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….
Using the bonfire's warmth as a guide, I looked within myself and- oh, there it was. I could feel my Souls.
800 Souls laid within me. Life essence harvested from that shithead Exorcist.
I tried feeling if I had any more than that, but no luck. It seemed that killing that Stray fuck the first night didn't net me any Souls since I still wasn't undead.
Now to the important bit. I concentrated and once again began to search within myself, specifically, all that I was, all of my strength, all of MY-
…Oh, was this a joke?
LVL: 1
SOULS: 800
—
Vitality: 8
Attunement: 0
Endurance: 8
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 12
Resistance: 15
Intelligence: 10
Faith: 0
—
Humanity: 0
Why… Why could I feel a perfectly ordered sheet? Were those supposed to be my… what, characteristics? Statistics?
Why the fuck was the most magical part of this fucking experience so far, that didn't involve using a magazine or a fucking ancient computer for upgrading myself, involve an actual numbers sheet?
I felt terribly disappointed with the discovery, dreading having to worry about more 'character' bullshit. It didn't help that it seemed actually worse than the upgrades I got while sleeping.
No matter, these were supposed to be aimed at increasing my own strength, and goddamn I was gonna get stronger.
In fact, that Strength stat looked miserable, if I wanted to increase it…
I felt for my 'Strength' stat, and I tried using my Souls to upgrade it. As soon as I had the thought, I felt the cost of such an action.
Strength: 8 ⇒ 9
Cost: 673
What a useless fucking cunt I murdered yesterday. He was such a pain in the ass to kill and yet he only gave me enough to barely increase a stat. Before I upgraded, though, I gave the transaction some thought.
Was Strength really what I needed here? Could there possibly be a more important aspect of myself that was worth upgrading?
…
The fuck was I talking about? I wanted the big fucking muscles, and I was punching those devils to death if they ever got too close to me. The secret weapon, as it were.
Confirming the upgrade, I felt my Strength increase… a little bit, but that was fine. It would add up, eventually. After the upgrade, I was left with barely a few Souls.
Souls: 127
I idly noticed that the cost of upgrading all stats had increased, but I didn't bother analyzing this stat sheet any further.
Whenever I had Souls to spend, I'd just spend them on Strength and fuck all else.
If I spent an entire lifetime already doing math only to fail miserably in the end, I would NOT do the same in this one. Fuck that.
Now, it was time to buy some clothes, then take a shower. I had spotted a very cheap clothing store while exploring the city, and I already had some ideas on how I wanted to look.
This was my afterlife, baby. I needed to at least not look like shit while I cruised through it.
….
"Hm… maybe a haircut, too? Is having an unshaven mug aesthetically pleasing these days…?"
Inside the petrol station bathroom, I was doing one of the harshest and cruelest methods of torture known to mankind.
"Shit, are my eyes really this bloodshot?"
Looking at myself in the mirror. Well, I could always look at myself using E.E, but it was better to just focus on the mirror and pay no mind to the infinite eyes looking at my horrid self from every direction.
Granted, it wasn't as bad as usual. For one, I had just taken a shower for the first time in…
…I felt a sudden urge to not discuss this particular topic. Let's just say that it took me dying to actually get myself cleaned up for once.
Aside from that, I was wearing honest-to-god new clothes. Well, new second-hand clothes, I wasn't about to waste my entire budget on clothing since I was still missing a solution for my bullet problem, and I didn't want to splurge on things before getting that settled.
A clean (it was sad that I had to clarify this) gray long-sleeved shirt hugged my upper-body, feeling quite snug and comfy.
I was also wearing a fresh pair of loosely-fitting black jeans, with a cheap leather-belt securing it to my waist.
I also naturally bought some cheap socks and boxers.
My shoes were the same as always though, since they weren't atrociously dirty or torn apart. New ones were also expensive as shit.
Overall, this little expenditure ran me about $68 USD. A steal, if we're being honest, since I also got a jacket that's folded next to me. A neat gray parka jacket that would help with the nightly cold.
I had $128 USD left after the little shopping trip. $118 after paying for access to the shower, a toothbrush and toothpaste, some deodorant, plus the little packets of shampoo and soap.
Kuoh was now hosting the cleanest hobo in the world.
"Tch, maybe I should just mug people."
Concerning statements like that were made as I turned my face from one side to the other while gazing at myself.
It had been a long time since I saw myself with damp, clean hair and although my face still looked ghastly in general considering my recent zombification, it was better than the usual, feeling myself fresh for a change.
I thoughtfully rubbed my chin, feeling the hairs of my stubble.
"I don't look half-bad…. I could trim this bitch, though."
Nodding sagely, I washed my face using the faucet, then began saving my hygiene stuff inside my backpack (which still reeked of trash, but you know, baby-steps) and finally wore the jacket, leaving it unzipped.
…Huh.
"I actually don't look homeless, for once."
Good as that fact was, it still didn't change that at the end of the day I'd go to sleep by a bonfire inside an alleyway… still, dress for the job you want and all that, this was a good change.
Now that the matter of my personal hygiene was finally taken care of after God knows how long, I exited the showers, bought myself another McTeriyaki burger on the way ($113 left), and then, by 1 PM, I reached a payphone.
….
Hey guys if u like the fanfic and want to read ahead by 22+ Chapters or just want to support take a visit on my patreon.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
http://patreon.com/Marin_kitawaga