As the party drew to a close, Ren made his way to his bedroom for the first time, guided there by Texas.
Along the way, she pointed out whose rooms were whose and what each was used for, including showing him the location of the communal shower room near the common area.
Texas mentioned that although everyone's private bedrooms had en-suite bathrooms, most of them usually used the communal shower room since it was the only place with a working water heater. He could use it too, she said—but she strongly advised him not to go there around 9 AM or 9 PM. That was when Exusiai and some of the others, who weren't exactly modest, would come out of the showers barely dressed. She warned that seeing them like that might make him uncomfortable.
Ren nodded seriously and promised her he'd steer clear during those times.
Strangely, Texas seemed more concerned about him than the others...
When they finally arrived at his room, Texas made a parting remark before leaving:
"Exusiai is curious by nature and hasn't been working here long. So if she does or says something strange, try not to take it to heart."
"But if she ever does anything that genuinely bothers you, you can tell me. I'll talk to her about it."
And with that, Texas didn't wait for his reply—she simply shut the door and hurried off.
Ren blinked in surprise at her sudden exit, then smiled faintly.
'She's kind of shy, isn't she?'
"Thank you, Miss Texas!" he called out loudly, hoping she'd hear his thanks even if she was already gone.
Left alone in his room, Ren sat down on the bed, glancing around at the sparse furnishings. The only notable things were an air conditioner and a wardrobe.
"A bit too soft," he muttered, patting the mattress lightly.
Even though he'd never been picky about beds, someone who had spent years confined to just one would naturally feel uneasy sleeping on something unfamiliar. Still, he told himself he'd have to adjust. After all, he was in a new world now—with a stronger body than before.
'Come to think of it... I haven't checked out that outfit I bought, have I?'
The earlier party had nearly made him forget all about the Zhongli costume he bought for 2,000 points.
When he took it out from his inventory, he couldn't help but be impressed by the elegant black-and-brown outfit he now held—one he recognized instantly.
"It really does look like Zhongli's outfit... but this..." Ren's expression became conflicted as he held it up against his body.
Wasn't it a bit too big?
"Wasn't it supposed to be my size?" he grumbled, feeling like he'd been scammed.
Still, he clung to a small hope that the clothes would auto-adjust to his size like the ones in the sci-fi movies he'd seen.
Unfortunately, he'd hoped in vain. Not only did the outfit not resize, it was so loose that even he couldn't justify wearing it.
Worse yet...
[Zhongli Imitation Rate: 28% ⇢ 25%]
Ren winced instantly.
'Not only did it not increase... it decreased?'
Seeing his 2,000 points vanish like that left him deflated—until a system message popped up.
[With great power comes great burden. To perfectly imitate Zhongli, talent alone is not enough. One must be resolute and train diligently.]
"Train... You mean train what exactly?"
[Everything. Being Zhongli isn't just about attitude. One must also possess the perfect body and combat skill. These things come only through years of discipline.]
"..." In the silence that followed, Ren let out a long sigh.
"I take back what I said earlier about you being a kind system. You're a damn demon..."
When no further messages came from the system, Ren changed back into his regular clothes and returned to sit on the bed. His imitation rate went back to normal as soon as he changed.
It was clear now that he didn't meet the requirements to wear that outfit—not with his current body.
"Exercise, huh..." Ren muttered with a sigh.
Back in his old life, he'd tried physical therapy many times. But no matter how hard he tried, it never ended well.
Even though doctors and nurses had always cheered him on, their words only added to the pressure he felt. Eventually, that pressure made him quit physical therapy altogether.
'Because deep down, I knew my illness couldn't be cured that way...'
But now, if he didn't exercise, he wouldn't be able to increase his imitation rate. Besides, his current body was still weak. Exusiai—supposedly the weakest of the Sanktas—could drag him around without breaking a sweat.
"Exactly... It's just exercise. How hard can it be?" Ren said to himself with new resolve, pulling out his phone to look up beginner workout routines.
When he found out that even a beginner's exercise guide cost 60 LMD, he clenched his teeth in frustration.
'Damn this capitalist system!'
But in the end, he bought it anyway—grudgingly.