The Pathogenized world,
all kinds of existences beyond common sense and abilities waiting to be developed,
as well as the mysterious organization he was about to visit—
endless unknowns awaited exploration.
Yi Chen had been so excited that he had slept for only four hours the previous night... Perhaps because he had obtained the Pathogenization Trait, he was not tired at all. Both his spirits and appearance were in excellent condition.
The moment he stepped through the Cemetery gates,
he had expected fresh air, warm sunlight, and townspeople of all kinds, brimming with vitality.
However,
the streets were not much better than the Cemetery.
The wind blowing toward him carried a thick smell—that of crude oil, industrial waste, metal, and various by-products. He could almost taste it.
Beyond rows of short, steep-roofed town buildings, several thick chimneys could be seen releasing exhaust fumes.
The sunlight was not as bright as he had expected, either.
The sky seemed to have been covered with several layers of fine fabric, allowing only sparse rays to reach the ground. They were not even enough to disperse the dark dust left behind from the previous night.
There were no more townspeople within sight than he could count on one hand.
They seemed unwilling to expose their bodies to the air, wrapping themselves from head to toe in large pieces of cloth.
Even their faces were covered by crude homemade masks. Hunched over, they tried their best to breathe air close to the ground.
The entire town was strange and cold,
with even a trace of despair mixed in.
"This world... is even worse than I imagined."
Just then, a cheerful rubbing sound came from his shoulder.
The furry Black Flesh Ball seemed to have just woken up.
It opened its mouth wide, spat out the black-and-white eyeballs inside, and kept rubbing them... as if stretching after a nap.
Two slender black hands waved back and forth like ripples.
"We finally left this damned Cemetery. This is great!
Before beginning our adventure, let's get something to eat... I haven't fed for a long time."
"Sure. What do you want to eat?"
"Grapes. Lots of grapes..."
When the Black Flesh Ball said the word "grapes," it pointed at its own eyeballs at the same time. Yi Chen naturally understood what "grapes" truly meant to it.
He did not find anything inappropriate about it.
Thinking of the world he had lived in before, plenty of people liked eating things such as fish eyes and roasted pig eyes.
"All right, but we need to visit a clothing store first."
At present,
Yi Chen was wearing only a shabby, torn shirt.
There were holes running through the sleeves, while his waist, abdomen, and trouser legs were marked with claw tears.
Combined with William Berens's body, which had not washed its hair or bathed for several days, he would have been at the Lowest Level even among beggars.
As he walked through the town's relatively spacious streets,
he saw cracks between the paving stones filled with melon-seed shells, dirty water, and the rotting corpses of insects, since no one had cleaned the streets for a long time.
The number of pedestrians had fallen year by year, and a large number of shops had long since closed.
The remaining shops were merely scraping by and could go under at any time.
The sight made Yi Chen wonder whether a respectable clothing store really existed here.
Just as he was wondering,
a building utterly unlike the surrounding houses came into view around a street corner.
It was primarily black, with a strong Gothic style—tall and slender.
Someone seemed to be secretly peering at the outside world through the narrow windows.
The whole place felt refined yet gloomy, like an aristocratic building found only in a major city. It was completely out of place in this dilapidated town.
The copper-framed sign by the entrance read—Maurice & Sad.
With the visual enhancement provided by the Little Meatball, he could see the high-end clothing inside even through the window.
"This should be the most upscale clothing store in town that Mr. Wilbert mentioned.
"Come to think of it, running a clothing store like this must cost a great deal every day. The townspeople's incomes should make it difficult for them to shop here.
"Why does a store like this exist?"
Filled with doubt,
Yi Chen crossed the filthy street and pushed open the front door of the clothing store under the gazes of the masked residents.
Jingle~
The Silver Bell attached to the doorframe rang at the same time.
A faint, delicate fragrance quickly enveloped his senses, drowning out the industrial stench lingering in his nostrils.
The scent instantly filtered Yi Chen away from the ruined town and drew him into this elegant, quiet clothing store.
All kinds of hand lanterns were scattered throughout the store,
above the wardrobes,
in the corners by the walls,
or displayed alone as decorations on various stands.
The interwoven lamplight revealed the entire clothing store to its customers while lending it warmth and security.
A woman wearing a flower-trimmed formal hat, with her face hidden behind a Veil and her long skirt trailing across the floor, emerged from the inner room.
The firelight outlined a beautiful face behind the Veil, as if it had been painted.
Yi Chen had expected the Boss to look down on his shabby appearance and perhaps even throw him out.
However,
the woman stopped in front of him.
Behind the Veil, she sniffed lightly,
capturing the unique Cemetery scent clinging to Yi Chen.
"How rare. It has been a long time since a living person managed to leave the Cemetery... Wilbert sent you, didn't he?"
"Yes.
"Mr. Wilbert told me to come here and buy a well-fitting outfit before boarding the carriage."
Yi Chen immediately took the metal Business Card from his trouser pocket.
"Do you need to leave in such a hurry today?"
"Yes."
"In that case, you can only choose ready-made clothes... Once you pass the organization's examination, go to the Tailor Shop over there for Full Customization."
The Boss's Wife had mentioned the word "organization." It seemed that she herself and this clothing store were connected to the organization, which explained where their financial backing came from.
"I wonder if the money I have is enough."
Yi Chen took out all his earnings from working in the Cemetery—the Silver Coins filling a small pouch.
However,
The Boss's Wife did not even look at the loose coins.
Instead, she grabbed Yi Chen's wrist in one motion, her sharp nails nearly piercing his skin.
Through this simple contact,
The Boss's Wife not only measured his body but also read some information from within it.
"No wonder you managed to walk out of the Cemetery alive, and even obtained Wilbert's Business Card and a Cemetery Product. So you willingly accepted the Pathogenization. How interesting."
The Boss's Wife withdrew her hand as she spoke,
taking nearly half the Silver Coins from the pouch in the process.
"I happen to have a ready-made outfit that matches your measurements.
"However, before trying it on, you should 'purify' your body and wash away the Dead Dust brought out of the Cemetery."
Guided by the Boss's Wife, he arrived at the bathroom inside the clothing store.
After washing,
The Boss's Wife personally trimmed his beard and cut his hair.
Once his appearance had been tidied up, Yi Chen could finally examine himself in the dressing mirror.
Beneath his neatly trimmed, short Black Hair, his facial features were surprisingly similar to his original appearance. It could even be said that his original face had merely been given some Western characteristics.
Such as a higher nose bridge and deeper eye sockets.
Looking closely, he even bore some resemblance to Keanu Reeves in his youth... The details were a little different, but overall, he looked quite good.
I really do have a lot in common with the original owner of this body. Perhaps it has something to do with transmigration.
Next came the fitting.
A white shirt,
a small vest with dark green stripes,
black suit trousers with a certain degree of elasticity,
and a Black Trench Coat resembling the Work Clothes from the Cemetery. It could wrap around his entire body and conceal his face... giving him a gloomy air.
After tying the laces of his black Oxford shoes,
The Boss's Wife personally fastened a black tie around his neck.
When he saw his completely transformed appearance in the mirror, Yi Chen's spirits soared.
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