The next day...
Or, more accurately, twelve hours later by standard Earth time?
Under the imminent pressure from outside, the second phase of the "Avatar" program had to officially begin ahead of schedule. At the same time, the related training courses got underway. That much was clear from the clumsy performances of the second-phase Avatar trainees in the spacious training room at the base's research center—a room converted from another mine shaft. Some stood, some sat, and others staggered around as they tried to learn how to walk.
Of course, not everyone was as clumsy as those second-phase trainees!
See?
Someone had only been linked to an Avatar body for less than half an hour, yet this little female Avatar, who looked a bit like a certain little girl, was already growing impatient. She tossed a small fireball from one hand and propped her chin up with the other as she began to complain:
"You guys are really so clumsy!!"
(_)
"Look at you! It's been almost half an hour, and you still have to slowly relearn simple things like eating, sleeping, and walking?"
(°ー°〃)
Maybe it was because these Avatar bodies were so physically capable. Maybe it was the balance system in the Oasis game. Or maybe Annie's own incredible balance and athletic reflexes had played a part?
Whatever the reason, Annie had mastered these strange alien bodies called Avatars almost the instant she linked up with one. They felt no different from playing a VR game, and what pleased her even more was that the magic and mana of her Arcane Archmage seemed to have transferred completely from her VR-game body into this Avatar.
She was very pleased with that. Before long, she was starting to lose patience with those clumsy people...
"..."
"..."
The Marine combat personnel