman who ran an astrology shop in the Dark Alley district that dealt with ghost-repelling. I'll go ask her.

...

Arriving at the Dark Alley district, the lighting was dim and seedy, with all sorts of shady-looking NPCs wandering around drunk, and very few players.

Dachun suddenly regretted coming here. He had six precious stones on him—would they be stolen?

Fortunately, the astrology shop was right at the end of the street. Dachun pushed the door open and entered.

The room was filled with that colorful, mysterious Gypsy-style decor. A plump old woman wearing a large, ornate flower hat that obscured her face sat at a table, on which sat the iconic crystal ball and a deck of cards.

The old woman's voice was unexpectedly elegant: "Young man, you are in big trouble!"

Dachun’s heart tightened: "I... actually don't have any money!"

The old woman sighed: "Your problem isn't something that can be easily solved with money. Your soul is incomplete, leaving your body a hollow shell. This will attract evil spirits to possess you. Even if you cast a spell to drive them away, new ones will just invade. You should avoid places where evil spirits dwell."

But that’s my profession! Dachun asked quickly: "What happens if I'm possessed by an evil spirit?"

"You won't be able to control your own body, and you might go around doing evil things. Even if you end up in prison, you'll be the most troublesome resident..."

Dachun asked again: "Then what should I do?"

"100 mineral coins!"

Isn't that just asking for money? Dachun retorted: "I told you, I don't have any money."

"Then go mine. Come back when you have money."

Holy crap...

Fine, I'll go to the mine and AFK, see if muscle memory can help me recall how to mine.

It was almost dark, and Dachun didn't dare stay in the Dark Alley for another second, so he hurried off toward the mining area.

As he was passing through the wealthy district, the sound of intense, frantic dog barking erupted from all the surrounding streets.

Players on the street were stunned.

—Iron-Black City Announcement: Player "Tata God of War" has triggered the special slum siege event "Wandering Dog King"! The first to kill the super boss, the Wandering Dog King, will receive a generous reward.

Holy crap! A special siege event?